Decode DTS:X 7.1

[Etroxamin]

hey,

very simple question:
is it possible to decode DTS:X 7.1 completely lossless?

I haven't found much about DTS:X decoding, just recently read that decoding DTS:X CAN'T be done without losing certain information.

Thanks for reading, and hopefully some interesting answers.

Edit:

Maybe the question was not accurate enough actually.

I do not expect a decoded pcm that is 100% accurate to the sound of DTS:X.
But a pcm that would be 100% accurate with the original pcm audio, which it was before being transcoded to DTS:X.

So, losing the DTS:X/DTS-HD MA specific metadata wouid be fine of course.

[tebasuna51]

DTS:X can have metadata to be decoded in a 3D surround system.

If your audio system is not 3D, is only 5.1 or 7.1 2D surround you can decode DTS:X without lose relevant info for you, and recode it to FLAC for instance like it was a DTS-HD MA.

[-QfG-]

It's no problem to decode the channels lossless via PCM WAV files or FLAC. But you still loose the 3D metadata.

[Etroxamin]

Thank you for your answers.

DTS:X can have metadata to be decoded in a 3D surround system.

If your audio system is not 3D, is only 5.1 or 7.1 2D surround you can decode DTS:X without lose relevant info for you, and recode it to FLAC for instance like it was a DTS-HD MA.

That's what I was guessing. but also leads me to others thoughts and questions.

So if i decode the DTS:X track it actually should be what it was before being transcoded to DTS:X/DTS-HD MA and it should be possible to encode it back to DTS:X via DTS:X Encoder Suite?

I never 'found' DTSX Encoder, only know its mac only, so i never thought about 3D encoders by Dolby for know.

Guess there have been tests about this?

And is there actually a reason for Studios to use DTS:X over Atmos?
DTS seems to be have an obvious inferior compression rate, and Atmos actually seems to be the better choice, for compression, but (without reading much about both encoders) better 3D audio, atleast it seems to be more popular.

btw. i use eac3to to decode DTS-HD 2.0 and 5.1 and also made some tests starting with lossless pcm, creating dts-hd track via MA Suite and decoing it with eac3to. Then comparing the tracks with foobar "bit-compare".

But i recently read that it is better to use ffmepg, unfortunately I dont have any experience with ffmpeg.
Is there actually a real benefit using ffmpeg, if eac3to already gives already 100% lossless copy?
Maybe for some other DTS formats like DTSX, ES?

I had a look on the ffmpeg homepage, but it seems more complicated to use than eac3to, on the download page it offers me a source code and PGP signing key, tbh i dont know what to do with any of these.

But there is also a prebuild option, i guess its safe (and easier to use them).
Any recommandations, what i should start with?

It's no problem to decode the channels lossless via PCM WAV files or FLAC. But you still loose the 3D metadata.

Well, it wouldn't be a problem to loose the 3D audio information, but as said above i would guess that it is reproduceable with dtsx encoder, or should be possibel to switch to atmos, for better compression and maybe even better 3d audio.

But i currently thinking about just going with the 16 bit version, which is "available" as PCM on a reference source as well. At least i would know there is nothing to loose with FLAC encoding, compresses 6144 kbps to ~1800 kbps, while the DTSX track has 7200 kbps and even with FLAC it would still be about ~4500 i guess.

Well too many decision to make sometimes :)