Soft Encode 5.1, CDs and DVD players. -AC-3 Encoder

Subject:Soft Encode 5.1, CDs and DVD players. Posted by: Josh_Ross Date:3/1/1999 12:53:22 PM OK, I have downloaded the softencode 5.1 demo to see if I can make a CD with DD 5.1 audio and play it on my DVD player.
Subject:Re: Soft Encode 5.1, CDs and DVD players. Reply by: Kevin_T Date:1/17/2000 6:15:00 AM Ya me to!!! HA HA... If you find a way let me know! Josh Ross wrote: >>OK, I have downloaded the softencode 5.1 demo to see if I >>can make a CD with DD 5.1 audio and play it on my >>DVD player. >>
Subject:Re: Soft Encode 5.1, CDs and DVD players. Reply by: alone1 Date:1/10/2001 12:14:00 PM Josh Ross wrote: >>OK, I have downloaded the softencode 5.1 demo to see if I >>can make a CD with DD 5.1 audio and play it on my >>DVD player. >> TRy this method : http://www.sehr.org/htmls/ac3cd.php3 it's ok for me for the first .ac3 but the other don't have a header and soft encode don't want open it :(
Subject:RE: Re: Soft Encode 5.1, CDs and DVD players. Reply by: DaveP Date:4/25/2001 12:33:45 PM Here is an alternative method that should work if you start with actual .wav files. AC3 CDR's: Step 1: Do a 5.1-surround mix using the console or workstation of your choice. Record it discretely on 6-track media (DA-88, ADAT, or open reel) or internally as 6 separate WAV files in your workstation. Step 2: If the discrete audio tracks are on external media, transfer or record all channels as separate wave files into your workstation. I've done it using 16/44.1 files, and it should work at bit lengths and rates at up to 24-bit /48 kHz. If your final destination is a CD-AC3 disc for playback in a CD or DVD player, then you must get these files into 44.1 kHz for it to work at all. Step 3: Open the files in Soft-Encode and assign them to the proper channel (L, C, R, Ls, Rs, and LFE). Step 4: Set the encode parameters for 3/2 Mode, and enable the LFE channel if needed. Set the Data Rate from 220 to 640 kb/s and the Sample Rate to 44.1 kHz. For a file being posted to a webpage for downloading, I've been using 256 kb/s with excellent results.You can also set the rear channel levels and down-mix levels if desired. Higher data rates will produce better audio quality at a tradeoff of larger bandwidth for downloading. I've tried encoding at 640 kb/s on several different brands of receivers, and I've been informed by Dolby Labs that all consumer Dolby Digital decoders are rated for 640 kb/s and 44.1 kHz, but television DD decoders are only tested up to 448 kb/s.. Step 5: Go to the File, Save-As pull-down and set it to save as a Dolby Digital WAV (*. WAV). Step 6: Hit the record button and name your file. This will make a stereo 16/44.1 file with a WAV extension that has the required padding so that the chosen data rate streams the AC-3 file back at the correct bit rate. If you look at the resulting file in a WAV editor, it should look like bursts of stereo white noise, separated by long stretches of silence. Step 7: Go to the CD-Audio recorder application of your choice and use this stereo 16-bit WAV file to create a standard red-book audio CD. I've used CD-Architect as well as Adaptec Easy CD Creator. Make sure you mark this as a CD- AC3 disc that's not for playback in an Audio-CD player, as the digital noise will be at full volume level and speaker damage could result. Step 7B: If this file is to be put on the Internet, use PKZIP to make compress it to 1/5 of the Red Book size. Use the "Extra" compression setting and save it as a .ZIP file. After it's downloaded, it can be decompressed out to it's original size, then used to make a Red-Book CD-R for playback by a Dolby Digital decoder. Step 8: Take the CD-AC3 disc and play it back in any DVD player that's hooked to a 5.1 Receiver with a Dolby Digital decoder. Start with the volume turned down low in case the receiver decides you're giving it a PCM file and plays the data "as-is" without decoding which could damage your speakers. Select the DVD-Digital input on the Receiver (optical or wired) and it should detect the Dolby Digital data stream and start decoding it into 5.1 surround.

Here is an alternative method that should work if you start
with actual .wav files.

AC3 CDR's:

Step 1: Do a 5.1-surround mix using the console or
workstation of your choice. Record it discretely on 6-track
media (DA-88, ADAT, or open reel) or internally as 6
separate WAV files in your workstation.

Step 2: If the discrete audio tracks are on external media,
transfer or record all channels as separate wave files into
your workstation. I've done it using 16/44.1 files, and it
should work at bit lengths and rates at up to 24-bit /48
kHz. If your final destination is a CD-AC3 disc for
playback in a CD or DVD player, then you must get these
files into 44.1 kHz for it to work at all.

Step 3: Open the files in Soft-Encode and assign them to
the proper channel (L, C, R, Ls, Rs, and LFE).

Step 4: Set the encode parameters for 3/2 Mode, and enable
the LFE channel if needed. Set the Data Rate from 220 to
640 kb/s and the Sample Rate to 44.1 kHz. For a file being
posted to a webpage for downloading, I've been using 256
kb/s with excellent results.You can also set the rear
channel levels and down-mix levels if desired. Higher data
rates will produce better audio quality at a tradeoff of
larger bandwidth for downloading. I've tried encoding at
640 kb/s on several different brands of receivers, and I've
been informed by Dolby Labs that all consumer Dolby Digital
decoders are rated for 640 kb/s and 44.1 kHz, but
television DD decoders are only tested up to 448 kb/s..

Step 5: Go to the File, Save-As pull-down and set it to
save as a Dolby Digital WAV (*. WAV).

Step 6: Hit the record button and name your file. This will
make a stereo 16/44.1 file with a WAV extension that has
the required padding so that the chosen data rate streams
the AC-3 file back at the correct bit rate. If you look at
the resulting file in a WAV editor, it should look like
bursts of stereo white noise, separated by long stretches
of silence.

Step 7: Go to the CD-Audio recorder application of your
choice and use this stereo 16-bit WAV file to create a
standard red-book audio CD. I've used CD-Architect as well
as Adaptec Easy CD Creator. Make sure you mark this as a CD-
AC3 disc that's not for playback in an Audio-CD player, as
the digital noise will be at full volume level and speaker
damage could result.

Step 7B: If this file is to be put on the Internet, use
PKZIP to make compress it to 1/5 of the Red Book size. Use
the "Extra" compression setting and save it as a .ZIP file.
After it's downloaded, it can be decompressed out to it's
original size, then used to make a Red-Book CD-R for
playback by a Dolby Digital decoder.

Step 8: Take the CD-AC3 disc and play it back in any DVD
player that's hooked to a 5.1 Receiver with a Dolby Digital
decoder. Start with the volume turned down low in case the
receiver decides you're giving it a PCM file and plays the
data "as-is" without decoding which could damage your
speakers. Select the DVD-Digital input on the Receiver
(optical or wired) and it should detect the Dolby Digital
data stream and start decoding it into 5.1 surround.