My Humax Forum » Freeview HD » HD FOX T2

Surround Sound 5.1 on BBC HD

(22 posts)
  1. grahamlthompson

    grahamlthompson

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    Luke - 8 hours ago  » 

    ant_in_wales - 1 day ago  » 
    As a fan of Doctor Who, I know that is only broadcasting in 2.0 to me.
    So. If it's working as 5.1 for you, I wonder why it isn't for me.
    Transmitter? Might Blaenplwyf be the problem?

    My freeview HD Dr Who audio is a mixed bag but mainly 5.1. Last weekend's Dr Who was 5.1 but the weekend before was 2.0. Both were recorded from the same HD channel, from the same transmitter, on the same Humax freeview+ HD box.
    Transmitter: Sudbury
    name: Doctor Who_20140830_1929.ts
    Audio #1
    ID .................. : 6602 (0x19CA)
    Menu ID ............. : 17540 (0x4484)
    Format .............. : AAC
    Format/Info ......... : Advanced Audio Codec
    Format profile ...... : LC
    Muxing mode ......... : LATM
    Codec ID............. : 17
    Duration............. : 48mn 51s
    Bit rate mode ....... : Variable
    Channel(s) .......... : 2 channels
    Channel positions ... : Front: L R
    Sampling rate ....... : 48.0 KHz
    Compression mode..... : Lossy
    Transmitter: Sudbury
    name: Doctor Who_20140906_1931.ts
    Audio #1
    ID .................. : 6602 (0x19CA)
    Menu ID ............. : 17540 (0x4484)
    Format .............. : AAC
    Format/Info ......... : Advanced Audio Codec
    Format profile ...... : LC
    Muxing mode ......... : LATM
    Codec ID............. : 17
    Duration............. : 47mn 53s
    Bit rate mode ....... : Variable
    Channel(s) .......... : 6 channels
    Channel positions ... : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
    Sampling rate ....... : 48.0 KHz
    Compression mode .... : Lossy
    The Doctor Who series for last year was 5.1 for the ones that I looked at. I am not 100% sure but they were probably from Sudbury as well.
    However although the 3D Day of the Doctor and its repeat was 5.1, the normal HD Day of the Doctor was 2.0. These were all probably recorded from Crystal Palace.

    grahamlthompson - 23 hours ago  » 
    I would be very surprised if the Saturday BBC2-HD broadcast of The Last Night Of The Proms isn't in 5.1.

    Going back to 2013 Dr Who at the Proms HD was 2.0.
    (I probably used Crystal Palace for that.)

    The Last Night Of The Proms has been 5.1 as long as I can remember on digital HD TV. It was previously simulcast on TV and on FM radio at the time that the only stereo channel was on FM radio. I have happy memories of watching on pre PAl analogue TV with the FM stereo tuner cranked up to get stereo.

    At the time it was the only time I was allowed crank up the stereo to get a near experience to being there (down to the better half).

    PAL (625 line) broadcasts introduced Nicam digital stereo audio, from that time the audio quality more than matched the quality you could get on FM, simulcast UHF/FM broadcasts ceased.

    Since that time I do not reckon any broadcast on the BBC-HD channels, in any format (satellite DVB-S/DVB-S2 or terrestrial (after the DVB-T2 Freeview service was launched), of the Last Night Of The Proms (The bit we all watch (well most of us - Jerusalem etc) ) has not been in anything but 5.1. Like the much advertised Jules Holland it has always been 5.1. It's kind of a BBC tradition. If it's not in 5.1 this year, expect a rather large backclash from the audiophiles (like me) who think that this broadcast is usually the best 5.1 you see on any channel.

    | Wed 10 Sep 2014 22:11:59 #11 |
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    damian

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    really strange that last week's was 5.1 and the week before 2.0 on, I'm assuming, bbc1HD
    I've not got episode 1/12 anymore, but can again confirm episodes 2/12 and 3/12 are/were 5.1 on bbc3HD

    reminds me of the problems C4 had forgetting to switch 5.1 after advert breaks.

    Julian Miles aka Jools Holland, I agree, one of the best 5.1 and on the original bbcHD test transmissions excellent clarity where you could even read the beer labels on bottles of beer from the audience in the background.

    Quite why, when a lot of DVD's are already 5.1, that the broadcasters don't enable 5.1 is beyond me. I'm surprised at the very low uptake of 5.1 from broadcasters, compared to the cost of the production in the first place, flicking a switch to allow 5.1 through is not even a drop in the ocean

    | Thu 11 Sep 2014 1:10:28 #12 |
  3. gomezz

    gomezz

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    No surprise when you think how little attention many programmes pay to the audio mix. Get the cloth-eared, MP3 generation, tea boy to work the sound desk and spend the budget on trick CGI instead.

    | Thu 11 Sep 2014 2:10:07 #13 |
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    ant_in_wales

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    Last night's repeat of E03 (Robin Hood) on BBC2HD was 2.0 too, although it was with additional sign language (are they assuming no one watches SL progs with 5.1?)
    Let's have a big test on Saturday, unless anyone knows any other BBC progs in 5.1

    | Thu 11 Sep 2014 10:50:22 #14 |
  5. grahamlthompson

    grahamlthompson

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    Last Night of The Proms and Dr Who recordings set in HD for Saturday on both Freesat and Freeview

    | Thu 11 Sep 2014 11:03:08 #15 |
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    Luke

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    ant_in_wales - 1 hour ago  » 
    Last night's repeat of E03 (Robin Hood) on BBC2HD was 2.0 too, although it was with additional sign language (are they assuming no one watches SL progs with 5.1?)

    That SL proadcast also had Audio Description and therefore was also aimed at those with full hearing.

    | Thu 11 Sep 2014 12:51:27 #16 |
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    Luke

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    ant_in_wales - 2 days ago  » 
    Let's have a big test on Saturday, unless anyone knows any other BBC progs in 5.1

    Crystal Palace
    Saturday 13 September, Doctor Who 8th minute was 5.1

    Sudbury
    Saturday 13 September, Doctor Who 2nd minute was 5.1

    | Sat 13 Sep 2014 19:54:15 #17 |
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    Luke

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    Sudbury
    Saturday 13 September, Last Night of the Proms 43rd minute was 5.1

    | Sun 14 Sep 2014 9:20:46 #18 |
  9. grahamlthompson

    grahamlthompson

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    Both Last Night Of The Proms and Dr Who was 5.1 on both Freesat and Freeview last night. However the Last Night Of the Proms on the Foxsat-hdr failed with a static picture and then this channel is scrambled or not available message after about 5 mins. That persists to the end.

    I can't find anything wrong with the Foxsat. Did anyone record all of the proms Pt1 OK in HD on a Freesat box.

    | Sun 14 Sep 2014 9:51:13 #19 |
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    ant_in_wales

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    Hi All
    Thank you very much for your help - I liked the idea of a team around the country looking at audio data. I am very grateful.
    Doctor Who on Saturday was 2.0 for me.
    Interestingly, Last Night Proms was 5.1 on BBC2 HD and 2.0 when it went over to BBC HD later.
    And BladeRunner was 5.1 on Sunday night.

    So.
    Is the problem Blaenplwyf not transmitting BBC 1 HD in 5.1 even when it has the opportunity? Is that even possible?
    Or should I do a retune of the Freeview channels in case it somehow didn't detect that BBC 1 HD transmits in 5.1 sometimes?

    Thank you all again

    Tony

    | Mon 15 Sep 2014 10:38:19 #20 |

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