naked AC3 file playback on DVD player

[c-post]

Question: Is it possible -- i.e. standard procedure -- to be able to play back a naked 5.1 AC3 file on a DVD player?

-John

[WannabeSQ]

I remember, a bounce I did ran longer than the video file, and as soon as there was no video, the sound cut off (song playing where unfinished credits were to be) So I think you need to have a video track. But I doubt it cares what kind of video it is, you could just put a couple hours of black and it may work.

[c-post]

Yeah, that happened to me too. I found that when authoring DVDs I had to put video in to get it to play on my primitive DVD player. But there must be audio DVDs, for pop music, that play in 5.1. Hmmm. Well, thanks for your input.

-J

[WannabeSQ]

The other way, is an actual DVD Audio disc, or a SACD. Those are native multichannel audio discs. I have no idea how (or if a consumer can) to author one, and the installed base is nothing compared to that of DVD Video, but it will get you what you want.

There's also DTS audio CD, which will play in any DVD player that has PCM out. I have the "Studio Voodoo" DTS CD. It was the first music CD designed, written, and mixed for the sole purpose of 5.1. It's very diverse, and I enjoy it from time to time. I think you have to have DTS author it however.

[marty lester]

hello-

this may not be exactly what you're looking for, but go here:

http://www.surcode.com/

and look for their CD-DTS encoder. though you mentioned
AC-3, this cheap app will allow you to encode a DTS file
to a CD...which should play on your DVD player.

hope this isn't totally off topic...but it seems like a cool product
and i'll probably score it so i can check 5.1 mixes easily w/out
having to author a DVD.

hope this helps,
marty.

[Noiz2]

It is possible. Roger Nichols (sp) talked about burning an audio only DVD (poss on CD). If I remember correctly many , but not all, DVD players would see the bitstream and switch in to decode mode (you needed to keep the vol low until it switched because if it didin['t the stream would be played as if it were audio and that would be VERY loud. The article was on doing test 5.1 audio discs and he might have been burning on a CD.

Hope this helps a little