Is it the Kodi plugin that resolves this then ? I did get a HTPC a while back whilst looking for alternatives but with the caching issues and stuff I gave up on Kodi pretty much. I was playing stuff OK so perf was good (though I forget now if I was getting true HD Audio)

I also tried a simialr thing with a PI but found in practice a PI couldnt cut it with a 1080p movie. (Though it was a Mk 1 PI - maybe the newer ones are better).

[Thanks for the info]