Which audio format to use?

bcbarnes wrote on 2/20/2003, 7:18 AM

Because DVDA can only write one audio track, I'm a little uncertain which would be the most compatible. I'd like to use AC-3 5.1, but will users that only have the stereo outputs hooked up be able to hear it? I can hear it on my settop system, it comes out as stereo through my TV, but I can turn on my reciever and I get 5.1 out of it. The problem is I'm not sure that this is "standard" behavior. If I send a DVD with AC-3 5.1 audio to my folks who have only the simplest setup, assuming they can play the disk at all, will they be able to hear stereo audio?

Comments

bcbarnes wrote on 2/20/2003, 1:08 PM

I found this in the "DVD Demystified" FAQ:

<Quote>
The built-in, 2-channel Dolby Digital decoder in every DVD player handles multichannel audio by downmixing it to two channels using Dolby Surround (see 3.6.2). This allows the analog stereo outputs to be connected to just about anything, including TVs and receivers with Dolby Pro Logic capability.
<End Quote>

This implies to me that every DVD player (NTSC anyway) can decode the 5.1 AC3 and output it as stereo with the extra channels "piggy-backed" on it.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong here.

dsanders wrote on 2/24/2003, 1:58 PM

All NTSC DVD players are required to support Dolby Digital and PCM (Uncompressed audio). The spec does not say that a DVD player must output 5.1. Cheaper players simply down convert the 5.1 to stereo. Also, if you only have a DD soundtrack, your folks may have to go into the audio setup of the DVD player and select DD, but this usually happens automatically.

Finally, I think that its great tha Vegas comes with a 5.1 encoder. But in reality stereo is usually just fine. Most of the discs that DVD-A will make (I'm guessing here) will use footage shot from DV (or VHS) Camcorders so you really only have two channels anyhow. If I were you I would just stick with stereo Digital Dolby and save the extra bits for the video.