Search for the Holy Grail..

[Michael Phillips]

Is the TV capable of decoding and playing back 5.1? Usually, it goes to an amplifier unless you are passing sound from the TV to the amplifier?

See this link: https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/157019/best-5-1-sound-settings-when-creating-mp4-w-handbrake

Michael

[Dave Edwards]

Hi Michael, thanks for your response. I think it is,- I’m taking optical out to an amp and surround appears to work.

[Glenn Sakatch]

I think the issue is going to be your playback device.

I used to find encoding a DVD with proper 5.1 surround was the only way to go.

Now I can use 6 channel playback from Avid or Resolve, going through BM hardware, and then an SDI to HDMI converter, and then to the Amplifier and TV, but you need an amplifier that will accept that signal…they don’t all work that way. If memory serves, it has to pass through AAC audio or PCM audio or something like that.

I do always have to swap the center and LFE channels out of both Avid and Resolve, which I think might be a issue in the BM hardware.

What are you thinking your playback device would be?…how does it feed the TV?

Telestream Switch might be able to playback anything with 6 channels, through BM hardware to the TV. Pretty sure I’ve done that as well, but because of the channel swapping, I usually just use Avid or Resolve.

Glenn

[Dave Edwards]

Hi Glenn, thanks for your response. Ideally I’d like my customers to be able to plug a flash drive into their TV or UHD BluRay player, click play, and voilà.

I’ve got this working on a UHD TV in stereo only,- I can take my Avid MC file out, convert it to a suitable format using Squeeze, but the TV doesn’t recognise the surround channels. even though they’re present.

As you say, the TV is expecting Dolby encoding.

I’ve been considering the SurCode plug-in for Avid. There’s a limit to how much I’m willing to invest to achieve this as most customers probably won’t notice the difference! I could live with stereo only but find it galling that I can’t use 5.1 as I find it adds a great deal.

[Glenn Sakatch]

I guess the question then becomes …what formats can your tv play, and do those formats support 6 audio channels.

Guessing a basic mp4?

Glenn

[Dave Edwards]

You’re right, Glenn.

I actually managed to create a suitable file by using Quicktime Pro to combine a video file with an AC3 file BUT it has to be done with SurCode (I have a trial version) – if I use Vegas to produce the AC3 QuickTime becomes ill.

I’m unwilling to fork out £500+ for a SurCode solution. It could be that a Muxer somewhere will allow me to create a candidate file but it’s entirely possible that it is then the TV that gets indigestion.