Advice on PCM audio for Blu-ray

craftech wrote on 3/29/2014, 11:15 AM
Have to render a Blu-ray of a musical and want to try something different to maximize audio quality.

I usually render audio to 448 kHZ AC3, but invariably it does not sound as good as the audio sounded from the Vegas timeline no matter how I tweak the audio when I edit.

So I was wondering which wave format to render to for the best and most compatible PCM audio that will play on every player and that DVDA 5 won't re-render.

Thanks,

John

Comments

john_dennis wrote on 3/29/2014, 11:20 AM
I use 48 kHz, 16 or 24 bit Stereo wav from Vegas. I don't remember ever having DVD Architect re-render.
craftech wrote on 3/29/2014, 11:26 AM
Thanks for the reply john, but which Wav format in the drop down list do you use? Sony Wave64, Scott Studios Wave, or Microsoft Wave?

John

EDIT: Looks like people in the past have recommended Microsoft Wave, but the maximum file size limit is 2GB so for my 2HR BR I cannot use 96/24 or 48/24 because I get the error message that it will exceed the file size limit so it looks like I have no choice but to use 48/16.
vtxrocketeer wrote on 3/29/2014, 12:38 PM
Render from Vegas as wav64. Drop it into DVDA. Done. No file size limit. I do this all the time for long stage productions. I use 96/24 PCM. Never a problem and it sounds terrific...because in part I record correctly at 96/24 or even 192/24.
craftech wrote on 3/29/2014, 3:26 PM
Thanks for the help.

I rendered wav64 at 96/24 and there was no room for it.
The Wav for windows 48/16 file fit, but DVDA said it was going to re-compress it anyway despite the fact that it says right in the DVDA manual that it is compatible.
Absurd program.

Guess I'll have to go back to AC3.

John
john_dennis wrote on 3/29/2014, 5:51 PM
Did you set up the DVD Architect project for PCM audio when you started?

If it "re-compresses" PCM to PCM it shouldn't make any difference in the way it sounds since it is uncompressed. Was DVDA proposing to re-compress to AC3?

Excuse me for being too simplistic, but PCM works regularly for me.
Rob Franks wrote on 3/29/2014, 8:00 PM
You could use TSmuxer.

Export a separate audio track (blue ray compatible) and simply use tsmuxer to demux the DVDa created audio track and then mux yours in.
Arthur.S wrote on 3/30/2014, 6:26 AM
Yes, sounds to me that your project properties are set for AC3. Change it, and you should be OK. I too use .wav (PCM) files for all of my BD projects.
craftech wrote on 3/30/2014, 8:24 AM
Thanks for the help.

The project was set for PCM, not AC3. DVDA 5.0 rejected the Microsoft Wave file rendered from Vegas Pro 8 and wanted to re-compress it because (as the message stated) it was not in compliance.

The Sony w64 file at 96/24 was huge and would not fit. The Microsoft wave file did fit, but DVDA wanted to re-compress it anyway.

In the end I went with 448 Khz AC3 (as usual), but I want to revisit this again.

There is another factor. My EX1 records at 48/16 so I don't think there is any advantage to 96/24 or anything higher than 48/16. Now whether 48/16 PCM is noticeably better than 448 khz AC3 I don't know because DVDA wouldn't allow me to compare the two.

John
videoITguy wrote on 3/30/2014, 10:13 AM
Dolby Pro AC-3 and .wav file blind tests have never revealed that a listener could tell the difference.
I myself prefer to leave sound at PCM workflow, but as I said, no one has proved you get a noticeable difference in the user experience.
tim-evans wrote on 3/30/2014, 10:29 AM
Don't tell Neil Young that!
john_dennis wrote on 3/30/2014, 1:14 PM
In the early 80s, I thought 44.1 kHz / 16 bit was just barely getting by. Even now, when my wife is convinced that I can't hear a thing, I enjoy listening to the Crossroads 2010 Blu-ray in 96 kHz / 24 bit stereo.

Note to the faint hearted: The audio bit rate at 4.6 mbps rivals the bit rate of many DVDs for video and audio.

It's important to maintain the quality through the whole process. There is little reason to up-sample 48 kHz / 16 bit to anything higher for the final delivery.

Then there has to be some [I]there[/I] there in the first place. That's why I finally chose to capture my open-reel tapes at 48 kHz / 24 bit. There just wasn't much there in the first place.