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Topic: Bitstream DTS-HD? (Read 17961 times) previous topic - next topic
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Bitstream DTS-HD?

Dear All,

I would like to bitstream DTS-HD with foobar2000 through HDMI
I have installed the WASAPI plugin but if I want to play a .dts or .dtshd file I get an unsupported file format error
Then if I install dts plugin as well foobar decodes dts and sends multichannel way through HDMI...

Could you please advise?

Many thanks in advance

Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #1
I would like to bitstream DTS-HD with foobar2000 through HDMI
I have installed the WASAPI plugin but if I want to play a .dts or .dtshd file I get an unsupported file format error
Then if I install dts plugin as well foobar decodes dts and sends multichannel way through HDMI...


Am I reading you correctly, you get pass-through for dts? I've never achieved that, could you post your settings, please? Foobar doesn't support pass-through for DTS-HD (or any pass-through, as far as I know). Bitstreaming through WASAPI should be possible but might be tricky in practice. You might have to use DSP plugins to set the output format to something your soundcard accepts (no. of channels, sampling frequency, etc.)

Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #2
Wouldn't it be easier to use EAC3TO to convert these to FLAC or another lossless format?

You could then pass through the 5.1, 7.1 or 7.2 through to the amp as PCM over the HDMI?
Who are you and how did you get in here ?
I'm a locksmith, I'm a locksmith.

Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #3
Hi,

OK, so about WASAPI: when WASAPI is selected as output I can play stereo files as bitsreamed PCM
(instead of Directshow where all 8 channels are sent to the receiver but 6 of them is muted....)

also with WASAPI I am able to bitstream .dtswav files and the receiver decodes the dts signal
but with .dts and .dtshd files this is not working - very annoying

about transcoding: I would not like to do that as I want my receiver to do the decoding

I have tried the directshow plugin for foobar in order to use ffdshow but it fails (hangs)
Does anybody know a solution to bitstream dtshd with foobar2k?


Cheers

 

Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #4
the only plugin that might play your DTSHD files
http://sourceforge.net/projects/dvdadecode...oo_input_dtshd/

it has a few bugs though, but this maybe for the previous version looking at the modified times.
Code: [Select]
All the mentioned below is related to current version only.

1. Decoder adds 2048 zero samples before track.
2. Decoder cuts 1-2 seconds at the end of the track.
3. Surround channels are -3dB of what is encoded.
4. Decoder doesn't play DTS9624 streams.


but that doesn't solve the bitstreaming issue though.
Who are you and how did you get in here ?
I'm a locksmith, I'm a locksmith.

Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #5
the only plugin that might play your DTSHD files
http://sourceforge.net/projects/dvdadecode...oo_input_dtshd/

it has a few bugs though, but this maybe for the previous version looking at the modified times.
Code: [Select]
All the mentioned below is related to current version only.

1. Decoder adds 2048 zero samples before track.
2. Decoder cuts 1-2 seconds at the end of the track.
3. Surround channels are -3dB of what is encoded.
4. Decoder doesn't play DTS9624 streams.


but that doesn't solve the bitstreaming issue though.


yes I use it but unfortunately it decodes the signal instead of bitsreaming it

Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #6
What would be the difference with bitstreaming and with decoding and using WASAPI exclusive?

Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #7
When bitstreaming, it is the receiver that does the decoding

Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #8
I know that, but is there any real difference, like it's more practical for some reason or other to decode in the receiver? I prefer to bitstream audio with blu-ray movies too, but that's because it's a drag to set up the DTS-HD decoder to work right with MPC-HC, so I just bitstream everything. Also, if I don't use WASAPI exclusive, I don't need to use ReClock.

Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #9
When bitstreaming, it is the receiver that does the decoding


I was under the impression that bitstreaming means bypassing all post-processing (mixer), but that could include a pre-processed signal like decoded dts (=LPCM), while pass-through refers to sending the raw undecoded signal to another device. But maybe it's the same thing?

Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #10
This is quite a long time after this thread was active however I thought I would share some of my findings and thinking on the subject of passing a DTS encoded signal to a home theater receiver via either HDMI or SPDIF.

My first comment is that it's painfully difficult to pass an unfettered DTS encoded signal from a Windows computer to a receiver.  Everything seems to want to get in the way.  Any form of Digital processing or volume adjustment will cause corruption and results in some form of decode failure.  Also unless there is sufficient gain (max volume) the signal (even uncorrupted) will not decode or may drop, skip or blip.

More.. Some software will want to grab exclusive control over sound devices and will not yield producing the peculiarly frustrating "now it works, now it doesn't" scenario.

What's the answer?  There isn't a silver bullet here but I have some tips:

Tip #1 - Pick a sound card with "DTS Interactive" capability. 
Quote: "DTS Interactive encodes any digital sound source into DTS Digital Surround for transport and playback through any DTS-enabled system via a signal cable connection, such as powered PC speakers, an A/V receiver or any other DTS- compatible surround decoder sound system, eliminating the hassle of multiple cables and ensuring audio signal integrity."

There is an inexpensive card (< $50) available from newegg ASUS Xonar DS 7.1 - This is particularly attractive because some idiot has given it a bad review because he doesn't know what a PCI slot is!!  There are also much MUCH more expensive cards available from ASUS, HT|OMEGA and others.  These more expensive cards may provide additional features of interest and are built with top end components but as far as interactive encoding is concerned they're the same.

Using a DTS Interactive card anything that you can get to play to the "cards speakers" will be encoded and shoved out as a DTS encoded digital signal through your SPDIF or HDMI connection.  This also allows you to use the volume control in your software - something you were missing and you can now also allow seemingly innocent things to happened such as systems sounds (be careful of volume), cross-fading or even more significant digital effects.  The output is re-encoded on the sound card into DTS on the fly.

Tip #2 - Try to only run one media player at a time
As mentioned earlier - some players will capture a device and some players react poorly when they can't capture a device already being used.  The resulting failures and partial failures can leave your system in what I like to term "a significant state of unrest" - a condition unlikely to produce anything reliable.

Tip #3 - Make sure you know what your file associations will do
Double click on that .flac or .dts or .wav - Do you know what application is going to be invoked?  You need to take control of this and don't let the latest upgrade of quicktime or some other application make itself the default.

Tip #4 - Separate your Audio and Video objectives
One tool is not enough.  Like trying to hammer a nail with the screwdriver - it might work but your apt to get hurt. 

I have used all manner of free and paid software for Video and Audio include Windows Media Player, iTunes, WinAmp, Foobar 2000, VLC Media Player, Total Media Theater and many more.  Using a DTS Interactive capable sound card pretty much makes them all viable but they're most certainly not all equal. 

Everything has problems.  For example I long for WinAmp to actually work for all my needs but I have elected not to attempt using it for DTS encoded music.  I find that the WinAmp add-ons needed to try and deal with DTS encoded sources are simply too unstable.

TotalMedia Theater (currently revision 5) has a special place in my world because it's a well written and maintained player which is capable of outputting directly to an SPDIF or HDMI output - (handles it's own encoding very well) and is typically quite resilient to changes imposed by other software.

So my current list:

Quote
.flac -> WinAmp (primarily I like the auto tagging - give it artist, title and track length and it will probably match the rest).

.wav -> Only Foobar seems to be able to properly discern a 6ch DTS encoded .wav from something else.  I should probably rename all my 6ch .wav's to .dtswav but nobody seems to do that - can't think why.  (component name DTS Decoder)

.dtshd -> Foobar  (component name DTS-HD Decoder)

.dts -> Foobar (component name DTS Decoder)

.iso -> Magic ISO (mount as virtual drive) -> TotalMedia Theater 5

.ac3 -> try to avoid but if I must then whatever works  (foobar component name AC3 Decoder)

VIDEO_TS folder -> TotalMedia Theater 5

.mkv -> TotalMedia Theater 5

.mp3 -> Take your pick - whatever works best for interaction with your mp3 player.

