Audio Metadata Showing DD 5.1 as AC3 Stereo for Some, AC3 5.1 for Others

Plex Media Server Metadata & Adding Files
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1

Server Version#: 1.18.1.1973
Player Version#: Web Client Version 4.8.3 & Tivo Bolt

When using the DVR, I have noticed that some recorded movies/shows are shown in the Plex client as “AC3 Stereo” and others are “AC3 5.1”. I have confirmed that my receiver is processing both as DD 5.1 as expected. The MediaInfo is also exactly the same. This is not a functional issue, but is kinda annoying in the UI.

Movie 1 (AC3 Stereo)

image

Audio #1
ID : 257 (0x101)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Commercial name : Dolby Digital
Codec ID : 129
Duration : 2 h 14 min
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 384 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel layout : L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 31.250 FPS (1536 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : -736 ms
Stream size : 371 MiB (6%)
Language : English
Service kind : Complete Main

Movie 2 (AC3 5.1)

image

Audio #1
ID : 257 (0x101)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Commercial name : Dolby Digital
Codec ID : 129
Duration : 2 h 4 min
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 384 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel layout : L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 31.250 FPS (1536 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : -1 s 159 ms
Stream size : 343 MiB (4%)
Language : English
Service kind : Complete Main

2

Please provide the XML from Plex Web for those videos. I see drop downs next to those audio tracks which would mean there is more than 1 track. Movie 2 just might have pre-selected the 5.1 track instead.

3

The other track is just the spanish 2.0. Here is the XML:

Movie 1 (AC3 Stereo)

<Media id="30511" duration="8097774" bitrate="12177" width="1920" height="1080" aspectRatio="1.78" audioChannels="2" audioCodec="ac3" videoCodec="mpeg2video" videoResolution="1080" container="mpegts" videoFrameRate="NTSC" channelIdentifier="901" mediaGrabBeginsAt="1572309900" mediaGrabDevice="device://tv.plex.grabbers.hdhomerun/1312BABB" mediaGrabStatus="complete" origin="dvr" videoProfile="main">
<Part accessible="1" exists="1" id="30753" key="/library/parts/30753/1572318000/file.ts" duration="8097774" file="/volume1/Media/Movies/Glass (2019)/Glass (2019).ts" size="6963988684" container="mpegts" deepAnalysisVersion="4" packetLength="188" requiredBandwidths="12107,11228,9582,7971,7625,7437,6975,6325" videoProfile="main">
<Stream id="61723" streamType="1" codec="mpeg2video" index="0" bitrate="5848" bitDepth="8" chromaLocation="left" chromaSubsampling="4:2:0" closedCaptions="1" colorPrimaries="bt709" colorRange="tv" colorSpace="bt709" colorTrc="bt709" frameRate="29.970" height="1080" level="4" profile="main" refFrames="1" requiredBandwidths="11627,10748,9102,7490,7147,6960,6496,5846" scanType="progressive" streamIdentifier="256" width="1920" displayTitle="1080p (MPEG2VIDEO)"/>
<Stream id="61725" streamType="2" selected="1" codec="ac3" index="1" channels="2" bitrate="384" language="English" languageCode="eng" audioChannelLayout="stereo" requiredBandwidths="384,384,384,384,384,384,384,384" samplingRate="48000" streamIdentifier="257" displayTitle="English (AC3 Stereo)"/>
<Stream id="61726" streamType="2" codec="ac3" index="2" channels="2" bitrate="96" language="Español" languageCode="spa" audioChannelLayout="stereo" requiredBandwidths="97,97,97,97,97,97,97,97" samplingRate="48000" streamIdentifier="258" displayTitle="Español (AC3 Stereo)"/>
<Stream id="61724" streamType="3" codec="eia_608" index="0" bitrate="5848" embeddedInVideo="1" requiredBandwidths="11627,10748,9102,7490,7147,6960,6496,5846" streamIdentifier="256" displayTitle="Unknown (EIA_608)"/>
<Stream id="61851" key="/library/streams/61851" streamType="3" codec="srt" language="English" languageCode="eng" displayTitle="English (SRT External)"/>
</Part>
</Media>

