What Audio DVDs are best?

[neo_74]

Hi All, I'm interested in making an audio dvd from a collection of MP3s. I'm fairly new to this so I'd like to ask a few questions in order to make sure I'm on the right track....

1. If I make a data dvd full of mp3s using nero, will it be readable in any dvd player?

2. What is the difference between using Data disc or MP3 DVD in Nero?

3. If I make an audio DVD by converting MP3 to AC3 should I assume this may not work in all dvd players?, also is there any quality loss when converting from MP3 to AC3?

4. What I like about an AC3 Audio DVD is the ability to scan album covers in and create menus ect. Can a data dvd full of mp3s have the same features or is it one or the other?

5. Lastly, would I be correct in assuming that data dvd would be more for backup and trasporting an MP3 collection and an AC3 Audio DVD is used as a permanent audio disc?

Many questions I know but any input would be greatly appreciated, thanks again.

Mike

[guns1inger]

Hi All, I'm interested in making an audio dvd from a collection of MP3s. I'm fairly new to this so I'd like to ask a few questions in order to make sure I'm on the right track....

1. If I make a data dvd full of mp3s using nero, will it be readable in any dvd player?

2. What is the difference between using Data disc or MP3 DVD in Nero?

3. If I make an audio DVD by converting MP3 to AC3 should I assume this may not work in all dvd players?, also is there any quality loss when converting from MP3 to AC3?

4. What I like about an AC3 Audio DVD is the ability to scan album covers in and create menus ect. Can a data dvd full of mp3s have the same features or is it one or the other?

5. Lastly, would I be correct in assuming that data dvd would be more for backup and trasporting an MP3 collection and an AC3 Audio DVD is used as a permanent audio disc?

Many questions I know but any input would be greatly appreciated, thanks again.

Mike

1. No. Putting aside Nero as a burner, some players only read MP3s from CD, others will read from DVDs, but within specific parameters regarding folder names and depths, and file names.

2. Don't know, but there should not be. It can only be doing one of two things - burning a data disc, or converting them to DVD format, probably as AC3. Either should be OK, given my answer to 1.

3. Converting to AC3 with a sufficient bitrate should produce minimal loss. Given your source is MP3, it is unlikely you would hear any difference, as MP3 has already crushed the life out of it. If you then put the AC3 audio into a DVD structure, with simples stills for the video component, it will be as playable as any other home made DVD. If oyu just go with raw AC3 files, it may not play in many players.

4. No.

5. You can go with either. Personally, I wouldn't put any music in MP3 format if I wanted to listen to it, or convert it to AC3.

[SWBisbee]

I own this and it does agood job.

Fengtao Audio DVD Creator
http://www.vso-software.fr/managemusic.php

[SingSing]

I own this and it does a good job. Audio DVD Creator

[daphy]

3. If I make an audio DVD by converting MP3 to AC3 should I assume this may not work in all dvd players?, also is there any quality loss when converting from MP3 to AC3?

Do you mean a DVD-Video or a DVD-Audio
An audio DVD is something that defintifly not exists!

You can put audio tracks (MP3 mainly) on a data disc (this disc can be a CD or a DVD) or you can author your audio tracks in the DVD-Video standard (which won´t allow MP3 -> MP2, PCM, AC3, DTS) with a video track (f.e. stills). Finally you can author a DVD-Audio (another standard -> for higher quality intended) which only allows PCM or MLP audio tracks + video tracks (->stills).
Don't mixup those items!

Hint: for most compatiblity I would author a DVD-Video (DVDLab can be your friend!) but for best sound quality I would use the orginal MP3 files on a data disc.
Transcoding from a lossy format (MP3) to another lossy means loss!

[SWBisbee]

If you will go to the above link and
read, I think you will well pleased.

[AlanHK]

There's no standard for how a DVD player will treat a data disc.

My player can read MPG, JPEG, MP3s. If I insert a disc with any or all these files on it and press "play" it plays them in alphabetical order (or I can choose them from the rather clumsy file menu it generates). The MPEG video plays as video, the JPEGS display for a few seconds as a slideshow, the MP3s play as music.

I've ripped a few CDS of music to 320 k MP3. In that format you can store about 1500 minutes, 25 hours, of music, on one DVD. It's not a jukebox, but it's good enough for me.

[olyteddy]

...My player can read MPG, JPEG, MP3s. If I insert a disc with any or all these files on it and press "play" it plays them in alphabetical order (or I can choose them from the rather clumsy file menu it generates). The MPEG video plays as video, the JPEGS display for a few seconds as a slideshow, the MP3s play as music.
...

There's a WinAmp plug-in I use called Playlist-Unpacker Plugin v1.6 that can overcome that. It has the option of appending 'PL001; PL002; etc.' to the file name. I use it for MP3 CDs for my car.

