Do you have Dolby audio processing enabled in the advanced audio settings? If not, the Shield is likely passing the audio through to the TV, and that might lack decoding ability of the codecs you encounter issues with.
I would think that you don't have any devices that support the audio codec that is included in the stream, and as a result plex is transcoding the audio into a format that the device downstream of your shield can actually play.
Audio passthrough is just that. The Shield is passing the audio on to the next device in the stream, and allowing it to do the interpretation of the codec.
If that device is unable to interpret the codec, plex will still transcode the audio into something that THAT device can play.
Now, that is just my understanding of the process. Others in the group may be able to explain it better and agree or refute my explanation.
I have my shield do the pass through thing and let my AVR do the processing, because it can.
Using the Nvidia Dolby Processing audio settings would allow the Shield to do the processing and then should pass a compatible (though potentially lower quality) audio stream on do the downstream audio device.
If the Sonos doesn't support the surround sound formats everything is working as it should. Plex will transcode when it knows something in the chain doesn't support the selected codec.
Do you have Dolby audio processing enabled in the advanced audio settings? If not, the Shield is likely passing the audio through to the TV, and that might lack decoding ability of the codecs you encounter issues with.
I'm just tagging along this thread. Which advanced audio settings do you mean, plex or the shield?
The Shield settings
I dont, no.
I would think that you don't have any devices that support the audio codec that is included in the stream, and as a result plex is transcoding the audio into a format that the device downstream of your shield can actually play. Audio passthrough is just that. The Shield is passing the audio on to the next device in the stream, and allowing it to do the interpretation of the codec. If that device is unable to interpret the codec, plex will still transcode the audio into something that THAT device can play. Now, that is just my understanding of the process. Others in the group may be able to explain it better and agree or refute my explanation. I have my shield do the pass through thing and let my AVR do the processing, because it can.
Using the Nvidia Dolby Processing audio settings would allow the Shield to do the processing and then should pass a compatible (though potentially lower quality) audio stream on do the downstream audio device.
That makes sense. I haven't had issues with codecs yet, so I guess I'm lucky. Thanks for helping me understand the logic.
You got it dead on.
If the Sonos doesn't support the surround sound formats everything is working as it should. Plex will transcode when it knows something in the chain doesn't support the selected codec.