ATSC3 / AC-4 broadcasts failing

[brucearp 4]

We have 2 open ATSC3 channels we can watch, KPTM (Fox - Omaha) - 142.1 and KXVO - (Roar - Omaha) - 115.1.  When I try to watch either one through Emby using either a web browser or the Windows App, I get the error:

Playback Error
There was an error processing the request.  Please try again later.

Signal Strength and Quality all seem to be good watching the HDHomeRun Config GUI app. 

The channels do play fine using the HDHomeRun app on Windows.

 

The stream does work if I watch via RTP in VLC. 

•  Emby Server - 4.9.3.0ffmpeg-transcode-66a9a7d0-5c90-45f7-b95f-70b8d9d06777_1.txt 
• Server Hardware - HP-ENVY TE01-4xxx
  • Windows 11 Home (25H2 - 26200.8246)
  • Intel Core i5-13400
  • 12 GB RAM
  • Intel UHD Graphics 730
• Tuner Hardware - HDHomeRun Flex4K
  • Firmware: 20260326

Log files attached.

From the transcoding log, it appears that FFMPEG is blowing up trying to transcode the AC-4 audio possibly?

 

Thanks

Bruce

embyserver.txt hardware_detection-63913151331.txt ffmpeg-transcode-f2cc5a74-9154-4a88-9e56-a9ea9b07fc69_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-a347711a-8144-444a-969b-c2354fe97138_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-1aae9d8f-89ef-4ded-b30e-820a08cfefc9_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-bf58a248-ba4f-4fa4-aa1a-fb4c1bc6a9e9_1.txt

[alex77777 46]

@brucearpDo you know if these channels use DRM encryption? Its very common among ATSC 3.0 Broadcasts, if so the channel cannot be viewed using the HDHomerun.

[brucearp 4]

Nope, those 2 do not have DRM on them.  I can watch them in the HDHomeRun app, they just fail in Emby.  The stream will also play in VLC (minus audio, video only).

 

Bruce

[emveepee 133]

Do you have other stations with multiple PLP's

Martin

[brucearp 4]

No, 115.1 and 142.1 are the only 2 ATSC 3.0 channels I can receive.  The other ATSC 3.0 channels in my area are DRM protected so I can't receive them. 

[knoll126 11]

Sorry this is off topic, but what application (link?) are you using for the GUI tool? I am only aware of the website UI option and this seems pretty neat.

[brucearp 4]

15 hours ago, knoll126 said:

Sorry this is off topic, but what application (link?) are you using for the GUI tool? I am only aware of the website UI option and this seems pretty neat.

It is the windows config app, you can get it off their site under Support/Downloads.  I have 2 different ones, don't recall which is which, but one is HDHomeRun Config GUI and the other is HDHomeRun Setup.  

Bruce

[Luke 42628]

@brucearpare you still having an issue with this?

[brucearp 4]

@LukeYes, still having the same issue.  I get the playback error in the browser on Windows.  On my TV (RokuTV), it gets to a % like it is buffering but then never plays and goes back to the spinning circle.  Uploaded more logs from trying it this morning.

HDHome Run App does play the channels.

Bruce

ffmpeg-transcode-b12bc81d-f8ac-4036-97be-6245644ce899_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-e722c87d-2ff0-493c-9683-97029f274426_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-f456cb2d-bbeb-4897-b256-e88a4d532f08_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-6ab0fe9c-1d38-45eb-9743-a1a7cd0bbc91_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-85f0aad3-40eb-4bba-b561-372e45651842_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-199ab682-f40b-4f58-9a16-839ab8b1b5d0_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-e8f77ba4-fbf0-46cb-9829-72294ae4b26b_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-f6c1d4ad-8aa7-4e98-b099-b0c61ce7d5d4_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-1ae5f8fe-49d0-4e21-b2bf-c9bc68a02694_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-7f582d22-ab3d-48e7-87f4-d8f924f0f0d5_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-39cbddd6-bc11-4b6e-bcd6-83d64af2b08d_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-804659c5-6d31-48a7-bbeb-92b867dd6f0a_1.txt hardware_detection-63914421881.txt embyserver.txt ffmpeg-transcode-6d01d3be-4d11-49cf-806f-1fc197ed5415_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-7ba377d9-6455-4f48-8ed6-822600ccbaae_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-a3e3bfe5-5e83-4752-b148-3b5a4b06db0d_1.txt

[Luke 42628]

On 5/15/2026 at 7:22 AM, brucearp said:

@LukeYes, still having the same issue.  I get the playback error in the browser on Windows.  On my TV (RokuTV), it gets to a % like it is buffering but then never plays and goes back to the spinning circle.  Uploaded more logs from trying it this morning.

