ALERT!!! Dr Who in Binaural Audio

How big is the file? My third attempt has stopped at 123MB, but I have no idea whether that is complete (until I try playing it).
 
Back to the substantive topic, surely a properly mixed DD5.1 audio track played through a decent surround sound system would sound better? It did for me anyway, the binaural audio sounded far too gimmicky like the old stereo demo recording of a steam train travelling left to right in front of you.
 
gomezz said:
Back to the substantive topic, surely a properly mixed DD5.1 audio track played through a decent surround sound system would sound better? It did for me anyway, the binaural audio sounded far too gimmicky like the old stereo demo recording of a steam train travelling left to right in front of you.
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I suppose it is a way of getting a surround sound like experience with two speakers. Probably also aimed at people watching on a phone or tablet with headphones.
 
Oh shit.

Well, obviously as a showcase it was gimmicky, and yes the younger audience is largely consuming on personal devices, but as far as 5.1 sounding better is concerned - surely not at the same bit rate, and how many bits do you need to go into the third dimension?
 
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Mike0001 said:
Weren't the beeb doing that years ago? I remember listening to the odd broadcast via headphones. I would guess in the 70s.
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Yes, there used to be a (B) or an (S) in the Radio Times.
Somewhere I have a recording of a programme called "A pair of ears" designed to introduce Joe Public to the new VHF stereo transmissions and to make sure the speakers were connected up the right way round and in phase. c. 1972-3
EEPhil said:
:roflmao: It's a telephone!
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Are you sure? I can't see a screen...
 
Trev said:
Whatever, you have to make sure that you have them on the correct ear.:)
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Gomezz was trying to give us guidance there, but sadly you have to search for the L and R labels, cleverly hidden so nobody will ever find them.
 
5.1 is fine if you have 6 detachable ears. We actually have two ears, so binaural should sound better.

7.2 is fine if you have...no matter.
 
Two mentions. I'd even listened to most of the JF stuff on BBCR7 (as was) and missed any mention of binaural. The BBC can't be trusted with left and right. The original R4 broadcast of Earthsearch had L & R one way, whilst the R7 (and R4 Extra) has it the other way round.
 
Is anybody with the relevant Dr Who downloaded from iPlayer willing to bung it (as data) on a CD-R/DVD+R/DVD-R/DVD-RW and post it to me please?

My download keeps bombing out, and the re-attempts are eating into my monthly cap :(
 
Binaural is frequently touted as "VR audio", but it really isn't. VR is interactive - the immersive effect is achieved by computing the video displayed to be from the first-person PoV, and to react to the user's movements. For binaural to achieve the same effect it would have to be computed live for each individual listener and position sounds in the sound field according to the coordinate frame defined by that individual listener's head orientation. This pre-computed binaural is more like a fairground simulator than a VR experience.
 
Black Hole said:
Is anybody with the relevant Dr Who downloaded from iPlayer willing to bung it (as data) on a CD-R/DVD+R/DVD-R/DVD-RW and post it to me please?

My download keeps bombing out, and the re-attempts are eating into my monthly cap :(
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I'll stick it in the post tomorrow.
 
But what would be the point of vr audio of a dr who episode? You could leave the tardis by going out into the garden, or just get in the car and drive until it became inaudible. Or just look behind and miss the action, which presumably all happens in front. Or go upstairs and see the sound booms?

I can see the point of this static binaural, and remember it as being immersive when I tried it in the '70s. The main problem was the headphones then, you were stuck next to your stereo. No Bluetooth in those days. Whether it was better or worse than surround, yes in accuracy but no in usability.
 
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