Video Asylum

Question on Dolby Digital (AC3) - is it recorded on videotape?

203.220.204.122

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ Thread: Display Email Next ] [ Video Asylum ]

John C. - Aussie

(B)

I know that Pro Logic records on hi-fi stereo VHS tape but does AC3 also record?
In Australia TV transmissions are gradually changing from analog to digital with DD AC3 capable sound although I understand stations are slow in implementing this.
Being out of the metropolitan madness in a regional area it will be some time before it gets here. However I'm already receiving digital broadcasts on satellite of "free to air" and pay TV and suspect there is some DD AC3 sound there. However very little is viewed direct in this house with most time shifted via s-video tape or hard disc and this involves analog audio signals.
Thus the question - will DD AC3 be recorded on tape via that analog signal or is it necessary to feed a digital audio signal out from the decoder to a processor to hear it?
TIA
John

Interesting times

Follow Ups:

analog signal only - Joe Murphy Jr 20:15:49 05/01/04 (2)
Pro-Logic is a decoding format, so it's not recorded on the tape. What's actually recorded is an analog Dolby Surround signal. It can be processed by various matrix surround decoding technologies, such as: Dolby Surround, Dolby Pro-Logic, Dolby Pro-Logic II, Dolby Pro-Logic IIx, Circle Surround, etc.
The Dolby Digital / AC-3 signal has to be turned into an analog signal (D to A process) before it can be recorded to tape. However, there were some experiments early on to get Dolby Digital / AC-3 encoded onto tape via S-VHS decks. Since nothing ever came of it, I guess it either was abandoned or didn't work too well.
- Still not really clear about this - John C. - Aussie 16:47:29 05/02/04 (1)
  Hi Joe
  Thanks for the reply but I'm still a bit fuzzy about what is going on. The time shift recording here is mainly from satellite digital decoders and a little from free to air analog. I use s-VHS recorders, one of which has a hard drive in it.
  Analog audio playback is from tape or hard drive -> Meridian 861 processor and there is no doubt about getting pro logic II. However the other night I'd swear the audio was 5.1 as the signals from the rear seemed to be distinctly different left to right rather that an amorphous surround as with PLII. Imagination? Maybe.
  One of the decoders has a digital out but obviously can only be used for direct viewing. I'll check out the TV stations to see if they are transmitting 5.1 at all.
  John
  
  Interesting times
  - What? - Joe Murphy Jr 23:19:01 05/02/04 (0)
    S-VHS = Super VHS = a tape format (Who has an S-VHS tape deck with a hard drive in it?)
    S-video = separate video = Y/C = Y signal (luma) and C signal (chroma) are kept separate
    I'm really not following you on this.

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Parts Connexion

You can not post to an archived thread.