HDHome Run App does play the channels.

Bruce

ffmpeg-transcode-b12bc81d-f8ac-4036-97be-6245644ce899_1.txt 33.22 kB · 0 downloads ffmpeg-transcode-e722c87d-2ff0-493c-9683-97029f274426_1.txt 12.2 kB · 0 downloads ffmpeg-transcode-f456cb2d-bbeb-4897-b256-e88a4d532f08_1.txt 16.38 kB · 0 downloads ffmpeg-transcode-6ab0fe9c-1d38-45eb-9743-a1a7cd0bbc91_1.txt 16.33 kB · 0 downloads ffmpeg-transcode-85f0aad3-40eb-4bba-b561-372e45651842_1.txt 15.95 kB · 0 downloads ffmpeg-transcode-199ab682-f40b-4f58-9a16-839ab8b1b5d0_1.txt 16.41 kB · 0 downloads ffmpeg-transcode-e8f77ba4-fbf0-46cb-9829-72294ae4b26b_1.txt 16.38 kB · 0 downloads ffmpeg-transcode-f6c1d4ad-8aa7-4e98-b099-b0c61ce7d5d4_1.txt 15.92 kB · 0 downloads ffmpeg-transcode-1ae5f8fe-49d0-4e21-b2bf-c9bc68a02694_1.txt 15.92 kB · 0 downloads ffmpeg-transcode-7f582d22-ab3d-48e7-87f4-d8f924f0f0d5_1.txt 16 kB · 0 downloads ffmpeg-transcode-39cbddd6-bc11-4b6e-bcd6-83d64af2b08d_1.txt 15.94 kB · 0 downloads ffmpeg-transcode-804659c5-6d31-48a7-bbeb-92b867dd6f0a_1.txt 15.99 kB · 0 downloads hardware_detection-63914421881.txt 210.01 kB · 0 downloads embyserver.txt 429.31 kB · 0 downloads ffmpeg-transcode-6d01d3be-4d11-49cf-806f-1fc197ed5415_1.txt 30.31 kB · 0 downloads ffmpeg-transcode-7ba377d9-6455-4f48-8ed6-822600ccbaae_1.txt 20.46 kB · 0 downloads ffmpeg-transcode-a3e3bfe5-5e83-4752-b148-3b5a4b06db0d_1.txt 25.92 kB · 0 downloads

Your tuner device is saying it's unavailable. Can you try rebooting it?

[js28194 62]

My limited understanding of this whole situation is the most everyone is waiting on some official integration of AC4 into FFMpeg.  I mostly use Kodi and I know that's their position.  They are not interested in incorporating some hacked up version of ffmpeg.  I don't know if that is Emby's official position.

Your issues are most likely all ffmpeg based (I don't know what the VLC guys are doing for video decoding).

The Silicon Dust App works because they do some cloud transcoding of the audio and muxing (is that the term?) into another format.

Edited Sunday at 09:08 PM by js28194

[brucearp 4]

On 5/31/2026 at 9:36 PM, Luke said:

Your tuner device is saying it's unavailable. Can you try rebooting it?

I have tried rebooting the complete system, server, tuners, tv, rokus many times.  Nothing changes.

[justinrh 282]

On 6/21/2026 at 4:06 PM, js28194 said:

My limited understanding of this whole situation is the most everyone is waiting on some official integration of AC4 into FFMpeg. 

I wouldn't recommend holding your breath ...

[JanS48 2]

Greetings I have done some research on this topic, not specifically for Emby but for VLC and other players, the issue is the AC-4 Dolby Support - apparently the greedy corporate folks at Dolby refuse to release this to the public domain so if you do not pay for the rights to publish AC-4 you do not get to play it. A few other platforms like QEMPlay2 figured it out and were told to shut down, I confirmed this with the folks at HDHR some time back.  It is a true shame that Next Gen chose an audio stream that the mass public will never get easily. I'm sure in time other players will pay Dolby's ransome to get service but frankly I don't expect Emby to be one of them - hope I'm wrong but so far Next Gen will just be for a chosen few, and then to make matters worse normal broadcast channels when moving to Next Gen add on DRM encryption blocking the broadcast for 90+% of normal viewers  - personally I think this is a move to make cable companies richer. Bottom line: Forget ATSC3 until there is a major landscape shift.
On the plus side HDHR software play it just fine as long as the channel you are attempting to tune is not DRM encrypted. Oh yeah and the feds plan to make ATSC3 the norm and eventually do away with ATSC - cable companies will love this.

Jan