Uncompressed pcm audio – Apple DVD Studio Pro 4 User Manual
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Audio Formats Not Supported by the DVD Specification
If you import an audio format that is not supported by the DVD specification,
DVD Studio Pro automatically uses the embedded AIFF encoder to transcode the audio
file into an uncompressed AIFF format file. For example, if you import an MP-3 file (a file
format that is not supported by the DVD specification), DVD Studio Pro creates an AIFF
file from the MP-3 file and that is what is used by your project.
Note: Because an AIFF file is not compressed, its file size will be substantially larger than
the original MP-3 file. If disc space is an issue, you can use the AC-3 encoder in the
Compressor application to transcode the AIFF file to the Dolby Digital AC-3 format. See
for more information.
Using AAC Audio Files from the iTunes Store
DVD Studio Pro is able to import and use AAC format audio files purchased from the
iTunes Store as long as the computer you are using them on is authorized to use them.
If you import iTunes Store files that the computer is not authorized to use, DVD Studio Pro
plays silence when it encounters those files. Additionally, if you select and try to play
an iTunes Store file that the computer is not authorized to play in the Audio tab in the
Palette, DVD Studio Pro plays silence. As with MP-3 files, AAC files are converted to AIFF
files.
Audio Formats Supported by the DVD Specification and
DVD Studio Pro
The following audio formats are supported by the DVD specification and can be imported
into DVD Studio Pro without using the embedded AIFF encoder.
• MPEG-1 Layer 2 audio
• Dolby Digital (AC-3) audio (mono up to six channels)
• DTS multichannel audio (preview not supported)
• PCM audio (pulse code modulation audio; used by the AIFF and WAVE formats)
Note: When importing DVD-compliant audio files, DVD Studio Pro imports only elementary
files (not multiplexed). See
Elementary and Multiplexed MPEG Files
for more information.
Uncompressed PCM Audio
Uncompressed audio is typically referred to as PCM, although the files usually have a
“.wav” or “.aif” extension. The DVD specification supports uncompressed PCM audio at
sample sizes of 16 bits and 24 bits and sample rates of 48 kHz or 96 kHz. Audio in this
format is completely compatible with DVD players worldwide and is of higher fidelity
than data-compressed audio. The disadvantage of PCM audio is the relatively large file
sizes, compared to compressed audio formats.
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Chapter 5
Preparing Audio Assets