Mi Box S - No audio passthrough

[Nabukodonosor 11]

Hey guys. I've been having an issue with my Mi Box S. I have a Denon X2000 AVR. I can't figure it out how to passthrough DTS and Dolby to my AVR. I use a HDMI cable. When I connect my Firestick 4K Max to it, it works flowlessly, in Emby, Plex or VLC. But when I try with Mi Box S, I only get PCM on my Denon. It works when I play a video in VLC, but I need it to work in Emby. I have tried every single thing I could think of, but none of them worked. I have exactly the same options set up in both my Emby's, on the Firestick and Mi Box S, everything the same. Any ideas what to do here?

[RanmaCanada 418]

You could toggle the "use external player" option and continue to use VLC instead of EXOPlayer.  Some devices just don't play well with the internal player.  I have similar issues on "other" android devices and use FTMC or Kodi for playback.

[Luke 38823]

Hi there, we generally support this automatically. Can we please look at an example?

Thanks !

[Nabukodonosor 11]

What do you mean "example"? When I play with VLC my Denon AVR says on it display DTS or D+ and plays surround sound, and when I use Emby it says PCM and plays stereo.

[Luke 38823]

Please attach the information requested in how to report a media playback issue. thanks !

[ebr 15433]

2 hours ago, Nabukodonosor said:

and when I use Emby it says PCM and plays stereo

Can you please play that item for a few seconds and then follow the instructions to send a log from the app?

 

[Nabukodonosor 11]

Here you go. 

embyserver.txt

[ebr 15433]

Hi.  I need you to follow the instructions in that article for sending a log directly from the app.

Thanks.

[Nabukodonosor 11]

Sent the log file from the app. How will you know which one is from me?

And again, I think the problem is in the Emby app. When I play a movie directly in VLC I get DTS or Dolby sound. But when I try the option "Use external player" in Emby, and select VLC, again I don't get a passthrough. Somehow Emby "blocks" it.

[ebr 15433]

56 minutes ago, Nabukodonosor said:

How will you know which one is from me?

From the instructions:

 Then add the following information to your report in the forum:

 

• Exactly what you were doing and what happened.  Include the name of whatever you played if it is a playback problem
• The time you sent the log (in Eastern Time please - UTC -5)
• The name of the Emby user on the local server that was logged in at the time

[Nabukodonosor 11]

1. I played a movie for a few seconds to get it in the log. I think the movie was "A star is born"

2. 4.22PM UTC -5. I think. Maybe I'm converting this thing wrong.

3. User: Nikola.

[ebr 15433]

Hi.  The device is not reporting support for DTS.  You can try re-starting it with your AVR powered on or the  beta release of the app will probably help as well.

Is the Mi connected directly to the AVR?

 

 

[Nabukodonosor 11]

Yes. The device is connected via HDMI cable to the AVR. Also, when I play a movie in VLC, DTS and Dolby are turning on, so the device supports them. Also, to repeat, in Emby, when I select to use an external player, and I select VLC, I don't get DTS. So I think Emby is doing something to block that.

I will try to restart it.

[rbjtech 4810]

Have you looked at the Audio options on the Emby 'Playback' screen ? 

If these don't show, then try to turn the Mi Box first, then the AVR - then fire up Emby.

On my Shield and a Denon AVR, this all works perfectly incl HD-Audio/Atmos - so I don't see why the Mi Box and your Denon AVR should be any different.   ie use CEC to turn on the Shield, which then turns on the AVR, which then turns on the OLED.   This also, I believe, sends the devices capabilities down the HDMI cables during CEC power on.

Edited March 5, 2022 by rbjtech

[Nabukodonosor 11]

I see options on the Emby 'Playback' screen. I don't know which specific option you reffer to, but I see some options.

[rbjtech 4810]

Hi - In Emby itself - this is what I see using a Shield :-

I'm telling Emby to passthrough all the Audio channels to the AVR directly - do not attempt to process them.

On the SHIELD (the Mi will likely be different..)

Under Display & Sound > Advanced Settings -

Set it to Auto - individually setting them also work.

It's also worth checking the HDMI-CEC settings - ensure they are all ON (both the Mi, TV and Denon)

I hope this helps.

[Nabukodonosor 11]

Yeah, that's pretty much the same with me. Except, I don't have Atmos and Dts-hd options. But all other checked.

[rbjtech 4810]

29 minutes ago, Nabukodonosor said:

Yeah, that's pretty much the same with me. Except, I don't have Atmos and Dts-hd options. But all other checked.

..which backup's @ebr's findings that the Mi is not recognising the Denon's playback codecs - as far as I know, your Denon can play all HD Audio codecs (it will just 'ignore' the Atmos and DTS:X  metadata).

I'm assuming you connected the Mi into 'HDMI-1' (an HDMI INPUT) and the TV is connected to the HDMI OUTPUT (Monitor) on the AVR ?

You haven't connected the Mi to the TV and then the TV to AVR - if you have, this is incorrect.

Edited March 6, 2022 by rbjtech

[Nabukodonosor 11]

No, Mi is connected to the AVR, and TV also to the Monitor on the AVR.

[rbjtech 4810]

23 minutes ago, Nabukodonosor said:

No, Mi is connected to the AVR, and TV also to the Monitor on the AVR.

Hmm ok - then so I see no reason at all why the Mi is not picking up the AVR capabilities. 

It shouldn't matter but have you tried a different/shorter HDMI cable ?

[Nabukodonosor 11]

It's working with that beta version of Emby! so, I guess there is something wrong with the stable version. You guys should look into it.

[ebr 15433]

3 hours ago, Nabukodonosor said:

It's working with that beta version of Emby! so, I guess there is something wrong with the stable version. You guys should look into it.

Hi.  The beta will become the next stable.  The issue is that the device is not properly reporting its audio capabilities when we ask it.  With the beta, we ignore that and try anyway.

[Nabukodonosor 11]

Is there a way to solve that? 

[ebr 15433]

11 hours ago, Nabukodonosor said:

Is there a way to solve that? 

Usually it is related to power on sequence and doing as rbj suggested will correct it.