Full Divx with AC3 to DVD conversion instructions -=NO BS=-

[Kafluke]

Please, I'm starting another topic because what I was afraid was going to happen in the last one, happened. Please Moderators do not close this thread because I've asked this in another place. I need straight, complete answers to my question. If you haven't accomplished this with success please don't offer suggestions, I need solutions. Please don't say "there should be a guide" cause there's not. Please don't use generalizations like "du-mux the video and audio, encode the video then mux the audio". This does nothing for me. Please don't say, "use this program to do it". If you have succussfully accomplished this, then please bless us with specifics. Here is my dillema

I have Divx with AC3 audio, I want to burn this to a DVD and keep the AC3 Dolby Digital 5.1 sound and have it not be super quiet and out of sync.

I DON'T want to convert the AC3 sound to a wav and then encode it. (I would lose the 5.1 that way)
I DON'T want to convert to SVCD with AC3 (DVD or nothing baby)
I DO NOT want green eggs and ham!

I'm not trying to sound demanding or trying to be a dick or nothing, I'm just frustrated because I've asked this question and only recieved suggestions that dont work. I'm specifically looking for somebody that has accomplished this and is willing to type up detaided instructions for a noob. I know how to use TMPGenc and I've downloaded about every audio utility I can find. The problem is they all want to convert the AC3 sound to stereo in a wav or something like that. Please I'm begging for some serious help on this!

[CaseyComb]

Well, I'm not sure what you're doing but to properly make a DVD with the 5.1 .ac3 intact you need to demux. This stuff isn't hard. I'll try to type out a guide that has worked for me:

(This is how I accomplish it, any other variants are up to you)

This guide is not perfect, as it is all coming off the top of my head as I type it

TOOLS:
1. "Virtual Dub"
2. "BeSweet" for .ac3 encoding (You will need the LAME and AZID patches for this they are easy to find if you look, I don't know thw site off hand)
3. "Bitrate Calculator" (you can find a good free one on this site in the tools section)
4. "Tmpgenc" w/ MPEG2 Encoding capabilities (or another MPEG2 encoder that will do the samething)
5. "IFOedit"
6. Any burning software that will burn a DVD in ISO mode


Okay... Lets get started I am just going to assume for the sake of my makeshift guide that the source is 29.97 FPS

1. "EXTRACTING AUDIO .AC3 STREAM"
Open the .avi file in VIRTUAL DUB. Now in the Audio Parameters menu select "Direct Stream Copy". Now we extract the audio portion of the file, Select "Save As WAV" in the file menu. make sure that you select "All Files" in the file type option. DO NOT SELECT .WAV FILE AS THE FILE TYPE!
Now Type in the name you want to give it and then give it an .ac3 designation. Save the file to Whichever folder you like.

2. "CONVERTING RIPPED .AC3 STREAM TO PROPER DVD .AC3 STREAM"
Open BeSweet. It's been awhile since I've done this so I don't remember exactly off hand what the exact parameters are so this you might have to discover on your own, but there are guides on this site for it. Basically youy select .ac3 to .ac3 conversion, input your ripped .ac3 file and then set your output file. Hit Start and let it run to completion. This will now be the .ac3 file you will use for your DVD.

3. "DETERMINING BITRATE"
Open the Calculator and select DVD as the type of file you want to encode to. Using 384 (BeSweet defaults at 384 for the .ac3 bitrate) as the audio bitrate designation. In the estimated time or length window type in the length of your .avi file (i.e. 2 Hours 5 minutes). In the window labeled average bitrate you will have the video bitrate you need for encoding.

4. "ENCODING .AVI TO MPEG2"
I am going to use TMPGENC as the encoder for this (anything else and you are on your own here) Open TMPGENC Wizard. Select the DVD (NTSC) template and move to the next screen. Now at the bottom of this screen shold be an option for "other settings", check the box and then it will take you into the settings window. On the "Video Arrange Method" select "Full Screen (Keep Aspect Ratio)" Hit OK and then go into the next screen. Uncheck both "Auto Select" and "Auto Setting" boxes. In the "Average Bitrate" box type in the video Bitrate you got with the Bitrate Calculator. You can adjust this bitrate as needed with the arrow buttons to the right of the bitrate box. Hit OK and move to the next screen.
In the next screen check the box marked "Output Video and Audio as elementray streams. The box marked "Start Encoding imeddiately" should be checked. Pick a name and the folder you wish to send it to and strat encoding. Now go read a book or do some errands or take a nap cause this will take awhile depending on the speed of your computer.

