[npapanik]

After updating to v18 and now 18.1, every movie (including sample files) that have E-AC3 audio, do not have sound anymore. If you disable E-AC3, the sound returns, but of course as LPCM. I am using an Nvidia shield with latest firmware (7.2). A colleague of mine tested the same on a Mi Box S with the exact same results. All other audio formats (AC3, DTS) work as expected.

[rontonomo]

very few tvs on the market currently support e-ac3 passthrough...

[npapanik]

very few tvs on the market currently support e-ac3 passthrough...

My mistake: I haven't clarified that I am using a Sony HT-XT1 soundbar which supports everything: AC3, E-AC3, DTS etc... E-AC3 was working fine until Kodi v17.6.

[moscard]

+1
No Digital Plus (E-AC3 5.1) passthrough on kodi 18.2/minix U9-H Android
DTS - > work fine
AC3 (dolby digital) -> work fine

Tryed directly on the home cinema Samsung H7750 -> work fine for E-AC3 5.1
Tryed on Minix using Plex client E-AC3 work fine as well

Only KODI 18.2 seems not supporting E-AC3 passthrough. Disabling Passthrough for Dolby Digital Plus -> ok but always 2.0 (we loose 5.1 effect)

[moscard]

Ok, I found a temporary work around :

Put the # of speakers to 2.0
It apears the option "Transcode to AC3" in Passthrough section -> enable it and disable the E-AC3 capability.

The output audio is in AC3 5.1 instead of 2.0 as in my previous post.  Not bad, but I would prefer to have native E-AC3.

[pcristi]

Give a try of forceraw build maybe helps.

[moscard]

ok,
Many thanks, I will try.

[sjw1]

I've been 'living' with stereo for DD+ for a little while.  My amp doesn't decode DD+ (same as E-AC3?).  I connect the HTPC to the TV via HDMI and and then that by optical to the amp.
I just changed the number of speakers in Kodi to 2.0 and the 'Decode Dolby Digital' option becomes available and I select it.
Now I have full 5.1 for DD+ tracks - aswell as the usual DD and DTS. 
My question is, why?  What is the 'number of channels' option actually for in Kodi?  Logic says it's the number of channels supported by the device - but if I set it to 2.0 then I still get 6 channels 'passed through' - whereas you could reasonably expect it to only pass 2 channels along??....
Why is the Dolby Digital passthrough' only available for 2.0 and not 5.1?

[fritsch]

No ...

Kodi clearly separates PCM settings and Passthrough settings. Channels are for PCM.

DTS and AC3 and EAC3 are transmitted via 2 PCM channels only, as they are virtual formats.

If you tell kodi, you only have 2.0 PCM channels (which every SPDIF / ARC / etc. is), then we know that you cannout output more than 3 channels via PCM and we provde an additional setting: Dolby Transcoding.

Btw. This is fully documented in the wiki: https://kodi.wiki/view/Settings/System/A...f_channels

[sjw1]

No ...

Kodi clearly separates PCM settings and Passthrough settings. Channels are for PCM.

DTS and AC3 and EAC3 are transmitted via 2 PCM channels only, as they are virtual formats.

If you tell kodi, you only have 2.0 PCM channels (which every SPDIF / ARC / etc. is), then we know that you cannout output more than 3 channels via PCM and we provde an additional setting: Dolby Transcoding.

Btw. This is fully documented in the wiki: https://kodi.wiki/view/Settings/System/A...f_channels

Many thanks for the explanation.  I'd love to know how many users have number of channels set to 5.1 incorrectly then.
I literally didn't know DTS and AC3 were effectively 2 PCM channels, I thought it was 5 (well, 6) discrete channels.
Further to the comment above about few TV's passing through EAC3, presumably mine does as I get 5.1 from the speakers and it's EAC3 audio?  Samsung KS8000.

[E net]

*deleted*

[E net]

No ...

Kodi clearly separates PCM settings and Passthrough settings. Channels are for PCM.

DTS and AC3 and EAC3 are transmitted via 2 PCM channels only, as they are virtual formats.

If you tell kodi, you only have 2.0 PCM channels (which every SPDIF / ARC / etc. is), then we know that you cannout output more than 3 channels via PCM and we provde an additional setting: Dolby Transcoding.

Btw. This is fully documented in the wiki: https://kodi.wiki/view/Settings/System/A...f_channels

This is still a bug though. For me the problem is with 7.1 DD+ files which sound like someone is constantly turning the volume off and on. 5.1 DD+ files, even with Atmos seem to work fine. I am connecting through HDMI to an AV receiver. All the settings are as they should be because the 5.1 DD+ files play fine.

[MrPatate]

Thanks to this tread (and google who point this one) i was able to use dd dts and dd+ on logitech z5500 with common movies and series.
Really appreciate to use the most of my logitech kit and use it on my shield tv.
Thanks to Fritsch for the link to kodi wiki witch is pleinty of usefull knowlegde and to sjw1 for the configuration of kodi.

[fritsch]

For 7.1 eac3: most boxes don't do it, as they don't implement it properly.

Kodi's IEC output can do them all, but the box needs to support it as well as 192 khz.

The usual android raw packer assumes 48 khz only. That won't fit bandwidth wise.

[Quekod]

Ok, I found a temporary work around :

Put the # of speakers to 2.0
It apears the option "Transcode to AC3" in Passthrough section -> enable it and disable the E-AC3 capability.

The output audio is in AC3 5.1 instead of 2.0 as in my previous post.  Not bad, but I would prefer to have native E-AC3.

Thanks for the work around, very much appreciated. I use SPMC also. I put the same settings in that as I did kodi, without any luck. Could you give me some tips to see if th
e work around will work on SPMC.