I have a USB freeview tv decoder on laptop but seems to record tvnz one only in stereo

Forums › Freeview (DVB-T/DVB-S) › I have a USB freeview tv decoder on laptop but seems to record tvnz one only in stereo

kiwipaul2025

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#319422 23-Apr-2025 16:34

Can someone tell me if TVNZ freeview sends movies

in 5.1 as I recorded a movie that says on DVD its

dolby digital and the mp4 it saved says only 2 channels

are all movies that have 5-6 channels on Digital tv

in surround or only a few or only on tvnz+

My sister says her samsung smarttv she wants to know

if its also surround for a home theatre?

cheers Paul

ps googling it says 5.1 came in 2011? but had problems?

RunningMan

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#3366870 23-Apr-2025 17:02

DVB-S is stereo. Is that your source?

kiwipaul2025

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#3366874 23-Apr-2025 17:16

its AVerTV 3D 6.9 on screen says dvb-t tvnz

it says nothing about received audio on the info overlay though

so you saying all freeview movies will be best sound so smarttvs will

send hdmi arc 5,1 to theater ok

openmedia

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#3366878 23-Apr-2025 17:22

@kiwipaul2025 - your formatting is a bit odd - are you posting from a phone?

TVNZ 1 & 2 on DVB-T broadcast in 5.1 AC3 and also AAC 2ch. Main issue is a lot of their streams are really only in 2ch with the remaining 3.1 channels empty.

Try opening one of your captured videos with a tool like VLC which can tell you what codecs are in use ad there is a chance you're recorder is defaulting to the 2ch AAC audio.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

kiwipaul2025

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#3366883 23-Apr-2025 17:34

nedia info

ormat : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID : mp42 (mp42/isom)
File size : 3.12 GiB
Duration : 1 h 24 min
Overall bit rate : 5 320 kb/s
Frame rate : 50.000 FPS
Encoded date : 2025-04-19 08:03:51 UTC
Tagged date : 2025-04-19 08:03:51 UTC

Video
ID : 2
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4
Format settings : CABAC / 4 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, Reference frames : 4 frames
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 1 h 24 min
Bit rate : 5 187 kb/s
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 50.000 FPS
Original frame rate : 25.000 FPS
Standard : Component
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Interlaced
Scan type, store method : Separated fields
Scan order : Top Field First
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.050
Time code of first frame : 01:00:06:04
Stream size : 3.05 GiB (98%)
Language : English
Encoded date : 2025-04-19 08:03:51 UTC
Tagged date : 2025-04-19 08:03:51 UTC
Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709
Codec configuration box : avcC

Audio
ID : 1
Format : AAC LC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID : mp4a-40-2
Duration : 1 h 24 min
Source duration : 1 h 24 min
Bit rate mode : Constant
Nominal bit rate : 128 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel layout : L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 46.875 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Source stream size : 76.9 MiB (2%)
Language : English
Encoded date : 2025-04-19 08:03:51 UTC
Tagged date : 2025-04-19 08:03:51 UTC
mdhd_Duration : 5042786

hey look good stats for video 50hz but audio is basic

openmedia

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#3366885 23-Apr-2025 17:52

@kiwipaul2025 - looks like your recording tool is only grabbing the AAC Audio stream. See if there is an option to select the AC3 stream.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

Oblivian

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#3366886 23-Apr-2025 17:55

You've answered yourself.

AAC = 2.0 stream. Not the 5.1 AC3 stream.

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kiwipaul2025

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#3366896 23-Apr-2025 18:49

avermedia 3d hybrid H830 I check recording for dvb-t it says same

as source and have h264/265 support by looks

I read ver 5 software (mine is 6.9.1.18.17080805 driver 10.2.64.103) can do 5.1 I will keep looking

kiwipaul2025

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#3366898 23-Apr-2025 18:52

Oblivian:

You've answered yourself.

AAC = 2.0 stream. Not the 5.1 AC3 stream.

not really answered.. I knew it was stereo

and wanted to confirm if tvnz sends always 5.1

as my settings for soft says it records the source as-is

fe31nz

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#3366941 23-Apr-2025 22:21

What recording software are you using? It looks like the software is missing recording the AC3 audio and possibly other optional audio such as audio descriptions. It is likely also missing recording the subtitles. There is plenty of crappy and broken recording software that gets offered along with DVB tuners. You are better to use the good stuff such as NextPVR or MediaPortal on Windows (both free). I use MythTV on Linux. There is also good pay software, but the good free stuff is often just as good, or better.

kiwipaul2025

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#3366943 23-Apr-2025 22:42

the device comes with its own software avermedia its nice but maybe

other soft can get the device working in ac3 dont know

I got it in 2015 ascent I think

https://www.getusb.info/avermedia-launches-volar-usb-tv-tuner-stick/

they killed of the product. help leads to 404 page now

had inputs for av as well

i guess its too old now and need a better one for usb?

it was good as did analogue tv as we send sky to analog throughout

house with a mixer but shares same channel single channel

its old sky box.. the new ones lack outputs to split audio

would need to buy another box to split hdmi to another hdmi and av outs

so we decided old sky is still best for us

manual by looks found still though.. I dont think it says 5.1 sound

http://ftp2.avermedia.com/H830/UM_EN_H830_AVerTVHybridVolarHD_090811.pdf

fe31nz

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#3366951 23-Apr-2025 23:38

The hardware is fine, it can record anything that is broadcast on a DVB-T channel. Any DVB-T tuner can record all the streams that are transmitted to make up a channel. You likely just have a problem with crappy software. So try some good software.

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Oblivian

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#3366952 23-Apr-2025 23:47

Mpeg4 = container

H.264/avc - video, Aac, ac3 audio streams in the container

The stick will be getting them as part of the signal with various identifiers. Its up to The software to then decode. probably wont know how to handle them. Especially if you're trying to recode into another new file while receiving. Thats limited to what codecs it uses to encode.

And now I've read the manual I think I know why you confusingly mentioned DVD which isn't reall related. You chose that recording profile?. Do it as mpeg4. Or try an alternative

/Edit snap