Best Universal Format for Digital Archiving of Multi-Channel Audio

[jimfisheye]

re: matrix comment
The object channels aren't using matrix tricks as I understand it. At least not how the term "matrix" is used with the analog encoding formats for encoding into two channels. These discrete mix elements have a 3D position in the room. If there's an object channel speaker in that location it's 1:1 playback. Otherwise it mixes that object element to that 3D location as well as possible with the existing speaker array.

re: HDMI
Well yeah, another reason I always recommend to avoid HDMI connections and gear restricted to HDMI connections. It feels like 90% of managing a surround system is avoiding gotcha products!

Would that be an issue though? An AVR with HDMI input has some number of channels available. You connect to the HDMI port, point your OS audio to it, and if the output corresponds to the expected surround channels with that channel count, there we go. If this AVR doesn't have enough channels for the full speaker array then you're using multiple amps anyway. Just general thinking out loud here without a specific example of a system in front of me.

 

[jimfisheye]

QS makes much more sense.

Lossy encoding to two channel container formats makes no sense at all in the 21st century IMHO. I have respect for these formats and what some people were able to pull off when there wasn't any choice. We can just deliver the goods 1:1 now. I see the modern counterparts being used to restrict formats and push people into buying hardware to get access to decoders and it pisses me off. That's where my attitude comes from around all this. These formats can be very altering in the compromised modes.

 

[ubertrout]

If anyone is to buy and use it, QS makes much more sense.

I really assumed this was a joke the first time around. Sorry.