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Dynamic range compression / dialog enhancement solutions

formdissolve

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Dolby Digital Plus is a lossy format, the same as Dolby Digital, except for the capability to add additional surround metadata information for Atmos soundtracks.
The only true high quality multichannel soundtracks are the ones encoded in Dolby Digital True HD and DTS Master Audio, but these are usually available on Blu-ray discs only.
Linear PCM soundtracks are usually delivered at 44.1kHz/16/24bit, 48kHz/16/24bit, according to the streaming service specifications for client delivered material. Therefore, between a multichannel lossy format soundtrack and a stereo uncompressed PCM soundtrack I would definitely choose the latter.
Streaming platforms don't use PCM for stereo, they use lower bandwidth Dolby Digital 2.0.
 

djtetei

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Streaming platforms don't use PCM for stereo, they use lower bandwidth Dolby Digital 2.0
Let's agree to disagree on this matter.
Suppose you have a TV set with Dolby Digital passtrrough functionality, which means that it doesn't have a built-in Dolby Digital decoder. Furthermore, suppose you don't use an AV receiver or a multichannel sound processor.
This means you need to rely on good old pcm audio format to enjoy the soundtrack of the program content.
The streaming platforms has to comply with standards and regulations the same way the DVD and Blu-ray content publishers has to follow the same standards. This means that at least one uncompressed PCM audio soundtrack should be provided for compatibility reasons.
 

formdissolve

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Let's agree to disagree on this matter.
Suppose you have a TV set with Dolby Digital passtrrough functionality, which means that it doesn't have a built-in Dolby Digital decoder. Furthermore, suppose you don't use an AV receiver or a multichannel sound processor.
This means you need to rely on good old pcm audio format to enjoy the soundtrack of the program content.
The streaming platforms has to comply with standards and regulations the same way the DVD and Blu-ray content publishers has to follow the same standards. This means that at least one uncompressed PCM audio soundtrack should be provided for compatibility reasons.
That must be an EU regulation, but I would be shocked if Netflix/HBO/etc actually was sending full PCM 16/24 bit 48khz over there - the bandwidth for that would be very high and cost a lot for server bandwidth too! Rokus, Firesticks, etc all have the ability to convert the lossy to PCM, which the TV then accepts and plays back over speakers or optical port.. it has to be extremely rare for a TV to not accept Dolby Digital, which has been a standard for nearly 20 years on TVs. ARC and eARC are a different story though.

If that's the case in the EU that they use full PCM, I am jealous.. because otherwise we in the US and Canada have to rely on downmixing for a 2 channel system or using lower bitrate dolby digital 2.0!
 
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