Encoding Blu-ray - Choice of Audio

[TrackZ]

Consider the following:

- Blu-ray release with DTS-MA audio
- The Blu-ray release also includes a DVD that has Dolby Digital
- Encoding for Apple eco-system/Apple TV

Using Handbrake to encode, do you:

1. Re-encode the 1,510k DTS core from the DTS-MA track to AC3 at 640k?
2. Rip the Dolby Digital track from the DVD at a lower 384k or 448k bitrate and pass it through to the resulting .m4v file?

What do you do in this case? What results in better quality audio?

 

[Sedulous]

Consider the following:

- Blu-ray release with DTS-MA audio
- Also includes a DVD that had DD
- Encoding for Apple eco-system/Apple TV

Using Handbrake to encode, do you:

1. Re-encode the 1,510k DTS core from the DTS-MA track to two-channel AAC plus multi-channel AC3 at 640k?
2. Rip the Dolby Digital track at 384k or somtimes 448k and pass it through to the resulting .m4v file?

What do you do in these cases? What results in better quality audio?

I have found DTS to have a better mix than an AC3 track and therefore a preferable source.

 

[NightStorm]

Consider the following:

- Blu-ray release with DTS-MA audio
- The Blu-ray release also includes a DVD that has Dolby Digital
- Encoding for Apple eco-system/Apple TV

Using Handbrake to encode, do you:

1. Re-encode the 1,510k DTS core from the DTS-MA track to AC3 at 640k?
2. Rip the Dolby Digital track from the DVD at a lower 384k or 448k bitrate and pass it through to the resulting .m4v file?

What do you do in this case? What results in better quality audio?

I've never considered this route before... If it didn't complicate my workflow, I'd probably opt for the non-transcoded AC3 file versus the lossy-to-lossy conversion of DTS to AC3.

 

[TrackZ]

It's a bit more work, but not bad. Basically need to rip both the bd and DVD into mkvs and then mux the bd video with the dvd audio in mkv merge. Then take that file to handbrake.