AC3 doesn't work after format

Xavier · Member Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Norway

I've recently formatted my drive, but I can't get AC3 to work.

The exact same files worked before, so I know they're not corrupt. I have installed AC3 filter, restarted my computer, reinstalled AC3 filter etc, but it didn't help. It doesn't play in VLC or Media Player Classic. It doesn't give any error; it shows playing, but there is no sound. Other non-AC3 media works fine. I tried to encode an AC3 file to WAV, but the output was just noise.

EDIT: I have tried converting to MP3 too, same noise problem.

DarrellS · Member Joined: 28 Nov 2002 Location: United States

You need AC3 ACM Decompressor

Xavier · Member Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Norway

I have that one too, however afaik it isn't needed for just playback? Neither playback, nor transcoding works. I can for example import an AC3 file in VirtualDub, it doesn't give any error. "parsing" like normal, but no sound.

poisondeathray · Member Joined: 07 Sep 2007 Location: Canada

Can you try another ac3 file, maybe it's just that one? What about playing other audio file types mp3? can you hear them?

Try another player e.g. KMplayer, SMplayer

If you open that ac3 file in an audio editor (e.g. audacity), is there a waveform?

Volume settings? both in player settings and global volume settings for windows? mute?

If you render the ac3 file in graphstudio, are the pins connected, what decoder is used?

Xavier · Member Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Norway

I have never been able to open AC3 files in Audacity, so I don't think that would help me much.

I downloaded some AC3 files off the Internet, and they actually worked. However, the files that I need doesn't. And they did yesterday before I formatted my system disk.

The problem has nothing to do with volume. All other sounds and files works, now even other AC3 files. My problem isn't just ONE file though, but they all have the same source (standalone DVD Recorder).

Not sure if it helps, no idea what it is, but MediaInfo says the ID is "128 (0x80)". The AC3 files I downloaded has different ID's.

It seems fine in Graphstudio, no differences from the working AC3 files

EDIT: Found working AC3 files with the same ID, so that's not it.

sambat · Member Joined: 10 Dec 2005 Location: Canada

poisondeathray · Member Joined: 07 Sep 2007 Location: Canada

So it's narrowed down to something specific to your dvd recorder?

Maybe upload a small sample clip here

DarrellS · Member Joined: 28 Nov 2002 Location: United States

Your specs say you're running Windows Vista Ultimate. That's a 64bit OS, correct? If so, then you need to install your codecs a special way.

Installing 32bit version on Windows 64

Extract all the files to a folder (I use 7zip, it's free)

Open up a command prompt (start->run: cmd)

Change directories to sysWOW64 ("cd C:\windows\syswow64")

Type the following (replace example_path with the actual path to the extracted files), then hit enter:
rundll32.exe setupapi.dll,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 0 c:\example_path\AC3ACM.inf

This method can be used for installing other 32bit codecs that install via a .inf file.