Missing Dialog Audio

[zeuspaul]

A lot of my Blu-ray back-ups are missing dialog. Using the defaults and also some alterations and when playing back an MKV file on my Panasonic UB820 and UB420P the dialog (center channel?) is missing on at least half of my back-ups. Playing the same file on my Sony s1700 I hear the dialog.

I am using Matoska h264 but tried a few others with no success. I have tried changing settings in the Panasonics with no success.

Any suggestions where to look or what to look for or what my problem might be??

[dcoke22]

The utility MediaInfo will tell you a lot of details about your .mkv files. Perhaps with it you can determine the common thread between your .mkv files that don't work vs the ones that do. For example, do the ones that don't work use DTS audio? Do the ones that do work use Dolby Digital?

A quick glance at the manuals suggests the Sony can play DTS while the Panasonic can not.

[zeuspaul]

Thanks for the feedback.

I should have added in my first post I am using dBpoweramp Video to reduce the size of the files I get from MakeMKV.

I have a lot of variables which can get confusing. Now I think I may have a problem with my office testing set-up. I am going from a Panasonic with the HDMI going to a monitor. The audio is optical out to DAC to headphones. Now I read that optical cannot handle everything HDMI can so I think I need to figure this issue out first.

[zeuspaul]

Progress (knock on wood) based on the results of one Blu-ray backup file created with MakeMKV. I had mostly been using the defaults in dBpoweramp Video Converter to reencode to create smaller files. The default for audio is AAC. I changed the audio option to 1 to 1 (no conversion) and worked with A Christmas Carol DTS audio. Previously with this disc using the defaults I heard no dialog. Now playing it back on the Panasonic UB820 and the Sony s1700 both with a direct HDMI connection to receiver I have dialog! Previously the Sony had dialog but the Panasonic did not.

I had tried 1 to 1 audio conversion before but ruled it out based on results from my office test set-up using the Panasonic UB420P. I believe the issue with this set-up is I am using optical out to a DAC then to headphones. I ordered an HDMI audio extractor with built in volume control and a place to plug in the headphones https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BJPCDF5P . Hopefully this will *fix* my test set-up.

The bad news is I have to redo over fifty backups, hopefully for the last time. While experimenting I discovered the h265 conversion results in even smaller files than h264. However the Sony s1700 doesn't like h265. It freezes and I have to unplug it to get it going again. The Panasonic is ok with h265. I'll stay with h264 even though h265 would save a lot of money on storage media. Compatibility is a bigger issue.

I also have an OPPO but I stopped experimenting with it because it doesn't like most of my external drives. Now the Panasonic is my go to because of it's ability to read my SSD 2 1/2 internal drives I use like flash drives.

I started looking at alternatives but struck out. The Nvidea Shield Pro looked promising because of its wide range of compatibilities. But having to hook it up to the Internet and have a Google account was a deal breaker. Roku might be a possibility but I wasn't able to find a lot of info on my needs.

Now hopefully the Panasonics check all of my boxes. I have simple needs. I just want my own home based media player for my collection of video, images and music with simple playback routines. The Panasonic is also the best for slide shows combined with music files, very simple just identify the images and music on the external storage media.

[zeuspaul]

Progress (knock on wood) based on the results of one Blu-ray backup file created with MakeMKV.

Turns out success didn't breed more success.

The next one I tried (The White Queen series) didn't work on my now *fixed* office testing set-up. I replaced the optical out on the Panasonic UB420P with HDMI out to DAC to headphones and the other HDMI out to a computer monitor. The sound quality is much better. The Panasonic couldn't read the file.

So I installed Handbrake and gave it a try. More audio options than in dBpoweramp Video. I had dialog using the UB420P testing set-up. I finished The White Queen, renamed the files and moved on to a few others.

Then I discovered the files were all stereo but had dialog. I played them back on my 7.2 speaker home theater and the display was stereo and there was no sound from the center speaker. I checked a few others and most Handbrake files were stereo. In Handbrake I don't always get an option other than stereo or mono for what they call downmix. Direct audio passthrough rarely works.

Then I tried the dBpoweramp files on my Sony s1700 and they were 5.1 The same files that don't work on the Panasonic.

My choice is surround 5.1 or stereo or works on the Panasonic and or the Sony. One result may or may not work on the Panasonic and or the Sony. Not a good choice.

I opted for both. Handbrake with extension MP4 and dBpoweramp with extension MKV. I can keep both files together in the same folder and they appear together because they are the same name except for the extension.

In Handbrake I will choose downmix Dolby Surround if available otherwise stereo. In dBpoweramp I will use reencode audio to AAC and a second copy also using dBpoweramp with 1 to 1 (no reencoding). I have good success with reencode to AAC and 1 to 1 rarely works. I will delete one of them after playing on my Sony and the Panasonic.

I will need double the storage space. Keeping an MP4 and an MKV will take up a little less than half the space as one original MakeMKV file. Then I'll have a choice.

This project is taking a LOT more time than I originally anticipated.

[dcoke22]

I find I can get pretty decent file sizes by using the two-pass option with the H.264 (x264) encoder in Handbrake. You have to switch from Constant Quality to Average Bitrate, which I set to 5000 kbps. The output looks pretty decent, at least as good as or better than most streaming services.

I would also say Dolby Digital AC-3 5.1 is the most compatible surround sound format.