DTS is getting transcoded to Dolby Digital

[Richard Branches 330]

Device: Ematic Jetstream with Android 9

Emby version: 1.8.28g

My device doesn't support DTS-HD Master Audio passtrough so the option for that codec is turned OFF in settings, while the DTS one is ON.

Audio output is set to "Auto" on both, the device and Emby.

When I play any video with DTS, it gets transcoded to Dolby Digital.

When I play any video with DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS core should passtrough, instead, it gets transcoded to Dolby Digital.

Other apps like VLC and MX Player passtrough the codec correctly to the AVR.

I'm not signed up to the beta at the moment.

Edited November 10, 2020 by Richard Branches

[ebr 16172]

This would indicate that your system is not reporting support for DTS audio but please let's look at an example.

 

[Richard Branches 330]

On the device's audio settings the DTS toggle is turned ON when using "Auto", that's why MX player and VLC works.

I'm going to test Emby by connecting my computer directly to the AVR, I'll let you know later what happens.

[Richard Branches 330]

I tested the instalable version of Emby Theater and the Windows Store version.

On the instalable version, DTS and DTS-HD passed-through to the AVR as long as the options were turned ON in the app's settings.

On the Windows Store version, DTS and DTS-HD didn't passthrough but transcoded to Dolby Digital. There aren't audio options on the Windows Store version so I assume the codecs are passed-through according to what the AVR supports, so it seems Emby app is not detecting this correctly, am I right?.

[ebr 16172]

I thought we were talking about an Android device here.  How did you install the Windows store version of Theater on that?

[Richard Branches 330]

6 minutes ago, ebr said:

I thought we were talking about an Android device here.

Yes, we're still talking about the Android TV device, but I wanted to test the apps on the computer as well.

Quote

How did you install the Windows store version of Theater on that?

I installed the app directly from the windows store. On this app Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus passtrough correctly but Dolby TrueHD, DTS and DTS-HD MA are getting transcoded to Dolby Digital like I already mentioned.

Edited November 10, 2020 by Richard Branches

[ebr 16172]

What an HTPC supports and what an Android device supports are two completely different things.  I do not believe the Windows store app can support DTS.  The player in that app is limited for use on more platforms (mobile).

Can we please look at specifics for an example of your original issue with the Android device and app?

Thanks.

[Richard Branches 330]

Just now, ebr said:

What an HTPC supports and what an Android device supports are two completely different things.  I do not believe the Windows store app can support DTS.  The player in that app is limited for use on more platforms (mobile).

Ok.

1 minute ago, ebr said:

Can we please look at specifics for an example of your original issue with the Android device and app?

The device detects the AVR's audio capabilities for every codec, and although TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio passtrough are not supported, it shows as detected, however, that is not my concern, my concern is that DTS core is not passing through.

[Richard Branches 330]

Do you need the log or the file I'm testing?

[FrostByte 5392]

Have you tried enabling the DTS-HD option so that ATV passes it through and letting the AVR handle pulling the DTS core?  Do you get sound if you do that?

[Richard Branches 330]

Yes, I tried that and it still gets transcoded to Dolby Digital.

Edited November 10, 2020 by Richard Branches

[ebr 16172]

Please play one of these items for just a few seconds and then send a log from the app.

[Richard Branches 330]

If it helps, this is what the device detects when using Auto. I sent the log on 11/10/2020 at 11:19 pm:

[FrostByte 5392]

Have you tried setting that to manual and disabling DTS-HD also?  I know you said you tried it within Emby, but it would seem that Android incorrectly detected what your AVR can support

[ebr 16172]

6 minutes ago, FrostByte said:

it would seem that Android incorrectly detected what your AVR can support

It isn't just about what the AVR can support.  The entire chain needs to support it - including the Android device.

[ebr 16172]

9 hours ago, Richard Branches said:

If it helps, this is what the device detects when using Auto. I sent the log on 11/10/2020 at 11:19 pm:

Hi.  This will help:

18 hours ago, ebr said:

Please play one of these items for just a few seconds and then send a log from the app.

 

[Richard Branches 330]

5 minutes ago, FrostByte said:

Have you tried setting that to manual and disabling DTS-HD also?

I haven't but I will try and I'll reply as soon as I can test it.

6 minutes ago, FrostByte said:

but it would seem that Android incorrectly detected what your AVR can support

Are you saying that the detection result is fake?, the AVR has all the codecs that appear as "detected" in the above picture.

[Richard Branches 330]

Hi @ebr, you didn't received the log? I sent it last night at 11:19 pm.

Edited November 11, 2020 by Richard Branches

[Richard Branches 330]

3 minutes ago, ebr said:

The entire chain needs to support it

So it seems the device doesn't support DTS passtrough even if it appears as detected in the picture?

[ebr 16172]

30 minutes ago, Richard Branches said:

Hi @ebr, you didn't received the log? I sent it last night at 11:19 pm.

I have found it now and the reason you are getting an audio conversion is indeed because the device (or something in the chain) doesn't really support what it says it does.  Being an "off-brand" box, this kind of thing can sometimes happen.  We do attempt to bitstream your audio but, when that fails, we fall back to converting it to DD.

11-10 23:17:55.801  6595  6595 E EventLogger: playerFailed [eventTime=0.85, mediaPos=0.00, window=0, period=0
11-10 23:17:55.801  6595  6595 E EventLogger:   com.google.android.exoplayer2.ExoPlaybackException: com.google.android.exoplayer2.audio.AudioSink$InitializationException: AudioTrack init failed: 0, Config(48000, 252, 48000)

 

[Richard Branches 330]

2 minutes ago, ebr said:

You never told me that

Yes I did, it was in here:

"If it helps, this is what the device detects when using Auto. I sent the log on 11/10/2020 at 11:19 pm"

Anyway, thank you for confirming that the device doesn't support DTS, I already imagined that, but I wanted to have a confirmation from an expert like you.

Have a nice day.

[ebr 16172]

Very sorry.  I don't know how I missed that statement...

[Richard Branches 330]

On 11/11/2020 at 9:11 AM, FrostByte said:

Have you tried setting that to manual and disabling DTS-HD also?  I know you said you tried it within Emby, but it would seem that Android incorrectly detected what your AVR can support

Sorry for the very late reply, I tried to select the options manually and it still gets transcoded to Dolby Digital, oddly, in other applications such as Kodi it does work when the DTS option is selected inside the app whether it's setup manually or with "Auto" in Android audio settings.

Anyway I'm going to stick with Dolby Digital for the time being.

Thank you.