[RPi5] TrueHD or any Dolby via eARC Stopped Working

    Hi,

    Am I hallucinating or did some recent firmware updates (as in the last 1-2 weeks) to either PanaSonic TV or Denon AVR prevent TrueHd , Atmos or any Dolby audio being passed down to the AVR?

    I am kind of sure this was working in my setup not too long ago.

    My setup is: raspi5 via HDMI to Panasonic Tv, via eArc enabled hdmi to Denon AVR.

    DTS HD MA gets passed through, just not anything Dolby (not even normal AC3).

    The TV shows that the incoming stream has TrueHd or Atmos, but seems to not pass it on. The AVR just shows some weird 'Multi'

    I didn't change anything on the raspi, but I remebered that both the TV and the AVR are connected to the internet with auto updates. Normally they notify me, but who knows...


    Anyone any ideas?

    Thx.

    1. Select a fitting sample from here: https://kodi.wiki/view/Samples
    2. Do the debug setup.
    3. Play the sample in debug mode.
    4. Post a link to a log.
    Please provide a full debug log.

    How to post a log (wiki)

    1. Enable debugging in Settings>System Settings>Logging
    2. Restart Kodi
    3. Replicate the problem
    4. Generate a log URL (do not post/upload logs to the forum)

    use "Settings > LibreELEC > System > Paste system logs" or run "pastekodi" over SSH, then post the URL link

    It's not a Libreelec problem, since hd audio is being passed through to the TV (it shows ATmos/TrueHD on info). But It either doesn't pass on to the AVR, or the AVR doesn't 'like' what it sees on eARC. It seems to get the individual channels pre-decoded. But again only Dolby. DTS get's passed through properly.

    Dolby(AC3/ThrueHD/Atmos) is also passed correctly if I connect the raspi to the AVR directly rather than via eARCfrom the TV.


    I am asking here, because I believe

    a) there are people with a similar setup, and Panasonic TV are knowen to be flaky and require a real wall-power off from time to time (done that, of course)

    b) I strongly believe it was working just a week or 2 ago.

    The only update in recent weeks is LE 12.0.0/1 to 12.0.2 and testing whether that changed anything (not impossible but unlikely) is easy to test by rolling back to the earlier version.

    hastebin - wikisuyafe

    Ok here's a debug log of me try to play the atmos and another truehd file, which in both cases were detected correctly on the TV, but NOT passed on the AVR.

    Followed by 2 test files with various DTS MA, which were passed on the AVR.

    Again, I don't think it's kodi/libereelc. I think the TV and/or the AVR are acting weird. I was hoping to find someone here who has a similar setup :

    Panasoniv TV <-> eARC Denon AVR

    and maybe confirm/deny that dolby passthrough via eARC works


    Thx anyway

    Code
    2025-02-23 16:28:01.529 T:1431  warning <general>: OutputPicture - timeout waiting for buffer

    Make sure your HDMI cables are conform to HDMI 2.0 or 2.1 standard. Cable issues can produce random errors (depending on electromagnetic surrounding), so you're probably not hallucinating.

    Yup, done that been there, the cables are ok, they work elsewhere.

    And I have tried 4 different certified for HDMI xyz 1000k UUUHD and good for world peace cables...

    So I somehow keep suspecting the TV...

    until I get fed up one day and stop obsessing, or it starts working for no reason again.

    BTW, why did you single out that one warning line about waiting for a buffer? What does that tell you?

    Quote from yamcenutzer

    BTW, why did you single out that one warning line about waiting for a buffer? What does that tell you?

    It happens multiple times in the log. I've seen that often with bad cables, but usually as a longer sequence.

    Let's wait for the experts now. The log also provides more complicated messages.