Audio channel layout mapping between AAC, AC-3, E-

AC-3, TrueHD, Atmos, DTS, DTS-HD, USAC, BS 2051,

IEC 62574, QuickTime, WAVE...
We try at MediaArea to have a common output whatever is the format, in order to be able to compare
formats.
Unfortunately, each audio format "vendor" has its own method for naming channels, and worse it
sometimes change over time.
Below is an attempt to map each names of channels for each audio format specification to a common
name in MediaInfo and other tools developed by MediaArea.
Disclaimer: nothing "official" from any standardization body, this attempt is just for us but may be useful
for someone else so we make the mapping public. As every standardization body and format vendor
has different point of view on channel location, there are definitely some disagreements but if you think
that there is an issue with an obvious fix don't hesitate to contact us for debating about it.
This page contains:
A table with for each channel a generic description, its classicly used azimuth and elevation, the
expected mapping from each format specification, the channel name used in channel layout field by
MediaInfo 18.08 and later
An image showing how we split the space surround the user (names used are the one from MediaInfo
18.08 and later)
Some remarks about the mapping, when the mapping is not obvious and/or has some known issues
Some references / links

Audio channel layout mapping

Generic ↕ ↔ ST BS TS TS TS TS TS TS Quick TS TS Micro MPEG
Descriptive 428- 2051-0 102 103 103 102 103 103 Time 102 102 soft (AAC,
Name 12 System H 366 420 190-1 366 420 190-1 114 114 WAV USAC)
2013 + IEC v1.4.1 v1.1.1 v1.3.1 v1.4.2 v1.2.1 v1.4.1 v1.4.1 v1.4.1
62574 (E- (JOC) (AC- (E- (JOC) (AC- (DTS) (DTS
AC-3) 4) AC-3) draft 4) -HD)
draft draft
Bottom
Front -30 0 BtFC Bfc CI Cb
Centre
Bottom
-30 45 BtFL Bfl LI Lb
Front Left
Bottom
-30 -45 BtFR Bfr RI Rb
Front Right
Low-
frequency -30 60 LFE LFE1 LFE LFE LFE LFE LFE LFE LFE LFE LFE LFE LFE
Effects
Low-
frequency -30 -60 LFE2 LFE2 LFE2 LFE2 LFE2 LFE2 LFE2 LFE2 LFE2 LFE2
Effects 2
Half-way 0 N/A Hwbcal
left screen
Half-way
right 0 N/A Hwbcalr
screen
Left
0 N/A Lscr Lscr Leos
Screen
Right
0 N/A Rscr Rscr Reos
Screen
Center 0 0C FC C C C C C C C C C FC C
0 15 Lc Lc Lc N/A N/A Lc Lc
Center Left
0 22 FLc FLC Lc
Center 0 -15 Rc Rc Rc N/A N/A Rc Rc
Right 0 -22 FRc FRC Rc
0 30 L L L L L L L L L L
Left
0 45 FL FL L
0 -30 R R R R R R R R R R
Right
0 -45 FR FR R
Left Front
0 60 FLw Lw Lw Lw Lw Lw Lw Lw Lw Lw
Wide
Right Front
0 -60 FRw Rw Rw Rw Rw Rw Rw Rw Rw Rw
Wide
Left Side
0 90 Lss SiL Lss Lss
Surround
Right Side
0 -90 Rss SiR Rss Rss
Surround
Left
0 110 Ls LS Ls Ls Ls Ls Ls Ls CL Ls SL Ls
Surround
Right
0 -110 Rs RS Rs Rs Rs Rs Rs Rs CR Rs SR Rs
Surround
Left
Surround 0 N/A LSd Lsd N/A Lsd Lsd
Direct
Right
Surround 0 N/A RSd Rsd N/A Rsd Rsd
Direct
Left Rear 0 135 BL BL Lsr
Surround 0 150 Lrs Lrs Lrs Lrs Lb Lb Lb Lrs SL Lsr
Right Rear 0 -135 BR BR Rsr
Surround 0 -150 Rrs Rrs Rrs Rrs Rb Rb Rb Rrs SR Rsr
Back
0 -180 Cs BC Cs Cs Cb Cb Cs S Cs BC Cs
Centre
Top Front
45 0 TpFC Vhc Vhc Tfc Tfc Vhc Ch TFC Cv
Centre
Vertical
45 N/A Vhl N/A
Height Left
Vertical
Height 45 N/A Vhr N/A
Right
Left Front
45 45 TpFL Lvh Lfh Tfl Tfl Vhl Lh TFL Lv
High
Right Front
45 -45 TpFR Rvh Rfh Tfr Tfr Vhr Rh TFR Rv
High
Left Top
45 90 TpSiL Lts Ltm Tsl Tsl Lhs Lvss
Middle
Right Top 45 -90 TpSiR Rts Rtm Tsr Tsr Rhs Rvss
Middle
Left Top
45 110 TpLS Lvs
Surround
Right Top
45 -110 TpRS Rvs
Surround
Left Rear
45 135 TpBL Lrh Tbl Tbl Lhr TBL Lvr
High
Right Rear
45 -135 TpBR Rrh Tbr Tbr Rhr TBR Rvr
High
Top Back
45 180 TpBC Tbc Tbc Chr TBC Cvr
Centre
Top Centre -90 N/A TpC Ts Ts Tc Tc Ts Oh TC Ts
Left Matrix
Lt Lt
Total
Right
Matrix Rt Rt
Total
Mono 1
Mono 2

