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giaur · (This post was last modified: 2020-11-02, 01:58 by giaur.)

Afaik ffmpeg is not willing to add ac4 sound support anytime soon. DVB-T2 broadcasting in my country (but I guess, that's wordwide trend) includes ac4 audio and Kodi does not support it.

Is there any chance Kodi will support ac4?

**pkscout** · 2020-11-01, 23:24

Given that the last Matrix Alpha was just released and we are (as far as I know) not adding any new features for Matrix any longer (the beta cycle will be bug fix only), I think it's safe to say there will be no AC4 support in Matrix. Whether there will be AC4 support in Version 20 is not a question I can answer.

giaur · 2020-11-01, 23:34

Can you add it to your checklist? There is a big trouble with ac4 on pc in general, afaik there's still no any software that supports it.

asavah · (This post was last modified: 2020-11-02, 01:58 by asavah.)

Kodi uses ffmpeg for most decoding needs.
My guess would be that for ac4 to be available in Kodi it should be available in ffmpeg first and should be unencumbered by patents and legal bullshit which could prevent including it in any opensource project.

Edit:

Quote:Dolby AC-4 is covered by patents and requires a license from Dolby Laboratories.

giaur · 2020-11-02, 01:57

Ffmpeg: https://trac.ffmpeg.org/ticket/8349

emveepee · 2021-01-02, 23:49

@giaur what type of DVB-T2 device are you using?

Martin

giaur · (This post was last modified: 2021-01-03, 10:29 by giaur.)

(2021-01-02, 23:49)emveepee Wrote: @giaur what type of DVB-T2 device are you using?

Martin

Si2168 usb tunner with Tvheadend.
https://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/S...abs_Si2168

emveepee · (This post was last modified: 2021-01-03, 18:17 by emveepee.)

Thanks I added some experimental support for AC4 with that prerelease ffmpeg in NextPVR which would work with IP addressable devices to NextPVR so I was curious if it would work. Would you be willing to place a 2 minute sample on an internet location I'd like to see how it works.

Thinking about it if the sample works, it could probably work via an m3u playlist from TVHeadend.

Martin

**jjd-uk** · 2021-01-03, 19:01

Contrary to the original post it looks like there's a WIP branch to add AC-4 in ffmpeg in the linked ffmepg ticket.

emveepee · (This post was last modified: 2021-01-03, 19:42 by emveepee.)

Yes that recent patch is the what I am using to transcode at source and send to Kodi. I have limited samples all ATSC 3.0 but so far so good. I am curious how it will work for others.

I asked last week and that patch is not stable or ready for Kodi at this time.

Martin

**jjd-uk** · 2021-01-03, 20:14

Well it needs to accepted into ffmpeg Master before we will use it, once that is done then it's normally acceptable to cherry pick and backport to the ffmpeg version we are currently using.

giaur · (This post was last modified: 2021-01-03, 22:54 by giaur.)

(2021-01-03, 17:49)emveepee Wrote: Thanks I added some experimental support for AC4 with that prerelease ffmpeg in NextPVR which would work with IP addressable devices to NextPVR so I was curious if it would work. Would you be willing to place a 2 minute sample on an internet location I'd like to see how it works.

Thinking about it if the sample works, it could probably work via an m3u playlist from TVHeadend.

Martin

Dvb-t2 sample: http://91.145.139.141/test.mts

Fffmpeg output:

Code:
Duration: 00:00:39.11, start: 47836.389200, bitrate: 4263 kb/s

  Program 83 

    Stream #0:0[0x12e]: Video: hevc (Main) ([36][0][0][0] / 0x0024), yuv420p(tv), 1920x1080 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 50 fps, 50 tbr, 90k tbn, 50 tbc

    Stream #0:1[0x12f](pol): Audio: eac3 ([6][0][0][0] / 0x0006), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 128 kb/s

    Stream #0:2[0x130](qaa): Audio: eac3 ([6][0][0][0] / 0x0006), 48000 Hz, 5.1(side), fltp, 256 kb/s

    Stream #0:3[0x134](aux): Audio: eac3 ([6][0][0][0] / 0x0006), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 96 kb/s (visual impaired) (descriptions)

    Stream #0:4[0x135](org): Data: bin_data (AC-4 / 0x342D4341)

    Stream #0:5[0x14bb]: Unknown: none ([5][0][0][0] / 0x0005)

  Program 84 

  Program 85

AC-4 track is visible as bin_data.

emveepee · 2021-01-03, 23:42

Thanks. The sample so it shows the patch is incomplete or the source is a bad as it reports no channels. Does it sample play anywhere outside Kodi. If so maybe submit it to the patch.

Stream #0:5[0x135](org): Audio: ac4 (AC-4 / 0x342D4341), 0 channels

Martin

giaur · (This post was last modified: 2021-01-03, 23:58 by giaur.)

(2021-01-03, 23:42)emveepee Wrote: Thanks. The sample so it shows the patch is incomplete or the source is a bad as it reports no channels. Does it sample play anywhere outside Kodi. If so maybe submit it to the patch.

Stream #0:5[0x135](org): Audio: ac4 (AC-4 / 0x342D4341), 0 channels

Martin

What do you mean? Can't you play the sample? That's only single channel demuxed, not mux dump. It's playable, but ac4 track is ignored as unknown

emveepee · 2021-01-04, 00:00

I can play the sample and while it is shorter than expected and a single program on the mux would have been easier, I can only toggle through audio tracks 2, 3 and 4 I assume because track 5 reports 0 channels.

Martin