What is MPEG 2 audio format?

Posted by Bonehead [IP: 152.158.60.129] on November 30, 1998 at 06:09:07:

In Reply to: What is MPEG 2 audio format? posted by Tom Borowski on November 30, 1998 at 00:38:26:

MPEG2 i an alternative 5.1 surround system and have been around for about 2-3 years. Philips & Sony tried to make this format the standart format in Europe, but they (thank God) failed. MPEG2 surround is only interresting in Europe because it was ment to be released on region 2 DVD's. This is a big mystery to me since Japan is also region 2 and they got AC-3 as a standart! So now it's only optional like both AC-3 and DTS. This means that they don't have to put any form of digital surround onto the DVD's at all (in Denmark anyway). In Denmark only about 2/3 of the released DVD's contains a digital surround track at all, while others hold both AC-3 and MPEG2 tracks!
The MPEG2 format is very similar to AC-3 but it utilize at higher but variable bit-rate (around 600Kbit compared to 384Kbit for AC-3 or 1.44Mbit for DTS-LD and 1.54Mbit for DTS-DVD). The higher bit-rate (MPEG2) does not seem to result in better sound according to most of the people that have heard the system play.
Until now only Philips and Sony have released MPEG2 amplifiers/recievers (as for as I know) that decode the MPEG2 signal (Madrigal may have a decode that can but they really cost a lot of money :) ).
If you live in the US igore MPEG2 in the future. If you want the best DTS is the way to go. DTS DVD's really rocks :)

Bonehead

Follow Ups:

• What is MPEG 2 audio format? Nigel 16:20:47 12/02/98 (1)
  • What is MPEG 2 audio format? Bonehead 13:44:21 12/03/98 (0)

Return to the new SMR Forums Menu

Design & HTML © SMR Home Theatre, Images © SMR Home Theatre cannot be reproduced without permission.  The images on this page are digitally watermarked.  New forum messages should be posted into SMR Forums v2 - http://www.smr-forums.com/

	The Web   SMR Archive