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[HamDog]

I have ripped many DVD & Blu-Rays into MKV containers.  Most have multiple audio tracks (mainly stereo & surround).  Some automatically default to the surround track while other videos default to stereo.  Not sure how their "default" stream was set in the first place.  Is there a way to default to multi-channel audio when available on video?  I can't seem to find a global setting for this.  And if there isn't a global setting, is there anyway I can change the default for each individual file?  Thank you!

[wer]

I know of three ways:

1. MC and most players will play the first audio stream.  You can use mkvtoolnix to remux the file to just change the order of the audio tracks - make the one you prefer the first audio track.  This is lossless, but takes a few minutes because the entire file must be read and copied.

2. Also in mkvtoolnix, there is a "default track" flag you can set for each audio track, in the multiplexer section.  Make sure only your preferred track is set to default, then remux.  You can try this instead of number 1, but I've found the "default track" flag is often not honored for audio tracks, with players instead just playing the first audio track.  See #1.

3. MC will remember the last audio track you selected.  So when you import the movie into JRiver for the first time, play it and select the audio track you want, and it will stick.  I know this is not exactly what you wanted, but it's at least quick.

[HamDog]

Thanks Wer!  I am in the middle of creating particles for over 150 concert videos.  Method 3 means I have to play each particle and set it to the preferred track so JRiver will remember it for next time.  Also, I prefer stereo on my office computer while I want multi-channel on my living room.  I wish there was a way to configure JRiver so each computer will have it's own preference. 

And before I try methods 1 & 2, I wonder how this will effect particles.  I wonder if modifying the main file with mkvtoolnix will affect the particles that I have already created. 

As for future requests, I wish there would be some way to do this through JRiver, possibly with the use of tags? 

[wer]

I don't use particles, so I have no idea how it will behave.  Before going further with your particles, you'll have to try it on one file and see what you get.

I can think of two ways for MC to correlate such things, by track order, or by track ID.

If it's by track order, then of course your particles will be affected.  None of the methods I gave you alter the track ID, so if MC uses that method you should be fine.  Try it and let us know.  It's a 10 minute experiment.

[RoderickGI]

The information MC stores by using method 3 is saved in the [Playback Info] field. You could play one particle for each concert video, check that field, and then apply the setting to that field for all particles in the concert. You may even be able to learn what the settings mean, and just bulk edit the field for more than one concert.

I would expect method 1 to work across all particles in one concert video. But if you have already used method 3 on them, that would override method 1.

Also, I prefer stereo on my office computer while I want multi-channel on my living room.  I wish there was a way to configure JRiver so each computer will have it's own preference.

MC sets the preference by file. I don't know of any way to address the above issue automatically. You could set the files to play 5.1 and have the office PC convert to stereo though, if the quality was acceptable to you. MC does a pretty good job of downmixing to stereo. It what I do in my office PC installation.

[wer]

It's only an issue if the office and living room are sharing a library.  The OP never specified if they were or weren't.  If each room/PC has a separate library (even if the media files themselves are shared, such as via NAS) then they will each maintain their own separate preference for selected track.

Of course you know this Roderick, but the OP might not, so I mention it for the sake of completeness.

[RoderickGI]

Yep. I assumed the office PC was running as a client of a server, probably the living room PC.

We all know that when we AssUMe, we make an ...

[wer]

I will say that although I generally don't appreciate it when someone tells me to do something else instead of telling me how to do what I want to do, since we've already told HamDog how to do what he wants....

I agree with Roderick... If I were in your place, I would not worry about it and just let MC downmix the multi-channel track.  MC does an admirable job of down mixing.  In fact, I just drop the stereo tracks from my videos to save space, and just let MC down mix as necessary. Avoids having dilemmas like this...  The stereo track was probably generated by down-mixing the multichannel track in the first place anyway.

[HamDog]

Thank you both for helping.  Much appreciated.

Both computers share a library.  The office is the main computer and the home theater is the client.  I do most of my work (editing, creating playlists and particles) on my office PC.  It's my understanding that properly downmixing to stereo is possible when the multichannel track has the downmix coding (I could be wrong) and not all tracks have this.  But either way, I don't do critical listening in my office, so this isn't that important, just something that would be nice.  The JRiver downmixing is sufficient for my purposes. 

To test further, I used mkvtoolnix on an mkv file which I had already created particles and changed the default track to multichannel.  I then replaced the new file with the old file (same name and directory).  I played 3 different particles and they all defaulted to multichannel, but then, all of a sudden, I got the dreaded particles of death!  The particles had renamed themselves and became un-playable.  This is a strange known issue with particles when they change names/folders randomly, but it usually happens when creating them.  This was the first time it happened after creation.  I can only presume it had something to do with replacing the main file with the changed audio default. 

RoderickGI, thank you for pointing out the "Playback Info" field.  So far, this seems like the best option.  I tested this on one particle of an mkv and I was able to copy/past it to all the other tracks.  Seems to work well.  Much easier than going through 35 different tracks and changing the streams.  Also easier than using mkvtoolnix to change audio track defaults on over 150 very large mkv files. 

Thank you both for all the help!  Much appreciated.

[tij]

Also easier than using mkvtoolnix to change audio track defaults on over 150 very large mkv files. 

If mkv files have same arrangement (same number of audio tracks and those audio tracks are arranged same, ie track 1 is stereo, track 2 is multichannel) mkvtoolnix can process those in batch

Saved me hell lot of time reordering and renaming audio and subtitle tracks for my TV rips (in old days I just put disk in ... run MakeMKV without renaming or reordering tracks ... whatta mess that was)

[tij]

Plus side to setting tracks to default in mkv (using mkvtoolnix) is that all other players (mpc-he, vlc, etc) will default to that track

It’s a huge task ... better done while still library not so “big”