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Hi base on your reviews, I purchase a TVS-h874-i7-32G-US, with 5- IronWolf Pro 12tb hard drives (RAID 6) and 2- 500Gb SN700 NVMe SSDs (RAID 1). Planning to use Plex with Fire TV 4K max streamers. All is up and running. Primary concern it the theater. I understand that the Fire TV Sticks don't pass though DTS.
1) What does the Fi re TV transcode the Auto into when the Source is DTS 7.1? Does this represent any significant loss of audio experience?
2) If so, what are my options to resolve?
Thank you so much for the help.
Larry
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Congratulations on your Qnap TVS-h874 setup! Let's address your concerns about using Plex with Fire TV 4K Max and DTS audio:
When the Fire TV transcodes DTS audio, it typically converts it into either AAC or EAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus) formats. While this conversion ensures audio compatibility with your Fire TV device, there might be a slight loss in audio quality compared to the original DTS 7.1. However, for many users, this difference is not significant and still provides an enjoyable audio experience.
To optimize your setup and possibly eliminate audio transcoding, you can consider a few options:
Advanced Audio Formats: If your media source allows it, consider using audio tracks in formats supported by Fire TV without transcoding. These include AAC, EAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus), and more.
Audio Passthrough: Some media players and setups allow audio passthrough, which sends the audio directly to your A/V receiver for decoding. However, this depends on both your media player (Plex) and your A/V receiver supporting DTS formats. Ensure that your Fire TV and A/V receiver are compatible with DTS passthrough.
Audio Conversion: If you're an audiophile and want the best audio experience, you can convert your DTS audio tracks to a supported format (e.g., AAC or EAC3) using third-party software. This way, you can avoid transcoding during playback.
