TV3 has been broadcasting AC3 audio for the last few days...

Forums › Freeview (DVB-T/DVB-S) › TV3 has been broadcasting AC3 audio for the last few days...

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#134895 2-Jun-2008 11:54

TV3 announced around the time Freeview launched that they would not be transmitting in AC3 5.1 initially but that it would be coming in "several months".

richms

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#134955 2-Jun-2008 15:35

RustyGonad:

Broadcasting 2 channels, in a 5.1 channel stream just doesn't cut it IMO. Especially when most of the shows currently broadcast in HD on TV3 already have a broadcast AC3 soundtrack in the US.

Is it a 5.1 bitstream with the rears and center quiet, or is it a 2 channel AC5 stream? If its a 5.1 with silent channels, then yeah, people will have problems, but all my AVR's let me turn on prologic (or prologic 2) for a 2.0 channel DD track, so I fail to see any issues with them delivering it as a 2.0 in addition to the bad sounding aac+ stream.

The problem is, is that unless you re-matrix the sound in your amp (which defeats the purpose of AC3 in the first place), you only get the left and right speakers working. IMO Left and Right only in an AC3 stream sounds terrible.

Currently the AAC stream sounds better, simply because the voice channel stays in the centre where it should be.

Maybe theres a huge raft of technical issues which I'm missing.

The framerate issue is one thing that has to be solved, the only way is to decode, convert the sample rate and re-encode. Being there when making a dvd compilation of stuff sourced from both 50 and 60 field dvds, believe me, its not fun.

If they only have a 2 channel source, then what they are doing is correct. If they start butchering it to a 5.1 with a prologic 2 decoder at their end, then it removes any hope of getting a good sounding 2 channel at the other end from the bitstream. Plus a lot of content isnt prologic encoded to start with so by decoding it you just end up with random crap in the rear channels and stuff popping from the center to a main channel at will. Some people like that, but to send that trash out is IMO irresponsible.

If they were to have the smarts to decode things that were prologic and leave stereo stuff alone then it would be better, but you still have the problem that they are making up the .1 from the content in the other channels rather then it being a proper LFE, and if they send the .1 with nothing in it (which is correct for the output of prologic) then there will be some people complaining that they have nothing coming out of their sub, and if they crossover from the mains then it will stuff people with a properly setup system up that have 0 LFE mixin because they dont like it.

Cant win really, but IMO what they are doing now is an improvement over the aac+ from what I have heard on my stereo computer speakers and headphones.

Richard rich.ms

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#135021 2-Jun-2008 19:51

I have tried playback of TV3 HD broadcasts with AC3 stream & found that using Nvidia's Purevideo 223 codec produces an extremely poor audio signal when Spdifed to my Denon AV receiver. Very tinny sound with minimal bass is all but gone when I use PowerDVD7 as the default audio codec.

It is frustrating, though that I can't get a normalised sound with both the (until now) Dolby Prologic sound & that of Dolby Digital. The digital signal is some 15% quieter.

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RustyGonad

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#135298 3-Jun-2008 20:37

CSI New York - Currently being broadcast in Dolby Digital 5.1, all channels active. Now thats what DD should sound like!

Somethings definitely changed - even the adds are in proper 5.1 - hopefully this sticks...

mentalinc

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#135302 3-Jun-2008 20:49

I dont hear it.
What needs to be set up?
Using dvbviewer...

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Nirodha

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#135305 3-Jun-2008 20:51

I can confirm; CSI: New York is indeed being broadcast in 5.1! I suspect Boston Legal will be also. But, I guess I'll wait an see. :)

RustyGonad

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#135306 3-Jun-2008 20:51

Not sure with DVBViewer - could never get it to work properly with DD.

I'm using Media Center with the beta patch. AC3 as the filter.

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mentalinc

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#135307 3-Jun-2008 20:52

RustyGonad: Not sure with DVBViewer - could never get it to work properly with DD.

I'm using Media Center with the beta patch. AC3 as the filter.

Does anything need to be setup in the filter?

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RustyGonad

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#135309 3-Jun-2008 20:55

mentalinc:
RustyGonad: Not sure with DVBViewer - could never get it to work properly with DD.

I'm using Media Center with the beta patch. AC3 as the filter.

Does anything need to be setup in the filter?

Got mine setup for AS IS (no change) - output to SPDIF

mentalinc

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#135310 3-Jun-2008 21:00

Ok got it working:D

open up ac3filter config.
then output format change it to 3/2+sw 5.1 channels

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mentalinc

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#135313 3-Jun-2008 21:31

Sorry double post:

NO 5.1 for Boston legal

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RustyGonad

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#135315 3-Jun-2008 21:33

mentalinc: Sorry double post:

NO 5.1 for Boston legal

Can't work it out - they obviously know how to do it right - they just proved it. Event the adds were correct.

Kinda frustrating really...

mentalinc

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#135318 3-Jun-2008 21:40

RustyGonad: Event the adds were correct.

Ads were not 5.1 here - they just reverted back to the normal 2 channel.

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DaveB

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#135345 3-Jun-2008 23:14

RustyGonad:
mentalinc: Sorry double post:

NO 5.1 for Boston legal

Can't work it out - they obviously know how to do it right - they just proved it. Event the adds were correct.

Kinda frustrating really...

The Freeview EPG did not list a DD soundtrack for Boston Legal and it was transmitted in plain old vanilla stereo.

I did watch CSI: and it sounded superb through my home theatre. Incredible surround effects and audio placement for the scene. I did find that the adds were in normal stereo, but switching the Zinnie back to PCM audio brough the Dolby Prologic into play.

Now to check out Underbelly!

Nirodha

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#135354 4-Jun-2008 00:18

Even though Underbelly had a DD logo on it's broadcast it was still only in Stereo. Oh well, can't have it all I guess. ;)

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