Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

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discless
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Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by discless »

When Handbrake included a second audio track with 5.1-AC-3 passthrough, it was an inspired addition. The workaround for two track audio sources, was simply to manually turn off the duplicated second track.

Now five years later, it is quite tedious to have to continue to manually turn off these second audio tracks on two track source material, sometimes resulting in erroneous destination files with an unneeded second audio track.

Can we expect to see, some time in the future, where a two track audio source results in a default one audio track solution?
mduell
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Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by mduell »

What, exactly, is stopping you from configuring a preset to do just that?
discless
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Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by discless »

Nothing, but that does not solve the problem...

Typically, I am transcoding multiple files, some of which contain two track audio and some of which contain 5.1 audio.

After the first file, when I then select APPLETV(1,2, or 3; typically 3 for all of the files) I want to simply select the SOURCE, and then ADD TO QUEUE and move on to the next file.

I want Handbrake to recognize that a two track audio source should only have one resulting audio track and a 5.1 source should have two. Currently, if the source has two track audio, I have to manually turn off the 2nd audio track, which is the step I want to avoid.

Your "solution" just changes the additional manually required step from turning off the audio file, to selecting a different preset when the source file changes from two track to 5.1 and back.

Everyone who uses the AppleTV preset would benefit from such a change. There is no valid reason to have two duplicate audio tracks resulting from transcoding a two track source file.
mduell
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Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by mduell »

No, I'm suggesting you save a preset with only the audio track you want and use that for all of your encodes regardless of the number of audio tracks they have. That is, stop using the built-in preset that doesn't do what you want and start using a preset you create that does do what you want. No extra manual steps required compared to what you're doing today: select your preset, select your source, add to queue.

Not everyone using the ATV preset wants to throw away audio tracks like you do.
Deleted User 11865

Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by Deleted User 11865 »

Actually he wants an adaptive preset which auto-disables the second track only when the input is Stereo, else he needs a separate preset for Stereo vs. multichannel sources (having just one preset for both sources would be useful in a batch encoding scenario).

I suppose there could be a checkbox for that (apply second audio track for multichannel sources only), but I have zero interest in implementing it. As always though, patches welcome :)
discless
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Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by discless »

Thank you, Rodeo, for both understanding my comments and clearly interpreting them for mduell.

Since this issue effects EVERY user of the AppleTV presets, why do you have zero interest in implementing it?

mduell: Yes, every user of the AppleTV preset wants to throw away a space wasting duplicate audio track, when the source is only 2 track.
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JohnAStebbins
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Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by JohnAStebbins »

discless wrote:mduell: Yes, every user of the AppleTV preset wants to throw away a space wasting duplicate audio track, when the source is only 2 track.
The second audio track isn't exactly a duplicate. It is AC-3, while the first is AAC. AC-3 can be passed digitally directly to most receivers, AAC not so much. And in the case that the source audio was also AC-3, this second audio track is a pristine copy of the source track (not re-encoded). So there are several good reasons to keep the second audio track, even when the source is not 5.1.
discless
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Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by discless »

Thank you for this clarification.

Not having a home theater that will interpret a two track AC-3 file when a two track AAC file is present, I was unaware of this difference; but I will research it more in detail in the future.

I am still interested in having the option of: "a checkbox for that (apply second audio track for multichannel sources only)"
mduell
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Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by mduell »

I now understand you mean "2 channel" rather than "2 audio tracks" when you say "2 track", but your conclusion that it's a waste of space to have two 2ch tracks is unfounded. There's a huge difference between passing through 2ch AC3 from the source and the HB-encoded AAC track, particularly with the current dismal state of AAC encoding in HB. I think users would prefer to keep the original high quality audio as well as the AAC track, such as it is, for compatibility and the preset should not be changed.
discless
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Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by discless »

Given the "attitude" embodied in your original post ("what, exactly..."), I am not surprised by your conclusion.

I used to tell my teenaged daughter, that I did not mind "attitude," I just did not want to pay extra for it!

But thank you for repeating John's clarification for me! :)

My source files have 2 channel AAC audio when not multichannel, as I suspect do most of the AppleTV preset users.
Deleted User 11865

Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by Deleted User 11865 »

discless wrote:as I suspect do most of the AppleTV preset users.
Only those who use it on TV recordings. DVD and Blu-ray with Stereo audio usually have said audio encoded in AC-3.
mduell
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Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by mduell »

discless wrote:My source files have 2 channel AAC audio when not multichannel, as I suspect do most of the AppleTV preset users.
I suspect you're wrong.
discless
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Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by discless »

Thank you, Rodeo for a clear factual statement.

mduell: That is why you are the "moderator" and I am the end user!

