Dolby Digital Plus issue - AC3 instead of E-AC-3 in MKV file

[psychoboust]

Hello,

I have an issue with DD+ alias EAC3 alias Dolby Digital +.

I have 2 mkv files which contain an EAC3 audio track but mediainfo report some difference on this track between the 2 files.

My AV Receiver is an Onkyo TX-NR509

With the first mkv files, I play it via HDMI (using Media Player Classic, XBMC & PowerDVD) and my AV Receiver display "Dolby D+" so it's fine.
But on the second file my AV Receiver only display "Dolby D".

Mediainfo lite report for those 2 mkv files:

This one display : Dolby D+

Audio:
Format : E-AC-3
Codec ID : A_EAC3

This one display : Dolby D

Audio:
Format : AC-3
Codec ID : A_EAC3

Players information tells me the 2 files are running Dolby Digital Plus.

Is there a way to change the "Format" information in the MKV file like "H264 Level Editor" do ?

Is this an issue with my AV Receiver ?

Another thing, first time I use MediaInfoLite ( it was 0.7.54 version) the report told that the format for the second file was E-AC-3 but now with the last version MediaInfoLite report only AC-3 (and it still report E-AC-3 on my first mkv file).

Any idea ?

Tks !

[enim]

partial media info or a post without sample leaves rest of us just keep guessing. you forget to mention bit depth.

[pandy]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolby_Digital_Plus

"Structure A Dolby Digital Plus service consists of one or more substreams. There are three types of substreams:

• Independent substreams, which can contain a single 5.1 program. Up to eight independent substreams may be present in a Dolby Digital Plus stream. The channels present in an independent substream are the traditional 5.1 channels: Left (L), Right (R), Center (C), Left Surround (Ls), and Right Surround (Rs) channels, as well as a Low Frequency Effects (Lfe) channel.
• Legacy substreams, which contain a single 5.1 program, and which correspond directly to Dolby Digital content. At most a single legacy substream may be present in a DD+ stream.
• Dependent substreams, which contain additional channels beyond the traditional 5.1 channels. As dependent substreams have the same structure as independent substreams, each dependent substream may contain up to five full-bandwidth channels and one low-frequency channel; however these channels may be assigned to different speaker placements. Metadata in the substream describes the purpose of each included channel.

All DD+ streams must contain at least one independent substream or legacy substream, which contains the first (or only) 5.1 channels of the primary audio program. Additional independent substreams may be used for secondary audio programs such as foreign language soundtracks, commentary, or descriptions/voiceovers for the visually impaired. Dependent substreams may be provided for programs that have additional soundstage channels beyond 5.1."


So described behavior is reasonable - some devices see legacy i.e. AC3 stream, some full E-AC3 stream.

[enim]

Most of the time hardware decoders for E-AC3 are backward compatible. They can decode AC3 as a main stream or as a sub-stream. No idea about software decoders, But, E-Ac3 can be downgraded to AC3 very easy, if playing E-AC3 on PC is an issue.

[psychoboust]

Not sure to understand, you mean the issue comes from my AV Receivers ?

Media Info Lite 0.7.65


this one is ok one my AV Receiver :


General
Complete name :hddvd_demo_1080p.mkv
Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 1
File size : 278 MiB
Duration : 2mn 1s
Overall bit rate : 19.2 Mbps
Encoded date : UTC 2007-04-07 03:28:47
Writing application : mkvmerge v2.0.2 ('You're My Flame') built on Feb 21 2007 23:40:55
Writing library : libebml v0.7.7 + libmatroska v0.8.1


Video
ID : 1
Format : VC-1
Format profile : Advanced@L3
Codec ID : V_MS/VFW/FOURCC / WVC1
Codec ID/Hint : Microsoft
Bit rate : 17.5 Mbps
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Variable
Original frame rate : 29.970 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Compression mode : Lossy
Title : 1080p VC-1
Language : English
Default : Yes
Forced : No

Audio
ID : 2
Format : E-AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Format settings, Endianness : Big
Codec ID : A_EAC3
Duration : 2mn 1s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 640 Kbps
Channel count : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : 33ms
Stream size : 9.30 MiB (3%)
Title : Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 640kbps
Language : English
Default : No
Forced : No



