WVTV digital audio question

[techboy]

I record Smallville ( a quilty pleasure ) from both CW in Milwaukee or Madison depending on which way the antenna is pointed.  Recordings made from Ch 18 Milwaukee have only 2 active audio channels in a 6 channel 2/3/.1 stream while Madison has all 6 channels ( true digital surround ).  Is WVTV down mixing the audio?  Audio from CH 18 sounds OK through the pro-logic decoder.  Anyone else notice this?

[kevbeck122]

I haven't watched this season much yet, but I'm recording it.  I just checked the last episode and my receiver shows a DD5.1 signal, but I'm only getting audio from front left and front right.  A quick search on Google says that Smallville is in Dolby Digital 2.0.

[techboy]

Well, I'm catching up on missed episodes also, and that's why I noticed that I have some in DD 2.0 and others in 5.1.  I just checked and episode 7 Kandor and episode 12 Warrior are true 5.1.  And these are two episodes I know I didn't get from Ch 18.  Thanks for your input.

[Jimboy]

We pass whatever the network sends us. During network programming the CW has 5.1 enabled regardless of whether it's true 5.1 or not (this is their choice - not ours). If they send 2.0 (stereo) your receiver will indicate 5.1 but only the left & right channels will have audio. If they send 5.1 all channels will have audio (L, R, C, LS, RS, LFE).

Smallville is not produced in 5.1 surround.

[techboy]

Thanks Jim.  I have a few recordings of Smallville season 9 sourced from other than WVTV and they have audio in all 6 channels.  I suppose it's possible that some stations run the 2 channel audio through a dolby prologic decoder and use that as the audio stream for transmission.  Not a big issue.  I just have to switch my amplifier manually.

[Jimboy]

Thanks Jim.  I have a few recordings of Smallville season 9 sourced from other than WVTV and they have audio in all 6 channels.  I suppose it's possible that some stations run the 2 channel audio through a dolby prologic decoder and use that as the audio stream for transmission.  Not a big issue.  I just have to switch my amplifier manually.

When the CW sent Smallville in 2.0 (without the 5.1 enabled) most Dolby Prologic decoders would kick into surround (internal). Mine did at home until they started enabling 5.1 all of the time. Perhaps your other sources are not true 5.1 or they use some sort of a processor.