We want Dolby back again

[dellmelo]

I think I am not the only one saying this but.. WE NEED the Dolby codec back again in Premiere CC 2018.

I work everyday with DVDs and Blu-rays, importing and exporting AC3 2.0/5.1.

[dellmelo]

I have upgraded to 2018, lost a day trying to rollback do 2017.

But, I think I have the right to have the latest version of the software.

[ProDesignTools]

Only Adobe could say if that would happen... But it doesn't seem like that's the direction things are going. Sorry for the difficulty!

For now, please check this thread and see if any of the solutions recommended there will work for you:

Dolby Codec Missing in CC 2018, MTS/AC3 No Audio

(read through all suggestions on both pages of the thread)

Hope that helps!

[excited_Genie16B8]

Feature Request/Bug Report Form

[Ann Bens]

Dont think this is ever going to happen.

[excited_Genie16B8]

(I don't either.)

[arack99]

Adobe absolutely has no consideration for people who pay their salary -> You and me.

just removing that basic feature without compensation, without BIG LETTERS warning before upgrading, without alternative solution.

This is not acceptable and must be fixed.

[Roux_t_SCP]

Hi,

I agree with all of you, i just lost sound my project under Win7 an d i have to jump to win 10 to recover my audio dolby pist.and it's not easy in a company with a particular OS politic.

Mister Adobe, A dolby patch can't be considered ?

[RjL190365]

I apologize for the inconvenience, but according to all involved exporting to disc (DVD or Blu-ray), the primary reason for the Dolby codec to exist, is effectively dead (which is the major reason why Adobe EOL'd Encore with no replacement at all whatsoever). These days most exports are to the Internet, where the audio codec that's typically used (MPEG or MP3)  do not usually conform to DVD or Blu-ray standards.

[Roux_t_SCP]

Hi, In my case, it's just to decode my rushes which are encoded with a 4K recent video camera. (JVC GHM 200)

My sound just diseapered in my new CC 2018 project... it's not to make optical disk...

[IQJon]

I cannot believe that Adobe is going to drop DOLBY altogether. We have thousands of dollars in equipment that is now obsolete due to a sweeping  decision. Does FINAL CUT PRO handle Dolby still? Do we burn all our equipment? Are there specific cameras and technologies that Adobe will guarantee they will support? Or do we run out and buy new equipment every time the wind blows direction? This seems absolutely juvenile as far as a business plan goes.

I think ADOBE needs to reconsider the effect this will have on all the small businesses....

What's the point of having a CLOUD based subscription - if you have to stay with the 2017 obsolete program... It makes the whole thing a joke.

[John T Smith]

While Adobe could have done a better job of warning people in advance of the 2018 update, this was NOT Adobe's choice... they were forced to do this due to licensing issues with the new owner of the Dolby name

[ProDesignTools]

As R Neil Haugen​ wrote here:

Adobe was NOT the owners of the Dolby codec/trademarks/whatever. Dolby Labs was, and apparently had some strong views on something involved with their codec/property rights with that codec and/or something.

As neither company has said one word at ALL in public, my 40 years of professional life leans to people in grey suits and power ties totally lacking both humor and concern for common sense having been involved. For both companies.

But ain't none of us know what, nor likely to find out it seems.

And it's been a royal and expensive pain for many users.

[19Rusty63]

I have made three attempts at contacting Dolby directly via their website. With the intention of perhaps acquiring a license for myself.

Dolby has not even bothered to respond once - professional outfit that they are.

I do not encode to Dolby but both my cameras encode to it - as a result, I have no audio when I import to premiere pro.

Maybe it's time to move on to another editor !

[Peru Bob]

19Rusty63  wrote

Maybe it's time to move on to another editor !

...or perhaps Windows 10.

[19Rusty63]

Peru Bob  wrote "...or perhaps Windows 10."

Now why would I want to pay for someone to collect my personal information ?

It strikes me that M$oft should be paying everyone to use Windows 10 instead of the opposite.

......but of course, the operating system should not be the issue here - that it is, is a symptom of something not right !

I contracted into CC with Windows 7, whatever issues Adobe has with Dolby should be none of my concern, Adobe should not be putting it's customers in a position that requires them to upgrade to an OS that they do not want. Especially, since Microsoft has said they will continue to support Windows 7 until 2021.

[excited_Genie16B8]

Now why would I want to pay for someone to collect my personal information ?

