Have any body came with a solution for playing MKV files which have DTS sound track for people who don’t have surround equipment? With all the fuss around it I think using a streamer is a waste of money: Just buy the simplest Net book with HDMI port and connect it to the TV, install VLC and connect the sound to the TV speakers.
Considering a NetBook is $300+ and a WDTV Live is $99, I can see how you’d think that… 
TonyPh12345 wrote:
Considering a NetBook is $300+ and a WDTV Live is $99, I can see how you’d think that…
Easy, guy. The Patriot Box Office I bought to replace my WDTV outputs DTS as stereo on both the HDMI and composite audio outputs (and, as an aside, outputs both at the same time instead of HDMI or composite). And that cost me less new (after rebate) than a reconditioned WDTV Live, and considerably less than than the first-gen WDTV cost me.
So it’s clearly possible without spending $300. But certainly, with WD’s short life cycle, it will never happen so you’re right to dissuade the OP.
The simplest way to avoid the “DTS” issue if you don’t have a receiver to connect to the optical output, is to just make the AC3 5.1 or AC3 2.0 track on the DVD the default audio of your rip. You can still include the DTS track as well so that you don’t have to re-rip the file if you later get a home theater receiver.
If it’s a pirate download that’s causing problems, you could always have stolen a different version that has AC3 instead of DTS, or encode an AC3 track yourself from the DTS.
CharlieSummers wrote:
TonyPh12345 wrote:
Considering a NetBook is $300+ and a WDTV Live is $99, I can see how you’d think that…
Easy, guy. The Patriot Box Office I bought to replace my WDTV outputs DTS as stereo on both the HDMI and composite audio outputs (and, as an aside, outputs both at the same time instead of HDMI or composite). And that cost me less new (after rebate) than a reconditioned WDTV Live, and considerably less than than the first-gen WDTV cost me.
So it’s clearly possible without spending $300. But certainly, with WD’s short life cycle, it will never happen so you’re right to dissuade the OP.
Heheh… I didn’t say there weren’t CHEAPER options, but the OP specifically suggested using an HDMI NetBook, hence my cost comparison…
So if I have an MKV file and don’t have a reciver at home I have no way of Playing the sound? Ripping again or buying a reciver is the only way? What about the WD TV Live, can it downmix DTS to stereo?
Yes, the Live, Live+, WDTV HD Gen2 all support DTS downmixing.
RoofingGuy wrote:> …you could always …encode an AC3 track yourself from the DTS
Look into PopCorn MKV AudioConverter, or eAC3to.
I use the Popcorn Audio Coverter Software. It has a fully automatic procress for adding an AC3 track into a MKV container, thus allowing you to immediately use the new MKV through the sgtreamer. Best of all, the Popcorn package is freeware.
Cheers
I use a Mac so PopCorn audio convertor will not help me. I have tried Hand break but it takes like 2hrs to down mix an MKV file. I I just want to make sure before I spend money on the WD TV live or Live Plus. Problem: I have an MKV file with DTS audio encoded (WDTV shows “digital 1” on the TV) and I hear nothing. When I play this file on VLC I hear the sound. Solution: So when I buy the new WDTV Live I will hear the sound on the TV speakers over the HDMI cable? Right? Even So, Can’t my TV do the down mix? I have a SONY Bravia KDL46V5500. I was thinking of buying a receiver because some day I will want to hear true DTS sound but for now I use head phones because we have a little baby. Can any receiver do a down mix from DTS to stereo?
Just curious… will Popcorn MKV AudioConverter (and eac3to) run under Wine? Does anyone know?
I’m still a little confused why any “conversion” is needed. When I rip a DVD in the first place, I can choose what audio tracks to include, and the DTS is never track#1. Either an AC3 or a PCM track must be the primary audio track (or possibly MP2 in PAL DVDs) by the DVD standard. They can add DTS, but it can’t be Primary.
If you’re ripping the disc to only include the DTS track, you should expect it to only play on DTS equipment.
Why not just rip the AC3/PCM track instead?
For that matter, even though in Tony’s FAQ:
E) I (illegally) downloaded a movie from the internet, and it’s not working right.
You got what you paid for. This is not the place to be discussing issues with illegal media.
there’s no reason to download (illegally) the DTS version if you know you can’t play DTS.
All of my movies are legal, I have like more then 24 DVD Which I have paid for and want to play them on the WDTV. I did not know that it cannot down mix and now i’m stuck with 24 files which have DTS that I cant play.
But, if you have the DVDs right there, just re-ripping them would have been faster than trying to convert the DTS with Popcorn MKV Audio Converter anyways. So, just delete the DTS versions and re-rip them with the primary audio track. As I said, you can always include the DTS track as a second audio track, and then you’ll have the option to play DTS in the future if your home theater system gets upgraded, without having to rip them a third time.
I don’t have enough Mac knowledge to know whether eac3to will run under Wine, and I don’t know what (if any) other Mac applications are available for converting DTS to AC3.
Generally, the AC3 2.0 downmix on the disc (if one exists, which is most DVDs I’ve bought) is your best bet for making into the primary audio track. As I said, you can also include a 5.1 AC3 and/or a 5.1 DTS track as well, but the 2.0 track that the studio mixed for you will have better sound levels than any downmixing anyways. Downmixing is good, but when they engineered the disc, they twiddled with the sound levels to make the 2.0 the best it can be throughout the entire movie, instead of just a generic mixdown.