How we split the space surround the user

Outer circle: bottom layer. Middle circle: middle layer. Inner circles: up layer. Blue rectangle: the screen.
Black rectangles: LFE.

Remarks
 Positive Azimuth is on the left (counterclockwise), negative azimuth is on the right (clockwise)
Azimuth values are arbitrary choosen from our understanding of the most suitable location of
corresponding hypothetical loudspeakers, specs may have a range (sometimes conflicting with
another spec) or may have a slightly different location
MediaInfo column is about names used by MediaInfo 18.08 and later
Microsoft WAV: SL/SR is displayed as -90/+90 ("Side Surround") in several docs but they are usually
used for -110/+110 ("Surround")
BS 2051-0 System H: FL/FR is noted with "60" but Table 3 indicates that +/-45° is in tolerated range &
Table 7 displays them at +/-45°. IEC 62574:2011 maps FL/FR to L/R (usually between 30° and 45°)
AC-4: L/R are mapped to FLc/FRc and Lw/Rw to FL/FR in table A.42 but it appears that this mapping is
conflicting with USAC specifications which maps Lw/Rw to new FRw/FLw; additionally, Lw/Rw are
intended to be at +/-60°
AC-4: vhl/Vhr are synonym of Tfl and are deprecated

References / links
SMPTE ST 428-12:2013
ITU BS.2051-0
IEC 100/1706/CDV with image about 22.2 channel layout using ITU BS.2051 System H names (found
from a Google search)
ECMA 407 used by USAC and includes channel position according to IEC 62574:2011 and has
names similar to ITU BS.2051 but with more channel names
ISO/IEC 23001-8:2013/Amd 1:2015 also includes channel position according to IEC 62574:2011 with
even more channel position names for MPEG related formats
ETSI TS 102 366 V1.4.1 used by AC-3 and E-AC-3
ETSI TS 103 190-2 V1.1.1 used by AC-4
ETSI TS 103 190-2 V1.2.1 used by AC-4
ETSI TS 103 420 V1.1.1 used by JOC (Atmos)
Dolby Atmos guidelines which indicates position of some channels
Microsoft WAVEFORMATEXTENSIBLE structure
Microsoft Channel Mask with a image about the location of some channels
Apple CoreAudioTypes.h used for QuickTime

MEDIAAREA

About
Professional services
Events
Code of conduct
Legal
Privacy
Contact us
PROJECTS

MediaInfo
MediaConch
MediaTrace
QCTools
BWF MetaEdit
AVI MetaEdit
MOV MetaEdit
DV Analyzer
No Time To Wait symposiums
Open LossLess in STanDards
RAWcooked

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.

Google™ Custom Search Go ×

MediaArea blog feed

MediaInfo new releases feed
MediaConch new releases feed

© MediaArea.net SARL 2002-2019