Audio too quiet, too loud...

[wambulance]

I'm using ConvertX to put video files to DVD +R disks. It works fine, and is great to put home movies to disk and send to family, except that there is one annoying problem;

The audio on the DVD is strange. For example, you have to crank any TV way up to hear it as it seems that the sound is a bit quiet, but some sound is way too loud when you do this.

For example, I have some dialogue with a video game going. You have to turn the sounds way up to hear the dialogue or the in game sound. However, when an explosion happens the sound is way too loud.

This problem doesn't exist when the movie file is on the computer, so this has got to have something to do with the conversion process as I've tried this on several different players and TVs.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

[eraos]

Originally Posted by wambulance

I'm using ConvertX to put video files to DVD +R disks. It works fine, and is great to put home movies to disk and send to family, except that there is one annoying problem;

The audio on the DVD is strange. For example, you have to crank any TV way up to hear it as it seems that the sound is a bit quiet, but some sound is way too loud when you do this.

For example, I have some dialogue with a video game going. You have to turn the sounds way up to hear the dialogue or the in game sound. However, when an explosion happens the sound is way too loud.

This problem doesn't exist when the movie file is on the computer, so this has got to have something to do with the conversion process as I've tried this on several different players and TVs.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

This is a guess, but it might have something to do with surround sound. With surround sound, say 5.1, the dialogue is generally predominantly in one channel, the center. It sounds like your center channel is missing.

Explosions would generally be in all channels, which is why you can hear it.

I'm thinking maybe you have a 5.1 mix on the computer, but the burning process only read it as a stereo mix (without correctly folding the mix down to stereo) and ignored the other 4 channels.

[wambulance]

Yeah, I thought that too, but I use headphones on the computer with 5.1 settings disabled and it sounds fine.

Nevertheless, I started using DVD Factory 6 to do the same job and the problem is gone. I think ConvertX was messing with the AC3 on some level. Dunno. But in any case problem solved :P

Thanks for the response, and is a good one too. I've had sound issues before having stereo speakers on a 5.1 system. Just didn't happen to be the issue this time.

[eraos]

Originally Posted by wambulance

Yeah, I thought that too, but I use headphones on the computer with 5.1 settings disabled and it sounds fine.

Nevertheless, I started using DVD Factory 6 to do the same job and the problem is gone. I think ConvertX was messing with the AC3 on some level. Dunno. But in any case problem solved :P

Thanks for the response, and is a good one too. I've had sound issues before having stereo speakers on a 5.1 system. Just didn't happen to be the issue this time.

I'm glad it's been sorted out.

In case you weren't aware : the operating system you're using will have an automatic fold down of a 5.1 mix to a stereo mix. That's why on headphones you can hear the audio correctly.

That audio is still embedded into the video file as 5.1 though despite the fold down by the operating system, which is why when it's burned to disc, it's apparently been mangled.

You're right, it may not have been the case in this situation. But it still seems like a possibility. But since it's fixed, just go with the flow.

[wambulance]

oh hey that's good to know, never realized that, thanks!