Actually, all dialog(ue) is mono, and in the center channel, in AC-3 (unless down-mixed to stereo). With the caveat that it is possible to put dialogue (say, for a speaker that is to the left of center in the screen) on one side or another. However, this is sub-optimal. As for your scenario, I believe that one cannot do that and be in compliance with the Dolby AC-3 license. And, if you want a fun time, try dealing with the Dolby licensing folk. :-) (I've had round or two, and I am a licensee, but it appears that I don't need a license for what I do, hence no royalty payments.) There's an awful lot of flexibility with AC-3, but without dual-audio decoders, one needs to add entire services instead of mixing and matching. John Willkie -----Mensaje original----- De: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] En nombre de Albert Manfredi Enviado el: Friday, December 28, 2007 7:09 PM Para: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Asunto: [opendtv] Re: New Philips HDD/DVD recorder Mark Schubin wrote: > A 5.1-channel audio package might take 384 kbps (I prefer 448). > Mono audio might be 64 kbps. > > So, a 5.1-channel VI package (audio for the visually impaired) takes > 384 kbps, and a 5.1-channel undescribed CM (complete mix) > package takes 384 kbps. Together, they take 768 kbps out of the > channel. On the other hand, a mono description (VI) added to a > 5.1-channel complete mix (CM) is just 448 kbps, a savings of 320 > kbps. I would think your second choice is how descriptive service would be transmitted. No sense duplicating all of the dialogue and background music, no? (And this applies to each subchannel.) > Now consider other viewers. A 5.1-channel music & effects package > (ME) might take 384 kbps, which, combined with a 64 kbps > English-language dialogue (D) channel comes to 448 kbps, worse > than just the CM. But add Spanish 5.1, and the two CMs would > take 768 kbps; 2D+ME is just 512 kbps. The only problem is that now all dialogue is mono. And, I gather, this isn't backward compatible with current receivers. > But broadcasters cannot do it, even though it's perfectly okay in > the standard, because (unless things have changed recently) not a > single dual-stream audio decoder has been sold. In short, multilingual service in full 5.1 for each language is the real issue here. Because broadcasters can't transmit this efficiently, given that separate dialogue-only channels would be incompatible with existing receivers. Here's a thought. For multilingual 5.1 to be compatible with existing single-audio-decoder receivers, one could sell stand-alone audio receivers that take in the standard English 5.1, store it briefly, mix in a replica of the English dialogue precisely 180 degrees out of phase, then add in the separate foreign language D channel(s) as required. This subtracts the English dialogue without affecting the music and effects. And costs 64 Kb/s for each foreign language. Or just offer a mono sound track for all foreign languages, as I believe is done with analog SAP. Bert _________________________________________________________________ Get the power of Windows + Web with the new Windows Live. http://www.windowslive.com?ocid=TXT_TAGHM_Wave2_powerofwindows_122007 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways: - Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration settings at FreeLists.org - By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word unsubscribe in the subject line. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways: - Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration settings at FreeLists.org - By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word unsubscribe in the subject line.