Yes, understood about the DVB-T2. I tend to get the stream with a USB 'dongle' RX then play with VLC, and one of the things I wonder about is how it is mixing down to stereo.[1] I recall some years ago some Proms where the mode transmitted kept changing during the concert and hopped about between 2 channel, 4.0, and 5.1! Each time VLC 'lost the audio'. Real pest at the time. Fortunately things have improved since.
I've now had some feedback from the BBC and discussed the lack of 320k. Basically, yes, the 320k we accessed is now 'dead and buried' as it wasn't actually available via any of their supported TV streams to devices, etc. So not actually meant to be in use. However they will be looking in the future at improving the audio modes on offer. So at some point > 128k seems likely to appear. Unlikely to be soon, though, so not something to expect for these Proms. Beyond that fingers crossed... FWIW I've now written an item on this for HFN. And once that is done I may have a go at filling out a more detailed account of what I've been told for a webpage as there are a number of factors which have driven things thus far and it's an interesting story. That said, at present I should say I'm mainly writing about something else which will appear in my 'biography' pages when done. This is taking a while as it was an MoD/NATO project 20+ years ago, and I have to pick what I can say, otherwise I'd have to shoot anyone who read the content. 8-] Summary: The previous 320k is indeed now ended. But there are reasons to hope we'll see some better audio again for the TV streams. The great shame is that we lost 320k before this year's Proms! :-/ But people at the BBC do want to provide better audio. So it *isn't* the case that they assume 128k aac is sufficient, end of. Jim [1] Does anyone know the recipy it uses or if it takes this from the stream in some sort of metadata specifying the mixdown ratios? Or is that too OT here? In article <996004f5-46e1-711d-02fc-4f9968f9a...@zoho.com>, RS <richard...@zoho.com> wrote: > You are probably right that bandwidth is not an issue on the iPlayer. I > understand it is an issue on the DVB-T2 HD channels, so that there is > only enough bandwidth for the 5.1 AC3 sound stream and not enough for an > accompanying downmixed 2.0 stream. In the 5.1 stream most of the > dialogue will be directed to the front centre speaker, but many of the > receivers being used will not have a centre speaker. The result is > articles like the one in The Times today accusing actors of mumbling. > The BBC has proposed a solution here. > https://www.bbc.co.uk/taster/pilots/casualty-ae-audio If you want to > listen to the trial you will have to hurry. It is only on for another > 4 days. > There does seem to be a reduction in the number of drama programmes > being made with surround sound. ITV now seems to be transmitting some > films on satellite with only a 2.0 sound stream. -- 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 get_iplayer@lists.infradead.org http://lists.infradead.org/mailman/listinfo/get_iplayer
