Intel Alder Lake 2160p @ 23.976 Hz passthrough HD Audio dropouts (i7-1270p/N100)

    Quote from smp

    CE does not use 12-bit for 4K/24. Intel does.

    Oh well. Intel could at least point us which AVR it used for testing (if any). At the very least it would serve as a starting point for us to begin bothering Denon/Marantz about it.

    Quote from w46n3r

    Oh well. Intel could at least point us which AVR it used for testing (if any). At the very least it would serve as a starting point for us to begin bothering Denon/Marantz about it.

    Go ask them then. I doubt they are using an AVR though, and it shouldn't matter what brand (or whether one is used) as the issue is unlikely to be related to the HDMI display device and more likely to be related to DP to HDMI converter hardware/firmware or some issue or inefficiency in the driver that results in video+audio requiring more bandwidth on the HDMI connection than the current chain provides, resulting in audio dropouts.

    Quote from w46n3r

    Oh well. Intel could at least point us which AVR it used for testing (if any). At the very least it would serve as a starting point for us to begin bothering Denon/Marantz about it.

    I went to an AMD box from an Intel box and problem solved. It wasn't my preferred approach but I got tired of waiting. The Intel boxes I have (NUC 8i7BEH and N100) both work fine with my Yamaha AVR as long as I don't use passthrough audio.


    Jeff

    Quote from jbinkley60

    I've been watching this thread for a long time and have had an Intel NUC (8i7BEK)

    I back catching up on progress as I just bought another Alder Lake NUC.

    The previous one has the software ‘fix’ to limit output to 10bit. Does using the Thunderbolt port fix the audio glitch on Alder Lake?

    I had (and still have) a couple of NUC8s but I don’t recall having any Audio dropouts after updating the HDMI firmware on those. Maybe I’m wrong… (I have Denon AVRs)

    Ok, I found a clip, I got audio drop outs over HDMI, my GMKTec G2 also has Displayport and that with an active DP 1.4 to HDMI 2.1 adapter worked fine with no drop outs. I have a separate issue though where I get no display (over hdmi or dp) if going via the Denon amp unless I unplug and replug a few times or boot to the bios, but I've not really found a pattern, sometimes I get the boot logo and then lose picture, sometimes I get no picture at all so that's a show stopper for me so not sure where to go from there. I only get it with the Denon and not via the tv direct but that makes it unusable for me even with the Displayport work around, I can't find talk of others having the same though.

    Wow what an issue.

    Just posting here to add another user.

    I have 2 x nuci5pak and 1 x nuci5pah just got a denon receiver and went through some hours of pain before finding this.

    Confirmed by, I also have a nuc7pcyh when subsituted works more or less fine. (unit is too slow for some 150GB remuxes). DTHD, DTS(as dts-HD) on 12-bit.

    Have tested on older smp builds sky42 builds and currently running latest stable 12.02 and sky12.02 builds.

    What I did notice on these hardware models is either the HD audio works for TRUEHD(DTHD on denon) or it doesn't. Works about 1/20 times always requiring a kodi reboot. It's like the edid file is wrong/hdmi does not negiotiate properly..Dunno.
    Then the receiver is stuck on DTHD and won't play anything else apart from that.

    michael123 could you please confirm that using a DP -> HDMI 2.1 adapter works fine with HD audio and 12 bit using a denon receiver? Before I go and buy one? I'm gonna anyway but would like to know if, it's pointless.

    No point me commenting on what I think the issue is as I don't develop for LE.

    Really do appreciate the work so far, All.

    If the adapter work around doesn't work that means the only solution is install windas and kodi on that. Not really ideal but from what I've read this will allow the best usage of Intels hardware with irix xe gpu and lspcon bridge to hdmi on denon receivers whilst using lossless HD audio.

    Edited once, last by libreAU (July 12, 2025 at 10:31 PM).

    Just replying with testing for reference. Sorry if this has already been done. Just to save others future pain.

    I purchased a couple of these in the hopes HD audio would work using the thunderbolt ports:
    https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0DCN798Y1?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

    2 model:
    201388
    210488

    One is specific for MAC 240hz

    It did not and also the video was reduced to 8 bit for some reason.

    I have some mini-display port adapters on the way. Hoping for some joy there.

    Edited once, last by libreAU (July 16, 2025 at 5:47 AM).

    These ones work for NUC8 with HDMI 2.1 AVRs:

    https://www.amazon.com.au/UGREEN-Adapter-Thunderbolt-Converter-Compatible/dp/B0CNKBB4Z1/ref=pd_ci_mcx_pspc_dp_d_2_t_3?pd_rd_w=3Dfse&content-id=amzn1.sym.c9d8026d-7c0e-4380-bf9e-ee6dc4550161&pf_rd_p=c9d8026d-7c0e-4380-bf9e-ee6dc4550161&pf_rd_r=2659E9DRCWMME3X25RS7&pd_rd_wg=sdldc&pd_rd_r=bfbd58f7-e9e0-4089-a578-1e5e3ab86ad7&pd_rd_i=B0CNKBB4Z1


    FYI: I used some on our QQ NUC Special Edition Kodi releases (Add full music tag support for Matroska mka and MKV files, Music Concert support in the Kodi music library (not as ‘music videos’, as ‘music’ with video) and music audio Codec recognition/UI display for Kodi skins).

