CoreELEC HD audio passthrough

General
1

Hello. As I understand, I think the only Android TV device capable of playing HD audio is Nvidia Shield.

I see an audio passthrough option (in Expert Mode) in CoreELEC. Ok, suppose I let CoreELEC decode it, I want to know something. It could work for any other Android TV boxes out there?

My intention is to buy a Mecool K5 and I want to install CoreELEC. Will I get, for instance, “Dolby-TrueHD” message on my AVR? I mean, a real HD audio?

2

This hasn’t been true for some time, there are a number of devices able to passthrough TrueHD/DTS-HD in AndroidTV. Many of the s905x4 boxes like Homatics 4k R Plus / DuneHD 4k R Plus / Nokia 8010 / Rocktek G2, among others can. Even many of the Fire devices are able to do this (with quirks) including 2nd gen 4k FireStick / 2nd gen FireStick Max / 3rd gen Cube.

TrueHD/DTS-HD passthrough is a standard CE feature available since ever on any box capable of booting CE.

I don’t know if the Mecool K5 bootloader allows booting CE, if it does it will passthrough TrueHD.

3 Likes
3

Thanks. In the case of the devices you mention it may be because they are licensed for those audios, the DuneHD 4k R Plus seems to have them.

Mecool K5 seems to be unlicensed for some audios. I have noticed two things on this website: REVIEW: Mecool K5 with triple tuner is renewed with the powerful SoC S905x3 | AndroidPCtv

1-AUDIOS:

Dolby:
5.1 / Plus = OK || Atmos / True HD = Core
DTS:
5.1 / MA = OK || HR / X = Core

2-COREELEC:

LibreELEC: NO compatible with LibreELEC or CoreELEC for now.

The second is not correct. Unless someone says I am wrong, we can download the CoreELEC image for Mecool K5 as follows:

Device
Devices with S905X3
RAM/Variant
2GB(100Mbit)
DTB
sm1_s905x3_2g

But what about the first thing?

In every device that can run CoreELEC we will have HD audio passthrough and we will see, for example, the message “Dolby True-HD” in our AVR even if the device is not licensed for True-HD? Or will only the Core of the format be played?

Note that I always insist about getting proper HD audio and not the Core. Some people have told me that if the device is not licensed for formats such as Dolby True-HD, the only thing CoreELEC will play is always Core. I think they are wrong, but they have made me think about it and now I have doubts.

Let’s see if any CoreELEC developer can clear this up for us.

4

Answer was already given.

1 Like
5

I am glad to find out at last that all the people who claimed in some forums that with CoreELEC only HD audio passthrough to AVR (Dolby True-HD, Atmos, DTS-HD MA, DTS-X) was possible on devices licensed for those audios were totally wrong. Now I don’t have to worry about looking at what licenses a device I want to buy has, if with CoreELEC I have everything.

Long live CoreELEC.

Thank you both very much!!!

1 Like
6

You do need to pay attention to Dolby Vision licensing if you care about Dolby Vision playback. It doesn’t look like the Mecool K5 is DV licensed. Yes, audio licensing has no impact on audio passthrough in CE.

2 Likes
7

Thank you. I think I will only play 4K UHD content with HDR10 and no Dolby Vision. I imagine that CoreELEC plays HDR10 perfectly and if I’m not wrong almost any device supports it.

8

yes HDR10 and HDR10+ work in CE on any s905x3 or newer SOC.

3 Likes
9

Good evening.

I would like to ask a question as a neophyte about this OS that I would like to install on a Dune HD Pro Vision 4K box (Amlogic S905X4-J)

Within the CoreELEC OS in the System>Audio section, I enable the Passthrough output device to send the audio stream to the multichannel decoder.

In case I need to listen to the audio directly on the TV screen, without turning on the sound system, do I need to change the Passthrough setting in the settings each time or does the box automatically switch to 2-channel without acting on the audio settings?

Thank you

10

What TV? Most new TVs have audio decoders to process modern multichannel streams for internal speakers needs. Just select Channel number 2.0 and Passthrough for all audio formats your AV can handle, and you’ll have proper sound on TV and AV receiver.
If needed, you’ll also have to chose Audio Passthrough option on your TV in order to send input streams to HDMI eARC output, for your AV receiver.

11

I apologize if I did not specify the characteristics of my system.

My question arises because I would like to replace my Zidoo Z9X box with CoreELEC compatible box (Ugoos AM6B Plus 2021 or Dune HD Pro Vision 4K)

The current connection scheme is between the box >splitter HDFURY AVR Key whose video output goes to the old LG B6 and the audio output to the Yamaha RX-V775 Decoder sinto.

Having never had experience with the CoreELEC system, I had precisely the doubt if by setting the Passtrough I could still get the audio on the TV, when I do not use the external audio system, avoiding to act on the CoreELEC audio settings each time.

Thank you

12

The advice I gave you above will only work correctly if your HDFURY AVR Key can reproduce both video and audio streams on HDMI exit connected to your TV…

Btw, Passthrough option just selects if Kodi on the box will handle/decode audio streams, or your peripheral device (TV and AVR) will do that. Since you are splitting audio stream just keep Passthrough to on and select all formats your Yamaha can decode.

13

Thanks for the advice.

14

So far I know the best cost benefit is the TOX3 with s905x4 with CoreElec. It works truehd and dts-x!

15

Being undecided between the Dune and the Ugoos, I would prefer the Dune just for an aesthetic factor that I like better.
Both have good Amlogic processors to support CoreELEC.