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Start with DTS-MA or DTS when Mixing Down to Stereo AAC?

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 4:38 am
by ckronengold
Description of problem or question:
When converting my blurays for watching on my tablet, is it better to mix down to stereo from the DTS-MA or should I use the DTS for my source audio?

I realized that DTS-MA is superior to DTS, but if its being mixed down to 320kbs stereo AAC, I would guess there's less "work" to do using the DTS audio track as a source. When using earbuds on a tablet while traveling, I'm not sure the quality of the source would matter much.

Any suggestions?



HandBrake version (e.g., 1.0.0):
HB 1.1.2 (2018090500) - 64 bit
Windows 10 Creators Update 64 bit

Re: Start with DTS-MA or DTS when Mixing Down to Stereo AAC?

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 2:22 pm
by Woodstock
DTS-MA is a DTS track that has information in it to correct the lossy audio back to lossless. In actuality, the two are usually "one track" on a BD, and players that do not understand "MA" just ignore that data, and play the "lossy core".

If you're that concerned about the audio quality, you will want to compile your own copy of handbrake with the fdk AAC encoder, because there is more quality lost in the freely-attributable ffmpeg encoder than in the choice of source.

Re: Start with DTS-MA or DTS when Mixing Down to Stereo AAC?

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2019 2:14 am
by ckronengold
Woodstock wrote: Fri Jan 11, 2019 2:22 pm DTS-MA is a DTS track that has information in it to correct the lossy audio back to lossless. In actuality, the two are usually "one track" on a BD, and players that do not understand "MA" just ignore that data, and play the "lossy core".
- Indeed it is. I probably should have asked TrueHD vs AC3. Would you use the lossless TrueHD or the lossy AC3 source for mixing down to a 320kbps stereo audio track?
Woodstock wrote: Fri Jan 11, 2019 2:22 pm If you're that concerned about the audio quality, you will want to compile your own copy of handbrake with the fdk AAC encoder, because there is more quality lost in the freely-attributable ffmpeg encoder than in the choice of source.
I'm not overly concerned by it. This is for the versions for streaming to a phone or tablet while wearing ear buds. More of a "best practices" question than anything that has actually bothered me when listening to it.

Thanks as always for sharing your insight!

Re: Start with DTS-MA or DTS when Mixing Down to Stereo AAC?

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2019 2:47 am
by Woodstock
Since I use MakeMKV to rip my disks, the TrueHD tracks each have a matching AC3 track, so I use pass that through. I'm starting to NOT convert anything to AAC, because my system has to send AAC to the theater amp to decode it, but the TV plays AC3 directly.

To my ears, it really doesn't make a difference which source I specify, because most of them have better audio than any of my portable devices can render. I have no reason to suspect that the output from encoding DTS-MA would be better than "plain" DTS. But, I'm sure others will make impassioned arguments against my attitude.

Re: Start with DTS-MA or DTS when Mixing Down to Stereo AAC?

Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2019 2:24 am
by ckronengold
Woodstock wrote: Tue Jan 15, 2019 2:47 am But, I'm sure others will make impassioned arguments against my attitude.
Well, sure. But they'd be wrong.

Thanks for the insight!