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Topic: M4A files using Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC3). (Read 4794 times) previous topic - next topic
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M4A files using Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC3).

Hey everyone,

I've recently acquired some Dolby Atmos music (from Tidal) that has been packaged into .m4a and encoded using Dolby Digital Plus (.E-AC3), I've looked on the components repository and found a Dolby Digital decoder (.AC3). Obviously, this won't do a thing. I also downloaded that bundle of decoders from https://www.foobar2000.org/encoderpack but there's no mention of E-AC3/DD+ anywhere.

I already own the Dolby Access UWP app from the MS Store and the full license for Dolby Atmos for Headphones.

Is there any E-AC3 decoders out there for foobar2000? Or what other players have E-AC3 decoding available (I have WinAmp, WMP and iTunes).

Thanks,

Noobgamer0111
(☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞ Have a nice day! ☜(ﾟヮﾟ☜)

Re: M4A files using Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC3).

Reply #1 –
VLC Media Player, MPC-HC, and MPC-BE will play raw E-AC3 audio files, but I don't know if they would within a M4A wrapper.  You may need to extract the E-AC3 first with ffmpeg or mp4box.

Re: M4A files using Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC3).

Reply #2 –
foo_input_ffmpeg+ffmpeg can decode .m4a with e-ac3. But it will be decoded as normal e-ac3, not as dolby atmos.

Re: M4A files using Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC3).

Reply #3 –
@sveakul I just tried VLC Media Player (v3.0.14 Vetinari) now, and it's able to play it with Dolby Atmos for Headphones. Cheers, I completely forgot that I had VLC installed lol.

Confirmed: VLC Media Player can play Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC3) content, even if in an m4a container.
Proof: https://ibb.co/9Z4pF7R

(☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞ Have a nice day! ☜(ﾟヮﾟ☜)

Re: M4A files using Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC3).

Reply #4 –
Quote from: Noobgamer0111 on
@sveakul I just tried VLC Media Player (v3.0.14 Vetinari) now, and it's able to play it with Dolby Atmos for Headphones.
VLC is not decoding Atmos. Windows is downmixing just the base 5.1 layer using the Atmos for Headphones HRTF. You will get surround effects but not height effects.

The only way to get height effects is to use the Windows 10 Films & TV app to play E-AC-3 Atmos files. Only the decoder built-in to Windows can recognize the Atmos metadata.