External audio playback??

[smasherguy18]

I do not know if there is a way to use audios externally from an mkv file. I'm trying to encode some series and they got both 2.0 and 5.1 audio. There are some who like 2.0 audio in the encode and some who like the 5.1 and the big debate is that not everyone got 5.1 channel speakers. Though I am aware that there are players out there to make 5.1 be playable to 2.0 channel speakers. But my question is if there is a way to have the 5.1 ch audios external and 2.0 internal and just like external subtitles select the audio?

[DJ Bobo]

That should be possible with BSPlayer (http://www.bsplayer.org/en/bs.player/product/features/).

You could always specify a Dolby Pro-Logic II (dplii) downmix in BeLight when encoding from 5.1 to stereo. That way, even though the final file has only 2ch, people with 5.1 setups will be able to get convincing surround effects using the Dolby Pro-Logic decoder.

[Skelsgard]

If you're using MKV as a container, and you don't seem to mind having both tracks 5.1 and 2.0 (and the file size it represents), then why not just make your MKVs with both audio streams?

[smasherguy18]

I'm trying to keep the file size original 233MB at max which is why I wanted to see if thee is a way to play the 5.1ch audio externally.

[madshi]

With MPC HC at least, if the external audio track has the same name as the video/container file (apart from the extension, of course) then the external audio track is automatically loaded and available for playback.