Dolby Digital 5.1 and Soft Encode: NO LFE OUTPUT

[ToeCutter]

I've been working on putting some of the BMW Films clips on DVD and have been able to get everything working EXCEPT my LFE output.

Toe's Process:
1. Exported the audio directly from the .mov to a STEREO .wav (48K, 16 bit, PCM) using Quicktime's Export function.

2. Exported the audio directly from the .mov to a MONO .wav (48K, 16 bit, PCM) using Quicktime's Export function.

3. Used the STEREO .wav for my front L+R and rear L+R while using the MONO .wavs for my center and LFE. I did low-pass my LFE channel using Sound Forge to gradually (18 db/octave slope) eliminate all output over 320 Hz (crossover starts at 120 Hz). Inversely, I used the same slope to eliminate all output above 80 Hz on the remaining 5 channels.

4. Encoded to an .ac3 file with Soft Encode. I left all channels flat at 0 db.

When I play the disc, my receiver recognizes the Dolby Digital stream as 3/2/1, but I get ZERO output from my sub. I doubled checked the HT hardware by playing The Matrix, and yes the sub is working fine.

What's really throwing me is that Soft Encode's preview function previews plenty of bass before I encode. I'm in the process of re-encoding a file with zero manipulation to see if SE's low pass is killing off some of the signal. I have some idea what's going on within SE, but the documentation is pretty sparse.

Any suggestions?

[ToeCutter]

I re-encoded the .wav file and it worked fine.

Go Figure

[rallynavvie]

Sorry to dig this up again but I'm currently attempting to do the same thing you are. I'm trying to put the BMW Films on DVD but downloading them from their website gives you a player GUI. Though cool, this GUI won't allow me to easily reencode the MOV files to MPEG-2 for DVD content. The only thing I was able to open them up in was Ulead's DVD Factory capture tool which told me there were 6 different video tracks and 2 audio tracks. I assume the alternate video tracks are for the GUI? The alternate audio track must be the director commentary track. Any ideas on how to seperate the different audio/video tracks so I can encode them to MPEG-2 and spin them on DVD?

Are you using a full release of QT to export sound files? Will it also seperate and export video files? Now is when I wish I still had my G4 around with iMovie

If I have to I'll use my DV bridge to playback of the films to my MiniDV camcorder digitally and then re-capture as MPEG to be ripped with TMPGEnc. While on the subject does anyone have tips on how to make 16:9 films on TMPGEnc? Or how about alternate sound tracks as the function on DVD players for the director commentary? How's that for asking a lot?

~Garrett

[ToeCutter]

The .mov files are stored locally if you select to download them. Check your BMW Player directory. They're in there.

If you'd like to save yourself a great deal of time, you can call BMW Customer Service and request a DVD with 5.1 audio of "The Hire". they'll send you one free of charge. I just got mine last week. To my astonishment it was not an anamorphic transfer

www.bmwusa.com