AC3 sound - worked in software, didn't on set-top player

[dadrab]

I recently authored a disc (in DVDLabPro) containing some material with AC3 sound. The footage came to me with audio in that format.

I demuxed the files, encoded the video to DVD spec., and added back in the AC3 for authoring. I checked my compiled file in MPC. It was in synch. and everything was cool.

Upon checking the burned disc, I found that my menus, clips, slideshow and everything had sound just like I designed, but there was no sound in the main feature - the one I used the AC3 track with. I use Verbatim DL discs, so I know that's not the issue.

What would be your recommendations? Transcode the AC3 into wav? Run the AC3 file through AC3Fix and try again? Others?

I must tell you, I'm not real fond of the second option in that it would appear that I'm going to have sound in a software player, but perhaps not on the disc, even with running through AC3Fix. I'm not such a big fan of wasting discs and the file's too large to burn to an RW to check it.

I haven't tried to play the disc in any of my other players, but that's really not an option in that the home theatre is connected to the Denon player. That's where I want it to play.

Thank in advance for help.

[guns1inger]

Taking a wild guess here, but do your menus have audio ? If so, I bet it isn't AC3.

[dadrab]

I'd tend to agree with you, but I opened the file up in Gspot and it's confirmed. I'm not at my home computer right now or I'd send you a Gspot screen shot.

What it says is: Codec installed, AC3 Sound, 48000, etc. From all I can see, the file should be to standard, but I have no audio in the body of the main title. The spec. on the file looks like it should work, but it doesn't.

All the sound files I clipped, edited and put into DVDLabPro - and I let the program encode them - work just fine.

Last night, I went back to the original file, demuxed with all intents and purposes of starting over. My main question centers around wondering if running that file through AC3Fix will help any, or if I should convert to WAV, insert into DVDLabPro and let it transcode the file.

Again, playing the .ISO on a software player has sound. The disc has nothing. And, I did try it on three other players last night. My newly built Frankenstein box wouldn't play it through MPC. Nor would my wife's laptop (MPC again) nor would my JVC set-top player.

I'm still working on it.

Thanks for any input.

[oldandinthe way]

This is going to sound lame but does changing the audio track have any effect?

I have had DVDs which played in a software player but had no sound on DVD players and I had to change the audio track as one does for different language soundtracks.

[dadrab]

I didn't think to try that - but I'll give it a whirl shortly.

Thanks very much.

[dadrab]

This is going to sound lame but does changing the audio track have any effect?

Didn't sound so lame to me. I came home and tried it.

No dice.

Anybody else got anything?

What do you folks recommend for a good (preferably free) AC3 to WAV converter? I'll go that way and see if I can get this thing done.

Thanks all.

[guns1inger]

Was g-spot looking at the menu, to the main title ? Post a screen shot of the menu design screen from DLP to confirm.

I have used both Sound Forge and/or Vegas, and Aften to convert files to AC3 for DLP authoring, and none have failed. The only time I have replicated the problem you have was my first disc, when the main title had AC3 audio, but I stupidly put MP2 audio on the menu. The menu played, but the main title had no audio on standalone machines.

[theewizard]

Was g-spot looking at the menu, to the main title ? Post a screen shot of the menu design screen from DLP to confirm.

I have used both Sound Forge and/or Vegas, and Aften to convert files to AC3 for DLP authoring, and none have failed. The only time I have replicated the problem you have was my first disc, when the main title had AC3 audio, but I stupidly put MP2 audio on the menu. The menu played, but the main title had no audio on standalone machines.

maybe i'm mistaken, but i seemed tp remember a post about, the audio streams need to be the same format

the menus ( if they have a sound track ) must be the same format as the main title

that once the DVD player detects an audio format in the menu, it doesn't check to see if the main title format is different

so like gunslinger said.

if the menu sound track doesn't match the specs of the title sound track, the title sound track doesn't get played

[noemi7]

maybe i'm mistaken, but i seemed tp remember a post about, the audio streams need to be the same format

I authored hundreds DVDs which use AC3 audio for menus and MP2 as the only audio track for the video part, and I didn't have any report back from users stating problem of playing a DVD on a standalone equipment. Maybe some very old players, especially sold in the US (NTSC only), may have an issue with mixed audio formats.

If I'm right, for an NTSC player, AC3 or PCM is mandatory, while MP2 may cause a problem.

[guns1inger]

The DVD Spec actually requires that they be the same, although many authoring tools don't enforce it. It is because the specs says they will be the same that many players don't check. It only holds for menus and titles within the same VTS. The VMG menu may differ. It has nothing at all to do with the ability of the player to play the format. Mine play all formats happily.

[dadrab]

Thanks for all the good discussion, guys.

I suspect you're all right to some degree, but now that I think about it, I do recall a post some time back that dealt with differing audio formats on one disc. I believe that to be the problem.

I'm working now on transcoding that soundtrack. Problem now is what to use for transcoding. I'm looking at guns1inger's suggestions now. I normally use Adobe Audition, but my version has no AC3 capabilities, so...I'm off hunting.

I'm positive I have no issues with MP2 audio.

I'll post back with what I come up with.

Much appreciated.

[dun4cheap]

Just for kicks, on the DVD player, can you go into the setup and then the audio stepup and change it to pcm audio.

[dadrab]

I got it.

I demuxed and used AC3Tool to transcode to .WAV. I then tweaked in Audition and imported the file into DVDLabPro. Of course, the first thing it wanted to do was recode to MP2. I let it rip and once completed, I rebuilt all the menus, transitions, slideshow and stuff; compiled and reburned.

The resulting disc is just fine. All the sound is where it's supposed to be and in synch.

I guess the takeaway from this is not to mix sound formats on a disc - or at least in the same VTS.

Thanks for help, folks. I'd have probably gotten there on my own, but might have been too old to watch the disc by the time I figured it out.

Here's beers.