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User16891182313099512000 (Newhouser Productions) asked a question.

July 12, 2023 at 10:25 PM
How to play Atmos encoded .mp4 file ripped from bluray?
I'm just getting started with this!
I have a 7.1.4 reference system up and calibrated.
Mac Pro 5,1 on High Sierra (also a Monterey install available)
Output device is a Loopback virtual device set for 16 ch pass through. (DAW handles speaker management with aggregate device config)
MOTU 828mk3 interface (digital to Apogee Rosetta in stand-alone for ch 1-8)

I thought I read the Dolby Reference Player is what I need for this but I was told the Dolby Atmos Renderer is actually what I need. I have the demo authorized and installed at present.

3 main goals initially:
1. Put 7.1.4 audio mix to Atmos master file format
2. Encode to .mp4 or .mkv for bluray authoring for lossless 7.1.4 Atmos
3. Play commercial 7.1.4 Atmos mixes ripped from bluray to .mp4 or .mkv for reference

I have some mixes of my own started but the first thing I really want to do is listen to a small stack of ripped bluray Atmos mixes. Hear what a couple experts mixed for reference, like we do!
I do not and will not have access to hardware device decoding. I need the ability to decode with the software. I'm not interested in the lossy versions or downmixes or binaural headphone monitoring at present. Just basic playback of a 7.1.4 1:1 into my 7.1.4 array. (Or if it's larger than 7.1.4, then rendered down to 7.1.4 per the features for that level of downmix.)

A quick "how to for dummies" would be great to get started without more hours of being thick! Refinement and encoding my own mixes will come next.

Or... If I've been misinformed and the DAR does not have this capability, then break that news to me and I'll work out demo'ing/purchasing the Encoder and Reference Player bundle.

Thanks!
  • 5 answers

  • User16890810807251273192 (Customer)

    Hello, I am a DJ and Producer who goes by 'SlickTingz'. I am new to using Dolby Atmos Renderer as well, and currently using it for a university project. I just made a post through here a few hours ago, and I stopped by to notice your query.

    I don't know if this may sound silly on my end, but from what I was researching a couple days ago, there is also the Dolby Atmos Album Assembler, which if you have not got already, you will need to do the same process for downloading the trial of DAR, but for DAAA. I am not sure how exactly, but if you can get your Blue Ray as and Atmos audio file, you can then import into DAAA, supporting multiple files, and maybe this can be used as your reference tool. From what I have found, it doesn't seem there is any other way in terms of referencing within DAR, however, I would also be grateful to know if you find out any more information this! :)

    I hope this could have been of some help to you!

    All the best :)
    Expand Post

  • Sam H (Self Employed)

    You kind of need both. The Reference Player decodes Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby AC-4, and Dolby Atmos to PCM multichannel audio for speaker playback (like an AVR) and the Dolby Atmos Renderer allows your 7.1.4 DAW sesson to get out to your speakers and export a Dolby Atmos encoded Dolby Digital Plus Atmos mp4. Unforutnalty, although it seems logical that the Reference Player would come with the Renderer the professona lenviroment is all a bit disjointed and suffer poor inteopeability just liek the consumer playabck side does too at the moment. Cavern and Cavernize on Windows offers pretty much what Dolby Reference Player does and is free, but you'd need a second computer patched into your audio setup.

  • User16891182313099512000 (Newhouser Productions)

    Hey, thanks for the replies!

    It does look for all the world I was misinformed about the abilities of this Dolby Atmos Renderer. And specifically, it locks out playback of already encoded Atmos.

    OK, I get that Atmos is first and foremost about selling hardware with planned obsolescence and they don't want to release the decoder for consumer software media players. The additional 4+ channels of surround sound are more of a niche aside. I'm purely approaching this for the niche aside of delivering 7.1.4 audio mixes to the small audience with (at least) 7.1.4 discrete speaker arrays. Zero interest in any of it translating to shitbars or stereo binaural.

    However, I like some of the crafty approach just the same and I see it possibly leading to single inventory (vs. separate 2.0 vs 5.1 vs 7.1.4 mixes). And then maybe the earbud listeners still get the bar raised a little. This is all great. The real bottom line is if I want to deliver a 7.1.4 mix, I almost have to deliver it in encoded Atmos. So I want to try to play along with official software and following the rules.

    Can someone just bluntly answer these questions? Matter of fact with no guesses?
    1. Dolby Reference player is the only software solution to play Atmos encoded files ripped from commercial bluray or download? (So far no downloads are being offered anywhere at present.)
    2. Dolby Media Encoder will NOT encode a 7.1.4 audio file! The audio file must be rendered to the Atmos master file format that turns the .4 height channels (and any objects, if used) into stem+metadata.

    So you actually need all 3 apps to both listen to lossless Atmos encoded media as a consumer and to deliver Atmos encoded album masters for bluray authoring as a producer!

    A consumer only interested in playback has to buy the media encoder to get the reference player.
    A 7.1.4 producer needs all 3.
    Someone only wanting to put stereo mixes to Atmos encoding or faux surround upmixes could buy only the Atmos Renderer.

    Is that right?
    Expand Post

    • Sam H (Self Employed)

      1. Any Dolby Atmos enabled Android, Windows or Apple device will play a ripped DD+JOC. For Android it might be AC4-IMS (headphone / Atmos laptop speakers only). TrueHD rips i'm not sure. Certainly Dolby Access on Windows should be able to play them to a HDMI AVR with Atmos capability though. I assume MacOs can too . To play 7.1.4 though is very restricted to basically a device that can connect to a streaming service and then connect to your hardware AVR/Soundbar etc. THe only exception is the 16 channel loopback hack Apple seems to allow so no licence is required in the form of Reference Player or Dolby Access or hardware AVR decoder.

      2. Dolby Reference Player or Cavernize can deocde and render to PCM 7.1.4 .wav file (not sure about TrueHD, but definitely DD+JOC). For Dolby Reference Player you either have to realtime record multichannels, or use a 3rd party python script to save it offline.

      You are kind of right though, to have full listening capability as a studio you really need all 3 to cover all options of both encoding, decoding, playback and file storage etc.
      Expand Post

  • User16891182313099512000 (Newhouser Productions)

    I'm probably more the edge case for this.

    1. Produce 7.1.4 mixes and deliver in Atmos encoded format - focus on the 7.1.4 element
    2. No interest as a studio in translating 7.1.4 to binaural or soundbars. No interest in any of this gear for checking mixes.
    3. Listen to lossless bluray delivered 7.1.4 Atmos mixes with a computer based system - no interest in the lossy streaming version

    I'm solidly in the computer based modular system both for studio and home. I avoid any hardware-required decoding.

    Maybe I'll change my mind moving forward and deliver only 7.1.4 mixes that I like how the system lets me make them fold down for the other formats. I kind of hope that's the path. The point is I'm not trying to make faux surround mixes where I'm only monitoring in stereo myself just to see the display read "Atmos".

    I think the need for the Encoder + Reference player bundle is a requirement.
    I guess my main question now is: Can the encoder create an encoded Atmos mp4 from a 7.1.4 wav file? Or do I really need all 3 of these?

    I'd come to terms with spending up to $400. Is it really going to be $700 guys?! Ya know...
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