By now, most of us have seen our fair share of DVD
titles and have all but forgotten about VHS movies. (What did VHS
stand for anyway, Very High Static?). It is a given that DVD video
quality is far superior to VHS. We also know that DVDs often come
packed with oodles of interactive features. These features are great,
but when it comes down to it, what do most of us really want out of
our DVD movie experiences? Great video AND great audio.
If your DVD experience isn't delivering great audio, you are missing
out on at least half of the experience. Fortunately, PowerDVD is packed full of customizable audio features! Whether you have
your PC connected to a powerful home audio theater or are simply
listening to small desktop speakers, you can get the most out of
your DVD experience.
How can I adjust PowerDVD's audio settings?
To access the audio settings, you first need to enter the PowerDVD
configuration menu. You can do that by pressing "Ctrl-C"
or by clicking on the Configuration button on the User Interface.
In the Configuration menu, select the "Audio" tab.
The audio options available to your will depend on the capabilities
of your version of the software, your sound card, and the type of
media you are viewing. Not all options are available in all instances.
To optimize the settings for a specific movie or other multimedia
file, I suggest to begin playing the file (and even skip ahead a
few chapters) before opening the audio configuration menu. By doing
this, when you make changes, you will be able to preview them and
compare them to other settings.
Given that most of us have distinct personal audio preferences,
it is difficult to recommend what might be the best audio feature(s)
for you. However, you may find the following PowerDVD Advanced Audio
menus helpful to optimizing your audio:
Advanced Settings: Regardless
of the audio mode you've chosen, you can access the "Advanced
Features" menu. These menus will allow you to further configure
the audio settings. As you can see by clicking on the image
above, you can make advanced adjustments on A3D, TruSurround
XT, Dolby Headphone and Dolby Pro Logic II.
Miscellaneous: The "Miscellaneous"
menu enables you to fine tune your audio dynamic range. In short,
this can help you optimize your sound depending on the size
and nature of the room you are in. The Low Frequency Effect
can add extra bass for bass lovers - but note the warning about
possible speaker damage!
Note: If your media
type, sound card or product version do not support
certain audio features, some menus may be "grayed out"
or unavailable.
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