How to boost audio level on a backup DVD?

[Richard Iredale]

I've bought several DVDs that seem to have been authored by morons. The audio level is EXTREMELY low, making it difficult to even hear the dialogue when using the disk on a portable DVD player on long flights.

Is there a "simple" process for creating a backup of the original DVD but with the audio track normalized?

[wmansir]

No.

Unlike MP3, AC3 doesn't have a universal gain bit, or if it does it hasn't been exploited yet. Still, you could decode, nomalize and recode, but now your getting away from the "simple process" idea. None of the transcoders touch the audio, apart from removing it entirely, and neither does DVD-RB. So you need a process that fully breaks down and reauthors the disc, like Big3, which is definitly not simple.

Your DVD player might have the ability to select how it decodes dynamic range compression, set it to noisy enviroment to boost the quiet bits relative to the noisy bits. You can also take a look at noise cancelling headphones, they've really come down in price the last few years.

[setarip_old]

@Richard Iredale

Hi!The audio level is EXTREMELY lowCurious to know the Titles and Regions of the DVDs. Is it possible that you're hearing the (often very weak) results of your player downmixing a DTS audiostream? If so, select a different audiostream (.AC3 or Stereo, if available)...

[Mug Funky]

how low are we talking here? typically masters come with either a -20dB reference or a -18dB reference. it'll certainly sound quiet compared to a newish music CD, but that's actually the fault of the music industry for not adhering to any standard but how much smoke is coming out of the a/d converter.

it's possible that your device is mixing down a 5.1 track without including the centre channel - so you'll be effectively getting an M&E track - music and effects but no dialogue unless someone's standing to the far left or right of camera.

another possibility is DRC hasn't been enabled on your device, or it wasn't properly set on the DVD (this happens all the time - masters almost never come with the required information, i think i've only seen one 5.1 mix that actually stated the dialnorm and mix level). even if this is the case, there shouldn't be a huge difference.

yet another possibility is the audio just sucks on the DVD... in these cases you'll have to reach for the volume control :)