Urgent Help :: No DTS MA from MakeMKV ?

[slash1814]

Dear Folks,

I am ripping the Blurays with MakeMKV tool. The issue is that inspite of selecting DTS MA checkbox, I am not getting the DTS MA track. However, if I choose only the DTS Core checkbox (and not DTS MA), I am getting DTS core with a1536 kbps bit rate.

For those who recommend dtsdecoder.dll , its not required, because I am not re-encoding dts hd MA to (say) FLAC etc.

My laptop is Lenovo-T430 with Realtech HD sound card & Bluray Ripper is Samsung external drive (supports 3D too), connected to my laptop via provided usb cable. Do you foresee an issue with Windows 7 codec? Shall I update them ? Any ideas ?

Regards
Slash

[mike admin]

How do you know that you're not getting DTS MA?

[slash1814]

I am copying the ripped files into WD Passport (1 TB) HDD, connect it to my Philips BDP-2600 via USB....and then play from BDP which is connected to my AVR (denon). My AVR does not display DTS MA, it display only DTS (core). Moreover, the same mkv file reopened in Make-MKV shows DTS MA checkbox as "unchecked" The audio options on my bluray player allow two selectable options ...both are DTS ...however...first option plays stereo and second option plays DTS Core.

[Smithcraft]

What does MediaInfo indicate?

SC

[slash1814]

Here is the file / Media information.
General
Unique ID : 178783366556976188684318971794250007640 (0x86806C8616EC0BCFB35AFC5616540458)
Complete name : F:\Movie\Gravity\Gravity_t01 (1)-002.mkv
Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 2
File size : 1 000 MiB
Duration : 9mn 17s
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 15.1 Mbps
Movie name : Gravity
Encoded date : UTC 2014-04-15 18:00:00
Writing application : mkvmerge v5.8.0 ('No Sleep / Pillow') built on Sep 2 2012 15:37:04
Writing library : libebml v1.2.3 + libmatroska v1.3.0

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.1
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames
Format settings, GOP : M=2, N=20
Muxing mode : Header stripping
Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration : 9mn 17s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Maximum bit rate : 35.0 Mbps
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 23.976 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Writing library : x264 core
Language : English
Default : No
Forced : No
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709

Audio #1
ID : 2
Format : DTS
Format/Info : Digital Theater Systems
Format profile : MA / Core
Mode : 16
Format settings, Endianness : Big
Muxing mode : Header stripping
Codec ID : A_DTS
Duration : 9mn 17s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : Unknown / 1 509 Kbps
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Compression mode : Lossless / Lossy
Delay relative to video : 5ms
Title : Surround 5.1
Language : English
Default : Yes
Forced : No

Audio #2
ID : 3
Format : DTS
Format/Info : Digital Theater Systems
Mode : 16
Format settings, Endianness : Big
Muxing mode : Header stripping
Codec ID : A_DTS
Duration : 9mn 17s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 1 509 Kbps
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : 5ms
Stream size : 100 MiB (10%)
Title : Surround 5.1
Language : English
Default : No
Forced : No
Text
ID : 4
Format : PGS
Muxing mode : zlib
Codec ID : S_HDMV/PGS
Codec ID/Info : The same subtitle format used on BDs/HD-DVDs
Language : English
Default : No
Forced : No

Menu
00:00:00.000 : en:Chapter 01
00:03:55.652 : en:Chapter 02

[Chetwood]

Seems either your BDP or your AVR can't play DTS-MA cause that's exactly what you have her in track 1.

[slash1814]

My bdp and avr both can play DTS MA . Also i wonder why dts ma bit rate wud be 1509 kbps? As shown in media info above.

[ndjamena]

Your BD player can play DTS-MA FROM A BLU RAY, not necessarily from a Hard Drive, BD specs were designed to prevent copying, not support it! And the DTS-MA bit rate is listed as 'UNKNOWN' because it's has a variable bitrate and MediaInfo can't know the average bitrate without parsing the entire file, 1 509kbps is the bitrate for the Core which is included in the same stream AND you've added a second copy of the core as a second audio stream.

[slash1814]

Thanks "Ndjamena". I think you are right.

Thanks.

[slash1814]

Okey, I burned the mkv files to a DVD, just 4 files of 3.95 GB. I discovered the my bluray (which plays all blu-rays w/ True HD or DTS MA perfectly), still plays plane DTS core and not DTS MA. Something is wrong with MakeMKV now.

[ndjamena]

*sigh* a DVD does not a Blu ray make. Copy Protection is rather sophisticated. You do realise under Blu Ray specs you need a HDMI/DVI cable with HDCP just to play a disc on a PC??? Whoever made your blu ray player MUST have had authorisation from both The Blu-Ray Disc Association AND DTS for the players specs and I really doubt they'd get permission to make a device that can play audio that can ONLY come from a pirated disc. YOUR BLU RAY PLAYER WILL NOT PLAY DTS-MA FROM ANYTHING OTHER THAN A FULL COPY PROTECTED BLU RAY [FULL STOP]

[PaulCB]

As others noted, you have the MA in the file and there is nothing wrong with the file. Playing back lossless to a receiver can be notably complicated (and no you aren't going to be able to do it by trying to burn it to a DVD for sure..) The issue is not with MakeMKV, it is unquestionably with something else in the chain.

To do so, if you are playing back from a computer to a receiver that supports it, you have to have a HDMI connection with video card that supports DTS MA & True HD out (and validate that it is being recognized as supported in the sound manager) then you have something like LAV filters installed and select to bitstream this type of audio when playing back in a supported player. Playing it back in.
If you are playing the file via some media device, you have to validate that it can pass through DTS MA (and is of course connected via HDMI).

(And please don't label your subject with 'urgent' as it comes across a bit obnoxious. There is nothing about backing up your blu-rays that is urgent. If you are dying and need us to call 911 for you, then yes it is urgent.)