Using the forum's search field with the keyword '5.1' the following hit was an early find:

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/vegas-pro-edit-21-importing-5-1-surround-sound-files-and-stereo-sound--145596/

The comment marked as being the solution found that the AAC codec was able to be read as 5.1 in Vegas Pro 21. A quick Google/Bing search suggests that AAC audio supports up to 96-24 but I have no experience with 96-24 (only 48-24) in being able to confirm that or otherwise.

Hi there dexcon, thanks for the reply.

Im only using v18 and dvda v7 but i have been getting 5.1 using ac3 thru the voukofer encoder without any issues for a while. What im after is anyone who has created a blu-ray audio only with lossless, in a format that dvda will not re-encode to ac3. It’s a rather specific quest..

i assume it would have been on the cards IF product development had continued, those years back when..

cheers CD

What im after is anyone who has created a blu-ray audio only with lossless, in a format that dvda will not re-encode to ac3

Using DVDA 7's predecessor - DVDA 6 - project properties in DVDA 6 has 3 audio choices: AC3 stereo, AC3 5.1 and PCM, the latter apparently offering lossless audio - and only useful if the original audio media is in 96-24 lossless.

DVDA 6 ended with Sony Vegas Pro 13, and DVDA 7 was a rejig of DVDA 6 after MAGIX acquired the Vegas product line some 8 years ago but DVDA 7 dropped some AC3 capabiliities due to AC3 licencing issues.

What im after is anyone who has created a blu-ray audio only with lossless, in a format that dvda will not re-encode to ac3. It’s a rather specific quest.

As I imagine that you may possibly find by doing a forum search, you possibly may be the first on the forum to have raised this issue. Maybe seek out other forums (e.g. Reddit) for any suggestions there.

for completeness and for later reference for anyone else interested.

I can achieve what I want in a limited way, using TMPGEnc Author Works v7. Again by directly replacing an existing audio part of the A/V file with the w64. But the limitation is that as soon as you add chapters points for the individual tracks, the audio is re-encoded to ac3.

So it's possible but only if one audio file with all tracks merged into one complete file is used. This does playback on my OPPO as it should, in 96-24 MCH.

cheers. CD

What im after is anyone who has created a blu-ray audio only with lossless, in a format that dvda will not re-encode to ac3

Using DVDA 7's predecessor - DVDA 6 - project properties in DVDA 6 has 3 audio choices: AC3 stereo, AC3 5.1 and PCM, the latter apparently offering lossless audio - and only useful if the original audio media is in 96-24 lossless.

DVDA 6 ended with Sony Vegas Pro 13, and DVDA 7 was a rejig of DVDA 6 after MAGIX acquired the Vegas product line some 8 years ago but DVDA 7 dropped some AC3 capabiliities due to AC3 licencing issues.

What im after is anyone who has created a blu-ray audio only with lossless, in a format that dvda will not re-encode to ac3. It’s a rather specific quest.

As I imagine that you may possibly find by doing a forum search, you possibly may be the first on the forum to have raised this issue. Maybe seek out other forums (e.g. Reddit) for any suggestions there.

Hi there Dexcon, thanks again for your time and input.

w64 files are PCM, I know DVDA7 will accept w64 files at 96-24 in STEREO, but not mutlichannel. the w64 file has to be dragged directly onto the DVDA7 timeline for the track. That track can be just video or if A/V you "replace" the existing audio part of that track with the w64 file in the properties for that track.

It makes no diff if the w64 files are rendered through Vegas or not, the MCH file is rejected by DVDA7. And of course the normal standard template in vegas for the blu-ray A/V disc is ac3.

I will continue to browse around the on-line forums. cheers CD

@doobre What happens if you use wav files instead of w64?

@doobre What happens if you use wav files instead of w64?

same issue, plus of course the PC complains about a wav file being over 4Gb..

TMPGEnc Authoring Works v7 seems to be the best bet so far.. shame it doesn't allow for the creation of 4K Video/Audio blu-ray discs.

@doobre  ... In Vegas Pro 18's Options/Preferences, one of the options allows WAV files larger than 4GB to be used oince that option is checked:

Render large Wave files as Wave64

The .wav format is limited by a maximum file size of ~2GB (4GB if the Allow Wave renders up to 4 GB check box is selected). When this check box is selected, you can render larger files as Wave64 files.