How to convert Dolby Digital 5.1 EX to PCM 6.1/7.1

[PDB]

I seem to remember there was a guide on how to do this somewhere, maybe in eac3to but I'll ask anyway: Does anyone know a method to convert Dolby Digital 5.1 EX into a discrete PCM 6.11 or 7.1 track? In other words matrix out the rear channel into a discrete version.

[deleted user]

Assuming the center is simply added equally to both the rear left and rear right, I know a couple methods that might work, but none of them are "official" or anything like that.

One would be the center extract in RX, run once with the "keep center" and once with the "keep sides" option.

Another would be the FreeSurround plugin for foobar2000 which you can set to "3.1" mode. By default this plugin doesn't use the LFE channel iirc so you can just discard it and keep the 3 dematrixed channels.

Or of course any other dematrixing process, but then you have the problem that it will also take some of the signal to create surround speakers which of course makes no sense because you're already dealing with the surround speakers.

[PDB]

One would be the center extract in RX, run once with the "keep center" and once with the "keep sides" option.

Another would be the FreeSurround plugin for foobar2000 which you can set to "3.1" mode. By default this plugin doesn't use the LFE channel iirc so you can just discard it and keep the 3 dematrixed channels.

Those are some things to try, thanks Tom

[Chewtobacca]

I seem to remember there was a guide on how to do this somewhere, maybe in eac3to but I'll ask anyway: Does anyone know a method to convert Dolby Digital 5.1 EX into a discrete PCM 6.1 or 7.1 track? In other words matrix out the rear channel into a discrete version.

I'm pretty sure it's not eac3to.  That can do only discrete 6.1 to 7.1.  I don't think there's a definitive way of pulling out a matrixed rear channel in software.

For generic 5.1 to 7.1, some people have had luck with DTS Neural UpMix.  But it's doubtful whether the matrixed rear is taken into account.  You might be better off trying to find a hardware solution, such as recording the output from a compatible receiver.  But I guess that you've thought of that already.

[PDB]

Thanks also Chew. Yeah I was trying to avoid pulling out the channel in “analog hardware” form but might be the only to get it the way it should be decoded

[deleted user]

I might have found a more official solution. The Minnetonka SurCode DPL II Decoder can be set to the "3 Stereo (L,C,R)" output configuration. Might be your best shot at a reasonably official decode, since the SurCode DPL II thing is a licensed Dolby encoder/decoder afaik. I would wager that a Dolby Digital EX capable receiver won't do any fancy analogue decoding anyway and just process it digitally, so chances are this is a 100% equivalent. With the benefit that you don't have to worry about stuff like recording noise, level and dynamic range compression, as you might have to with a receiver.

This thread hinted me in the right direction: https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php/topic,78386.0.html

[schorman]

That would have been my suggestion as well.