AUDIO_TS folder necessary?

[djtizzy]

so i am in possession of a VIDEO_TS folder with no respective AUDIO_TS folder. if i burn this video_ts folder will i still possibly get sound when i play the dvd-r on my standalone player?

[Noahtuck]

Yes!

Alot of pressed dvd's do not even have the AUDIO_TS folder.

It is mainly used for DVD Audio disc's which hold diff. files for use on dvd players that are capable of playing DVD Audio disc's.

Movie only dvd's contain all the video & audio in the VIDEO_TS folder.

[daamon]

The DVD specification requires the presence of both the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders for a DVD to be absolutely fully compliant in this regard.

Most players don't look for the AUDIO_TS folder - but for ones that do, and if it's not there (even though it's likely to be empty), the DVD will not play.

I always include it as it takes up negligible space and is safer. For something so simple to do, it can potentially avoid a lot of hassle.

[adam]

daamon that is simply not true. The DVD standard was finalized before DVD-Audio was even invented. (DVD-Audio finalized in '99, three years after the release of DVD.) DVD-Audio was added to the IEC specification for DVDs, after the fact, as an optional subset. A non DVD-Audio dvd player doesn't even contemplate the existance of an AUDIO_TS folder much less require it. And of course, these days, the majority of commercial DVDs omit the directory.

The whole AUDIO_TS directory requirement is just one of those internet myths. I believe the misconception is based on nothing more than the fact that some commercial DVDs contain the folder for no apparant reason. But this is easily explained by the fact that many commercial authoring packages export all optional directories by default. This is done for future-proofing in case they add those capabilities to the software in the future.

[daamon]

@ adam: Wow! It seems I've been the victim of an internet myth from day one. Thanks for setting me straight and, djtizzy, my apologies for misleading you.

[adam]

An update on this. Seems I was basically right, but that a handful of first-gen players do require the directory unnecesarily. I emailed Jim Taylor who works with Sonic Solutions, has written DVD Demystified, is chairman of the DVD Association, and is basically one of the most respected and knowledgeable guys in the DVD production industry. Here is his response.

AUDIO_TS folder is not required by the specification. However, a few early players misread the specification, which reserved an optional folder for the audio format, and would not play discs without it. There are probably only a handful of these players left in operation, but the convention has survived.

[minko]

Props to daamon & adam for clariying this issue is a most Civil Manner.

[videopoo]

Yes...Thanks guys for the learning experience~!

[daamon]

Props to daamon & adam for clariying this issue is a most Civil Manner.

Yes...Thanks guys for the learning experience~!

Hey adam! What a team...? It's wonderful how a little humility, co-operation and courteousness can go a long way. It's the start of a new World Order! Oh, and cheers for the update - interesting. And the obvious seeds for the (90%) internet myth.

[Pinstripes23]

If I recall, I did read on THIS SITE a long time ago that the AUDIO_TS folder is necessary for older DVD players to read correctly (I forget who). And it just stayed in my memory when I started making DVD's. So as a pre-caution I always create the AUDIO_TS folder.

[Oscar wallace]

I always wonderd what use it was considering it never contained anything, just to idle to ask

[DarrellS]

I don't remember the program but when I first starting burning DVDs, the program that I used did not create an AUDIO_TS folder and the DVD had no audio so I created an AUDIO_TS folder and reburned the disc and it played the audio so I always make sure that I have an AUDIO_TS folder before I burn a disc.

[videopoo]

Thanks a bunch guys....but Im still including my AUDIO_TS folder on all my discs

[Noahtuck]

An update on this. Seems I was basically right, but that a handful of first-gen players do require the directory unnecesarily. I emailed Jim Taylor who works with Sonic Solutions, has written DVD Demystified, is chairman of the DVD Association, and is basically one of the most respected and knowledgeable guys in the DVD production industry. Here is his response.

AUDIO_TS folder is not required by the specification. However, a few early players misread the specification, which reserved an optional folder for the audio format, and would not play discs without it. There are probably only a handful of these players left in operation, but the convention has survived.

I was gonna say, that must have been pretty rare and a defect of the player.

Because as i stated previously, there are a lot of dvd's released that do not even contain an AUDIO_TS folder.

I don't remember the program but when I first starting burning DVDs, the program that I used did not create an AUDIO_TS folder and the DVD had no audio so I created an AUDIO_TS folder and reburned the disc and it played the audio so I always make sure that I have an AUDIO_TS folder before I burn a disc.

There must have been something else going on because the AUDIO_TS folder has nothing to do with the audio contained in the VIDEO_TS folder of a movie dvd.

I was going to burn a dvd without the AUDIO_TS folder just to test something and by freak chance i happened to have series 1 of NCIS sitting here, I popped it in my drive and low and behold....

NO AUDIO_TS folder!!!!!!!




And these are NEW store bought pressed dvd's released this year!!!

Even in my dvd player's that plays DVD AUDIO disc's, when they come from the factory they are set by default to look for the VIDEO_TS folder, you have to go into the setup and set it to look for the AUDIO_TS folder for DVD AUDIO disc's, if they are empty it automaticaly look's next in the VIDEO_TS folder and starts.

Even with the absence of the AUDIO_TS folder they just go straight to the VIDEO_TS folder, it in no way hangs them up, not even in my other standard players that do not play DVD AUDIO disc's that are 10 years old.

but Im still including my AUDIO_TS folder on all my discs

I also include the AUDIO_TS folder on everything i burn, can't hurt and it takes up no space, but mostly because most burning programs, dvd shrink, authoring programs, TDA, DVD LAB, ect. usually include the AUDIO_TS folder, even creating an image with imgtool if there is not an AUDIO_TS folder in the directory you are working in, it will create one.

But i was even suprised to find a NEWER release that did not contain the AUDIO_TS folder, usually the one's i see are pretty old releases.

But then again it's pretty rare that i would even check for one on a pressed dvd as it really don't matter one way or the other 8)