Page 1 of 1

DTS-HD MA 7.1 but need 5.1. Which options should i use?

Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 8:13 am
by Zaenthex
Hi,

I am new to Handbrake. I have a MKV file with DTS-HD 7.1 and DTS 5.1. Now I want to keep both options open with highest possible quality. There are three possibilities to implement this and I would like to hear your opinion. What would be the best for you.
In any case, I would pass the DTS-HD 7.1 to achieve the highest quality here. But how do I now proceed with the 5.1?

1. DTS-HD 7.1 Passthrough
What if a 5.1 system is used? Can the receiver still convert this to 5.1 and I don't need an extra 5.1 audio track at all?

2. DTS-HD 7.1 downmix to 5.1, what codecs should be used?

3. DTS 5.1 passthrough of the existing DTS audio track

What do you think is the best way to save 7.1 and 5.1?

For device compatibility I have an additional ACC Dolby Pro Logic II audio track, that serves as a fallback for me, so that doesn't need to be considered.

Thanks for your help.
Florian

Re: DTS-HD MA 7.1 but need 5.1. Which options should i use?

Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 1:49 pm
by Woodstock
If the pass-through you chose isn't the same as the source, it will get re-encoded with the fall-back encoder.

What you chose depends on your playback environment. If your player does what it is supposed to do, the 7.1 track will play as a 5.1 track if the player only supports 5.1, or even 2.0 if that's all you have.

But that's "supposed to", which isn't that close to reality.

Personally, my playback environment varies widely, so I encode DTS stuff to AC3, AAC, and then pass through the DTS as higher-numbered tracks. That covers playback on tablets, phones, TVs, and, when I get around to hooking it up, my theater amp.