MakeMKV is great for Mac OS, except (audio)...

[ColtSeavers]

...an issue which PC owners seem to be able to happily work around by treating the MKV files afterwards (eac3to/AC3Filter)...

(Yes, I've searched the forums)

So far, I can find NO solution on a Mac.

MakeMKV makes great rips for me either from the DVD or from the IFO files.

The problem I'm having which has been documented and (I'm guessing) dealt with via other programs for PC owners is that the volume of the audio in each MKV file is incredibly low.

I've played these files through my standalone media player into my TV and had to push the volume almost all the way to the top for it to be watchable.

It's not a 'fussing' issue or me being pedantic. It's me having to really crank the volume up.

As a comparison, if I play the MKV file on my Mac compared with using the same programs to play the DVD disc on my mac. The difference in audio volume is startling.

e.g. a distinct difference between the volume using VLC for the MKV and the DVD with the same settings.

Try playing the DVD in DVD Player and the MKV in VLC simultaneously, and the MKV file's audio is drowned out, it's so quiet.

I've read different takes on the technical reasons for this and it seems to be a fairly common issue, but I've spent a ridiculous amount of time scouring the internet to find a solution.

If anyone can help me out here, I'd be hugely grateful.

RSVP anyone with a clue

[skittle]

Well, it is 100% a software playback issue. makemkv does not touch the streams, it just dumps them to the matroska container.
Though I have not seen these issues my self on linux with mplayer and vlc and also on windows with mpc-hc.
So either makemkv is dumping the audio gain information that present in the vob container or vlc is having issues.

[ColtSeavers]

I keep reading that it's a playback issue and that MakeMKV merely retrieves the audio data, so I wouldn't disagree with that.

It's been suggested that it's some form of compensation(?) for dropping/converting the audio into two channels of AC3 in the MKV(?)

What I'm saying in hands-on terms is (and it's been discussed in the PC forums with other programs for PC to resolve this issue afterwards): If I play the original DVD through VLC or any other program, vs. the MKV from that DVD through the exactly same program, there's a huge difference/drop in the audio volume in the MKV file.

Same settings, everything.

Same results running it: external hard drive > media player > tv

PC users have experienced exactly this (as per that part of the forum) and are able to treat the MKV file afterwards using eac3to or AC3Filter, but Mac users don't seem to have any similar programs(?)

If MakeMKV does this and walks away, fine, I still really like it but is there any program for the Mac that can be used to remedy this afterwards?

[skittle]

It's been suggested that it's some form of compensation(?) for dropping/converting the audio into two channels of AC3 in the MKV(?)

NO makemkv does not do this. its either:
The audio gain information that may or may not be present in the original dvd vob files (I dont know) is not passed to the mkv container

OR

VLC is detecting the dvd disk and automatically applying gain.

Have to wait for answer from 'mike admin' as I do no know for sure.
In the mean time you can manually apply gain in vlc though...

Try to PM him with reference to this thread,

[ColtSeavers]

Yeah, would be great to get to the bottom of it as by NO MEANS am I slating MakeMKV.
Neither should anybody who can't constructively contribute.

It's fantastic... which makes it all the more a killer to feel stuck under this!

It's just my hands are tied by this and I've made every adjustment and allowance through System Prefs and 'Audio Midi Setup' in Mac Utilities.
I've really worked at creating uniform/sympathetic settings across players and my OS in order to close off routes where the issue could be (and it really does very distinctly exist).

@skittle : Absolutely, at the risk of second-guessing a program I didn't make, I think the two suggestions you make in that last post are close to the mark and pretty much where I'd gotten to with my thinking. At this stage, agreed.

I'm not sure what others are doing, and I wouldn't suggest anyone does or should do otherwise, but my activity using MakeMKV is actually all well within the law and it's a hair-puller feeling stuck trying to drop DVD content to MKV and just stumbling at that final hurdle.

Would love to know what's going on, or at least a workaround or an after-MakeMKV solution for Mac.

The audio volume drop really is that distinct.

It's easy to overlook when playing on a laptop as plenty of programs will allow you to add gain and play/watch.

In my case, I'm trying to shift on to playing digital files in the home (TV), which is the arguably the future and MakeMKV could have a great stake in that.

Played that way, it's a case of cranking the TV up to full volume in some cases.

Again, not a bitcher, just caught on a stumbling block.

Will try to alert Mike Admin and hope for the best here.