AC-3 versus Linear PCM?

[slipknotmr]

So in my TMPGnc I have a choice of compresion-AC-3 or linear pcm. Which is better? I'm mainly doing Concert vids & I transfer to a standalone burner then edid w/ TMPG. Thanks,

[yoda313]

ac3 takes less space. It depends on if your original source was encoded in digital surround sound and you wish to keep it that way. If it was stereo only than you won't lose anything by doing pcm. If it was 5.1 and you choose lpcm than you don't get the surround tracks anymore. But pcm takes up a lot more space than ac3.

It depends on how much video quality you want to preserve.

[slipknotmr]

So is AC-3 a form of compresion? (like MP3) If so than wouldn't PCm be better sound quality? It's all strait stereo stuff just want it to sound as good as it can. Thanks

[yoda313]

AC3 is dolby's digital compression system. And not to put to fine a point on it but to quote your own post you said

compresion-AC-3

So yes it is compressed audio.

PCM should retain the stereo the best but you'll have to sacrifice some video quality depending on the project size.

[Noahtuck]

So in my TMPGnc I have a choice of compresion-AC-3 or linear pcm. Which is better? I'm mainly doing Concert vids & I transfer to a standalone burner then edid w/ TMPG. Thanks,

When you record it to your standalone and then rip that disc to your PC what format is the audio in ?
Because if your standalone is recording it in AC3 changing it to LCPM won't make it any better and just use a ton of space that could be used for video.
Most produced dvd's have AC3 audio. 2.0, 5.1.

[slipknotmr]

Hey Noahtuck, you just answered my question. i just checked & my stand-alone uses AC-3, so AC-3 it is!! Thanks!
Now if someone would just answer my other thread(about how to raise audio levels when reauthoring a dvd) I'd be set for the night!! Thanks again,Mike

[lordsmurf]

Edit the audio files in an audio editor. It has nothing to do with authoring.

[Jester700]

If it's your transfers that need audio raised, some experimentation on the hardware side would be well worth it. To raise levels in an editor, you'd need to convert to WAV, normalize (or limit) the audio, and then either leave the file as PCM (at a cost of space) or reconvert to AC3 (at a sound quality penalty). THEN remux to your video. If you can get better gain staging to your DVD recorder, you needn'e go through all of this.