Passthru TrueHD Atmos track

[brwill]

In the HB documentation, it is stated that audio passthru is available for True HD audio sources. I have an MKV with an audio file marked:

English (True HD) (7.1 ch)

The track is TrueHD Atmos

HB wants to mixdown (AAC (CoreAudio)) 7.1 channels

I'd like this to be passthru, but cannot seem to set that anywhere. How do I force passthru?

Thanks, Brian


HandBrake version (e.g., 1.0.0):

20190830211227-6101f38-master


Operating system and version (e.g., Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, macOS 10.13 High Sierra, Windows 10 Creators Update):

macOS 10.14.6



HandBrake Activity Log ***required*** (see How-to get an activity log)

Code: Select all

[09:39:09] macgui: Handbrake Version: 20190830211227-6101f38-master (2019083001)
[09:39:09] hb_init: starting libhb thread
[09:39:10] hb_init: starting libhb thread
[09:39:16] macgui: trying to open a folder or file
[09:39:16] macgui: ScanCore scanning titles with a duration of 10 seconds or more
[09:39:16] CPU: Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU           W3565  @ 3.20GHz
[09:39:16]  - logical processor count: 8
[09:39:16] hb_scan: path=/Volumes/Bay 2 Brian Home/Users/Brian/VideoScratch/MKV/Rocketman_t00a.mkv, title_index=0
udfread ERROR: ECMA 167 Volume Recognition failed
disc.c:323: failed opening UDF image /Volumes/Bay 2 Brian Home/Users/Brian/VideoScratch/MKV/Rocketman_t00a.mkv
disc.c:424: error opening file BDMV/index.bdmv
disc.c:424: error opening file BDMV/BACKUP/index.bdmv
[09:39:16] bd: not a bd - trying as a stream/file instead
libdvdnav: Using dvdnav version 6.0.0
libdvdread: Encrypted DVD support unavailable.
libdvdread:DVDOpenFileUDF:UDFFindFile /VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.IFO failed
libdvdread:DVDOpenFileUDF:UDFFindFile /VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.BUP failed
libdvdread: Can't open file VIDEO_TS.IFO.
libdvdnav: vm: failed to read VIDEO_TS.IFO
[09:39:16] dvd: not a dvd - trying as a stream/file instead
Input #0, matroska,webm, from '/Volumes/Bay 2 Brian Home/Users/Brian/VideoScratch/MKV/Rocketman_t00a.mkv':
  Metadata:
    title           : Rocketman
    encoder         : libmakemkv v1.14.4 (1.3.5/1.4.7) darwin(x64-release)
    creation_time   : 2019-09-01T09:55:31.000000Z
  Duration: 02:01:16.94, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 33412 kb/s
    Chapter #0:0: start 0.000000, end 350.725375
    Metadata:
      title           : Chapter 01
    Chapter #0:1: start 350.725375, end 680.805125
    Metadata:
      title           : Chapter 02
    Chapter #0:2: start 680.805125, end 1123.080292
    Metadata:
      title           : Chapter 03
    Chapter #0:3: start 1123.080292, end 1359.858500
    Metadata:
      title           : Chapter 04
    Chapter #0:4: start 1359.858500, end 1681.054375
    Metadata:
      title           : Chapter 05
    Chapter #0:5: start 1681.054375, end 2061.392667
    Metadata:
      title           : Chapter 06
    Chapter #0:6: start 2061.392667, end 2315.229583
    Metadata:
      title           : Chapter 07
    Chapter #0:7: start 2315.229583, end 2572.444875
    Metadata:
      title           : Chapter 08
    Chapter #0:8: start 2572.444875, end 3040.579208
    Metadata:
      title           : Chapter 09
    Chapter #0:9: start 3040.579208, end 3450.905792
    Metadata:
      title           : Chapter 10
    Chapter #0:10: start 3450.905792, end 3845.800292
    Metadata:
      title           : Chapter 11
    Chapter #0:11: start 3845.800292, end 4168.914750
    Metadata:
      title           : Chapter 12
    Chapter #0:12: start 4168.914750, end 4570.941375
    Metadata:
      title           : Chapter 13
    Chapter #0:13: start 4570.941375, end 5083.745333
    Metadata:
      title           : Chapter 14
