Ripping DVD->DivX or AVI = audio distortion. Help!

[jemenake]

I'm pretty stumped by this one.

I ripped a DVD to DivX using #1 DVD Ripper and noticed that the audio in the DivX file was overdriven and distorted. I played the original DVD on the same PC and the audio was fine. So, something happened during the rip/conversion.

I tried ripping from a different drive, and the problem persisted.

I tried ripping to Indeo AVI instead of DivX, and the problem persisted.

I tried using ImToo to rip/convert, and the problem persisted.

Finally, I decided that I needed to break the process into steps and check the audio at each step. So, I just ripped the DVD right to a muxed .mpg file using TMPGEnc DVD Author (ie, no transcoding of audio or video) and *THAT* mpg played *fine*... no audio problems.

Then, I dragged that mpg file into the DivX 6 Converter and (after having to install an AC3 filter) converted it... and *that* played fine, too.

So, if I do the steps in two parts, everything works. If I do it in one step, the audio gets overdriven.

I have a short list of theories... all of which, I consider to be "long shots":
1 - Both the #1 and the ImToo rippers are doing some kind of normalization of the audio (and improperly so) even though I found no options to turn normalization on/off.
2 - Since the DivX 6 converter (when I tried it on the muxed rip) complained about not being able to convert because of a missing AC3 filter, maybe the other two rippers weren't able to find an AC3 filter as well and looked, instead, at some other audio stream from the DVD (or improperly decoded the AC3 one). If this is the case, then they might work fine now that I've installed an AC3 filter. I haven't checked.
3 - The DivX converter never lets me specify an audio encoding format. I take this to mean that DivX might have its own audio encoding that it likes. The #1 and ImToo actually have me choose the audio encoding (usually mp3-128kbps), so they might be using a different encoding than I get when I separately mux and then convert.

Any other ideas? Anybody ever seen this problem before?

- Joe

[monzie]

?

AFIAK unless you go with the original audio format (typically AC3 and usually 5.1) ALL DVD to avi conversions downsample the audio.

What will ripping the DVD and demuxing/playing the audio track tell you other than its the same as the DVD's?

Read this GUIDE:

http://www.nanomessiah.com/dvd-backup/dvd-to-divx.html

As it will tell you whats ACTUALY going on 'behind the scenes' of any DVD>avi conversion.....When you get to about 3/4 of the way down you will see HeadAc3he..this is the audio conversion.

Not all DVD>AVI 'all-in-ones' use the exact same sub-routines but the PRINCIPLE is mostly the same......read and learn......bet you feel stupid now , eh?.....leave those 'all-in-ones' alone UNTIL you understand how they work......otherwise they are pointless kiddy tools.