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Surround with UK Freeview HD (DVB-T2): Definite Answer?


Pintu

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I've read through all (?) AAC-HE and libfaad2 Wrapper Topics on this forum, but I'm still unable to find a definite answer how to achieve Surround sound with Freeview HD via DVB-T2 in the UK.

 

The latest stage of my trials is to enable the ffdshow audio postprocessor plugin and activate AAC to AC3 encoding, which I believe *should* work. But my receiver (connected via S/PDIF) only receives a stereo signal.

 

I've also installed and tried the libfaad2 Wrapper with the same results.

 

What am I doing wrong?

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Who says that AAC has to have more than 2 channels?

 

Not all Freeview HD shows are broadcasted with 6 channels, but most primetime shows are. Sherlock on BBC, Superbowl on Channel 4 etc.

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Well, I can't get UK Freeview HD via DVB-T2. But I can receive the backup mux via sat at 27,5W. The audio tracks of the HD channels are AAC encoded, but I've never seen more than a stero signal. You can check it with TransEdit.

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Well, I can't get UK Freeview HD via DVB-T2. But I can receive the backup mux via sat at 27,5W. The audio tracks of the HD channels are AAC encoded, but I've never seen more than a stero signal. You can check it with TransEdit.

 

Strictly come dancing and other shows are also broadcasted in multichannel on Freesat HD and Freeview HD. This is another example of multichannel. It definitely exists.

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Is this a guide for DVB-T2 in particular? Anyway, it's very easy to verify. Make a recording of such a show and check the format with e.g. mediainfo or use transedit or go to -> view -> filters -> dvbsource and check the audio format.

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Is this a guide for DVB-T2 in particular? Anyway, it's very easy to verify. Make a recording of such a show and check the format with e.g. mediainfo or use transedit or go to -> view -> filters -> dvbsource and check the audio format.

 

Alright, there seems to be a lot of conflicting information on Freeview HD and surround sound. After one week I have not found a single programme that was broadcast with multichannel sound, all were stereo.

 

On the positive side, I was able to get AC3 encoding with the ffdshow postprocessor plugin by simply changing to an HDMI connection (instead of SPDIF before).

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I only have FreeSat HD, not Freeview HD but I imagine it's the same and anyway, I just looked through the listings for the forthcoming week and was surprised to see that yes, everything is stereo only.

 

I then looked through some old recordings and found 'Robbie Williams Electric Proms' which is a full concert in 5.1 recorded from the BBC so it does happen, they probably only use it for concerts and maybe sports as I think the Olympics were in 5.1 too.

Edited by SimonP
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I only have FreeSat HD, not Freeview HD but I imagine it's the same and anyway, I just looked through the listings for the forthcoming week and was surprised to see that yes, everything is stereo only.

 

As far as I know Freesat HD sends Dolby Digital, Freeview HD sends AAC (hence my question how to convert AAC to DD).

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What is the use to convert 2-channel AAC to DD??

 

Zero. I was under the false impression that Freeview HD sends lots of stuff in multichannel. As no receiver can decode AAC and SPDIF cannot send 5.1 PCM I asked about how to convert AAC in DVBViewer.

 

I've answered that myself, by simply using HDMI over SPDIF. Now all I need is a Freeview HD multichannel programme...

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Technically it does, with AAC-HE, hence the requirement to decode before sending it to the receiver. But all discussion or testing is futile as there appears to be no programme broadcasted in surround at the moment.

 

See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2010/06/questions_around_surround_soun.html

Hmm, maybe I was wrong. Though I can't get Freeview I can receive BBC-SATBACK on 11495V at 27,5W. BBC Two HD had 5.1 AAC audio during Winter Olympic coverage.

 

 

General

ID : 6 (0x6)

Complete name : C:\TSRecordings\BBC Two HD 02-13 11-44-01.ts

Format : MPEG-TS

File size : 30.7 MiB

Duration : 35s 886ms

Overall bit rate mode : Variable

Overall bit rate : 7 181 Kbps

 

Video

ID : 6101 (0x17D5)

Menu ID : 1 (0x1)

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.0

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames

Format settings, GOP : M=8, N=24

Codec ID : 27

Duration : 35s 560ms

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 1 080 pixels

Display aspect ratio : 16:9

Frame rate : 25.000 fps

Color space : YUV

Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0

Bit depth : 8 bits

Scan type : MBAFF

Scan order : Top Field First

Language : English

Color primaries : BT.709

Transfer characteristics : BT.709

Matrix coefficients : BT.709

 

Audio

ID : 6102 (0x17D6)

Menu ID : 1 (0x1)

Format : AAC

Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec

Format profile : LC

Muxing mode : LATM

Codec ID : 17

Duration : 36s 74ms

Bit rate mode : Variable

Channel(s) : 6 channels

Channel positions : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE

Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz

Compression mode : Lossy

Delay relative to video : -771ms

Language : English

 

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I think we are confusing ourselves with Freesat and Freeview. In summary:

 

- Freesat HD: 5.1 technically available and shows broadcasted in 5.1

- Freeview HD: 5.1 technically available (see BBC blog), but apparently now shows being broadcasted in 5.1 at the moment.

 

Edit: Oh wait! The most exciting of Sports IS broadcasted in 5.1 on Freeview HD!

Edited by Pintu
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..no, I'm not confusing Freesat and Freeview. BBC SATBack is the satellite backup for the terrestrial DVB-T2 Freeview network. Of course it's possible that the real Freeview transmissions are still 2-channel stereo.

 

Freesat HD: AC3

Freeview HD: AAC

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Okay, now as I've finally found a source, the answer is:

 

1) Use libfaad2 wrapper or LAV Audio as AAC Filter (not Microsoft)

 

2) Change Windows Audio Settings to 5.1 or higher

or

Use ffdshow audio postprocessing to decode to ac3 and bitstream as Dolby Digital.

 

Hurray.

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