Quality of Dolby Digital 2.0

[The Producer]

Hello,
I've been doing VCDs for quite a while now in Dolby Surround Pro-Logic with BeSweet, and now I want to make a DVD with Dolby Digital. From what I can find out, Sonic's DVDit! is the only authoring software supporting AC3, but it's restricted to only Dolby Digital 2.0. I want to use DD5.1 because I like it's LFE (good for explosions and low rumbles), so what I need to know is if DD2.0 has LFE support? If not, does anyone know of any authoring program that supports DD5.1?

Thanks alot

[bugster]

What is your source material, is it already in 5.1 or are you going to produce it yourself. If you are ripping DVD's then it is possible to simply extract the AC3 DD 5.1 soundtrack from the movie and use it as the audio channel when you author the DVD. Authoring apps that will accept AC3 that I know of are SPruceUp and ULEAD DVD WS (has to be multiplexed with the video though).

[SingSing]

Hello,
I've been doing VCDs for quite a while now in Dolby Surround Pro-Logic with BeSweet

Can you post your procedure to use Pro-logic in your VCD ?
What is BeSweet ?

[revsitup14626]

can somebody set me up with a link on how to use BEsweet gui?

Thank You

[The Producer]

What is your source material, is it already in 5.1 or are you going to produce it yourself. If you are ripping DVD's then it is possible to simply extract the AC3 DD 5.1 soundtrack from the movie and use it as the audio channel when you author the DVD. Authoring apps that will accept AC3 that I know of are SPruceUp and ULEAD DVD WS (has to be multiplexed with the video though).

Thanks, I didn't realize that Ulead's DVD Workshop accepted AC3s!
I create 3D animation, and the source material is being made myself and ran through Soft Encode in full DD5.1.

Right now, my system is badly in need of an full upgrade and can't run DVD WS without crashing, and i'm stuck with a completed video project, and Sonic DVDit!. Before I deciede whether to author in DVD, and need to know if DD2.0 has an LFE.

Thanks

[The Producer]

SingSing, first you have to have a Dolby Digital .ac3 audio file, and BeSweet (a very useful audio transcoding program, you can get it and it's GUI at www.doom9.org). Once inside the program, click on the button next to "Input" and find your .ac3 file. Don't forget to set the location of BeSweet.exe, and the location of your output file. Once back at the main screen, click on "Azid 1" and do the same (you don't need to specify the location of Azid.exe, unless you have that file.) Then, make your selections in the Downmix Levels, and Output Modes boxes in Azid 1 Under Output Modes, select stereo, and in the dropdown box, select surround or surround 2 (I've been told that surround and surround 2 is decoded in Home Theater Systems as Pro-Logic and Pro-Logic 2). Then go back to the BeSweet main screen, under the Azid box, select "Use Ac3 Decoder", and under Output, choose your output file type. Once done, click the green AC3 to WAV (or MP3 or MP2) and wait for the process to complete. Use the resulting audio file (MP2 for VCD) and multiplex it back to the video in TMPG.

Hope that helps.
**Note: If outputing to MP2, click the "2lame" button on the BeSweet main screen, and change encoding mode, error protection, and total bitrate (224 for VCD).

[sumibas]

hi,

if you have DD 2.0 and paly the cd in a Player which has a DD Prologic or Prologic II the decoder Will sned LFE signals extraced from the 2.0 channel audio.

[Nolonemo]

DVD Maestro will take AC3, requires elementary streams. I use DVD WS for AC3, pre-mux using TMPGEnc. Has worked fine with 2/0, 3/0, 3/2, 5.1.

[SingSing]

Where are AC3 files normally come from ?
Do we rip ac3 sound track deom DVD ?

[The Producer]

AC3 files can be ripped from DVDs, or created with programs like Sonic Foundry's Soft Encode, or Minnetoka's SurCode.

[vitualis]

SingSing, read the DVD ripping guides at http://www.doom9.org

FYI, ALL the commonly used procedures of ripping and converting a DVD to VCD will produce Dolby Surround compatible stereo audio (e.g., FlaskMPEG, DVD2AVI and derivative methods).

Regards.

[SingSing]

So, Can I assume I take the stereo,and
plug it into a AC3 deoder amp ( a Panasonic ),
then I can get the back left and right audio output ?

[vitualis]

Um... not necessarily.

You will need an amp that can decode Dolby Surround / ProLogic / ProLogic II (most AC3 decoders will also one of them).

With a ProLogic decoder, you will get L, R, Centre and Surround (that is, the rear two surround channels will be the same).

With ProLogic II decoder, I think that the L and R surround channels are different.

Obviously, Dolby Surround audio (as decoded with Dolby ProLogic or ProLogic II equipment) will not sound as good as the original DD5.1 but it should still sound quite pleasing.

Regards.

[SingSing]

Isn't AC3 same as Prologic ?

Is Prologic 2 still analog ?

[caish5]

No AC3 is basically another name for Dolby Digital.
And yes Prologic 2 is still analogue.

[SingSing]

From dolby lab and other web sites,

I would like to say Dolby Digital I and II are both analog, both
have left, center and right, which play through front stereo speakers.
Dolby I has a single surround channel, and II has left and right surround.

AC3 is the file for Dolby Digital I and II, and it contains up to six channels.

It typically down mixed to stereo/wave file, and into SVCD.

I did not see they contain LFE for sub-woofer.

Are surround channel much less effective than back channels
from dts sountrack ? Should the surround speakers place behind
the listener/the couch ?

[caish5]

Read the Dolby website more closely ...
Dolby Surround...Dolby Pro-Logic....Dolby Pro-Logic 2.... all analogue

Dolby Digital is digital
There is no such thing as Dolby Digital 2 although there is
Dolby Digital EX which has a centre rear channel.

And yes I put the surround speakers behind the couch!

[SingSing]

You are right. I should say prologic and prologic II.