Plex playback to Roku with HDMI splitter?
April 5, 2022 6:38 AM Subscribe
I want to be able to launch music playback from my Plex server to a headless speaker, and then close out while the music plays.
Can a Roku & and HDMI audio-extractor handle this? Or do I have to wait for the rumored headless Plexamp client for Raspberry Pi?
I plugged a new Roku into an HDMI splitter, and a speaker into the Aux port. After configuring my Plex & Roku accounts on the thing, I unplugged the monitor. I went to the Plex web player, and the Roku appeared as a Player. Hurray!
But it was quiet, so I plugged a small amp inline. When I restarted the Roku, it doesn't show up as a Player any more, and I can't play to it.
Is there a quirk of Plex or Roku here (e.g., the device goes to sleep with a splitter plugged in, instead of a "real" TV) that I don't know about? Or...something?
(Note that I have a Pi 3b with a Phat Beat HAT all wired up and waiting for Plexamp to pick up the headless playback feature that it used to have.)
I plugged a new Roku into an HDMI splitter, and a speaker into the Aux port. After configuring my Plex & Roku accounts on the thing, I unplugged the monitor. I went to the Plex web player, and the Roku appeared as a Player. Hurray!
But it was quiet, so I plugged a small amp inline. When I restarted the Roku, it doesn't show up as a Player any more, and I can't play to it.
Is there a quirk of Plex or Roku here (e.g., the device goes to sleep with a splitter plugged in, instead of a "real" TV) that I don't know about? Or...something?
(Note that I have a Pi 3b with a Phat Beat HAT all wired up and waiting for Plexamp to pick up the headless playback feature that it used to have.)
..and if you don't want a monitor plugged in, there's dummy items that either spoof a connection passively with a resistor or report that they're a ful screen with 1920x1080 resolution via a data file called EDID.
posted by k3ninho at 7:12 AM on April 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by k3ninho at 7:12 AM on April 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
An LED monitor nowadays are all energy-star certified and should default to a screen-saver pattern when left blank for a while, doesn't it?
posted by kschang at 10:07 AM on April 5, 2022
posted by kschang at 10:07 AM on April 5, 2022
Response by poster: An LED monitor nowadays are all energy-star certified and should default to a screen-saver pattern when left blank for a while, doesn't it?
Oh, very likely, but I am trying to build an audio-only playback device. A display only wastes energy and -- worse -- takes up space & an outlet. :7)
posted by wenestvedt at 12:15 PM on April 5, 2022
Oh, very likely, but I am trying to build an audio-only playback device. A display only wastes energy and -- worse -- takes up space & an outlet. :7)
posted by wenestvedt at 12:15 PM on April 5, 2022
Response by poster: OK, the dummy device plugged in worked!! Mostly!
Unfortunately, the Roku has a behavior that when it powers up, it returns to its Home screen -- and you cannot force it to boot into a particular app. So every time I power-cycle the Roku, I will need to plug in a monitor to see what stupid promotion is onscreen, dismiss it, and then then navigate to the Roku app and launch it. This is Sub-Optimal, to say the least.
With a small 5W amp inline, I was able to drive some ancient-but-pretty Apple Pro Speakers (with the wire hacked off) and get lovely sound. So it will work until I get my headless Plexamp on Pi, at least.
posted by wenestvedt at 6:19 PM on April 7, 2022
Unfortunately, the Roku has a behavior that when it powers up, it returns to its Home screen -- and you cannot force it to boot into a particular app. So every time I power-cycle the Roku, I will need to plug in a monitor to see what stupid promotion is onscreen, dismiss it, and then then navigate to the Roku app and launch it. This is Sub-Optimal, to say the least.
With a small 5W amp inline, I was able to drive some ancient-but-pretty Apple Pro Speakers (with the wire hacked off) and get lovely sound. So it will work until I get my headless Plexamp on Pi, at least.
posted by wenestvedt at 6:19 PM on April 7, 2022
Response by poster: Final update: a short time after this conversation, the Plex developers started releasing the headless Plexamp version, aimed at running on Raspberry Pis. *insert eye-rolling emoji* It was too late to return the now-useless HDMI splitter, but I was delighted to get the Pi3 with the Phat Beat HAT and an old Sony TV speaker. w00t, works great!
posted by wenestvedt at 11:45 AM on December 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by wenestvedt at 11:45 AM on December 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
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Was the monitor still unplugged when you restarted it? It's very possible that the Roku or splitter check for a connection when they turn on. You might need to have the monitor plugged in whenever the devices are restarted.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 7:00 AM on April 5, 2022 [1 favorite]