How to play EAC3 audio in MX Player Android?

EAC3, also known as Dolby Digital Plus, is an enhanced audio codec that supports up to 6 channels of surround sound. It builds upon the standard Dolby Digital format by allowing more streams and higher bitrates for improved audio quality.

MX Player is one of the most popular media players for Android, with over 300 million users worldwide. It supports many video and audio codecs by default, but EAC3 support must be enabled separately.

Many modern movies and TV shows use the EAC3 codec for immersive 5.1 channel audio. Users who wish to get the full surround sound experience from these media files while watching on their Android device need to set up MX Player properly to play EAC3 audio tracks.

Prerequisites

To play EAC3 audio in MX Player, you will need the following:

MX Player app installed from Play Store – The latest version of MX Player should be downloaded and installed on your Android device from the Google Play Store.
Android device compatible with MX Player – Your Android device needs to meet the minimum requirements to run MX Player, which is generally Android 5.0 Lollipop or higher according to this source.

EAC3 audio files downloaded or available – You need to have EAC3 audio files saved on your device or available for streaming. EAC3 is an audio codec commonly used for surround sound.

Enable EAC3 Audio

To enable EAC3 audio in MX Player, first open the MX Player app and go to Settings. Under Settings, select Audio and look for the “Enable EAC3” option. Check the box next to “Enable EAC3” to allow MX Player to play EAC3 audio files. This option may be disabled by default, so enabling it allows you to play videos or media files that contain EAC3 audio tracks.¹

If you don’t see the “Enable EAC3” option, you may need to install a custom codec. Go to Settings > Decoder and select Custom Codec. This will allow you to install an external codec that supports EAC3 audio decoding. After installing a compatible custom codec, the EAC3 option should appear in Audio settings.

Set EAC3 as Default

In order to have MX Player automatically play EAC3 audio when available, you need to set EAC3 as the default audio codec in the app settings:

1. Open MX Player and go to Settings > Audio.

2. Scroll down and tap on “Preferred audio codec” option.

3. Select “EAC3” from the list of available codecs. This will set EAC3 as the default audio codec.

Now whenever you play a video file that contains EAC3 audio, MX Player will automatically select and play that audio track without you having to manually select it each time. This makes it more convenient to play videos with EAC3 audio, like many Blu-ray rips.

Setting the preferred audio codec to EAC3 essentially tells MX Player that if a video file has an EAC3 audio track available, use that track by default instead of other audio formats like AAC or AC3 that may also be present.

Play EAC3 Files

Once you have MX Player setup to handle EAC3 audio, playing these files is straightforward. Simply open the MX Player app and select a video file that contains EAC3 audio. The app will automatically detect and play the EAC3 audio track without any additional steps needed.

When you open a video with EAC3 audio, MX Player scans the media file to identify all available audio streams. It will intelligently select the EAC3 track as the default audio since we already set the app preferences accordingly. The EAC3 audio will begin playing immediately when you start the video playback.

You don’t need to manually select the EAC3 track each time. MX Player does this work for you seamlessly in the background. Just open your EAC3 videos in MX Player as you normally would, and enjoy the high-quality audio experience.

Select Audio Track

If the video has multiple audio tracks available, such as the original audio language and an EAC3 surround sound track, you can select which one to use in MX Player.

To change the audio track during video playback:

Tap the screen once to bring up the playback controls.

Tap the audio icon in the top right corner that shows the current audio track selected.
This will open a list of all available audio tracks for that video.
Scroll and select the EAC3 or desired surround sound track.

MX Player will immediately switch to playing that audio track with the video. You can toggle between the different audio options this way during playback.

Subtitle Options

MX Player offers extensive options for managing subtitles in videos. This allows you to enable subtitles if needed and customize their appearance for the best viewing experience.

To enable subtitles in MX Player on Android:

Open the video you want to watch and tap the subtitle icon on the toolbar (CC icon).
This will open the subtitle selection menu. Tap on the subtitle track you want to enable.
The selected subtitle track will now be displayed when playing the video.