    Chapter #0:14: start 5083.745333, end 5349.010333
    Metadata:
      title           : Chapter 15
    Chapter #0:15: start 5349.010333, end 5722.383333
    Metadata:
      title           : Chapter 16
    Chapter #0:16: start 5722.383333, end 6166.243417
    Metadata:
      title           : Chapter 17
    Chapter #0:17: start 6166.243417, end 6671.831833
    Metadata:
      title           : Chapter 18
    Chapter #0:18: start 6671.831833, end 6925.293375
    Metadata:
      title           : Chapter 19
    Chapter #0:19: start 6925.293375, end 7276.936333
    Metadata:
      title           : Chapter 20
    Stream #0:0(eng): Video: h264 (High), yuv420p(progressive), 1920x1080 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 23.98 fps, 23.98 tbr, 1k tbn, 47.95 tbc
    Metadata:
      BPS-eng         : 29233899
      DURATION-eng    : 02:01:16.936333333
      NUMBER_OF_FRAMES-eng: 174472
      NUMBER_OF_BYTES-eng: 26591652389
      SOURCE_ID-eng   : 001011
      _STATISTICS_WRITING_APP-eng: MakeMKV v1.14.4 darwin(x64-release)
      _STATISTICS_WRITING_DATE_UTC-eng: 2019-09-01 09:55:31
      _STATISTICS_TAGS-eng: BPS DURATION NUMBER_OF_FRAMES NUMBER_OF_BYTES SOURCE_ID
    Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: truehd, 48000 Hz, 7.1, s32 (24 bit) (default)
    Metadata:
      title           : Surround 7.1
      BPS-eng         : 4133211
      DURATION-eng    : 02:01:16.936666666
      NUMBER_OF_FRAMES-eng: 8732324
      NUMBER_OF_BYTES-eng: 3759639738
      SOURCE_ID-eng   : 001105
      _STATISTICS_WRITING_APP-eng: MakeMKV v1.14.4 darwin(x64-release)
      _STATISTICS_WRITING_DATE_UTC-eng: 2019-09-01 09:55:31
      _STATISTICS_TAGS-eng: BPS DURATION NUMBER_OF_FRAMES NUMBER_OF_BYTES SOURCE_ID
    Stream #0:2(spa): Subtitle: hdmv_pgs_subtitle
    Metadata:
      BPS-eng         : 8799
      DURATION-eng    : 01:57:06.582062500
      NUMBER_OF_FRAMES-eng: 672
      NUMBER_OF_BYTES-eng: 7728487
      SOURCE_ID-eng   : 001204
      _STATISTICS_WRITING_APP-eng: MakeMKV v1.14.4 darwin(x64-release)
      _STATISTICS_WRITING_DATE_UTC-eng: 2019-09-01 09:55:31
      _STATISTICS_TAGS-eng: BPS DURATION NUMBER_OF_FRAMES NUMBER_OF_BYTES SOURCE_ID
    Stream #0:3(fra): Subtitle: hdmv_pgs_subtitle
    Metadata:
      BPS-eng         : 9655
      DURATION-eng    : 01:57:06.582062500
      NUMBER_OF_FRAMES-eng: 672
      NUMBER_OF_BYTES-eng: 8480646
      SOURCE_ID-eng   : 001205
      _STATISTICS_WRITING_APP-eng: MakeMKV v1.14.4 darwin(x64-release)
      _STATISTICS_WRITING_DATE_UTC-eng: 2019-09-01 09:55:31
      _STATISTICS_TAGS-eng: BPS DURATION NUMBER_OF_FRAMES NUMBER_OF_BYTES SOURCE_ID
    Stream #0:4(por): Subtitle: hdmv_pgs_subtitle
    Metadata:
      BPS-eng         : 8733
      DURATION-eng    : 01:57:06.582062500
      NUMBER_OF_FRAMES-eng: 668
      NUMBER_OF_BYTES-eng: 7670552
      SOURCE_ID-eng   : 001209
      _STATISTICS_WRITING_APP-eng: MakeMKV v1.14.4 darwin(x64-release)
      _STATISTICS_WRITING_DATE_UTC-eng: 2019-09-01 09:55:31
      _STATISTICS_TAGS-eng: BPS DURATION NUMBER_OF_FRAMES NUMBER_OF_BYTES SOURCE_ID
    Stream #0:5(tha): Subtitle: hdmv_pgs_subtitle
    Metadata:
      BPS-eng         : 6735
      DURATION-eng    : 01:57:06.582062500
      NUMBER_OF_FRAMES-eng: 684
      NUMBER_OF_BYTES-eng: 5916111
      SOURCE_ID-eng   : 00120A
      _STATISTICS_WRITING_APP-eng: MakeMKV v1.14.4 darwin(x64-release)
      _STATISTICS_WRITING_DATE_UTC-eng: 2019-09-01 09:55:31
      _STATISTICS_TAGS-eng: BPS DURATION NUMBER_OF_FRAMES NUMBER_OF_BYTES SOURCE_ID
[09:39:16] scan: decoding previews for title 1
[09:39:17] scan: audio 0x1: truehd, rate=48000Hz, bitrate=1 English (TrueHD) (7.1 ch)
[09:39:21] scan: 20 previews, 1920x1080, 23.976 fps, autocrop = 138/138/0/0, aspect 16:9, PAR 1:1
[09:39:21] libhb: scan thread found 1 valid title(s)
[09:39:21] macgui: ScanCore scan done
.

