Dummies guide how to fix MKV DTS no sound

Community Archives WD Elements Play
1

I can see this topic comes up and up but in all the many posts I read I can get no clarity about how to fix the problem. If an MKV has no sound it’s beacuse of DTS via HDMI I gather from the hundreds of posts here.

But how do we fix it so it plays these files with simple stereo sound? What settings should I have, or what program should I run to get the sound back for my movies even if it’s just stereo?

I followed these instructions from one of the many threads:

http://www.free-codecs.com/MKVToolnix_download.htm
download program
add file (top right button on gui)
start muxing (bottom left gui)
done, simple, fixed

but now the movie doesn’t play at all- no picture.

Another post said go into settings on the WD player, audio & video, digial audio mode, and set to stereo - but mine is already set that way and i hear nothing.

Another post said change the settings on my TV. I have the Samgsung 7 series LED TV, but I can’t see any menu options about DTS.

I also tried plugging the audio into my hifi (so bypassing my TV) using the red and white stereo audio outputs insteadd of the HDMI but still no sound.

So what am I supposed to do? About 50% of my movie collection has no sound right now and I am ready to throw this box out of the widow even though it’s one day old. Some people say they have fixed it but I can get no clear infor on how. Can someone please post a sensible guide to fixing these files in a place we can find it. 

------------------------------ 
Media Info:

Format                           : Matroska
File size                        : 4.34 GiB
Duration                         : 1h 56mn
Overall bit rate                 : 5 328 Kbps
Writing application              : HandBrake 0.9.5
Writing library                  : libmkv 0.6.4.1
Video
ID                               : 1
Format                           : AVC
Format/Info                      : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                   : Main@L3.1
Format settings, CABAC           : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames        : 4 frames
Codec ID                         : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration                         : 1h 56mn
Bit rate                         : 3 809 Kbps
Width                            : 1 280 pixels
Height                           : 536 pixels
Display aspect ratio             : 2.35:1
Frame rate mode                  : Variable
Frame rate                       : 23.976 fps
Color space                      : YUV
Chroma subsampling               : 4:2:0
Bit depth                        : 8 bits
Scan type                        : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)               : 0.232
Stream size                      : 3.02 GiB (70%)
Writing library                  : x264 core 112
Encoding settings                : cabac=1 / ref=2 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x1:0x111 / me=hex / subme=6 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1,00:0,00 / mixed_ref=0 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=0 / 8x8dct=0 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 / threads=3 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=2 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=1 / weightb=0 / open_gop=0 / weightp=2 / keyint=240 / keyint_min=23 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=40 / rc=2pass / mbtree=1 / bitrate=3809 / ratetol=1,0 / qcomp=0,60 / qpmin=3 / qpmax=51 / qpstep=4 / cplxblur=20,0 / qblur=0,5 / ip_ratio=1,40 / aq=1:1,00
Language                         : English
Color primaries                  : BT.709-5, BT.1361, IEC 61966-2-4, SMPTE RP177
Transfer characteristics         : BT.709-5, BT.1361
Matrix coefficients              : BT.709-5, BT.1361, IEC 61966-2-4 709, SMPTE RP177
Audio
ID                               : 2
Format                           : DTS
Format/Info                      : Digital Theater Systems
Codec ID                         : A_DTS
Duration                         : 1h 56mn
Bit rate mode                    : Constant
Bit rate                         : 1 510 Kbps
Channel(s)                       : 6 channels
Channel positions                : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling rate                    : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth                        : 24 bits
Compression mode                 : Lossy
Stream size                      : 1.23 GiB (28%

2

I did find an article:

http://www.aunsoft.com/mkv_dts_to_ac3_converter_convert_mkv_with_dts_sound_to_ac3_with_51_channels/

where you buy a convertor for $18.

I installed the trail, followed the (bad) instructions, and its taking 14 hours to convert the file and will produce something twice as large as how it started! What junk.

Is that really the best advice WD can offer?

If it is indeed the best advice, then can you tell me if WD is planning to fix this player with a firemare update? If not I will chuck it in the rubbish right now. If I can never play these files with any sound it’s useles to me. My friend who has an old WD player doesn’t have a problem, I followed his advice on choosing WD, I guess I should have got the old version but I wanted a built in hard drive. How could I have guessed an upgrade is a downgrade. If its hopeless can someone please recommend a media player that doesn’t go silent when confronted by DTS?

3

OK I got it. Forget that stupid aunsoft convertor.

Create a directory called c:\Program Files\Popcorn

Goto this web site: http://audioconverter.heartware.dk/Tutorial/

Download the executable and copy to the new popcorn directory

Run the executable

Install the addons

Install the missing AC3 file info addon by clicking on the globe and copying manually to the c:\Program Files\Popcorn\tools directory

Select the source file

Select an ouput directory, eg c:\temp

Run the program (just leave all the settings alone)

It takes less than an hour to run, then

Copy the file back the WD Media Player and try it.

It worked for me. As far as I know that’s the only way to get these files to work. If there is a simpler way please post here. Personally I would be prefer some solution for connecting the analogue stereo line outs on the WD Media Player to my hifi, but as far as I can tell they are non funtional. If you care, what popcorn does is convert the DTS audio to AC3 audio and add that into the file so the WD player can work. God only knows why WD don’t provide this tool in a nicer interface on their web site. I guess that’s why Apple Rules the world. http://www.theoligarch.com/apple_china_superpower.htm

4

Oh dear, this popcorn conversion adds a small amount of frame loss to the video so it no longer plays back perfectly smoothly. I can get smooth but silent, or stutter with sound. Removing the DTS stream completly in popcorn helps but doesn’t perfectly cure the problem. I guess it doesn’t interleave the audio as well with the video on the hard drive and WD can’t keep up. I give up - back to the PC and Media Player Classic. I waisted £140 and one night.