Ultra transcoding using Chromecast from Plex

[pieterv1]

Unfortunately this is the latest update we got
A bit of a farce after many months without any news.

Post in thread 'New Year, New Updates: WiiM January Highlights'

Feb 6, 2025

An update on Plex(amp) integration, that would be something to write about

I'm very excited to possibly write one someday

• RyanWithWiiM

• 

 

[vinylselect]

Yeah. I changed that setting to "flac". It plays but it usually crashes out after a song or two. I'm likely just going to have to be patient for Wiim to get the endpoint working for Plex. Hopefully there's no issues with that. I'll be all over any beta for that. Thanks.

I am experiencing Wiim App crashing after two songs being played as well, it also does not cue all the album tracks. This occurred with the recent Wiim Ultra firmware update. Plex has been running with no problem for months. I'm not across where or how transcoding operates. FYI - Running Plex server on ubuntu, tested with andriod & ios wiim apps - same problem.

If anyone can elaborate on 'OPUS - transcode' vs 'Direct Play' and how the Ultra should handling this request, it may assist in resolving the incidents listed in this thread.

 

[vinylselect]

I am experiencing Wiim App crashing after two songs being played as well, it also does not cue all the album tracks. This occurred with the recent Wiim Ultra firmware update. Plex has been running with no problem for months. I'm not across where or how transcoding operates. FYI - Running Plex server on ubuntu, tested with andriod & ios wiim apps - same problem.

If anyone can elaborate on 'OPUS - transcode' vs 'Direct Play' and how the Ultra should handling this request, it may assist in resolving the incidents listed in this thread.

UPDATE - Issue now resolved. Updated to WiiM Ultra Firmware v5.2.709956 which was released 4 days ago which may or may not have been the resolution.

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[thechez]

UPDATE - Issue now resolved. Updated to WiiM Ultra Firmware v5.2.709956 which was released 4 days ago which may or may not have been the resolution.

​

That’s interesting. I sold that older Ultra and got a new one last week. Set it all up and updated firmware. From the Wiim app using Plex it plays directly. Go to use Chromecast? It transcodes the same files to OPUS. WTF?? Might just send it back and get a phone preamp separate and give up on the Ultra as a device.

 

[harkpabst]

The WiiM Ultra implements the relatively new "Google Cast for Audio (GC4A) 2.0". Find more details here:

https://developers.google.com/cast/docs/audio#google_cast_for_audio_20

If the root cause is Plex not playing nicely with this latest successor to Chromecast built-in, ideally they should fix it.

Alternatively, go back to your support ticket (or create a new one), describe your issue (again) and ask for your device being moved to an alternative firmware stream featuring the "old" Chromecast firmware instead of the "new" GC4A firmware. Not sure if they still maintain this alternative stream but it cannot hurt to ask.

If you look up the device properties in Google Home you will find that the WiiM Pro features the Cast firmware 1.56.x while the Ultra comes with the newer Cast firmware 1.63.x. If your Ultra is moved to the alternative stream, Google Home will show its cast firmware as 1.56, too.

 

[tgp-2]

yes, the wiim ultra and probably other recent wiim devices are using the cast 2.0 / cast lite / google cast for audio 2.0 firmware

these devices appear to be incorrectly reporting which audio formats they can play via google cast ... this causes unnecessary transcoding when using an app like plexamp

as i understand it, when casting from plexamp, the plex server checks compatibility first and transcodes based on what it's told by the cast device ... most streaming apps only use one or more "known good" formats, so maybe they don't check at all, and other apps might check but override/ignore and hope for the best

i "made" a custom cast receiver app that asks a cast device about its support for a list of audio formats ... i tried this with the chromecast audio (CCA) and wiim pro plus (both use original google cast firmware), and then the wiim ultra (which uses the newer cast 2.0 firmware), summary in the table below

flac and wav probably account for much of the plex transcoding that users would like to avoid ... and from these results it seems like a fix would need to come from wiim (and/or google?)

 

[Burnside]

I believe the issue with the Ultra not reporting which audio formats it can support only came in the a recent version of firmware that introduced remote streaming over WAN for Plex - version 5.2.738432 from 12Dec25. Before that version I don’t recall transcoding being an issue. I don’t see the version of Chromecast being at the root of the issue other than coincidentally

 

[tgp-2]

this is not related to using the current wiim app plex integration ... this is using the official plexamp app (on iOS etc) and streaming to wiim via google cast

 

[Burnside]

this is not related to using the current wiim app plex integration ... this is using the official plexamp app (on iOS etc) and streaming to wiim via google cast

Wasn’t the issue resolved last March, as per comment #23? Maybe the recent firmware update I mention broke that fix as well as playing from tne WiiM app.

I guess raising a ticket to WiiM referring to that comment and yours might shed some light.

 

[harkpabst]

yes, the wiim ultra and probably other recent wiim devices are using the cast 2.0 / cast lite / google cast for audio 2.0 firmware

This is a proven fact for sure. Whether it does affect Plex is a different matter.

 

[tgp-2]

Wasn’t the issue resolved last March, as per comment #23? Maybe the recent firmware update I mention broke that fix as well as playing from tne WiiM app.

I guess raising a ticket to WiiM referring to that comment and yours might shed some light.

will submit a ticket, thanks