Converting MCH discs 101: Overview

[JerseyEd]

My Recommended Process/Methods for Conversion to FLAC follows:

SACD
Create an ISO image file using an appropriate hacked PS3 (hardware) - Update: Or with a specific Oppo or Pioneer BD player
Then use Foobar2000 to convert the SACD ISO to FLAC

Hi Homer (or anyone). What SACD settings do you use in Foobar2000? Are there any extra plug-ins that are needed?

 

[HomerJAU]

Hi Homer (or anyone). What SACD settings do you use in Foobar2000? Are there any extra plug-ins that are needed?

You need to install the SACD plug-in to allow conversion of SACDs. Once that's done then here's a link to my old settings, from an earlier plug-in version and some other comments here on QQ:

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...CD-ISO-to-DVDA&p=304441&viewfull=1#post304441

Here is the Foobar plugin:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/sacddecoder/

 

[JerseyEd]

You need to install the SACD plug-in to allow conversion of SACDs. Once that's done then here's a link to my old settings, from an earlier plug-in version and some other comments here on QQ:

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...CD-ISO-to-DVDA&p=304441&viewfull=1#post304441

Here is the Foobar plugin:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/sacddecoder/

Thanks Homer. I had already installed the SACD plug-in, just didn't know what to change the settings to.
I do have 2 other questions...
1) The computer I am using does not have surround capabilities. Does this matter when creating the multi-channel Flac files?
2) Where in Foobar do you perform the conversion. I looked for it but couldn't find it. I am a bit of a dweeb when it comes to this stuff (which is kinda sad since I was a computer programmer).
Thanks again for your help.
Ed

P.S. oh oh, in the DSD2PCM box I don't have a Direct(Double-Precision, 30kHz LF), just Direct (32fp, 30hKz lowpass) & Direct (64fp, 30hKz lowpass). Which would I use? Thx.
P.P.S.S. I read further down in the forum and saw that it was recommended to Jon Urban to use the Direct (64fp, 30hKz lowpass).

 

[JanBakker]

Thanks Homer. I had already installed the SACD plug-in, just didn't know what to change the settings to.
I do have 2 other questions...
1) The computer I am using does not have surround capabilities. Does this matter when creating the multi-channel Flac files?
2) Where in Foobar do you perform the conversion. I looked for it but couldn't find it. I am a bit of a dweeb when it comes to this stuff (which is kinda sad since I was a computer programmer).
Thanks again for your help.
Ed

P.S. oh oh, in the DSD2PCM box I don't have a Direct(Double-Precision, 30kHz LF), just Direct (32fp, 30hKz lowpass) & Direct (64fp, 30hKz lowpass). Which would I use? Thx.
P.P.S.S. I read further down in the forum and saw that it was recommended to Jon Urban to use the Direct (64fp, 30hKz lowpass).

1) I don't think it matters just for playback obviously.
2) Select the files you want to convert, right mouse-click and select convert.

 

[HomerJAU]

Foobar will convert to MCH FLAC even if your PC can't play MCH.

I use the 64fp 30kHz but the other thread I posted earlier has a discussion on this, so check it out.

To convert open the ISO, select all the tracks and right-click 'conversion' from the context menu, then the '....' menu option then set up those options for output file locations and naming and then do the conversion from that dialog.

Sorry can't give moe info as I'm on holiday without a PC (on an iPad in Ho Chi Min City!)

 

[JerseyEd]

1) I don't think it matters just for playback obviously.
2) Select the files you want to convert, right mouse-click and select convert.

Thank you Jan.

 

[JerseyEd]

Foobar will convert to MCH FLAC even if your PC can't play MCH.

I use the 64fp 30kHz but the other thread I posted earlier has a discussion on this, so check it out.

To convert open the ISO, select all the tracks and right-click 'conversion' from the context menu, then the '....' menu option then set up those options for output file locations and naming and then do the conversion from that dialog.

Sorry can't give moe info as I'm on holiday without a PC (on an iPad in Ho Chi Min City!)

Thank you Homer. Enjoy your holiday.

 

[HomerJAU]

Here's a quick tutorial on using DVD Audio Extractor to convert an unprotected BDA to FLAC:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B67BGVX7nHIlNGdpbFJ2eF9FT0E/view?usp=sharing

 

[dr. simple]

Here's a quick tutorial on using DVD Audio Extractor to convert an unprotected BDA to FLAC:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B67BGVX7nHIlNGdpbFJ2eF9FT0E/view?usp=sharing

Garry - this is just what I needed! Thank you so much for this and all the threads you started back in July. The recent reports of BDs failing and a personal experience with CD disc rot has prompted me to take the plunge and go headlong into full media server creation mode.

Keep the good advice coming!

