5.1 to Stereo = hurt ears?

TX Ciclista · Post by **TX Ciclista** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:29 pm

I'm mainly using Handbrake to rip DVD's for transport on my laptop (for viewing on a plane, etc). Think I've finally gotten the hang of the video but the audio is giving me fits (maybe). I ripped Wrath of Kahn the other night and had to turn up the volume to hear dialog but got my eardrums crushed on the sfx side (phasers literally hurt). I spent the whole flight turning the volume up and down. Is this because I downmixed from 5.1 to stereo or is it just a matter of poor audio remastering (it was the "new and improved" version of WoK)? If I mainly intend to listen to movies on headphones or the laptop speakers, should I be ripping in stereo or does it matter? I assume that the optical out on the Macbook would play in 5.1 and I'd miss audio on stereo headphones, but I'm not sure how it all works on the audio side.

rhester · Post by **rhester** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:33 pm

What you're describing is a need to use Dynamic Range Compression, or DRC, which makes soft sounds louder and loud sounds softer. It's available (and recommended for use) on nearly every commercial DVD ever made, and widely used by (and configurable on) consumer DVD players, but HandBrake does not currently support DRC.

Rodney

jsmith77 · Post by **jsmith77** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 2:08 am

I had the same problem with my appletv encodes and certain DVDs. The real 5.1 was fine, but the downmixed stereo was unlistenable. Seems to be DVDs that put the same effects on all channels, except dialog. Dialog was then completely washed out when everything was mixed onto the mains (similar to what would happen with headphones, I'd expect.)

Try encoding the DVDs stereo track instead of downmixing the 5.1 track.

(I gave up trying to get mp4's I liked and switched to AVI + atvfiles + fixed 853x480 for 1.78:1 + AC3 encodes. I know, folks here hate AVI, but I want my damn DD 5.1!)