Movie 2 (AC3 5.1)

<Media id="30552" duration="7496780" bitrate="16811" width="1920" height="1080" aspectRatio="1.78" audioChannels="6" audioCodec="ac3" videoCodec="mpeg2video" videoResolution="1080" container="mpegts" videoFrameRate="NTSC" channelIdentifier="910" mediaGrabBeginsAt="1572314400" mediaGrabDevice="device://tv.plex.grabbers.hdhomerun/1312BABB" mediaGrabStatus="complete" origin="dvr" videoProfile="main">
<Part accessible="1" exists="1" id="30794" key="/library/parts/30794/1572321900/file.ts" duration="7496780" file="/volume1/Media/Movies/Crazy Rich Asians (2018)/Crazy Rich Asians (2018).ts" size="8788073724" container="mpegts" deepAnalysisVersion="4" packetLength="188" requiredBandwidths="15484,14220,12287,10876,10096,9878,9849,9849" videoProfile="main">
<Stream id="61809" streamType="1" codec="mpeg2video" index="0" bitrate="8166" bitDepth="8" chromaLocation="left" chromaSubsampling="4:2:0" closedCaptions="1" colorPrimaries="bt709" colorRange="tv" colorSpace="bt709" colorTrc="bt709" frameRate="29.970" height="1080" level="4" profile="main" refFrames="1" requiredBandwidths="15004,13740,11807,10396,9616,9398,9378,9378" scanType="interlaced" streamIdentifier="256" width="1920" displayTitle="1080i (MPEG2VIDEO)"/>
<Stream id="61811" streamType="2" selected="1" codec="ac3" index="1" channels="6" bitrate="384" language="English" languageCode="eng" audioChannelLayout="5.1(side)" requiredBandwidths="384,384,384,384,384,384,384,384" samplingRate="48000" streamIdentifier="257" displayTitle="English (AC3 5.1)"/>
<Stream id="61812" streamType="2" codec="ac3" index="2" channels="2" bitrate="96" language="Español" languageCode="spa" audioChannelLayout="stereo" requiredBandwidths="96,96,96,96,96,96,96,96" samplingRate="48000" streamIdentifier="258" displayTitle="Español (AC3 Stereo)"/>
<Stream id="61810" streamType="3" codec="eia_608" index="0" bitrate="8166" embeddedInVideo="1" requiredBandwidths="15004,13740,11807,10396,9616,9398,9378,9378" streamIdentifier="256" displayTitle="Unknown (EIA_608)"/>
<Stream id="61819" key="/library/streams/61819" streamType="3" codec="srt" language="English" languageCode="eng" displayTitle="English (SRT External)"/>
</Part>
</Media>
4

Stream id=“61811” streamType=“2” selected=“1” codec=“ac3” index=“1” channels=“6” bitrate=“384” language=“English” languageCode=“eng” audioChannelLayout=“5.1(side)” requiredBandwidths=“384,384,384,384,384,384,384,384” samplingRate=“48000” streamIdentifier=“257” displayTitle=“English (AC3 5.1)”

PMS has detected that the audio track is AC3 5.1. I don’t know where you got that other info from. It could be PMS is analyzing the data wrong or your other program got it wrong. The only way to know for sure is for you to share a sample of that file so we can test it.

5

I’m not sure I understand what you mean. The above are two example movies where MediaInfo shows both as having Dolby Digital 5.1 (and my receiver is decoding it that way) but PMS is saying one is 5.1 and one is Stereo. I am guessing that PMS is analyzing the data wrong somehow.

I’m happy to send a sample of each, what is the best way to get it to you?

Thanks for looking into this!

6

Upload them to Google Drive or Dropbox or other sharing site and PM me the links.

7

The Mediainfo you posted above shows both have stereo tracks.

Movie 1 (AC3 Stereo)
Audio #1
Channel(s) : 2 channels

PMS found 2 tracks, both stereo. One in English, one in Spanish.

Movie 2 (AC3 5.1)
Audio #1
Channel(s) : 2 channels

PMS found 2 tracks, 6 channel English and 2 channel Spanish.

8

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