AUDIO QUANDARY

chuck_et wrote on 7/14/2004, 11:28 AM
a. After capturing from a mini-DV camera, I "make a movie" to hard disk as an mpeg-2. I then author the DVD - no problem!

b. After capturing from a VCR (tape), I "make a movie" to hard disk as an mpeg-2. I then try to author the DVD and get a message which indicates a possible imcompatability in the audio. I go ahead and burn it anyway, and it works just fine on MY dvd player.

c. My concern is that this is some type of MPEG issue that isn't real good for audio and that once distributed the DVD will not play audio on some players, even though it plays fine on mine.

d. Does anyone have any suggestions? Should I "make a movie" to hard disk as an .avi and then let the authoring software do the DVD conversion prior to the burn?

NOTE: I have used two authoring programs. The first (Arcsoft) wouldn't even allow me to burn the disc; it just returned a "failure" window when it was at the audio authoring stage. The second (Ulead) allows me to burn the DVD after warning me of the potential audio problem.

thanks for your help

Comments

IanG wrote on 7/14/2004, 3:03 PM
Do these programs say what's wrong with the audio?

Ian G.
chuck_et wrote on 7/15/2004, 6:10 AM
NO
cbrillow wrote on 7/15/2004, 6:27 AM
Could it be simply that you are writing the audio as mpeg instead of PCM or AC3, and that's the reason for the error message? The NTSC DVD spec is that players aren't required to support mpeg audio, but many do. Maybe that's what it's trying to tell you.
chuck_et wrote on 7/15/2004, 7:31 AM
Thanks cbrillow
I feel that you are exactly correct! Now, my next question is HOW do I write the audio as PCM or AC-3. The default always seems to say something like
"Video: NTSC"
"Audio: MPEG2"
I don't know how to specify PCM.
Can you help on this?
p.s. My Ulead also supposedly has AC-3 capabilities but the safari to discover it continues still.
Lawrence wrote on 7/15/2004, 12:35 PM
If you are referring to VideoStudio 8 - then you will not find it in your
Safari. You need to buy the AC3 module. US$ 30.00 from Ulead.
cbrillow wrote on 7/16/2004, 6:26 AM
My experience with Screenblast was short-lived, having basically skipped through it on the way to Vegas, so I can't be specific on the audio save options available. However, how it's written to disc is probably ultimately going to depend upon the DVD authoring/burning tool you use. Are you using MyDVD? I'm not familiar with the audio choices presented in that, not having even installed it.

My DVDs have always been written from either Studio 9, which offers PCM and MPEG, and DVDA2, which will do PCM and AC3. (with a few variations) You should probably look at your DVD authoring software for audio fomats that it will burn.
chuck_et wrote on 7/16/2004, 7:06 AM
THANKS. I found it. I re-installed the Ulead software I was using and there it was. Weird, huh?