No Sound/Audio on some DVD players from VHS to DVD via cam.

[buttsy00]

Hi guys I need some help,

I have been making DVD's for a while now and have recently came across a problem...

I transfer alot of stuff off VHS video tape onto DVD via my camcorder and firewire card encode with TMPGEnc Plus and author with TMPG DVD Author.

It seems that on some DVD playes that there is no audio at all but on most it works fine?

I have tried converting the audio to AC3 using ffmpeg but they still do not work.

The strange this is that when I make a dvd via a DV tape the audio seems to work fine on all DVD players...

Any suggestions on how to get audio on all DVD players regardless of which audio method I use?

[buttsy00]

I forgot to mention that on the DVD players that there is no sound the picture is perfect and normal. Just o audio!?

[buttsy00]

Surely someone has had the same problem or knows what i'm doind wrong?

I can't understand how I use the exact same programs and method for capturing, editing, encoding, authoring and burning the only difference is the one that is working is when using a mini dv tape (via my camcorder) and when it doesn't work I am using a vhs tape also via my camcorder.

Please I am tearing my hair out!!!

[thecoalman]

There's a few things I can think of. I'm not positive but some very old DVD players won't play AC3 (I think) Second some NTSC players won't play mpg audio, are you sure your converting to DVD compliant AC3.

Third it might be just some kind of really big coincidence that the DVD's that don't work happen to just be the ones from VHS. Possibly a different media, slower burn rate etc may help but that's really a long shot.

BTW if I remeber correctly TMPGenc requires DV-2 which stores the audio on a seperate track as opposed to DV-1.

[buttsy00]

I encode the ac3 audio using ffmpeg. It isn't working on 4 seperate dvd players I think atleast 2 of them are fairly new panasonic dvd players...

I wasn't using ac3 audiountil I noticed the problem and thought that would fix it but it doesn't.

I have been using the same media (princo) and same burning speed (4x I think) for all my DVD's... I can't see how a different media would help because the video is playing perfectly... surely if the media was the problem it wouldn't work at all?

Could it be the authoring program i'm using (TMPG DVD Author)?

[thecoalman]

Well they were all long shot suggestions really.....

Are you capping using DV-2?

[buttsy00]

Yes DV-2.....

Would it make a difference do you think if I capture to HD the same as I am doing now then transfer onto Mini DV tape then transfer back to HD?

[thecoalman]

How about the Hz setting and bitrate?

AC3
48000 Hz
32 - 1536 kbps

is DVD compliant, I'll bet the cam is outputting 32000 or 38000 hz I forget which. Check the audio properties, it needs to be 48000

[buttsy00]

When I encoded to ac3 I used the following settings with ffmpeggui:

Format: AC3
Bitrate: 192
Sampling Rate: 48000
Audio Channels: 2

When I encoded the sound using TMPGEnc Plus I used the following settings:

Stream type: MPEG-1 Audio Layer II
Sampling Frequency: 48000
Bitrate: 384
Error Protection: On

Could any of these settings be my problem?

[thecoalman]

The AC3 looks fine but some (very few) NTSC DVD players will not play MPEG audio. But if you have used MPEG audio before successfully then it should work now.

Have you tried it in different DVD players? Does it play on your computer DVD player?

That is just one funky problem since you can successfully use the DV material. Have you ever tried playing the captured AVI to insure it's actually capturing the audio? I'm really just throwing out suggestions as I have no idea.

[buttsy00]

I appreciate the help...

My DVD player is PAL... Yeah it works fine on my computer and aslo the .avi file works fine with sound when I capture VHS...

Is there anyone else who can help me? This is really frustrating!

[buttsy00]

I just had a thought... do you think it may have something to do with me encoding in CBR not VBR???

Could that possibly be why the sound works on some DVD players and not all?

[buttsy00]

I'm still having no luck on getting the audio to work on some DVD players.

I just don't understand what I am doing wrong...

HELP ME PLEASE!!!