This one doesn't display DD+ on my Av Receiver :


General
Complete name : Brave.mkv
Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 4 / Version 2
File size : 9.40 GiB
Duration : 1h 34mn
Overall bit rate : 14.3 Mbps
Movie name : Brave
Encoded date : UTC 2010-02-22 21:41:31
Writing application : mkvmerge v5.9.0 ('On The Loose') built on Dec 9 2012 15:37:01
Writing library : libebml v1.3.0 + libmatroska v1.4.0


Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.1
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 5 frames
Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration : 1h 34mn
Bit rate : 10.9 Mbps
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 804 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 2.40:1
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 23.976 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.294
Stream size : 7.49 GiB (80%)
Title : brave
Writing library : x264 core 125 r2208 d9d2288
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=5 / deblock=1:2:2 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=umh / subme=11 / psy=1 / psy_rd=0.98:0.08 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=64 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=2 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=6,6 / fast_pskip=0 / chroma_qp_offset=-3 / threads=12 / lookahead_threads=2 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=0 / interlaced=0 / bluray_compat=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=5 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=2 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / weightb=1 / open_gop=1 / weightp=2 / keyint=240 / keyint_min=22 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=240 / rc=2pass / mbtree=1 / bitrate=10888 / ratetol=1.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=0 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / cplxblur=20.0 / qblur=0.5 / vbv_maxrate=50000 / vbv_bufsize=50000 / nal_hrd=none / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=2:0.90
Language : English
Default : Yes
Forced : Yes
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709


Audio #1
ID : 2
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Mode extension : CM (complete main)
Format settings, Endianness : Big
Codec ID : A_EAC3
Duration : 1h 34mn
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 512 Kbps
Channel count : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 345 MiB (4%)
Title : Audio French (VFF) E-AC3 (Enhanced AC3 = Dolby Digital Plus) 7.1 channels @ 896 Kbps cbr
Language : French
Default : Yes
Forced : Yes



Thks for your help

[enim]

Are you pretty sure that your AV Receiver Onkyo TX-NR509 is capable of decoding E-AC3 7.1 channels? Just to figure out you can try SPDIF input. Easiest way to inspect, Take second file which do not display DD+ to audio editor, inspect if it has 7.1 channels may be some muted. Stream Analysis for both E-AC3 streams for comparision will be time consuming and most boring. As a last option, you can try demux H264/AVC and E-AC3 streams, convert E-AC3 -> AC3 (5.1 ch @ 640 kbps) remux into mkv. I hope, your AVR alteast decodes video without audio in later case.

[psychoboust]

Just to be clear when I put this second file, I get sound from my speakers.

Enim I think you're right about my AV Receiver.
I just download all kind of Dolby HD coding (from http://www.demo-world.eu/trailers/high-definition-trailers.php)


DD+ 5.1
DD+ 7.1
TrueHD 5.1
TrueHD 7.1


And only DD+ 7.1 is displayed as DD on my Onkyo Receiver.
TrueHD 5.1 or 7.1 are displayed as Dolby TRUEHD.


So this was MediaInfo which make look in the wrong direction !
Is there any other tools to indicate audio/video file information ?


Thks

[pandy]

So this was MediaInfo which make look in the wrong direction !
Is there any other tools to indicate audio/video file information ?


Thks

I would say that personally i never trust Mediainfo - use for example ffplay (ffmpeg package) to see what audio type is decoded...

[psychoboust]

use for example ffplay (ffmpeg package) to see what audio type is decoded...

not better with ffplay, it only print the DD+ CORE (in my case : Stream #0:1(fre): Audio: eac3, 48000 Hz, 5.1(side), fltp, 512 kb/s (default))

I try tsMuxeR_2.6.11 and this track is correctly identified : E-AC3 (DD+) Biterate:896Kbps (core 512Kbps) Sample Rate:48Khz Channels: 7.1

The only issue with tsMuxeR is that it can't open TRUEHD without CORE tracks.

[pandy]

Hmmm - it means that ffmpeg not support fully E-AC3?