VBR MP3 for an AVI?

[pachura]

Hello,

I am wondering if it is OK to compress movie's audio track to MP3 with variable bitrate (VBR). It should bring better quality than CBR/ABR, but, on the other hand, VirtualDub does not even allow working with such audio (desynchronization).

But aren't all the pirate DivX-es released in VBR?

[celtic_druid]

ABR is a form of VBR.

I'd say go for it, although I can't guarantee that you won't run into issues. As you already pointed out VirtualDub doesn't support VBR, so there is one issue right there.

No scene releases are DivX. They are all XviD.

Use VirtualDubMod or AVI-Mux GUI to mux.

[vitualis]

You may well run into problems with VBR MP3 soundtracks in AVI files with some programs and hardware devices but there isn't any harm in giving it a try. As per celtic_druid, try VirtualDubMod. It works with VBR MP3s well.

I personally have not had any particularly problem with VBR MP3 soundtracks on my AVIs.

Regards.

[mats.hogberg]

The problem with VBR MP3 comes when you try to reencode the AVI into something else, which, I take it, isn't always the main purpose when encoding to AVI in the first place?

/Mats

[celtic_druid]

If it can play ok, then it can also convert ok. So I really can't see a problem there either. By that I mean it is possible to convert. Not that all tools/converters will be fine.

[vitualis]

I haven't had any issue with converting AVI files with VBR MP3 stream audio - working with VirtualDubMod at least. With other tools, you may well need to demux the audio first and work with it separate but it hasn't been an insurmountable problem for me.

Regards.

[mats.hogberg]

...but again - why worry? A VBR MP3 AVI will play fine, and possibly, at the same file size, deliver slightly better audio quality.

/Mats