[buttsy00]

Is there any program that can test my authored DVD files to check to see if I have encoded/authored properly to meet all the compliancy standards for all DVD players?

[thecoalman]

Is there any program that can test my authored DVD files to check to see if I have encoded/authored properly to meet all the compliancy standards for all DVD players?

The list is to the left under what is DVD. Not sure about PAL but some older NTSC players won't play AC3 or MPEG audio.

Have you tried using LPCM, that should work in any DVD player.

[Megahurts]

buttsy00

Are you using motion menus in your DVDs? If so, what type of audio are you using and is it the same for all the DVDs you've made.

Just a thought

Chas

[buttsy00]

Hi megahurts,

Yes I am using motion menu's but with no audio...

I author using TMPGEnc DVD Author and in the settings for the motion menus the setting "Use audio of the background video as the menu bgm" is unticket.

If I was to tick this option would that make a difference do you think?

[Megahurts]

buttsy00

You have a very unique problem. I mentioned the motion menu thing because I had a problem with a Panasonic player that wouldn't work when using mpeg audio in the menu but would work fine on other players.

I haven't had any problems using TMPGEnc DVD Author other than than the aboved mentioned.

To narrow it down, I would load the good and bad VOB files in Virtual Dub Mod and compare the audio specs in File Information.

Also, have you tried the audio track button on the players that don't work?

Very curious,

Chas

[buttsy00]

I have loaded the good and bad VOB's into Virtual Dub Mod and they both say the same thing...
Format: 48khz stereo, 192kbps, AC-3.

It is so frustrating... I am not changing a thing when I capture a VHS than when I capture from a MiniDV tape...

I have tried using different VCR's as well as cables with no luck.

When I press the audio button on the DVD players that don't work it says "Dolby Digital 2.0".

PLEASE HELP ME!!!

[Baldrick]

have you tried some other ac3 encoder than ffmpeg? like the ac3 plugin for tmpgenc dvd author? or try with pcm/wav audio.

[buttsy00]

how do I use that audio do I need to encode to pcm somehow?

Or can I just load the .wav file into DVD Author where i would normally load the ac3 file?

[Megahurts]

buttsy00

I made a short mpeg clip with a 2 channel mono audio track. The left track was 180 degrees out of phase from the right. Burned it to a DVD.

The audio played on 3 all players. One player had the abillity to choose stereo, mono-left, mono-right, or mix-mono output. When I chose mix-mono there was no sound which is to be expected with this clip.

Is it possible that one of your players is in a mix-mono audio mode?

Are you using a mono recorded tape or a mono VCR for playback?

Regards,

Chas

[buttsy00]

How do i make PCM audio? What is the best free program to use???

[buttsy00]

I am still having problems with this guys...

I've just had a thought...

Since they wonk on all DVD players when I transfre directly from a mini DV tape in my camcorder to my pcr and don't work when I transfer via VHS tape to camcorder directly to my pc... Should I try taping the VHS onto a blank Mini DV disk seperately and then try transfering the Mini DV tape with the contents of the VHS I want on the mini DV tape and see if that works?

Do you think this could solve my problem?

[buttsy00]

Hi guys just letting you know I have finally (after a year of trying a million different things!) figured out why this doesn't work on some DVD players...

My VHS player I have been using to transfer the VHS tapes to my compter via my camcorder is a mono VCR and not a stereo VCR. Therefore when I transfer the VHS tape it is only recording on one line and not both e.g it's only recording on the left line and not the right line.

Now the DVD players I have been having the problems are only connected to their tv's using the left audio line because they are older tv's and only have the one audio in plug at the back of the tv...

So after a year of encoding different ways and using different types of audio for my DVD's it was simply a matter of pluging the left audio line into the back of the TV and not the right audio line as there was no sound in that line!

I will now make sure I copy the audio to both lines and I won't have this problem again!

Thanks everyone for their help but it seems this was too simple for all of us!

[slacker]

I think it was Megahurts who figured it out actually.