[raquete]

An audio DVD is something that defintifly not exists!

well,i have lots working!(dvds and mini-dvds)

I own this and it does agood job.

is cool,
easy to use and don't reencode the ac3 if you're loading results from another encoder,
just adjust advdc the to the same bitrate and it's done with menus.

@ neo_74
first try to burn in dvdrw the files as data and check.
in lots of players works fine,no need menus,nothing,just check!

[Cornucopia]

An audio DVD is something that defintifly not exists!

well,i have lots working!(dvds and mini-dvds)

No you don't! You have working "DVD-Video" discs (and/or possibly "DVD-Audio" discs or plain, unauthored "Data-DVD" discs). That's what daphy was trying to tell you. You either go with a standardized format or you don't. The 1st two ARE standardized and should give you an identical experience with any player, the last one (whether it's the original WAV or original MP3, or converted to someting else) ISN'T standardized and so it's a crap shoot for player compatibility.

'Course, if you were just using it for archiving or for computer-only use, it wouldn't matter.

Scott

[raquete]

...crap shoot for player compatibility.

no cap in anywhere.
read about audio dvdcreator and i wrote about AC3 files and not from crap mp3(well,mp3 is crap-i think and feel).

No you don't!

oh yes,i can and have.
from the homepage:
"Audio DVD Creator is a revolutionary tool that changes the way you listen to your favorite music. You can create DVD disc compiled from normal Audio CDs and MP3 files, and play it on any DVD player since it's DVD-Video compliant."
http://www.audio-dvd-creator.com/index.htm

That's what daphy was trying to tell you.

that this product that i use for more than 2 years and have lots of medias working don't exist because is impossible to work?
from the homepage again:
"Please note: Audio DVD should not be confused with DVD-Audio, for which you need a special player and discs!"
but i understood what you want to mean,you're right too.

my audio-dvds and audio mini-dvds(from 448Kbps to 640Kbps) play in all players that i know and i'm technician at 33 years....then,no crap in anywhere.
again my advice:

first try to burn in dvdrw the files as data and check.

because new players can play lots of formats and no standards and renamed labels are using the same circuits like unknow or newer labels....in few years will be just differents labels with the same product,this is called "marketing" or ...something worse.

regards and my pleasure to meet you.

[daphy]

...crap shoot for player compatibility.

no cap in anywhere.
read about audio dvdcreator and i wrote about AC3 files and not from crap mp3(well,mp3 is crap-i think and feel).

No you don't!

oh yes,i can and have.
from the homepage:
"Audio DVD Creator is a revolutionary tool that changes the way you listen to your favorite music. You can create DVD disc compiled from normal Audio CDs and MP3 files, and play it on any DVD player since it's DVD-Video compliant."
http://www.audio-dvd-creator.com/index.htm

That's what daphy was trying to tell you.

that this product that i use for more than 2 years and have lots of medias working don't exist because is impossible to work?
from the homepage again:
"Please note: Audio DVD should not be confused with DVD-Audio, for which you need a special player and discs!"
but i understood what you want to mean,you're right too.

my audio-dvds and audio mini-dvds(from 448Kbps to 640Kbps) play in all players that i know and i'm technician at 33 years....then,no crap in anywhere.

I´m a little bit older and working on audio stuff more than 25 years (anyway)
but
as already stated by Cornucopia: your audio DVDs are DVD-Video (compare the explainations from the homepage of Audio DVD Creator)
-> one proof is, what folders are on such a audio DVD: if you can find a folder in the root called VIDEO_TS with files with the extentions .VOB, .IFO, .BUP your have a DVD-Video in your hand

no need for further discussion

[raquete]

I´m a little bit older and working on audio stuff more than 25 years

don't worry,i'm sure that i'm older than you and we are old friends in doom9...well...seems that we're old in everything and in everywhere...

as already stated by Cornucopia: your audio DVDs are DVD-Video ..

for sure, and you are right too. i understood what you 2 mean after read all again,both are rights!!

no need for further discussion

you're right and never was a discussion,...i call as "explain better because one of us can be wrong".
and was cool at the same time because using the search i found lots of posts from Cornucopia about the same theme with good and clever explanations.
this thread here is now one more secure reference for who want to remove any doubts about this all.
is cool in the end!

regards

[daphy]

BTW:
The Audio DVD Creator seams to be a nice toy

Did any one tried to build a CD with that app? What results as format? a MiniDVD
IMHO a MiniDVD is NOT that compatible as promised

CYA daphy

[SingSing]

I did a few DVDs with about 6 CD worth of music each with Audio DVD Creator. It sounds great when I play them in Stereo with my surround receiver.

miniDVd is pretty much used by camcorder only due to its size, and not much else.

[neo_74]

I recently picked up Apollo's Audio DVD Creator.
http://www.createdvd.net/audio_dvd_creator.htm

Is it safe to assume this program does the same job as Audio DVD Creator found here.. ?
http://www.audio-dvd-creator.com/index.htm

Anyone have the chance to try out Apollo's vs. Audio DVD Creator?