Again, with the "attitude" which you exhibited in your first post to my inquiry. REALLY!?!

Too bad I can't get a real solution (and not just a "workaround") to my problem (with or without attitude!)... :(
Last edited by discless on Wed Feb 17, 2016 6:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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s55
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Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by s55 »

mduell is not a moderator. Not sure where you got that idea from. He's an end user like you.

Also his first post was not really showing attitude. It's a question.
discless
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Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by discless »

In that case, his attitude is not only unwarranted, but out of line! I'll be happy to ignore him in the future... :lol:

"Also his first post was not really showing attitude. It's a question." - His first and now last posts clearly show "snark" which, similar to sarcasm, is a subset of "attitude!" Do I really have to clarify that asking a question while being rude does not help the situation?

He clearly knows that nothing is stopping me from such a task!

Here is an example of such a question without attitude:

"Have you tried configuring a preset for your situation?"
discless
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Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by discless »

Rodeo: Just curious, why doesn't the AppleTV presets then just pass-thru only the 2 channel AC-3 digital audio track and instead by default add an inferior AAC track as well?
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Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by Deleted User 11865 »

Because then you'd have to audio, if your Apple TV is not connected to a home theater (it can't decode AC-3, only pass it through to a receiver), and you'd get no audio trying to play the file on any other Apple device (phone, tablet etc.).
discless
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Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by discless »

Ah, no audio; thank you!

I presume that a DVD player then also sends AAC or some analog equivalent to a TV so that it will also play audio in a non-home theater situation?
rollin_eng
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Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by rollin_eng »

discless wrote:Rodeo: Just curious, why doesn't the AppleTV presets then just pass-thru only the 2 channel AC-3 digital audio track and instead by default add an inferior AAC track as well?
I thought the AppeTV needed both or it got a bit upset.
discless
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Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by discless »

The AppleTV can be set for digital audio input which will work from my experience when there is only one digital audio track available.

I wasn't aware of the iPhone, iPad audio limitations, which I suppose is an additional reason why they have their own presets.
Deleted User 11865

Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by Deleted User 11865 »

discless wrote:Ah, no audio; thank you!

I presume that a DVD player then also sends AAC or some analog equivalent to a TV so that it will also play audio in a non-home theater situation?
No, a DVD player can decode AC-3 audio (and send the decoded audio over whatever interface it's connected to, e.g. HDMI). The AppleTV cannot, it sends the AC-3 undecoded, and if whatever it's connected to can't decode it either, then no audio.
rollin_eng wrote:I thought the AppeTV needed both or it got a bit upset.
That's true of some versions of the AppleTV, I'm not sure all versions are affected though.
discless
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Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by discless »

Rodeo wrote:
rollin_eng wrote:
I thought the AppeTV needed both or it got a bit upset.
That's true of some versions of the AppleTV, I'm not sure all versions are affected though.
If that were ever true it was only true of the original silver AppleTV, released in 2007 and was basically a stripped down original Intel Mac Mini running a modified version of OS X Tiger 10.4.

To the extent that any of these continue to operate today (and I have one that does and a stack of them that does not), there are really only a few reasons to continue to use it:

1) As this is the only model that ever contained a storage device (hard drive) for saving movies and TV shows, it can be handy to travel with an existing library of content, without regard to access to the Internet or streaming from a Mac. It is also handy for traveling as it offered component video and analog audio output, in addition to HDMI.

2) This is the only model that will play so-called SurroundByUs 5.1 music files that have been remixed by end users from high quality stereo music sources.

3) Cannot or unwilling to upgrade to the black AppleTV3 or new Siri-AppleTV4.
Deleted User 11865

Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by Deleted User 11865 »

The original AppleTV can also be upgraded using some type of Broadcom card that makes it a lot more capable, though in that case the limitations we're talking about may be irrelevant.
discless
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Re: Default for one audio track in AppleTV presets

Post by discless »

Yes, the Broadcom card will allow the original Apple TV to play back certain forms of HD content. It costs $15 from Amazon.

A refurbished AppleTV3 can be purchased for $59 from the Apple Store.

The $15 is better spent towards the AppleTV3 or AppleTV4 and you still have your original silver AppleTV to use until the day it stops functioning, as is the case of most of them today.
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