Audio compression

Java44 wrote on 1/26/2005, 8:05 PM
Hello:

I can't seem to find MP2 (MPEG1 Layer 2?) audio compression capability in MS or DVDA. Since the DVD spec requires it for PAL, there must be an encoder in MS already. I also used it successfully in other NLE/DVD authoring programs (Premier Pro, Studio 8) so I know the DVD players I have will handle it. How, or can I, select audio compression in MS or DVDA? I don't want to waste so much DVD space on uncompressed PCM audio. I've used DVDShrink to lower the bitrate of the video to fit but it wouldn't let me compress the audio either. I've seen posts that say it "should" be possible but I can't figure out how to do it.

Is anyone able to use NTSC video with MP2 audio in either MS or DVDA?

Thanks

Comments

ScottW wrote on 1/27/2005, 2:14 PM
The spec requires that PAL DVD players be able to support the playback of MPEG-1 layer 2 audio, but that doesn't mean you are required to put the audio in that format. Dolby Digital and PCM are also required so you have 3 options for putting the audio on the DVD.

For NTSC players are only required to support PCM or Dolby Digital.

There should be a template in MS that will let you render MPEG-2 with Audio, however as soon as you bring that into DVDAS it will probably put it back into PCM (DVDAS's big brother only allows PCM or AC3, so, since DVDAS doesn't have AC3 I assume the only thing you're left with is PCM).

--Scott
IanG wrote on 1/27/2005, 2:24 PM
If you select the NTSC DVD template and MainConcept MPEG-2 format you'll get level 2 audio. DVDAS gives a warning that the audio will be compressed (to what?) and then produces a perfectly good video_ts folder.

Ian G.
Java44 wrote on 1/27/2005, 2:27 PM
Thanks for the help but I haven't been able to find a way to use MP2 audio in either Vegas Studio or in DVD Architect. So if it is there, I can't find it. It probably means that I'll have to use a different DVD Authoring program, which I don't want to do. DV capture, editing, and authoring seems to involve using many separate programs for each little piece of the process with few stable "do it all" programs. I'd hoped that MS was it but apparently not.

IanG wrote on 1/27/2005, 2:45 PM
Sorry, I don't know what the problem is - I've just rendered as I described above and then dropped the resulting MPEG2 file straight into DVDAS. The audio isn't rendered as an elementary stream.

Ian G.