DVD audio format (newbie) question

[JamesTKirby]

Hello,

I'd like to know a bit more about the various audio formats found in DVDs. So far, I have encountered the following - can someone please answer in a word or two what they are and what are the differences between them ?

I know I could go read some official documents about the formats but I'd really like a down-to-earth, yet still expert opinions.

- Dolby Digital

- Dolby Surround

- Dolby Surround EX

- DTS

- SDDS

are there some others still ?

Thanks in advance guys,

JTK

[rjamorim]

Originally posted by JamesTKirby
I know I could go read some official documents about the formats but I'd really like a down-to-earth, yet still expert opinions.

- Dolby Digital

From Dolby:
"Dolby Digital provides five full-range channels for left, center, and right screen channels, plus independent left and right surround channels. A sixth channel, sometimes called the ".1" channel because it covers only the lowest one-tenth of the audible range, carries low-frequency effects that are reproduced by subwoofers."

It's also known as ATSC standard A/52. The performance in stereo tracks is similar to MP2: good qualities start at 192-224 kbps.

- Dolby Surround

Again, from Dolby:
"Dolby Surround is the consumer version of the original analog Dolby multichannel film sound format. When a Dolby Surround soundtrack is produced, four channels of audio information—left, center, right, and surround—are matrix-encoded onto two audio tracks. These two tracks are then carried on stereo program sources such as videotapes and TV broadcasts into the home, where they can be decoded to recreate the original four channels and the surround sound experience."

- Dolby Surround EX

Dolby again:
"Dolby Digital Surround EX adds a third surround channel to the Dolby Digital format. The third channel is reproduced by rear-wall surround speakers, while the left and right surround channels are reproduced by speakers on the side walls. Among the benefits are more realistic flyover and flyaround effects and a more consistent surround field throughout the auditorium."

- DTS

DTS (Digital Theater Systems) is a surround format, much like Dolby Digital, with these fundamental differences:
-It's absolutely closed
-It uses bitrates much higher than Dolby Digital - and, therefore, is said to deliver better quality.

http://www.dtsonline.com/history8.pdf

- SDDS

SDDS (Sony Dynamic Digital Sound) is not available for DVDs. It's only available for movie theater systems. It's a surround sound system, similar to all others, but uses 8 channels instead of 5.1

are there some others still ?

There is also LPCM and MPEG audio layer 2 (MP2).

Regards;

Roberto.

[Rrrough]

Hi Roberto!

thanx for this good and instructive explanation !
offtopic : I'm glad your site is updated again, I was seriouly worried !
:)

cheers

[rjamorim]

Hello, Rrrough.

Originally posted by Rrrough
offtopic : I'm glad your site is updated again, I was seriouly worried !

Heh. I've been going through lots of issues lately. (What partially explains why I'm here now, and not somewhere else <cough>)

RareWares will be kept more up-to-date now.

Thanks for the warm welcoming. :)

Regards;

Roberto.

[Rrrough]

Hi again !

RareWares will be kept more up-to-date now. great to hear:p the best site for every aspect of audio-related programs !
Thanks for the warm welcoming. It's great to have you around.

enough offtopics now before the mods close this thread ;)

cheers

[JamesTKirby]

Thanks, Roberto. That cleared much up.

Still...

Originally posted by rjamorim
SDDS (Sony Dynamic Digital Sound) is not available for DVDs. It's only available for movie theater systems. It's a surround sound system, similar to all others, but uses 8 channels instead of 5.1

Roberto.

But, I had a DVD with a SDDS track. At least the vts_01_INFO.txt that SmartRipper created, reported one. I didn't demux it out of the .vobs though. Can't remember which movie it was but I'm quite sure it reported a SDDS audio track.

Cheers,

JTK

[rjamorim]

Originally posted by JamesTKirby
But, I had a DVD with a SDDS track. At least the vts_01_INFO.txt that SmartRipper created, reported one. I didn't demux it out of the .vobs though. Can't remember which movie it was but I'm quite sure it reported a SDDS audio track.

That's really weird.

Quoting Sony: ( http://www.sdds.com/about_what.cfm )
"Sony designed SDDS exclusively for motion picture theatres, there is no consumer equivalent."

Besides, AFAIK, no DVD player - be it Software or Hardware one - plays SDDS. So, what would be the point of adding a SDDS track to the DVD?

Maybe SmartRipper was wrong?

Regards;

Roberto.

[JamesTKirby]

Originally posted by rjamorim
That's really weird.

Quoting Sony: ( http://www.sdds.com/about_what.cfm )
"Sony designed SDDS exclusively for motion picture theatres, there is no consumer equivalent."

Besides, AFAIK, no DVD player - be it Software or Hardware one - plays SDDS. So, what would be the point of adding a SDDS track to the DVD?

Maybe SmartRipper was wrong?

Regards;

Roberto.

I think so too. It said SDDS (6ch) or something like that (definitely not 8 channels). SmartRipper must have misinterpreted that one surely. If I only remembered what DVD it was... =/

JTK

[irulat]

Smart Ripper reports the second audio track on Minority Report as SDDS but it's definately DTS!

[yawnmoth]

that's really weird about SDDS! i'm currious... if you try to play the vob file in PowerDVD, and have the "Show Information" option selected, what does it say?

-It uses bitrates much higher than Dolby Digital - and, therefore, is said to deliver better quality.

I don't understand this... does Dolby Digital have some sort of limit on how high the bitrate can be? I mean, if DTS is only higher quality at higher bitrates... well, gee... so is Dolby Digital. So where's the advantage?

are there some others still ?

DTS EX, and MLP (lossless DVD-Audio format)