Recommended method to split an HDMI output to video and audio? One to TV and one to Amp?

[NeilF]

I want to consider splitting the HDMI output of a Shield TV so video (& audio?) goes to my TV, and it also goes to my amp solely for the audio to be used.

ie: So HDR or Dolby vision video can go to my TV, and then say Dolby Atmos audio can go to my amp.

Can a simply HDMI splitter simply duplicate one HDMI output to two?

Or do you need something far more expensive like the Fury AVR?


ps: TV is an LG E7 which happily accepts the likes of dolby vision and audio, but obviously cannot then ARC the audio to an Amp without down grading it.

 

[NeilF]

Makes sense if a Panasonic Bluray player can offer both bluray disc and Plex playback. Excellent!

And a Panasonic player can offer a good Plex client?

 

[NeilF]

Thats a lot to put on the shoulders of a simple player.

The Shield or TV don't already do this?

.

I currently use my LG TV for Plex, but it throws a bit of a hissy fit with larger files and definately doesn't cope with the likes of Dolby Atmos in large files (it stutters). Add to this my Onkyo 646 amp handles the likes of Dolby Atmos sound, but won't pass through stuff like Dolby Vision.

So given I want a 4K bluray player and to look at a better Plex player, if there isn't a single unit that can do both, then it looks like:-
1) A new 4k Bluray player.
2) An NVidia Shield TV.

With both of those HDMI'd straight to my TV, and my TV HDMI ARC'd to my amp, my understanding is then, the more sexy sound formats would be down graded which leads to the question, so what? Would the difference in audio be tangible.

If we assume yes, then this leads to:-
1) The Bluray player being dual HDMI output, one to TV and one to amp.
2) Something like a Fury AVR on the NVidia Shield so we have again, dual HDMI output, one to TV and one to amp.



Obviously if a dual output Bluray player could simply run Plex well (heck my phone can), then voila!

 

[NeilF]

Well, if I go dual HDMI bluray (which I have to really anyway), and then compare its audio on a bluray (thru the amp) to a version of the same film from Plex (TV --ARC--> Amp). If I notice a difference worth speaking of, then consider upgrading the Plex route.

 

[NeilF]

My notion of upgrading Plex is to potentially upgrading its audio. ie: From my TV it can't handle Atmos (stutters) but can happily handle DTS (MA) etc, with it over ARC to my Amp.

To upgrade Plex, we're talking Nvidia TV plus a Fury AVR, which is obviously a significant cost (£200+) and obviously not as user friendly as simply turning up a TV (for Plex) and then the Amp for ARC audio.

So, the real question is will the improvement be worthwhile (to my ears/equipment). So given if I want to improve my Bluray player anyway, if I get a dual HDMI version, and find a film I have on 4K bluray say with Atmos sound, and then compare that to the same film on Plex with say DTS or the like, and I notice little/no difference, then from an audio POV, why upgrade for Plex audio support

 

[NeilF]

No, I don't believe the 646 has eARC.

All I can say is via ARC from the E7 TV to the Amp:-
- The E7 will happily pass Dolby Atmos from Netflix/Disney+ etc. But my understanding is this is a lossy variant of (true) Atmos?
- Plex on the E7 will play DTS and DTS MA audio tracks without transcoding. Atmos tracks cause transcoding and generally stuttering.

Does that help clarify?

ps: Interesting you mention heat. I have a cooling fan on mine powered by USB to keep it cool when it's on.

 

[NeilF]

The source file might carry DTS-MA audio, and with it core DTS which is how hardware compatibility is handled, but that doesn't mean that the signal going from the TV to the amp is DTS-MA

Indeed not... I have no idea what the TV is doing to supply audio to the amp over ARC. With Plex, if I play an AC3-5.1 (Dolby Digital?) track I can see the amp detect that, and if I play a DTS or even a DTS-HD MA 7.1 track (in Plex) the DTS symbol on the amp comes on. I assume the TV is down sampling the audio to DTS (for DTS-HD MA)?

Either way, surely the same experiment I mentioned before still stands surely? If I get say a Panasonic DP-UB450EB which seems to be a good dual HDMI 4k bluray player (with all the bells and whistles I surely need), and then play a disc on that with say Dolby Atmos (HDMI straight to amp from bluray player), and then the same movie via Plex say with DTS (or similar) via ARC and do a sound comparison. If I hear little difference, why bother upgrading my Plex solution? But if I head a nice difference, then there's the option to go NVidia TV + HD Fury AVR to sex up my Plex.