    We delivered 70 x Intel NUC8 to our forum members based on LE12 and the QQ Kodi mods.

    Edited once, last by HomerJau (July 16, 2025 at 8:37 AM).

    Hey Thanks for replying and sharing that information. It's appreciated. I'm on my 6th adapter now... I'll give it another go :)

    QQ Mods look very cool, I'd jump in for round 3 if I didn't just by another i5pah11 nuc

    I’m having the same issue with audio dropouts on my Intel NUC 12 Pro.
    When I used it with Windows 10, the audio worked perfectly, although I sometimes experienced minor video dropouts when starting or stopping a movie.
    I’m running the latest official LibreELEC version, and my receiver is a Pioneer SC-LX801.
    I tried the 10-bit fix mentioned here, and it seems to have solved the problem for now.
    The question is whether it's poor Intel hardware or bad drivers?
    It worked without audio dropouts on Windows, but since our family has completely switched from Windows to Linux some time ago, we’re not interested in changing operating systems again.

    Quote from Sanity

    I’m having the same issue with audio dropouts on my Intel NUC 12 Pro.
    When I used it with Windows 10, the audio worked perfectly, although I sometimes experienced minor video dropouts when starting or stopping a movie.
    I’m running the latest official LibreELEC version, and my receiver is a Pioneer SC-LX801.
    I tried the 10-bit fix mentioned here, and it seems to have solved the problem for now.
    The question is whether it's poor Intel hardware or bad drivers?
    It worked without audio dropouts on Windows, but since our family has completely switched from Windows to Linux some time ago, we’re not interested in changing operating systems again.


    It's an Intel driver issue. I switched from Intel NUCs to AMD min-PCs and my problems went away. Happily running LibreElec on AMD. I waited a few years to see if the problem went away. You can also not use passthrough audio and the problem should disappear on your NUC.


    Thanks,

    Jeff

    Another update:

    https://www.amazon.com.au/UGREEN-Adapter-Thunderbolt-Converter-Compatible/dp/B0CNKBB4Z1/ref=pd_ci_mcx_pspc_dp_d_2_t_3?pd_rd_w=3Dfse&content-id=amzn1.sym.c9d8026d-7c0e-4380-bf9e-ee6dc4550161&pf_rd_p=c9d8026d-7c0e-4380-bf9e-ee6dc4550161&pf_rd_r=2659E9DRCWMME3X25RS7&pd_rd_wg=sdldc&pd_rd_r=bfbd58f7-e9e0-4089-a578-1e5e3ab86ad7&pd_rd_i=B0CNKBB4Z1

    Did NOT work on intel nuc11paki5 & intel nuc11pahi5 with iris xe. Bummer!

    The only thing close I've got is no adapter or the cable matterones. I've yet to try direct display port. But I'm not confident.

    Got a big box of amazon returns today. fuuuuu..

    Sanity This is almost certainly a driver issue with linux/intel not providing them. It works on windows.
    I'm at the point whether to leave LE :( , don't really want to as I've been using it since openelec and I prefer it or move to kodi and finally use a sqldb to sync the dbs and thumbnails. (Home assistant and ssh does this twice daily at the moment). Or just settle with 10 bit HDR instead of using the full potential of the iris xe gpu and use 12bit. How many billions of colours do I need? But I can definitely tell the difference between 8 and 12 bit hdr.

    There's load of information on this forum and others, where firmware updates have helped/or not helped as there appear to be lots of different lspcon chip versions. I gave up reading after a while.

    Probably complain to intel forum as a last ditch effort but this has been round for a while...

    FYI if you are determined to run linux and kodi/variant and use HD audio and intel I think I read that 13th Gen NUCs work without issue if you're prepared to sell/launch your existing batch and splash out yet again. They're only about $1kaud each.

    </complain>

    Comments are my own and could/probably be wrong. Feel free to correct them.

    Quote from libreAU

    But I can definitely tell the difference between 8 and 12 bit hdr.

    Well, you think you can, but since your source media is either 8-bit or 10-bit, you can only tell the difference between 8-bit and 10-bit media; which is more than enough, hence broadcasters don't bother with 12-bit media.


    Or you can spend 1/3rd of that on an AMD mini-PC and be done with the issue. I went the Beelink route but there are others. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to go the Intel route. I have 4 NUCs. I now use them for other things.


    Thanks,

    Jeff