Which audio track to choose?

[vcd4me]

Hi all,

I just tried to back up a movie using IC8 and I don't know which audio tracks to keep? This is the first time I have run accross this problem . I have two identicle sets and a french set .

Once I load the movie into IC8 and I look at the audio tab for the main movie there are 5 diffrent audios files

Here they are (in order)

language / format / bitrate / size

english / ac3stereo /194Kbit/ 160 MB
english / ac35.1 /444Kbit / 367 MB
French / ac3stereo / 194 Kbit/ 160 MB
english / ac3stereo /194Kbit/ 160MB
english / ac35.1 /444Kbit / 367 MB

I obviously am going to delete the french but I am not sure as to what english audio I should keep.

Thanks in advance
VCD4ME

[qwerty111]

i guess you should keep either the second or the fifth track (english 5.1)but why don't you try listening to these two tracks first (by choosing one of these audio tracks on your player at a time) to find out the difference

[glockjs]

usually the lower ones on the list are director's comments from my experience.. you can always try and find out, worst case you get a coaster.

[Hardcoreruss]

I would go with the first 5.1.

[vivisimonvi]

There are tradeoff's of course in keeping which audio tracks (the more bitrate in audio the less video quality)... If you have a 5.1 home theater audio system you most likely will want to keep the 5.1 audio track (the first one listed is most likely the main movie audio). Even if you don't have 5.1 sound, you can get a downmixed 2 channel "stereo" sound from 5.1 audio (it's just about the same as ac3 stereo).

You may run into DTS audio tracks which you probably won't want or need unless you're a serious audiophile type. They take up a ton of bitrate (about twice as much as ac3 5.1). Not only that you need DTS reading/decoding capabilities that your receiver AND DVD player has.

[vcd4me]

Thanks guys for the replies

I guess I wasn't to clear with what I wrote because I was actuallly confused about the words ac3stereo...It sounds like an oxyomoron. I was always under the impression that ac3 was just another word for 5.1.

Ayways I only have one dvd player and it is in my home theater (it's actually 7.1). I am now in the process of buying a second dvd player for the living room , and I am hoping that the discs I have made will be able to play on just a tv with no sound equipment

Anyways I think vivisimonvi explained it well with this

Even if you don't have 5.1 sound, you can get a downmixed 2 channel "stereo" sound from 5.1 audio (it's just about the same as ac3 stereo).

I do however want to clear up something if I choose 5.1 only as my audio will it be able to play on a dvd player just hooked up to a tv?

Thanks in advance
VCD4ME

[bdf24]

I do however want to clear up something if I choose 5.1 only as my audio will it be able to play on a dvd player just hooked up to a tv?

Thanks in advance
VCD4ME

Yes it will still play on the TV without out a Dolby digital reciever. The 5.1 will be mixed down to two channel stereo or analog.

[Thunder In Paradise]

I'd pick the 2nd audio option.

[guns1inger]

Some older films have both the original dolby stereo mix, and a 5.1. In my experience, even the down mixed 5.1 sounds better than the original stereo mix

[vcd4me]

Thanks everyone !