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Audio Features in PowerDVD

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.

PowerDVD XP Configuration Menu

PowerDVD Configuration Menu

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:

PowerDVD XP 4.0 Advanced Audio Settings Menu   Change your Audio Dynamic Range with the Miscellaneous Menu
     
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.