How do you see if incoming on spdif is 16/20 or 24 bits?

[lfm]

Recording soundtrack from dvd there is sometimes Dolby 3.2.1 or PCM 48k 16 bit to choose from.

Not sure if 3.2.1 stuff is 24 bit usually, or?
I think I read somewhere that video usually would be 24-bit, not sure.

Either way, soundcard does not have a setting what actually arrive is in bitdepth.

Tested RME DigiCheck but it was unstable at the time on my Windows 7.
So uninstalled it.

To watch flickering in bits over 16 is such an odd way, i think.

Isn't there a software that just tell - with a number - this is 24/16-bit or something?

I have some DVD that says it has 24/96k mastertracks - but could not tell for sure what arrives.
I have to run from computer, since all DVD/BD player brands agreed to never let 96k over digital outs - industry agreement kind of, it seems. And they downsample to 48k over spdif outs.

Daws just have a setting if to accept 24-bits, and probably convert 16-bit as it arrives.

But anything 24-bit is actually 20-bit, right?

[SJ_Digriz]

what hosts do you have lfm? Most have a bitmeter of some kind or other.

[lfm]

what hosts do you have lfm? Most have a bitmeter of some kind or other.

Thank you.
Basically MPC HC and VLC for video and Foobar2000 for audio and have ASIO plugin to go directly to RME 9632.
I will have a look if any bitmeter in those - good idea.

I tried RME Digicheck as I mentioned, but showed 24 bits when I sent data from a cd over spdif - so don't know how it works. And it actually worked saying 16-bits on my old Hammerfall 9636 - my old xp daw.

[BertKoor]

http://www.stillwellaudio.com/plugins/bitter/

I tried RME Digicheck as I mentioned, but showed 24 bits when I sent data from a cd over spdif - so don't know how it works.

If there's a volume fader inbetween the raw CD Audio and it's SPDIF output stream: that might explain it.

[lfm]

http://www.stillwellaudio.com/plugins/bitter/

I tried RME Digicheck as I mentioned, but showed 24 bits when I sent data from a cd over spdif - so don't know how it works.

If there's a volume fader inbetween the raw CD Audio and it's SPDIF output stream: that might explain it.

Thanks.
It may be useful - like it said for checking that plugins don't screw things up in a host.

I'm thinking though something that goes as close as possible connecting to driver and actually find out and present how many bits. I mean a bitstream receiver must detect this somehow, suppose drivers do that.

If host request 24-bit that is what it deliver, I suppose - zeroed lsb or something.
But that would leave lower bits never changing.

I have one DVD player that did volume on remote and resampled with horrible result. That is on recycling facility now - not good for anything. I measure RMAA test and it showed 3% THD, I mean what is that. Some odd brand called Andersson.

At one time playing back on Panasonic BD player, it said in audio selections 24-bit - but only once I saw that. It usually say PCM 48k 16 bit or just Dolby 3.2.1.

So just wonder about Dolby 3.2.1 if that may be 24-bit - or if that might be 16 or 24 bit as well?
if so it would be great with a bitmeter that just tell that.

[BertKoor]

checking that plugins don't screw things up in a host

Whut? By definition VST plugins use 32bit floats for their input & output stream. Why / how would they mess with it?

So just wonder about Dolby 3.2.1 if that may be 24-bit - or if that might be 16 or 24 bit as well?
if so it would be great with a bitmeter that just tell that.

Dolby what? Can be lossy, can be lossless The DVD player has the freedom to truncate your precious 24bits back to 16bits.

I've experimented in the past with encoding the RMAA 16bit test WAV to highest MP3 quality, decoded it back to 24bit WAV and there was some information present in the LSB (below the 16th bit.) It's just an approximation of the dithering noise. See your other topic.

Can't your ears tell the difference between 16 / 24 bits?

If they do: you don't need a bitmeter. But since you ask for a bitmeter, my conclusion is you cannot tell the difference.

Edit: since the transfer medium you use seems to be S/PDIF, you might be interested in its limitations:

S/PDIF can carry two channels of uncompressed PCM audio or compressed 5.1/7.1 surround sound (such as DTS audio codec); it cannot support lossless formats (other than 2ch LPCM) such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, that require greater bandwidth[2] like that available with HDMI or DisplayPort.

So anything other than stereo PCM will be a lossy bitstream, and my experiments have shown these can be decoded as 24bit even when it originally was 16bit. So imho you're wasting your time.

[lfm]

So anything other than stereo PCM will be a lossy bitstream, and my experiments have shown these can be decoded as 24bit even when it originally was 16bit. So imho you're wasting your time.

It would not be the first time - learning takes time.

If recorded 24-bit and only 16-bit with lsb zero, then you are rendering with dither or not - is the question.

If dithered once, not a good idea to repeat that.

A Sony DVD has it's own proprietary way of mixing down 3.2.1 to stereo for spdif out(mentioned in manual a bit like that).
If phase shift and do stuff with rear speakers - and often sound better than normal stereo mix provided on same dvd. I buy a lot of live concert dvd's and instruments come through better often doing the 3.2.1. But sometimes it adds artifacts in highs that are not so great.

The Panasonic BD, not sure what it does to 3.2.1 reduction to stereo - will listen more and record from that too.

My own recordings and mixing in home studio is dramatic. You notice levels as well, you get good sound even turning volume down a lot.

It's not as obvious doing bought material - unless you have something to compare to. The SoundCity documentary to mention one, sound so much better on video than the purchased cd from the same film. So suspect 24-bit, but could be better mixed as well - looked for details on cover and so but could not tell. I saw that CLA mixed Steve Nicks on CD, and that sounded better than many of the rest of the tracks.

I have a concert with Biffy Clyro - and CLA mixed that and it sounds awesome.

So many variables on the same album.

The obvious hit on a Gossip album, and that was compressed through the roof with massive distortion on vocals.

So looking for a simple way not having to test everything in various formats and compare - just read out - this is 24 bit or similar.

Thinking about other conversation of 16 to 24 bit conversions - and thinking using DigiCheck that I looked in the wrong place, it moves in 24-bit level - but converted 16 bit might just be zero in lower bits. Will install Digicheck again and have a look.

Strange thing was that on my old xp, with Hammerfall 9636 - digicheck took same stream from dvd and showed movement in lower 16 bit only.

Thereby some confusion.

The stream must be known how many bits - why doesn't soundcard drivers just show this - really weird, I think. It identify samplerate it syncs to, but says nothing about bitdepth. If digital input this would be good info. If from A/D all is 24-bit for sure - possibly unless recording host request 16-bit.

You are sending stereo on one stream, so receiver must know how to chop it up.

All I want is a bleeding number - is that asking too much?

EDIT: Digicheck on xp seems to work.
Panasonic BD player playback on normal dvd
48k 16b - also shows as 16 bit in digicheck
3.2.1 unspecified - also shows as 16 bit in digicheck

Save as above for Sony dvd player.

Playing audio files I rendered as 24-bit on Panasonic - also show as 24 bit.

At least I have on system I know how it works.