Quad does indeed decode to 4 channels. It is conventional these days to store decodes as 5 channels with a silent centre channel either in FLAC, DVD-A/V or Blu Ray. The silent centre is because equipment made in the last 10 years tends to put 4 channel stuff in the wrong speakers or not play it at all, because the manufacturers only test 5.0 and 5.1 playback.
Interest in quad and matrix decoding is very low. Decoding software is hard to find, and the small amount of supposedly off the shelf software either won't compile (source code distributed years ago and not updated) or does a poor job of decoding (or both). Doing a quad matrix decode well is remarkably difficult, the original matrix designs were overly ambitious for the 1970s and still tax modern computers. -- Owen Smith <[email protected]> Cambridge, UK > On 3 May 2020, at 15:27, Jim web <[email protected]> wrote: > > In article <[email protected]>, Owen > Smith > <[email protected]> wrote: >> That's it, it was originally broadcast in Matrix HJ. As you say, not >> clear if the rebroadcast is matrix encoded but unless they've >> re-mastered it in some way it probably is. > >> My friend develops his own matrix decoding solutions using multiple >> steps in off the shelf audio processing software, like Audacity. This is >> not remotely real time, it takes many hours to do one album. But if >> you're doing matrix decoding you can keep the output and listen to it >> again. He and I have never understood the general obsession with >> decoding matrix quad in real time. Do it well and do it once. > > Yes. Originally, of course, the assumption was that it would come via > something like an LP or broadcast and need to be done 'real time' whenever > it was played. But nowdays the only drawback of 'decode once, properly' is > the load of storing larger (output) files as they have four channels, I > assume. > > I'd assumed there were now some open source decoders available that do the > trick. But my interest in 'surround sound' is pretty low, so haven't really > paid much attention. > > Jim > > -- > Electronics > https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scots_Guide/intro/electron.htm > Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html > biog http://jcgl.orpheusweb.co.uk/history/ups_and_downs.html > Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html > > > _______________________________________________ > get_iplayer mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.infradead.org/mailman/listinfo/get_iplayer _______________________________________________ get_iplayer mailing list [email protected] http://lists.infradead.org/mailman/listinfo/get_iplayer
