How to make a DVD video with a surround soundtrack?

erminardi · Post by **erminardi** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 8:13 am

Hi, does anyone know how to make a DVD video with a surround soundtrack?
I need it for an artistic installation and I wish to use the 5+1 tracks as multitrack player instead real surround purpose.
I've composed all the 6 tracks in mono wavs with Cubase SX, now I will build a VIDEO DVD [note that I speak not about AUDIO DVD!!! Audio DVD is a complete different technology...] with a "fake" video track (I don't care for video).
Done, wich (cheap!) authoring program permits to import 6 mono tracks for building a DVD?
I've tested Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5 of my friend that is a home videomaker without particular experience but we obtain only stereo output! Damn!
Any opinion or experience about that? I'm really in trouble, the date of the vernissage is so close!!!
Thanks in advance.

ps. yes, I'm a Scope user then I'm authorized to post my problem here!

arela · Post by **arela** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 9:50 am

none will do that

You need to encode to dolby or dts to achieve this.

I would have tested this a long time, but ..
What should works is eg Edit Studio and DVD Lab with encoded 5.1 files. Premiere and Vega should also work. + +

What was a setback for me, a dts track could not appear alone, so my only test so far was silent!

I will try again one of the next days

erminardi · Post by **erminardi** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 10:27 am

Thanks

In KVR forum they says:
"I think Sony Vegas 7 +DVD will do the trick. They advertise it as having Dolby AC3 encoding. Typically, the encoders were extra since they involve an obscene licensing fee but it looks like Sony worked out a deal..."

Maybe Vegas 7, that is build for Video expecially over ACID concept, could manage directly 5+1 audio track. I will try it tomorrow with the dowloadable demo from Sony site.
Stay tuned.

arela · Post by **arela** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 12:52 pm

a little warning!
Dolby AC3 is a tricky thing to understand.
It might be mono, stereo or 5.1
I did a lot of reading, and ended up with a dts encoder.

You might try this for 14 days;
http://www.mediatwins.com/en/products/index.html
I have just found it, so i am about to test it myself.
This AC3Tool makes up to 5.1 and 56 to 448 kb/s
Steinbergs dolby encoder is up to 600+ kb/s
While my dvd-dts encoder is up to ca 1.5mb/s

On the other hand, this ac3 files can be used as stand alone, you dont need to have parallell stereo files, as with dts.
(guess who's in charge!!!)
I don't know the Sony encoders, but i've seen other encoders which makes ac3 stereofiles, but sounds as surround on home theatre equipment.
There is also one dedicated for those who makes games.

i'll be back (as gov. pang pang said)

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: arela on 2006-10-09 13:52 ]</font>

erminardi · Post by **erminardi** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 7:24 am

It's true, Sony Vegas+DVD workshop makes DVD with stereo AC3 audio!!! (I've read all settings inside)
What hell of program can ensure a 5+1 audio stream?!
I'm in serious trouble...

erminardi · Post by **erminardi** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 7:45 am

After some googling & reading, I've concluded that DTS is better than AC3.
Anyone know wich program can encode from 5 or 6 mono tracks to one in DTS?
Thanks in advance.

H-Rave · Post by **H-Rave** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 8:41 am

wouldn't that be the DOLBY DTS/PRO-LOGIC Plugins for Cubase ( The Steinberg Site ) or on the Dolby website I'd Imagine.

siriusbliss · Post by **siriusbliss** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 8:50 pm

I believe Nero 7 has an encoder for stereo or full 6-channel surround encoding.

Still investigating...

Greg

arela · Post by **arela** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 11:45 pm

I suspect that the Nero ac3 is not a discrete 5.1 encoder.
I suspect the licence to Dolby is far more expensive than this encoders.
The Nuendo Dolby encoder is some $800, while AC3Tools is $50 and Nero at $30.
Dont think Steinberg calculates 4000% profitt (you never knows!)

From Nero:

Dolby® Digital offers two fully independent surround channels which transmit the full audio bandwidth just like the three front channels. This generates real stereo surround quality for even better sound positioning and overall improved sound quality.

Dont sound as discrete 5.1 at all!

I hope i can give some more answers later today - my first DVD project is well under way - so if Kim Il Jong don't prevent me, i'll be back.

erminardi · Post by **erminardi** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 1:35 am

Premiere pro 1.5 or 2 is the answer:

1) create in Cubase/Nuendo the 5 discrete mono tracks finalized (mix & mastering), if the project has more tracks, use the group channels for obtain only 5 outputs.

2) Create a new 5.1 template in Premiere, it's important to have absolutely a 5+1 audiocard with ASIO (that was my mistake!)
If U have a stereo board U obtain only a DTS stereo encoded!!! :

3) import the 5 tracks to the project, assign the destinations (Lf, Rf, C, Lr, Rr) and leave the last track for the subbass channel that comes from the lowpass filtering of the others previous tracks (If U put a wav in the Subbass channel U could ear some unwanted mixes in all others 5 channels! I don't know how avoid this...what a pity!)

4) Export to DVD, after some simply (read the PDF manual) settings inside the encoder.
Sadly the encoder works for free only 3 times, but it was ok for me

5) the results is good and the music mantain his quality, the compression don't affect too much the overall clarity. The 6 tracks are discrete.

Thanks to all for support

PlanetZ rules!!!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: erminardi on 2006-10-11 02:36 ]</font>

arela · Post by **arela** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 10:15 am

Done

This was a nice experience.
I made 2 slideshows of some 80 pictures, saved this as 2 *.mpg files from EditStudio5 - without audiofiles.

Then i opened this files in DVDLab and made a menu, attached a dts audiofile to each of this *.mpg's and compiled & burned to DVD-R

And DTS it IS! I was owerwelmed, and guess what - more of this is gonna be made sooon

In Premiere; is it the Surcode 5.1 encoder you used?

Using EditStudio & DVDLab, you dont really need a souncard, just notice the lenght of each clip. I do all audio on an other PC, but i think it would be usefull to make 48kHz stereofiles for auditioning and fitting. When everything is on place, i will exchance this stereo files with the dts files.

When encoding to dts there is no trouble with the sub track - but then the mix is already done.

I have to say thanks too, because this topic made me do something i should have done for a long time

Right now i'm into making surroundmixes of my previouse projects.