So turn that off.

https://www.safer-networking.org/spybot-anti-beacon/

[Peferling]

This was not within Adobe's control.  I've been editing for decades and the very last DVD program I ever cut was on CS3.  The first clue of DVD's demise was Adobe dropping Encore.   That said, you can install v2018 alongside older versions and in Windows 7. 

There are exceptions and if you're livelihood depends on it, then don't upgrade.  Keep your old versions.  Time and time again editors get burned by not learning to read up and research before upgrading.  This is a behavioral issue, not a software one.

Adobe has to cater to the market and that suggests a market that considers the DVD as a defunct medium.  Everything is online as a digital file in the cloud, (just wait till you can't buy a PC, because your phone or tablet and a $2 App on Google Play will suffice and the OEMs respond accordingly, (much of that is already here and is waiting for saturation).  Were someone to ask me today for a DVD?  I'd give them a thumb-drive or a dropbox link via email.

[thatsmauri]

I just found this posting from Trent, explaining why Dolby is missing:
» Re: Dolby Audio Decoder missing after Premiere CC 2018 (V12) update

Also, see this Adobe Help page:

» Adobe Creative Cloud apps use native OS support for Dolby

[19Rusty63]

Trent's post is misleading, Adobe has no solution, so contacting them (if you cannot upgrade your OS) is a waste of time.

I also find it quite funny when we are told that we should upgrade to a "more secure OS !"

[ProDesignTools]

Sorry for the difficulty! Try one of these suggestions if you've lost Dolby functionality:

1. Your simplest and best bet is to recover your CC 2017 apps as they were before you installed CC 2018. See if you can use Windows Restore to roll back the state of applications on your computer to before that time. On a Mac, you'd use Apple's Time Machine.

2. If you can't do that, then do you have a system backup or image from when you had CC 2017 installed, or perhaps it's installed on another machine? You could possibly use that backup together with the CC 2017 direct download links to get back to where you were before. At  a minimum, you'll need both the Premiere Pro and Adobe Media Encoder apps.

3. If neither of those strategies recover a working CC 2017 for you, then you could try moving forward with CC 2018. You could use a third-party utility like Handbrake (a free open-source video transcoder) or XMedia Recode to convert your MTS/ACS files. Rename the files and reimport them into Premiere Pro. Then clear your media cache.

4. If none of the above work, then maybe consider upgrading to Windows 10 while it's still free, and press ahead with CC 2018 (if you're concerned about Windows telemetry, that's easily handled). Meanwhile, for Mac users, macOS upgrades are always free... Windows 8.1 or above and macOS 10.11 or above contain native support for Dolby decoding functions. Again, rename the applicable files and reimport them on your new setup. Then clear your media cache.

5. If you can't upgrade your operating system, can't move forward with CC 2018, can't go back to CC 2017, and are genuinely stuck with a project caught in the middle – and none of the above solutions work for you – then you could try contacting Adobe Customer Care to let them know and see if they can help.

6. Moving forward, when upgrading Creative Cloud apps, use 'Advanced Options' in the Desktop app to retain older CC versions rather than the default behavior, which is to remove them.

Hope that helps!

PS – Windows 7 end-of-life/support is January 14, 2020.

[kevinm17031933]

I have two questions:

Are people having this issue on Windows 10?

I have seen several post of people being told to upgrade Windows 7 to 10, but I am on 10.

Did anyone get an 8-digit code from Adobe for "SurCode for Dolby Digital 5.1 Encoder for Adobe Creative Cloud"?

If so, how did you get the code? I went to Adobe support and was send to a page at Minnetonka Audio, which has instructions on redeeming an 8-digit code from Adobe for CC users. Without the code, the encoder costs 295 dollars, for a feature I had before I updated.

[ProDesignTools]

If you're having trouble with Dolby decoding on Windows 10 after upgrading to CC 2018, then make sure your version of Windows 8.1/10 has the necessary support for Dolby:

Adobe Creative Cloud apps use native OS support for Dolby

If it's still not working for you, then try renaming your MTS/AC3 files and reimporting them into Premiere. Then do the steps here:

FAQ: How to clean media cache files?

[alanm13511701]

no coupon will be provided by Adobe. This is what I was told by their support agents!

[RjL190365]

Unfortunately, from Minnetonka Audio the only way to regain Dolby encoding and decoding support if you're still running Windows 7 is to pay them the full $595 price plus tax for the full version of the Surcode for Dolby Digital Plus. The cheaper $295 version of the Surcode is an encoding plugin only; it cannot restore decoding support in Windows 7.

I hope this is helpful for any user who is trying to restore full Dolby AC3 functionality with Premiere Pro CC 2018+ and Windows 7.