To customize subtitle appearance and style:

Go to the Local Player Settings under the Navigation Menu.
Select the ‘Subtitles’ option.

Under the ‘Appearance’ tab you can change options like font, text color, text size, text shadow, and more.
Adjust the settings to your preferences for the ideal subtitle viewing experience.

MX Player offers extensive control over subtitles in videos. Enable subtitles easily when needed and customize their formatting and style for enhanced viewing.

Troubleshooting

Some common issues when trying to play EAC3 files in MX Player include the codec not supported error, audio out of sync, and subtitle sync problems. Here are some tips to troubleshoot:

If you get a “Codec not supported” error, you likely need to install the EAC3 codec. Go to Settings > Decoder and select Custom Codec. Then install the necessary codec like Ac3codec or MxplayerCodec.arm7. These provide support for playing EAC3 audio in MX Player. After installing, try playing the file again.[https://recoverit.wondershare.com/audio-recovery/eac3-not-supported.html]

For audio sync issues, first ensure you have the latest version of MX Player installed. Go to Settings > Decoder and try changing the Audio Renderer to fix out of sync audio. You can also try adjusting the Audio Delay offset option to resync the audio.

If subtitles are out of sync, go to Subtitle settings and adjust the Subtitle Delay option up or down until they match the dialogue. Slowly adjust in 50ms increments to fine tune the sync.

In some cases, you may need to install a third party codec like Ac3codec to properly play EAC3 files. Test different renderers and decoders in the app settings as well until you find the right combination for smooth playback.

Alternative Apps

While MX Player is one of the most popular video players for Android that supports EAC3 audio, there are some other alternative apps you can use as well:

VLC Player – VLC media player is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player that supports many audio and video formats, including EAC3. It can play most media files as well as discs, devices, and network streaming protocols. VLC has a simple interface and offers advanced features like audio and subtitle synchronization. It is available on Android and other platforms.

Kodi – Kodi (formerly XBMC) is an open source media center app available on Android and other platforms. It supports playing videos with EAC3 audio tracks. Kodi offers media library integration, supports plugins and addons, and has a customizable interface. It is designed more as a full home theater PC setup rather than just a simple video player app.

BS Player – BS Player is a popular media player available on Windows and Android that can play EAC3 audio files. On Android, the BS Player app offers playback of most common video formats and subtitles. The free version displays ads while the paid premium version is ad-free. It provides various playback tools like adjusting aspect ratio, video settings, audio sync, bookmarks, and more.

Conclusions

In summary, to enable EAC3 audio playback in MX Player on Android, first check you have the latest version of the app and all required codecs. Then, go into Settings > Decoder and enable “Dolby Digital (AC3/EAC3)” under “Preferred audio codec”. You can also go to “Audio” settings and make sure “Dolby Digital (AC3/EAC3)” is selected. Next, find your EAC3 audio file and long press to bring up “Select audio track” where you choose the EAC3 track. With these steps, you should now be able to play back 5.1 surround sound audio files in MX Player.

Supporting EAC3 and AC3 audio provides several benefits for MX Player users. You gain the ability to play Dolby Digital audio tracks from Blu-ray discs, certain video files, and streaming content. This enables a proper home theater experience with 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound, bringing movies and videos to life. EAC3 specifically allows for more efficient compression while retaining high audio quality. Overall, enabling these advanced codecs makes MX Player more versatile and optimal for enjoying media with immersive multi-channel audio.

Looking ahead, MX Player will likely continue adding support and improving playback for next-generation audio codecs. As media evolves to make use of formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X for more enveloping 360-degree sound, MX Player will need to evolve as well. The developers may also optimize EAC3 performance and improve integration with different file types and sources. With MX Player’s wide adoption, supporting leading-edge audio codecs helps ensure users can easily access the best quality audio experiences on their Android devices.