 

[dr. simple]

Question regarding DTS-HD Master Audio:

I'm using Garry's (HomerJAU) method of ripping Blu-rays using MakeMKV (full backup method), and then converting to flac using DVD Audio Extractor.

I'm wondering if, for Blu-rays in which the only multichannel choice is DTS-HD Master Audio, it makes more sense to create an MKV file (rather than the full backup method) using MakeMKV, and then convert to flac using AudioMuxer.

(The reason I ask is because DVD Audio Extractor downgrades DTS-HD Master Audio to DTS when converting to flac, but AudioMuxer does not.)

I look forward to any thoughts you may have.

 

[GOS]

Question regarding DTS-HD Master Audio:

I'm using Garry's (HomerJAU) method of ripping Blu-rays using MakeMKV (full backup method), and then converting to flac using DVD Audio Extractor.

I'm wondering if, for Blu-rays in which the only multichannel choice is DTS-HD Master Audio, it makes more sense to create an MKV file (rather than the full backup method) using MakeMKV, and then convert to flac using AudioMuxer.

(The reason I ask is because DVD Audio Extractor downgrades DTS-HD Master Audio to DTS when converting to flac, but AudioMuxer does not.)

I look forward to any thoughts you may have.

If I'm not mistaken, DVD-AE only downgrades to DTS core if you go straight to Flac. But if you choose the "demux" function, instead of choosing Flac, you can then take the demux files and load into Audiomuxer and capture the 96/24 lossless files that way. Pretty sure that's what I do...I say "pretty sure", because I've done it so many ways, I sort of forget until I actually do it again. @: I've also gone the MaKeMKV route as well.

 

[dr. simple]

If I'm not mistaken, DVD-AE only downgrades to DTS core if you go straight to Flac. But if you choose the "demux" function, instead of choosing Flac, you can then take the demux files and load into Audiomuxer and capture the 96/24 lossless files that way. Pretty sure that's what I do...I say "pretty sure", because I've done it so many ways, I sort of forget until I actually do it again. @: I've also gone the MaKeMKV route as well.

Yes - exactly. But it seems to me that we can skip the DVD-AE step.

 

[GOS]

Yes - exactly. But it seems to me that we can skip the DVD-AE step.

You could be right. I think the positive of going the DVD-AE route is the ease of pulling in metadata. Maybe....

 

[HomerJAU]

If I'm not mistaken, DVD-AE only downgrades to DTS core if you go straight to Flac. But if you choose the "demux" function, instead of choosing Flac, you can then take the demux files and load into Audiomuxer and capture the 96/24 lossless files that way. Pretty sure that's what I do...I say "pretty sure", because I've done it so many ways, I sort of forget until I actually do it again. @: I've also gone the MaKeMKV route as well.

DVDAE always the converts 'DTS-HD codecs' (and DTS 96/24) using DTS Core (lossy) unless you choose 'Demux' which gets a 'copy' of the DTS stream.

DVDAE does not contain a DTS-HD Decoder but since all newer versions of DTS were designed to include the 'original DTS' stream (lossy Core) for backward compatibility with old equipment DVDAE just decodes Core (limited to 48/24 approx 1500bps - I can never remember the exact number)

 

[GOS]

DVDAE always the converts 'DTS-HD codecs' (and DTS 96/24) using DTS Core (lossy) unless you choose 'Demux' which gets a 'copy' of the DTS stream.

DVDAE does not contain a DTS-HD Decoder but since all newer versions of DTS were designed to include the 'original DTS' stream (lossy Core) for backward compatibility with old equipment DVDAE just decodes Core (limited to 48/24 approx 1500bps - I can never remember the exact number)

Yeah, on a side note, it does handle True HD without loss of "lossless". Oh, and it also handles LPCM without loss of "lossless"
I think....

 

[César]

Did you try DVDFab? I'm trying to get a mkv with DTS-HD right now, I'll know in 3 hours if it worked.

 

[HomerJAU]

Yes - exactly. But it seems to me that we can skip the DVD-AE step.

Yes (only if there is a DTS-HD audio track only). If it has Dolby TrueHD or LPCM then DVDAE can convert directly to hires FLAC without Audiomuxer.

 

[HomerJAU]

Did you try DVDFab? I'm trying to get a mkv with DTS-HD right now, I'll know in 3 hours if it worked

Same as MakeMKV. You end up a decrypted file (or files) and you need to convert them to FLAC.

Currently Audiomuxer is the tool of choice for MKV conversion to FLAC (it's free and it has a DTS-HD Decoder)

 

[dr. simple]

Yes (only if there is a DTS-HD audio track only). If it has Dolby TrueHD or LPCM then DVDAE can convert directly to hires FLAC without Audiomuxer.

I've been ripping the Chicago Quadio box, so that's how I came to this observation. Thanks again for all your help, Garry.

 

[himey]

A good carpenter has more than one tool in his bag