Divx to DVDr audio question

[Vanderlow]

Well I converted my first Divx to DVDr and it turned out pretty good. I used TMPGEnc Plus and used the wizard and convert to mpeg. and then used TMPGEnc Author and converted to VOB. I even made chapters and the quality seem to be as good as the Divx. I was impressed especially for as little reading as I did. So here's my question, in converting the Divx to Mpeg TMPGenc I had to toggle between audio of CBR PCM or Mpeg-1 Layer 2(or someting like that) and also VBR. I pick CBR Mpeg-1 audio. It worked, but is one better then the other? Is one more compatible across a number of DVD players then another? Thanks.

[guns1inger]

There are 4 types of audio allowable under the DVD spec, and some of these have subsets. The main types are

1. LPCM - uncompressed audio stream. Eats lots of space. Playable in anything

2. Mpeg1LayerII - good compression, playable in all PAL standalone players. may or may not play in NTSC standalone players.

3. AC-3 (Dolby Digital) - 1 - 5.1 channels. very good compression. Downsamples to stereo in stand alone players if required.

4. DTS (Digital Theatre System) - 5.1 - 6.1 channels. Good compression, but not as good as AC-3. Requires a dedicated decoder chip in the player or the amp as it does not downsample to stereo.

If you have an hour or less of video, LPCM is probably acceptable. If you have more than this, you may find the sacrifce of video quality required to accomodate the audio isn't worth it. Mpeg1LayerII is a good solid compromise for stereo audio, if your player wil accept it. I'm in PAL land, and have never had an issue with it.

My preference is AC-3. High quality with good compression, and allows for 2 channel stereo audio. You can get a cheap but good AC-3 decoder from pegasys to go with tmpegenc/DVD Author. A worthwhile investment.

[Vanderlow]

thanks for the info.