Players Widely Compatible with AC3?

RalphM wrote on 6/10/2004, 4:48 AM
If I understand correctly, the best results are to be had by rendering to MPEG2 using the DVDA template in Vegas 4.

I see that produces a video only file, and that I need to render the sound separately. Is AC3 supported by all newer DVD players (NTSC - US)?

Also, I'm doing a large slideshow - is "Best" rendering quality the appropriate choice?

Thanks

Comments

farss wrote on 6/10/2004, 5:45 AM
The spec for DVD players as far as I know require that all DVD players will play ac3, I'm not certain if that includes 5.1 or not but certainly ac3 stereo. That doesn't mean you have to use ac3 audio though. You can simply render out the audio track as 16/48KHz and DVDA will mux that quite happily and again all DVD players will play it OK.
The big advantage to ac3 is it takes up way less space on the DVD meaning you can fit more video or use a higher bitrate, under about 60 minutes of video this isn't an issue.
B_JM wrote on 6/10/2004, 5:46 AM
ac3 is supported by ALL dvd players regardless of age ...
JJKizak wrote on 6/10/2004, 6:18 AM
Some players will spit out the disc if it is not AC-3.

JJK
riredale wrote on 6/10/2004, 8:58 AM
If one were nitpicking, then one would say that the earlier DVD players in the NTSC countries were required to play only PCM and AC3 audio, while the PAL players were required to play only PCM and MPEG audio. I think by the late 1990's the PAL players picked up AC3 also.

I'm not sure who at Dolby Labs in San Francisco was so successful at pushing the AC3 format onto the DVD standards committees, but if I were Ray Dolby I'd give that person a gold star.
RalphM wrote on 6/10/2004, 10:10 AM
Thanks for the help folks, I'll enjoy the extra space the AC3 gives me on the DVD.