NZ FreeviewHD - TV3 with AC3

[lchiu7]

I can't do live TV since my system isn't up to it. But playback of recorded files is DD 5.1 if they are broadcast that way. I use gbpvr to record the show and then use a Popcorn Hour to play back a few minutes after recording starts and I get 5.1 sound (though the PCH seems to think it's DTS audio for some reason)

[engnz]

I get something similar... Live TV on 3 is surround sound Dolby Digital AC3 (5.1), while any recorded shows on 3 only playback in stereo.

I just tried watching StarWars Phantom Menance (TV3) on LiveTV and my Logitech decoder says it 5.1 digital stream but I only get sound on my left and right front speakers.

I think my ac3 filter settings are not right. Those of you getting 5.1 surround sound can you tell me what AC3 decoder you use and settings for SPDIF?

[lchiu7]

I just tried watching StarWars Phantom Menance (TV3) on LiveTV and my Logitech decoder says it 5.1 digital stream but I only get sound on my left and right front speakers.

I think my ac3 filter settings are not right. Those of you getting 5.1 surround sound can you tell me what AC3 decoder you use and settings for SPDIF?

I actually posted a question on GZ. Using my Popcorn I was only getting front channels also for this movie (again using gbpvr). But I usually get 5.1 from TV3. Perhaps they had an encoding issue?.

My situation is somewhat more unclear since the PCH says it's DTS while the AVR says DD.

[sub]

I actually posted a question on GZ. Using my Popcorn I was only getting front channels also for this movie (again using gbpvr). But I usually get 5.1 from TV3. Perhaps they had an encoding issue?.

Yeah, if you're only getting the two channels from the PCH, then it does sound like an encoding/broadcast issue (rather than playback issue)

My situation is somewhat more unclear since the PCH says it's DTS while the AVR says DD.

You can ignore this. The PCH always incorrectly reports DVB style AC3 as DTS.

[lchiu7]

Yeah, if you're only getting the two channels from the PCH, then it does sound like an encoding/broadcast issue (rather than playback issue).

Probably right. TV3 sometimes has HD logos when a show is on, and sometimes 5.1 Surround. Looking at the recording I took, all I saw was the HD logo (and that is up for debate anyway!), no 5.1 surround logo.

[sbiddle]

I spent quite a few hours hooking my PVR up to my amp again on the weekend and have noticed a couple of issues.

As a bit of a background I now use 6ch analog output from my PC -> AMP. This is because it's impossible to have simultaneous 5.1 via SPDIF and also 2ch analog output using Vista due to the DRM limitations. There is a hack floating around that allows simultaneous 2ch via SPDIF and 2ch analog using a Realtek chipset but it doesn't deliver 5.1 + stereo which was easily done with Vista.

Since I don't always want my amp on to watch TV I want sound from my TV speakers as well. Using analog allows this as I simply split the L+R output from the soundcard to my TV audio input as well.

I spent some time trying to get GB-PVR working properly with the AC3 5.1 broadcasts on Freeview|HD and now have this succesfully working but can confirm a bug that has been mentioned above.

If GB-PVR is run in Live Preview mode I can get 5.1 audio via AC3Filter. If I run GB-PVR in timeshift mode, either by not ticking the timeshift mode box or by pressing pause while in Live Preview mode then I only get 2ch audio. If I play back an AC3 recording I also only get 2ch audio.

Ctrl-O also doesn't work in timeshift mode - only in Live Preview mode.

My theory is that when GB-PVR enters timeshift mode it's switching to the AAC soundtrack (but I can't confirm this since Ctrl-O doesn't work) and also on playback it's doing the same thing and defaulting to the AAC soundtrack rather than AC3.

I'll attach some logs if you need them at all sub but I'm pretty sure of my tests and after discussing this with psycik he also had the same results.

[psycik]

Bump for sub, or should this be a new thread?

[sub]

Try this patch and let me know if it helps.

[mattK]

Fixed it thanks Sub. Now if only I can get it working the same in Cyberlink PowerDVD8 then I can have the laptop viewing recordings in surround as well.

Cheers
Matt Keen

[psycik]

Not sure if it fixed mine.

Same live preview DD.

Watching a recording, not DD. This is with the new tsreader.

Log attached shows playing a TV1 (AC3) recording. Then playing Live TV.