| Extension | .ac3 |
| Category | documents |
| Description | AC3 (Audio Codec 3), also known as Dolby Digital, is an audio codec developed by Dolby Laboratories for audio compression and encoding. It is often used to store high-quality multi-channel audio content in video files, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, broadcast television programs and other multimedia formats. AC3 supports up to six separate audio channels, allowing you to reproduce audio in formats from mono to 5.1 and even 7.1, delivering stunning surround sound.
AC3 uses lossy data to compress audio data while maintaining high audio quality. This allows you to significantly reduce the size of audio files without degrading their sound.
AC3 is a widely used format in the multimedia industry and is supported by most modern audio and video players and disc playback equipment. The AC3 format is widely used in DVD and Blu-ray discs to store high-quality multi-channel audio, making it a popular choice for home theaters and movie enthusiasts.
AC3 is used to transmit audio signals in television programming, online video and streaming services, providing high-quality sound at relatively low data rates. The AC3 format is a standard in the multimedia industry due to its high quality audio transmission and wide compatibility with various devices and applications. |
| Technical details | The AC3 format uses a lossy audio codec to compress audio. Compression occurs by removing part of the audio data, which can significantly reduce the file size.
AC3 supports up to six separate audio channels, allowing you to reproduce audio in formats from mono to 5.1 and even 7.1. This allows you to create stunning surround sound for cinema and home theaters. AC3 supports a variety of sampling rates, including 48 kHz, 44.1 kHz, and more, ensuring high-quality audio tracks.
The AC3 format typically has a variable bitrate, which allows it to efficiently compress audio data depending on the complexity of the soundstage. Standard bit rates can range from 192 kbps to 640 kbps for stereo and from 384 kbps to 448 kbps for multi-channel audio.
The AC3 format provides a wide dynamic range that allows you to convey both very quiet and very loud sounds with high precision and detail. This is especially important for cinematic productions, where the dynamic range can be very wide.
AC3 is a standard in the multimedia industry and is widely supported by a variety of devices, players and software. AC3 files created in older versions of the format are generally compatible with newer versions of codecs and devices, allowing for backward compatibility and ease of playback on a variety of devices. AC3 is one of the most common formats for storing digital audio in video files, DVDs, Blu-ray discs and broadcast television programs.
Various software codecs are used to encode and decode AC3 files, such as libavcodec (FFmpeg), Dolby Digital Encoder/Decoder and others.
The AC3 format is an efficient means of compressing and storing audio, providing high quality sound and wide compatibility with a variety of devices and media formats. |
