Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: 5.1 BluRay on a GDC

This is topic 5.1 BluRay on a GDC in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Phil Ranucci (Member # 3820) on 01-18-2017, 01:36 PM:

I've tried 2 different players, Samsung and Sony, and can only get 2 channel stereo from the GDC media block. Latest version, they say the media block just passes the audio, and the problem is the player.
Both set to PCM output, any ideas?

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-18-2017, 02:14 PM:

Likely, you have an EDID issue. The player will only send out what it is being asked. If nothing is asking for 5.1 audio, then you don't get 5.1 audio. Then there is the decoding aspect of it all. What is responsible for getting the audio from DTS or Dolby to 5.1 LPCM? Not all players will do this so it may be pulling from the required 2-channel track. Have you tried hooking it up to something else to see if other devices can request multichannel audio via PCM only?

Try using an Oppo player, they WILL decode Dolby and DTS before sending it out of the HDMI cable.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 01-18-2017, 03:37 PM:

quote: Phil Ranucci
Both set to PCM output, any ideas?

You need to make sure you understand all those settings. When you write 'both set to PCM output', I do assume this setting is for the optical/S/P-DIF output only.

There is no standardization of terms or settings for that kind of equipment. You have to bite through it, get the manual, try to understand it.

If you need to stick with these players, you can buy some cheap gadgets on ebay or amazon called 'EDID managers'. Try to force the Player into 5.1 LPCM mode.

- Carsten

Posted by Phil Ranucci (Member # 3820) on 01-18-2017, 04:11 PM:

Thanks for the responses.
I was assuming the PCM audio was going thru the HDMI cable into the media block.Both players have co-axial outputs, which are not connected. Is that the only way to get 5.1?
I'm using USL DAX boxes that only have the DB25 input from the media block.
Back to the manuals!

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 01-18-2017, 05:11 PM:

Both HDMI and TOSLINK or COAXIAL may output LPCM or coded audio. But the settings may be different or may only apply to one or the other. You really need to understand the manual (and hope it is complete).

Usually, media blocks can only accept LPCM, be it 2-channel or 5.1. Usually, they signal only this capability to the player, and if all goes well, the player will recognize this and decode whatever is on the dics (ac3, dts, TrueHD, etc) to discrete LPCM. Usually, this goes wrong. You would think this should be well documented in datasheets and manuals, but often it is not.

- Carsten