Article: Immersive Music Favorites, Part 6

[Kurvenal]

Chris, I recall that both of us had trouble using MakeMKV to rip Pure Audio Blu-ray discs because of the non-standard menu features they have.  Is that still the case?

[The Computer Audiophile]

2 minutes ago, Kurvenal said:

Chris, I recall that both of us had trouble using MakeMKV to rip Pure Audio Blu-ray discs because of the non-standard menu features they have.  Is that still the case?

I've had no trouble ripping them for as long as I can remember. @JoeWhip uses a processor and I don't believe he has any issues with the menus.

 

I extract the Atmos files, so menus have become irrelevant :~)

[bbosler]

I ordered a long HDMI cable. When it gets here I'll start experimenting and report back.. thanks for all of the free advice

[bbosler]

SUCCESS  !! 

I got the long HDMI cable from my Windows PC to my Trinnov AL16. No Shield needed. 

Using Kodi it said PCM  on the AL16 but only plays 2 channels. I downloaded the Dolby Windows app and that shows up in sound options (the last 3 Dolby options weren't there before) . Selecting the Dolby Theater option the AL16 now says Atmos,  but still 2 only channels with Kodi.  It says True HD 7.1 in the Kodi program. 

 

Switching to Windows Media Player I get  Atmos. I get Atmos when set to 7.1 or Dolby Atmos for Home Theater so I don't know if I really need the Dolby app or not with WMP.

 

 

Using MakeMKV I ripped Atmos from George Harrison ATMP BluRay, one of my 2L titles and "Abbey Road"  and that works.

Downloaded the Ralph Rousseau and another TRPTK and that works too.

 

I have 9 bed channels and 6 height channels (front L-R, Mid L-R, Rear L-R) With Harrison I get 7.1.2  with mid height. With the 2L and the TRPTK titles I get 7.1.4 with  front and rear height, With Abbey Road I get 7.1.6 on some songs and 9.1,6 on others. Abbey Road is the only one that uses the front Wides to get 9.1.6

 

so does anybody know if there is a player, or if it is even possible, to have a menu that allows you pick individual songs rather than playing the whole file? It rips it to one big file instead of individual songs like ripping a CD. With Kodi I see the DVD menu as below on my PC and the progress bar is segmented so I can pick a song if I count over how many it is. Media Player doesn't have the segments but it shows the song being played so I can slide the bar over to pick a song.  But hard to hit the start.

 

In any case, I can now play MKV Atmos with my PC

THANKS !!

 

[JoeWhip]

Sorry, just saw this guys. I use the Kodi app on the Shield. It is free. I am using the latest version and it works flawlessly playing MKV files. Hdmi into my Anthem. Darn reasonable price on Amazon.

[bbosler]

4 minutes ago, JoeWhip said:

Sorry, just saw this guys. I use the Kodi app on the Shield. It is free. I am using the latest version and it works flawlessly playing MKV files. Hdmi into my Anthem. Darn reasonable price on Amazon.

why not go direct to the Anthem? What does putting the shield in between do for you??

[JoeWhip]

Set Kodi on the Shield to allow passthrough. On my files, I set default to Atmos, so that data stream is what is sent to my Anthem, on the Blu ray rip, all of the various codecs are there so you can compare them. The Anthem does not decode Auro.

[JoeWhip]

Just now, bbosler said:

why not go direct to the Anthem? What does putting the shield in between do for you??

I need something to read the MKV files. I have all these files on a hard drive, connected via USB into the Shield and from the Shield to the Anthem via HDMI. I could use my laptop but this is easier for me.

[The Computer Audiophile]

2 minutes ago, bbosler said:

why not go direct to the Anthem? What does putting the shield in between do for you??

Direct from what, with what interface?

[bbosler]

17 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Direct from what, with what interface?

direct from the device that is running Kodi. I see now that he can run the Kodi app on the Shield and has his files attached it too, so that is direct like I am running Media Player direct from my Windows PC to the Trinnov.

 

I was thinking it was coming from somewhere else ,For some reason Kodi on my PC is just sending 2 channels of the Atmos. 

 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Just now, bbosler said:

direct from the device that is running Kodi. I see now that he can run the Kodi app on the Shield and has his files attached it too, so that is direct like I am running Media Player direct from my Windows PC to the Trinnov.

 

I was thinking it was coming from somewhere else ,For some reason Kodi on my PC is just sending 2 channels of the Atmos. 

 

 

Ah.