[SingSing]

They are not exactly the same.

[dvdguy4]

You can always try dvd2one. It has the built in dvd audio remaster.

http://dvd2one.com/

[SingSing]

We should able to use DVD slide show application like MemoriesOnTV to do audio on DVD. This will provides a non-static background ! Which is better than look at the track menu.

[daphy]

BTW:
The Audio DVD Creator seams to be a nice toy

Did any one tried to build a CD with that app? What results as format? a MiniDVD
IMHO a MiniDVD is NOT that compatible as promised

CYA daphy

dispointing - it´s a simple AudioCD, nothing more or less

[SingSing]

It is not a Audio CD at all.

You can't play a DVD with audio sound tracks on any CD player.

[raquete]

@ daphy and all,
i use advdcreator in a different way:
first i extract the tracks in a.audition then,extract surrounds and center in one external GUI.
inside audition again i extract the LFE.
then i load the L,R,C,LFE,SL&SR in one AC3 encoder(Aften or sfsoftencode)to get the AC3 with the desired bitrate.

well.... where is advdcreator? lol

now is the time:
i load all the AC3 and save the project and close the prog.
editing the project.prj from advdcreator i put the right names of the tracks,albums,etc.
open the project again in advdcreator and chose the pictures for the background and encode.

about size and Kbps.

sizes:
if you chose the size to 700MB,you'll get the size desired depending of course how much musics are in your project.
i can put round 4~5 full albums with AC3-5.1-512Kbps.
i don't want or need more for a single cdr 700Mb media....think how many you can get in dvds,is really too much!!!
bitrate:
when you use a external AC3 encoder and chose the bitrate for example 512Kbps,if you use the same bitrate in advdcreator the program don't re-encode the audio again(see in features).

then i use this program only for "author" the mini-dvd with menus,pictures,autoplay(very cool feature),name of the tracks and albums,etc...!

lots of AC3 - 5.1 - 448Kbps or more bitrate in one single cdr that play in all players because is standard!!
seems good ? i'm sure that for some people here(i will for lots) is one cool hint!!

regards.

[Cornucopia]

I'm having a little trouble understanding your English, but I'll try to respond where I can...

Your mention of a universally-playable disc gives me pause.

The ONLY universally-playable disc is standard redbook AudioCD.

DVD-Video (the next most universal) doesn't work in CD players.

It sounds like you were making a miniDVD--the kind also known as DVDonCD (not the 8cm-sized DVD kind). This should work on most DVD players, but once again, won't work on CD players. Nor will it work on slot-loading drives in Car DVD players or Computers.

On another line, it sounded like you were talking about AC3-CD's (like DTS-CD's). That would be a great way to present surround audio only, but once again it isn't universal. It doesn't work with players that can't pass through/out the raw, unconverted digital bitstream (quite alot). And since most CD players don't have digital outs, that leaves them out also.
Plus, it doesn't save any space/time over 2ch PCM audio as it has to pad the stream back to PCM size. The only benefit is the surround capability.

Scott

[raquete]

I'm having a little trouble understanding your English

lol,it's normal.
is my fault,sorry...my english is really too bad!

Your mention of a universally-playable disc gives me pause.

minidvds are for dvdplayers...i mean dvdplayer and not cd players.

It sounds like you were making a miniDVD--the kind also known as DVDonCD

you got the "feeling",is on cd(or rw).

On another line, it sounded like you were talking about AC3-CD's (like DTS-CD's).

AC3 5.1,not DTS.this AC3 are from stereo cdas where i extract "extremes,center and lfe" to encode in soft encode or aften and later take the result to author in audio dvd creator with menus,pictures,etc.

That would be a great way to present surround audio only, but once again it isn't universal. It doesn't work with players that can't pass through/out the raw, unconverted digital bitstream (quite alot). And since most CD players don't have digital outs, that leaves them out also.

you're completely right but as i told you here i was incomplete in the last post...it's for dvd players only!

Plus, it doesn't save any space/time over 2ch PCM audio as it has to pad the stream back to PCM size. The only benefit is the surround capability.

now that i explain that i use AC3 in cdr see what i get:
4 or 5 complete cdas in one single cdr where:
audio: AC3 5.1 640Kbps (more albums using 448Kbps but it's for musics only than i chose the max)
menu
album list
song list
track name
album name
picture in the background
auto play

well,i think that is amazing,see how much i have in my mini-dvds and with good quality!
now think how much you can get in dvd medias?

regards!

[raquete]

@ cornucopia
if you are interested to see and test i do one complete album in 200Mb(2*100Mb) size with the "features" posted and host for you in rapidshare.
only need to download,unrar and burn the video_ts folder in one cdrw(for test) as mini-dvd!
waiting for you!

[raquete]

@ SingSing

Apolo audiodvdcreator have "autoplay" option and import AC3 files without reencode?