AC3 on Blu-Ray plays back Stereo only in Cinema
 

Hi there,

I mixed a feature film in 5.1. I also did a compilation to AC3 using "SoundCode for Dolby Digital".

For some reason they want to play back the Bluray version in cinema (and not the DCP). Now they told me that the Bluray plays in Stereo, no sound from center and rear.
I'm wondering what's wrong with the Blu-Ray. They said that a commercial Bluray plaid back in surround in the same cinema.

Is this maybe a known issue with some Blurays?
Sadly I don't have more information. I don't have a copy of the Bluray nor I know what server/decoder they are using in this cinema.

Regards,
Till

Re: AC3 on Blu-Ray plays back Stereo only in Cinema
 

how was the disk burned
Toast re-codes the 5.1 AC3 to 2.0 by default

Re: AC3 on Blu-Ray plays back Stereo only in Cinema
 

OMG I hope they did not "toast" it!

As far as I know they were using Encore...

Cheers,
Till

Re: AC3 on Blu-Ray plays back Stereo only in Cinema
 

Grüß Dich Till,

I am in contact with the guys myself :-) Your AC3 is fine and great (I checked it here for him), I guess Encore is "transcoding" the AC3 to stereo (I guess it is a rather silly preference setting somewhere).

They have to use the AC3 as Encore doesn't allow discrete channels for surround, as far as I know.

Hope he gets it solved.
Best,
Andrew

Re: AC3 on Blu-Ray plays back Stereo only in Cinema
 

I have burned quite a lot of Blurays and DVDs using toast and if you do it the right way, it does not reencode 5.1 to 2.0

My workflow is to first create the .264 and .ac3 files externally. In Toast's Video Encoding settings, set it to Reencode: Never. Load the .264 and it will ask for the .ac3 (sadly no dts support)

Toast then only adds its menus (I always choose No Menu) and compiles the Bluray image "as is"

Re: AC3 on Blu-Ray plays back Stereo only in Cinema
 

Hi Andrew,

I'm relieved to hear that some professional has checked my mix! Thank you very much for taking care and telling me!

Beste Grüße nach München,
Till

Re: AC3 on Blu-Ray plays back Stereo only in Cinema
 

Hi nucelar,

there is always a way to do it if people know what they do ;)

Digital media formats, codecs and containers can be a mystery if you don't work with them frequently...

Re: AC3 on Blu-Ray plays back Stereo only in Cinema
 

Hello,

All Blu-Ray players have different audio output options, if the decoding of AC3 needs to done by an external device, playback settings must be changed to bitstream otherwise palyer will decode the AC3 internally and output 2 Channels PCM audio via spdif (optical) output. If connected via HDMI for vide and audio, settings must be modified as well, but options here are a lot.

Good luck and ask them to have a look to player user manual...

Re: AC3 on Blu-Ray plays back Stereo only in Cinema
 

It was a authoring/burning issue. They made a new Bluray and everything was fine.

Thanks to everyone.

Till