 

I was thinking you wanted him to connect the hard drive with MKV file to the processor :~)

[The Computer Audiophile]

On 9/22/2023 at 1:30 PM, Kurvenal said:

Chris, I recall that both of us had trouble using MakeMKV to rip Pure Audio Blu-ray discs because of the non-standard menu features they have.  Is that still the case?

 

@Kurvenal and I have been looking further into this and he reminded me of the initial problem we encountered. Pure Audio Blu-ray Discs, not all Blu-ray Discs with audio, will rip from the disc just fine, but display a blank screen and no track names. As a partial improvement, there is a way to save the track names into the chapters to make navigation much better. 

 

 

Origial rip:

 

 

 

 

 

 

After using Music Media Helper to add metadata:

 

 

 

 

 

I'm sure there's a way to add the nice looking image to replace the blank screen. My guess is the author of MM could add this as an option in the app.

[bbosler]

 

here's what I get in Windows Media Player. Interesting that the ones that do show the menu (Yes, the Beatles stuff) will update the song playing as it advances but there is no way I can see to actually select a song from that menu. Also interesting that it sends the audio via HDMI to my trinnov but the video does not show up. I can see it on my PC, but the Trinnov does not output to the attached monitor. 

 

Now I'm looking for a player that can handle all my files with a friendly user interface

1. send audio to my Trinnov over HDMI
2. pass Atmos
3. convert DSD to PCM

Windows Media Player does 1 and 2,

Roon 1 and 3,

Kodi won't pass more than 2 channels of Atmos, 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

32 minutes ago, bbosler said:

 

here's what I get in Windows Media Player. Interesting that the ones that do show the menu (Yes, the Beatles stuff) will update the song playing as it advances but there is no way I can see to actually select a song from that menu. Also interesting that it sends the audio via HDMI to my trinnov but the video does not show up. I can see it on my PC, but the Trinnov does not output to the attached monitor. 

 

Now I'm looking for a player that can handle all my files with a friendly user interface

1. send audio to my Trinnov over HDMI
2. pass Atmos
3. convert DSD to PCM

Windows Media Player does 1 and 2,

Roon 1 and 3,

Kodi won't pass more than 2 channels of Atmos, 

 

Life on the bleeding edge :~)

[The Computer Audiophile]

@bbosler did you try VLC?

[bbosler]

30 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

@bbosler did you try VLC?

 

VLC won't convert DSD to PCM

 

 

.. I downloaded Audirvana to try a free trial but I guess I did that at some point in the past since it pops up and says I need to buy JRiver to continue. I thought they were 2 separate programs ?? 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

34 minutes ago, bbosler said:

 

VLC won't convert DSD to PCM

 

 

.. I downloaded Audirvana to try a free trial but I guess I did that at some point in the past since it pops up and says I need to buy JRiver to continue. I thought they were 2 separate programs ?? 

 

 

Audirvana is probably trying to use the JRMC ASIO driver as the audio device or something strange. 

[bbosler]

 

 

 

1 minute ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Audirvana is probably trying to use the JRMC ASIO driver as the audio device or something strange. 

 

 

Brilliant !!

 

 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

34 minutes ago, bbosler said:

 

 

 

 

 

Brilliant !!

 

 

 

 

I'm guessing there was a nice image there, showing success :~)

[bbosler]

36 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I'm guessing there was a nice image there, showing success :~)

 

yes, so I deleted JRiver and loaded a generic Asio driver  but it won't play.. I think I'm going to give up on a universal player for now and use Media Player for Atmos

[The Computer Audiophile]

3 minutes ago, bbosler said:

 

yes, so I deleted JRiver and loaded a generic Asio driver  but it won't play.. I think I'm going to give up on a universal player for now and use Media Player for Atmos

Did you try bitstreaming MKVs in the JRiver setup?

[bbosler]

1 minute ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Did you try bitstreaming MKVs in the JRiver setup?

I don't have a license for JRiver and don't  want to buy one just to experiment I'll contact them and see if I can get a trial restarted

[The Computer Audiophile]

6 minutes ago, bbosler said:

I don't have a license for JRiver and don't  want to buy one just to experiment I'll contact them and see if I can get a trial restarted

It's worth a shot. 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

I think @Kal Rubinson may have some info about this (MKV playback via JRMC) as well.

[bbosler]

I found an old JRiver license so it let me upgrade to current version for $30, which appears I just wasted.

I got it to play DSD - PCM and play an Atmos mkv  but it only plays 2 channels