mp3 vs Ac-3

[brown1978]

Currently I dont have a AC-3 decoder I been hearing all my movies in mp3, can someone explain or give me a website to what I can expect when I buy an AC-3 decoder. How will the sound differ from an mp3. Also what is the difference between AC-3, DTS, THX, Dobly Digital

[Kandor]

Ac3 and Dolby Digital are the same
DTS is universals answer to dolby digital with higher bitrate and better quality in my ears atleast.
Mp3 is only 2 channel so it can contain a stereo track or dolby sorround track.
and mp3 is highly compressed and that sound even at very highbitrates sound like shit too me, I like graphone so you should not take it that it sounds like shit period, just that I dont like the digital sound format.
both dolby digital and dts holds 6 descreet channels. 5 speakers and one subwoofer track
and now the new dts can hold up to 7 channels. 6 speakers 1 subwoofer and dolby digital matrix is 6 discreet but one back centerchannel mixed in the 2 sorround channels. so the last channel is not descreet
and THX is only quality certification and some modification to the sound decoding so its nothing actually, just some delays to the surround channels and stuff like that.

anyway, that is what I can say about the formats

[qthesnake]

this is the differance:

sorry: i can't attach the JPG...

i was a nice graphic demo of the differance...

anyway, i always use AC3, even for two channel DD. it is simply better!

[Migsan76]

The problem with the use of AC-3 sound in DVD rips is the space that is necessary ... and the MP3 it's the solution when we want the maximum for the Video.

I know that AC-3 is't better, but to my rips i prefer MP3.

[buba king]

OGG Vorbis 255 Channels.. Nuff said :devil:

[qthesnake]

never will i prefer mp3 over ac3... but i do 2cd rips...

Q.

[Emp3r0r]

I have to second what snake said. Although my last one cd rip of monty python was set up for 89meg VBR MP3 and I had trouble muxing it correctly so I decided to see how big it would be with the original AC3 192kbps pro-logic track and it ended up perfect size. I guess since so much overhead on VBR I could just fit AC3 instead. BTW: AC3 is always dolby digital but can be either 2 channels or 5.1 channels generally.

[Emp3r0r]

Oh yea, AC3 sounds great for movies... I love the surround experience you get with 5.1 tracks. The better receiver and speakers the better the experience. Have fun!

PS: my 1.35 gig divx movie files playback exactly like the DVD would look... sound and picture.

[qthesnake]

Originally posted by Emp3r0r
PS: my 1.35 gig divx movie files playback exactly like the DVD would look... sound and picture.

you are perfectly right! playing only a little with the resolution makes it perfect! i usually use 640x??? or 704x???, and for long movies 592x??? all with the original AC3 (2ch if no 5.1 stream) and it come out allmost DVD quality! well worth the pause for switching the disks....

Q.

[Migsan76]

I will give a chance to AC-3 in my next rip.

What it's the best software to extract the AC3 sound from the vob's?

[qthesnake]

all of them are good... but saving a project in DVD2AVI with "demux all tracks" will save all the AC3 stream to your HDD the fastest...

Q.

[luke]

Migsan76 : just use smartripper and use the stream processing function by demuxing the ac3 to an extra file : this way you'll get vob only with video and the ac3 you want in another file.

[Migsan76]

Luke,

thanks by the tip. I will try that! :)

[soujir0u]

I have a question...are all 2 channel ac3s in 192kbps or can they be higher bitrate?

[qthesnake]

it's 90% of the time 192, but could be more... i just ripped a 384 2ch AC3 file and i ripped a 256kbps one too....