DVD Audio Streams

[jeh]

I've been copying movies for quite some time now, but I want to make sure I'm doing it correctly. I use DVDfab Platinum, mainly because unlike other programs, it tells you whether or not the audio stream has an extension like "director's comm". With that said, if I choose the main movie option, does director's comm have anything to do with the main movie, or is it just an extra?

And is there a program or tool you can use while playing a movie, that shows you the output quality of the movie. To make sure I'm choosing the correct audio stream.

There has been plenty of movies, where it gives multiple English AC-3/2 audio streams, and only one can be the true Dolby Digital.

Thanks for the help.

[Baldrick]

director's comm = Directors commentaries = extra.

What do you mean by only one can be the tru dolby digital? A dvd can contain several true dolby digital tracks. But just select the AC3 5.1 english if you want the best. Or DTS english audio track works fine too.

[krakkur]

I don't think there is a tool that can do what you're asking for. A player that has options to let you see the actual output quality as the video is playing. I might be wrong, but I don't think there is.

[jeh]

director's comm = Directors commentaries = extra.

What do you mean by only one can be the tru dolby digital? A dvd can contain several true dolby digital tracks. But just select the AC3 5.1 english if you want the best. Or DTS english audio track works fine too.

It should only have one English AC-3/2 Dolby Digital, for the main movie. Sometimes DVDfab wont read the extensions and you get 3 or more of the same audio stream, which can't be right. That's what I was getting at.

[jason]

Yeah, a lot of programs wont identify if there are 2 audio streams during the main movie. A lot of movies now are just using English AC-3/5.1 without the 2 channel. Good luck mate.

[guns1inger]

Identifiers such as the language and whether or not it is a commentary track must be set during authoring, and are stored in the IFO files. If these are not set during authoring then the information simply isn't available for software to read.

The closest you have to an indicator for quality is the bitrate, which is usually tied to the number of channels. Generally, 2 channels will have a bitrate or 256 kbps or less, and 5.1 AC3 will have 384 or 448. DTS will be higher, and PCM will be 1536 kbps. Commentaries are rarely 5.1, although I have seen several that are 3.0 (basically fL,fR and mono rear).

2 channel tracks were common for older titles and titles that also received a VHS release. More and more, however, recent releases simply do not have 2.0 mix because it was never created in th first place (no need) and because all players will downmix an AC3 5.1 to stereo through the analogue outputs anyway.

There is nothing at all to suggest that a movie can have only one true AC3 audio track. I have discs that have several, including a 5.1 English mix, a 2.0 English mix, a 2.0 music and audio effects track, and several commentaries. All of these are 'true AC3' tracks.

However, back to your main problem - the tags must be authored into the disc for any software, be it DVDFab or DVD Shrink, to be able to identify it beyond the number of channels and the bitrate.

[jeh]

Thank you.