5. "DVD AUTHORING"
Now that you have encdoed the Video to Mpeg, and you now have a proper .ac3 file, you are ready to author your DVD. Go to your C: drive and create a folder with the title of your DVD. It has to be all CAPS and an underscore used for spaces (For Example STAR_WARS). Now inside that folder you should create 2 sub-folders the same way, they are as follows: VIDEO_TS & AUDIO_TS. Open IFOedit and click on the "DVD Author Menu". Select "Author new DVD" Place the .M2V file you created with TMPGENC into the video section. Place your .AC3 file into the audio section. *(note: if you want chapters I will tell you how at the bottom of this guide). In the "Output Stream" box select the VIDEO_TS folder inside the title folder on your C: drive. Hit okay and let it run, when it is done you will have a DVD with proprer folder structure on your hard drive.

6. "BURNING THE DVD"
Open whichever burning software you have and select the DVD template it has. Drag or select the title folder with your VIDEO_TS folder inside of it to the proper window. Burn! When all is said and done you should have a DVD ready for viewing on your standalone DVD player.

I hope this puts you on the right path, below is instruction for creating a chapter stop file for "IFOedit"

Good Luck!

*To create a proper chapter stop file for IFOedit, copy and paste the numbers below consecutively in NotePad or WordPad and then save as a simple text file (.txt) and name it "celltimes.txt" You may have to edit it for the time constraint of your movie as it stands now it is a little over 2 hours at 4 minute intervals (i.e. chapter stops every 4 minutes)

7200
14400
21600
28800
36000
43200
50400
57600
64800
72000
79200
86400
93600
100800
108000
115200
122400
129600
136800
144000
151200
158400
165600
172800
180000
187200
194400
201600
208800
216000
223200
230400
237600
244800
252000
259200

As you can see they are all multiples of 7200. 7200 frames equals roughly 4 minutes in an NTSC encoded .Mpeg

[Kafluke]

Casey, thank you very much! I'm anxious to try this. I will let you know how it works out! Real quick question though. In all my attemts the AC3 sound is very low. Does Besweet fix that for me?

[sagalout]

I've just done a couple of these myself for the first time, so thought I'd add my 2p to the above excellent advice.

When saving as wav from virtualDub you dont need to rename it to a .ac3 file. The easiest way to use besliced is to drag a copy of it (its a tiny exe program) into the directory that your wav file is in. Then, drag your wav file ontop of the besliced icon. a little popup will appear with otpions. Select AC3 and it will save a copy of the audio file as filename_fixed.ac3.

I also find AC3 is quiet. This is also true with standalone dvd players going through a TV. I think its because the fidelity is that much higher, the volume appears to be lower. Either way, dont worry about it, it will work perfectly on a DVD player just like all your other movies.

One other thing, I wouldnt recommend authoring with IFO edit. I did my first disc with it, and whilst it would play in my Pioneer DVD player, it wouldnt work in my samsung. I then read a guide on here that said IFO edit authoring wasnt 100% compatible with all players, so I've swicthed to TMPGenq DVD Author, which had been fauless so far, and also has an excellent burning program with it.

[Kafluke]

CaseyComb I can't thank you enough! You're the only one that has given me a detailed step by step and it worked flawlessly! Thank you! I now have a full DVD of Matrix Reloaded with AC3 sound! I'm so excited that I can convert all these DIVX files to DVD and keep the sound in tact. If you ever get some time to do a full guide with pics and more detailed settings, I'm sure that the community would greatly appreciate it. Again, thank you and for everybody else with this problem, follow the guide above by CaseyComb because it worked perfect for me!

You are in breach of the forum rules and are being issued with a formal warning.
/ Moderator Craig Tucker

[Tommyknocker]

CaseyComb I can't thank you enough! You're the only one that has given me a detailed step by step and it worked flawlessly! Thank you! I now have a full DVD of Matrix Reloaded with AC3 sound! I'm so excited that I can convert all these DIVX files to DVD and keep the sound in tact. If you ever get some time to do a full guide with pics and more detailed settings, I'm sure that the community would greatly appreciate it. Again, thank you and for everybody else with this problem, follow the guide above by CaseyComb because it worked perfect for me!

As a member of the community, I do appreciate the way CaseyCombs helps. That being said, I do not appreciate the way you used him to make him an unknowing accomplice to your illegal act.

[tgpo]

Matrix Reloaded = Warez. Topic locked