AC3 to wav.

[drummerduck]

I have been advised to convert my AC3 files to wav.

Using AC3tool, i tried loading the file into the tool.

It will not show up in the browse window for me to select, do i need to strip the AC3 audio file away from the video first?

If so how do i do this? if not then why can't i see it?

Cheers

D

[bugster]

I have been advised to convert my AC3 files to wav.

Why? By Who? For what purpose.
If you are targetting (S)VCD, then this is required. If you are targeting DVD video, you can keep the audio as Ac3 if you want.

Anyway, assuming you have avi files (divx?) with ac3 audio and want to convert to wav, here what I do.

1) Load the avi in virtualdub
2) Select audio-Direct stream copy, File->save wav file.

You should now have a file called something like movie.wav. Rename to movie.ac3.

3) Use ac3fix.exe (a command line tool) to fix the wav header that virtualdub adds.

4) Convert to wav using Headac3he.

Hope this helps.

[Baldrick]

Or use goldwave and open the avi directly and save as wav(requires also a ac3 filter / codec )

[drummerduck]

You should now have a file called something like movie.wav. Rename to movie.ac3.

3) Use ac3fix.exe (a command line tool) to fix the wav header that virtualdub adds.


Sorry, i don't understand this bit, Why do i need to re name it? and what is the header?

the two files i have i put together in virtual dub. If i convert the vid to MPEG2 and then just add the audio from the original file in an authorising tool will this give me the result i need?

[bugster]

Strictly speaking, you don't NEED to rename it, its just convention. The header is info at the beginning of the file that is used by applications to determine how to treat the contents. Virtualdub adds a wav file header, which is bad for Ac3 files, so it has to be removed. Ac3fix is what does this.

To use ac3fix, put the .exe in the same folder as your .ac3 file. Lets say your .ac3 file is stored in c:\MyMovies. Now open a command line window and type cd \MyMovies.

Now type:
ac3fix movie.ac3 new_movie.ac3

and wait for ac3fix to do its job.

You can now convert this to a wav file using Headac3he, or if you want to keep the ac3 audio in that format you have a couple of options, depending on your DVD authoring tool. You can multiplex the .ac3 audio file with your .m2v video, using Tmpgenc mpeg tools simple multiplex. Or if your dvd authoring program accepts seperate video and audio streams, just leave them as is. Some authoring tools require the .m2v and .ac3 files to be in the same directory, with the same filename but different extension.

Hope this helps.

[drummerduck]

i feel like i'm in a very deep hole with no ladder!!!! lol

many thanks.........

D

[Gazorgan]

Nah. Back to the original 'advisory', why are you converting your AC3 to WAV?

DVD supports AC3 whereas VCD/SVCD/KVD doesn't. If your trying to take a (cough cough) AVI with AC3 and convert it to SVCD then yes, there needs to be some conversion. What you really want to do is convert the AC3 to an MP2 for SVCD. You can do this directly with besweet. Then convert jsut hte video with TMP or CCE, then mux and you have your SVCD compleint MPEG2 file. Cut it to fit on disk and your done.

You can also use DVD2SVCD in file mode (as opposed to DVD ripping mode). Point, click and get bin/cues for burning out the back.

[drummerduck]

Basically i'm only burning DVD's. What good DVD authorising Tool can i use for menu's burning etc etc......?

there are a few.

I'm going with the AC3 audio and MPEG2 for all my formats. Is AC3 compressed? less or more than a wav file?

more questions....!!! lol

[bugster]

Yes, AC3 is compressed, much more so than wav format.

For a good DVD authoring program that accepts Ac3 audio as input, try Ulead DVD workshop. DVD-Lab is cheaper, more powerful but probably more difficult to use for the novice. I think both have downloadable 32-day free trials available.

[drummerduck]

If i can ask one more question, not that is really a problem anymore but more curious.

Why wouldn't my AC3 files load into the AC3tool?

It would not recognise the file in my HD?

Is this because it is still all part of the video file as well?

Does it need to be stripped of before converting?

So i can get the same results using the Ulead?

right, i'm off to get started........ wish me luck...(gulp!)

[MOVIEGEEK]

If i can ask one more question, not that is really a problem anymore but more curious.

Why wouldn't my AC3 files load into the AC3tool?

It would not recognise the file in my HD?

Is this because it is still all part of the video file as well?

Does it need to be stripped of before converting?

So i can get the same results using the Ulead?

right, i'm off to get started........ wish me luck...(gulp!)

Yes you have to demux(strip) the video and audio streams,if the video is MPEG use TMPGEnc>MPEG Tools>Simple Demux.If the video is a VOB use VOBEDIT.