.anything else -> whatever I can make work reliably.


I hope that some who follow me down this rabbit-hole of multichannel music (and video) are able to draw something useful from this rambling post.  Many of the lessons I have learned have been expensive in both time and money and I would save you both.

>> End of Post <<

Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #11
It's trivially easy to pass through DTS in any of its forms with modern enough hardware and software (starting more than 2 years ago for DTS-HD). DTS Interactive was a quick fix for a problem that existed with SPDIF connections of not being able to pass multichannel LPCM, but that's moot now with HDMI. DTS-I will recompress your probably already compressed audio so it's not ideal by any means. If you're having any trouble, I'd recommend Windows Vista/7 with one of this or previous generation HDMI graphics cards, plus a DirectShow player like Media Player Classic, plus LAV filters, which will let you enable bitstreaming of all these new audio formats. ffdshow also does it, as should TotalMedia Theatre, but I haven't been using it since version 3, and I think they only allow bitstreaming for blu-ray discs. But, this is the foobar2000 forum...

Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #12
If you convert DTSHD with eac3to to multiCH flac and then stream that as multiCH to the receiver, there isn't difference between the first and the second choise. Either the computer and the receiver are not decoding anything, only the computer is reading the flac file. I am right, or not?

Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #13
But, this is the foobar2000 forum...


... and if foobar falls flat in any area it's bitstreaming. I still don't understand why there's no out-of-the-box interface available for those formats that support it like DTS and it's hi-res brethren, to name one. Yes, it needs WASAPI exclusive mode to work, but that shouldn't be a problem. Hopefully Peter will come up with something when the WASAPI rewrite becomes available.

Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #14
But these "HD" audio streams are virtually non-existent without a video accompanying it. And if you're gonna rip audio only anyway from a blu-ray, you may just as well rip to flac.

Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #15
But these "HD" audio streams are virtually non-existent without a video accompanying it.


No matter, there's still a fairly large amount of DTS music around and people who much prefer hardware decoding over software decoding. Also, there's SACD and MLP which can be bitstreamed and the audiophile crowd has started making legal copies of their own precious discs because of disc rot, waiting for a viable solution to play them through audio players. XBMC is getting there, and foobar2000 - having a name as most versatile player - should not stay behind.

Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #16
This was about DTS-HD though. AFAIK, fb2k can do legacy DTS just fine.

Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #17
This was about DTS-HD though. AFAIK, fb2k can do legacy DTS just fine.


Well, it's never worked for me and I've tried every suggestion I could find in this forum. On the other hand, XBMC plays the same files right away so that my receiver gets them as DTS and not PCM.

Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #18
It's 2015.  Still no DTS-HD (.dtshd) bitstreaming for foobar2k?

Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #19
It's 2015 and it's still not known that the idea of foobar2000 is to give the same audio pipeline to all formats it plays? Audio is decoded, passed through the engine to process DSPs and ReplayGain and finally it reaches output. Same audio pipeline also enables features such as ReplayGain scanner and Converter to function.

Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #20
Quote
◾Over HDMI 1.1 (or higher) connections as 6-, 7- or 8-channel linear PCM, using the player's decoder and the AV receiver's DAC.
◾Over HDMI 1.3 (or higher) connections as the original DTS-HD Master Audio bitstream, with decoding and DAC both done by the AV receiver

This may be helpful.

Re: Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #21
Actually it's 2021 and it appears I still can't bitstream a .dtshd file-  bitstream meaning raw encoded data NOT decoded by foobar or any other computer-based app....meaning decoding is done in the downstream DTS-HD compliant AVR connected by HDMI and  bit-perfect output via WASAPI driver.

'plain' .dts  files up to and including DTS 96/24 files work fine this way.

.dtshd files throw an unsupported format error  (changing the file suffix to .dts does not fix it...no error is shown but the file will not play)

Don't know why that is; but the workaround (decoding /saving  to PCM with e.g. Audiomuxer)  yields playable files.






Re: Bitstream DTS-HD?

Reply #22
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