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Author Topic: DTS or AC3 audio files not recognized and played in PCM  (Read 946 times)

Riki

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DTS or AC3 audio files not recognized and played in PCM
« on: January 10, 2021, 05:23:43 am »

I have a significant amount of DTS, DTS-HD, AC3, DOLBY-HD encoded audio files.
Some are recognized by JRiver in multichannel mode and with the correct encoding, while others are only 2 channels.

For example, i play AC-DC, Back in Black DTS album.
Media Info report: see attach1
Format                                   : DTS
Format/Info                              : Digital Theater Systems
Codec ID                                 : 1
Duration                                 : 5 min 12 s
Bit rate mode                            : Constant
Bit rate                                 : 1 411.2 kb/s
Channel(s)                               : 6 channels
Channel layout                           : C L R Ls Rs LFE
Sampling rate                            : 44.1 kHz
Frame rate                               : 43.066 FPS (1024 SPF)
Bit depth                                : 24 bits
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Stream size                              : 52.6 MiB (100%)

If i play this file with KODI, it works fine: attach2
I have configured KODI in passtrough for DTS (etc) and my Marants SR7012 recognizes the input signal as DTS.

JRiver recognizes the coding but not the number of channels: attach3.
When I play it JRiver plays it in 2ch PCM (SOURCE WAV): attach4
Other files are played correctly (SOURCE DTS): attach5

Is there a way to be able to play the DTS fiels correctly (Ac3, etc) and have a regular passtrough to the amplifier?

Thank you all. Riccardo.

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wer

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Re: DTS or AC3 audio files not recognized and played in PCM
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2021, 01:30:19 pm »

From time to time people have concerns with DTS-encoded audio files.  One way you could permanently get around this is just to convert the files to 6-channel format, either WAV (silly) or FLAC (the better thing to do). Then they would just be 6-channel PCM, instead of encoded, which has the potential for issues, like the one you're seeing now.

Is your complaint about what you see on screen (the words Channels: 2) or the sound that's reaching your ears?  Do you claim to be hearing 2-channel audio instead of 6-channel audio?

This is an important distinction.  They're two different problems.

Both of your screenshots show, in the Audio Path display, that MC is recognizing and playing the files, both "Hells Bells" and "Fire Fire", as 6-channel. Look at the audio path: Output= "6ch using WASAPI".  That is definitive.

That area on the left, where you see "Canali: 2" is showing tags.

What you might not realize is that the files actually ARE 2 channel files. DTS is an encoding mechanism; it encodes 5.1 audio within a 2-channel stream, so that the stream can be sent over TOSLINK or S/PDIF interfaces.  The data that is sent (and stored in the file) is 2-channel data. Only in the decoder is it decoded and expanded to 5 channels. So to say a 5.1 DTS file is a 2-channel file is technically correct.

I don't know why MC is interpreting the physical layout of the files differently in the tag window. Something tricky about particular files.  Maybe MC could "fix" it if you sent them the files, maybe not. Physically they are 2 channel files, and logically they are 6 channels files.  Only value can be displayed in the tags, so which one should be?  The important thing is: is MC playing the music correctly?

MC says it is playing the files as 6-channel.  So do you hear 6-channel or 2-channel?

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Riki

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Re: DTS or AC3 audio files not recognized and played in PCM
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2021, 04:36:26 pm »

JRiver plays both 6-channel files.
Both files are encoded in 6 channels. They are reproduced via HDMI (No SPDIF) and I prefer the PASSTROUGH solution, in order to have the sound processed by the amplifier and NOT by the pc.
Listening to the same track in PCM rather than DTS or DOLBY is completely different, as is listening to DTS/Dolby sounds converted from a PC or processed by an amplifier.
If it can be useful, I can send the files for verification.
Riccardo
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wer

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Re: DTS or AC3 audio files not recognized and played in PCM
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2021, 05:16:40 pm »

Then since MC is playing the files as multichannel, it's just some kind of structural/tagging issue with the files.  I don't work for JRiver so I don't need your files. Perhaps one of the devs will see this and take an interest.

Regarding your "completely different" comments, that indicates the presence/absence of some different/additional processing, or perception effects.

Good luck...
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sharok

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Re: DTS or AC3 audio files not recognized and played in PCM
« Reply #4 on: January 11, 2021, 09:41:13 pm »

I don’t know where to post this question, but I hope one of the experienced people can help me.

I have a DVD Audio (5.1) and when I play it on Oppo, it shows some images on TV while playing tracks.

I’d like to rip this DVD/A so I can play it using JRiver (to have both sound and image).

What format should I rip it to get the best audio quality (don’t care much about the image quality) and be able to play it using JRiver?

Thanks
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