[Woodstock]

What do you have enabled for passthru on your audio selection behavior?

[BradleyS]

MP4 does not support many audio formats and the fallback encoder will be used instead. Perhaps you would like to instead encode as AAC and AC3 as is commonly found in MP4 and many of HandBrake's official presets including surround sound.

[brwill]

What do you have enabled for passthru on your audio selection behavior?

AAC, AC3, TrueHD boxes ticked

Passthru Fallback is AAC (CoreAudio)

In the codec section, Auto Passthru indicates a mixdown (7,1 Channels). Why would this not be something like None? (i.e. no mixdown)

Thanks for responding.

[brwill]

MP4 does not support many audio formats and the fallback encoder will be used instead. Perhaps you would like to instead encode as AAC and AC3 as is commonly found in MP4 and many of HandBrake's official presets including surround sound.

Hello, thanks for responding. I'm trying to interpret your suggestion. I purchased the Rocketman BluRay disc. As with all my video collection, I process them and add them to my iTunes library - to be played via current generation AppleTVs. One of this BD's tracks is 'English Dolby Atmos'. My receiver/amplifier supports that, and in a word, direct from my BluRay player, the sound is awesome in my home theatre. The HB encoded MP4 file (7.1) that I put into my iTunes library, while sounding really good, I sense that it is somewhat less than awesome.

I interpret your comment to say that the MP4 container will not support Atmos. I suspect that my current best option would be to select the AC3 channel with AC3 Passthru, rather than the TrueHD channel with mixdown.

As for the TrueHD choice in Auto Passthru, is it only applicable to an MKV output?

[BradleyS]

Your interpretation is correct. We could probably make the interface more friendly by disabling some of those checkboxes when MP4 format is selected. Stick to AAC+AC3.

You might find HandBrake's presets for Apple devices useful. See Devices > Apple 1080p30 Surround and adjust the quality setting to your liking (the default is fairly high quality). https://handbrake.fr/docs/en/1.2.0/work ... ality.html

[Deleted User 11865]

It might make sense to encode to e.g. AAC+E-AC-3 at 1536 Kbps, to preserve just a bit more of the original track's audio quality.

You could even select higher bitrate, but with diminishing returns and larger output file sizes, and anything above 1536 Kbps would exceed the maximum S/PDIF bandwidth, if your surround system uses that type of connectivity (actually I think the AppleTV 4K doesn't have S/PDIF out anymore, so that part may be a non-issue).

[BradleyS]

Yes, current Apple TV supports E-AC-3 also, but we don't use it in our official presets because it's only supported on very recent devices. So, something to consider if you do not have legacy hardware.