TV2 faking 5.1 sound ?

Forums › Freeview (DVB-T/DVB-S) › TV2 faking 5.1 sound ?

ilovemusic

1428 posts

Uber Geek

#102637 18-May-2012 16:48

Over the past weeks I've been noticing quite a few shows with what looks like SD video have rear channel audio.

Previously, surround sound meant HD but is TV2 now faking surround sound for some SD programmes ?

The BASTARDS !!!!

fatjulio

90 posts

Master Geek

#627420 18-May-2012 16:53

Why is this a bad thing?

AliExpress

Shop now on AliExpress (affiliate link).

Oblivian

7265 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#627421 18-May-2012 16:55

I wondered this myself.

The phasing was going in/out on one of the movies the other night. Normally if it was on 3 and a 5.1 source the amp fires up to full strength and sub kicks in considerably, where as it didn't for this but could hear rear noises now and then.

ilovemusic

1428 posts

Uber Geek

#627438 18-May-2012 17:56

fatjulio: Why is this a bad thing?

Because most of the time it sounds awful.

Better to broadcast unadulterated stereo and let the viewer choose whether to manipulate or not.

Plus it seems TV2's policy of not telling viewers exactly what they are broadcasting is expanding.

old3eyes

9109 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#627473 18-May-2012 19:16

Could be that the sound is Dolby surround which is also used on SD programming and movies..

Regards,

Old3eyes

robjg63

4069 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#627499 18-May-2012 20:05

Do you mean that on the 5.1 dolby feed its actually a 2 channel original and you suspect they are pushing out some sort of fake 5.1 by tweaking the 2 channel audio to a fake 5.1?

If so - great! I will leave my receiver on the 5.1 feed. I hope tv3 start doing this as well.

I would currently love to have the audio set on 5.1 all the time - but as soon as a 2 channel source comes over the 5.1 feed the back speakers go dead - so I have to fiddle with the reciever remote and fake it myself - I usually forget to turn this off and so am probably listening to just 2 channels faked up to 5.1 most of the time.

Apparently my quite good Denon amp (like many) cant work out that when the 2 back channels are empty it would be best to simulate 5.1.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

ilovemusic

1428 posts

Uber Geek

#627542 18-May-2012 21:19

I was curious as shows like the current repeat of Crash Course was shot in SD but last night I clearly heard sound from the rear speakers.

TVNZ protocol has been to reserve DD5.1 for HD programs.

Stereo programs were strictly locked into DD2.0 meaning DPL II decoding etc couldn't be used to simulate 5.1.

Edit;
Definitely something funky is going on, there's rear channel sound even on ads and news breaks...

sultanoswing

814 posts

Ultimate Geek

#627595 18-May-2012 23:49

Faked surround sound = faked orgasms.

Sure, it may sound superficially the same, but you'd prefer the real thing.

tehconz

47 posts

Geek

#627609 19-May-2012 02:44

TV One and TV2 both have 5.1 surround syntheses turned on for stereo content now (including commercials). Previously the stereo channels would be mapped to the L/R Front channels of the 5.1 stream, but this meant that receivers would not do their own processing to make use of the additional speakers. Its been through quite a bit of testing over the last few months, and I think it sounds pretty good.

cokeman2

918 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#627621 19-May-2012 07:59

i m not sure but i think same thing happens on the sky movie channels .

well sum movies sound in true 5.1ch others come across in stereo but the stream /broadcast still in Dolby digital maybe the original content is not in 5.1ch itself ,happens alot on the "movie greats channel " :(

Social Bitcoin meetup every 2 weeks in Hamilton PM me for details

ilovemusic

1428 posts

Uber Geek

#627653 19-May-2012 10:35

tehconz: TV One and TV2 both have 5.1 surround syntheses turned on for stereo content now (including commercials). Previously the stereo channels would be mapped to the L/R Front channels of the 5.1 stream, but this meant that receivers would not do their own processing to make use of the additional speakers. Its been through quite a bit of testing over the last few months, and I think it sounds pretty good.

That correlates with what I've been hearing.

How hard would it be to broadcast stereo content in Dolby Digital 2.0 and let viewers choose whether to fake it or not ?

And if they can accomplish this audio jigery-pook why can't they produce reliable program listings ?

And bring back the HD channel bug !

Even worse, in true big state enterprise fashion there was no announcement of this change.

sultanoswing

814 posts

Ultimate Geek

#627699 19-May-2012 13:33

ilovemusic::
How hard would it be to broadcast stereo content in Dolby Digital 2.0 and let viewers choose whether to fake it or not ?

Exactly. What if I just want stereo as god (or the programmers) intended without artiface. Especially for the commercials (which get skipped anyway of course).

fatjulio

90 posts

Master Geek

#627725 19-May-2012 15:51

The reason is your amp would constantly be changing sound modes to accommodate this, and with the changes would be muting and other possible noise. I'd put up with this, but the majority of consumers would just be complaining.

ilovemusic

1428 posts

Uber Geek

#627898 20-May-2012 11:23

Get a better AV amp

:)

rugrat

3087 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#627911 20-May-2012 12:28

fatjulio: The reason is your amp would constantly be changing sound modes to accommodate this, and with the changes would be muting and other possible noise. I'd put up with this, but the majority of consumers would just be complaining.

If they did it the way they do it on soho, no changes to amp would be need to be made at users end.

5.1 done the normal way.
Stero done by using dobly signal, but only a two channel signal, i.e. only left right lights on reciever light up.
Because of this the reciever will do it's processing to fake the 5.1 at my end, or i could turn prologic off and just have left and right if i choose.

Haven't heard audio on tv2 as don't watch much, but if audio sounds good, that's the main thing.

tehconz

47 posts

Geek

#628228 21-May-2012 10:19

Switching from 5.1 to 2.0 in the Dolby encoder was explored, but apparently quite a few receivers have have problems with clicking or audio dropouts when the stream changes. This would happen into and out of every commercial break during true 5.1 programs and could get quite annoying.

Obviously an "unadulterated" stereo mix can be heard on the AAC stream, but I can't really be bothered switching personally.