Issue with AC3 when authoring with TMPGEnc Author

[GarySheehan]

Hey folks,

This is my first post here. I'm a newbie, but have done a lot of reading on this awesome site, and you guys got me to where I am today.

I am not getting sound when I author using TMPGEnc Author.

For background, my file started as an AVI file. I used TMPGEnc to convert the AVI to M2V + WAV files. I disregarded the WAV file that TMPGEnc produced and used GoldWave to strip the audio from the AVI to produce the WAV. I then used BeSweet to convert the WAV to AC3. I followed the guides from this site exactly. After downloading an AC3 codec, I was able to listen to the outputed AC3 file through Windows Media Player.

I authored using TMPGEnc Author, selecting the M2V video file and the AC3 audio file. The resulting output was burned to DVD using the TMPGEnc disk writing tool.

The first issue I have is that the DVD would not play on my 3 year old Sony DVD player. At this point I'm assuming it is because I used +R media instead of -R media.

The DVD would play on my laptop DVD ROM player and my DVD +/-R +/-RW drive, both with no sound, using Intervideo WinDVD.

Finally, I tried playing the file directly from my hard drive using WinDVD and had the same result, no sound.

After further reading on this site I learned that BeSweet may not produce a compliant AC3 file. So I tried to run the AC3 file through AC3Fix using the AC3FixGUI. Selected the input file and named the output file and attempted to fix the file. AC3FixGUI reported the command was sent, but I never got my output file.

Also, I have read that TMPGEnc will not mux an AC3 file with an M2V file. Is this accurate?!

At this point I'm confused and need some expert guidance on how to proceed. What are the group's suggestions?

Thanks very much!

Gary

[Drakng]

OK

Point 1 TMPG does not accept ac3 you are right!!
Point 2 TPMGDVD acceps ac3 but it won't allow ac3 preview in any mode
Point 3 Use PowerDVD it should played your file provided the ac3 deoder codec is isnstalled
Point 4 AC3fix does not "fix" good ac3 only bad ac3 such as header or corrupt part
Point 5 You can use vitualdub instead of goldwave. Tmpg do a good job why change? One way to make sure you have sound is to test the wav file
before proceeding furthur

[HillJack]

@Drakng,

Point 1 TMPG does not accept ac3 you are right!!

Wrong. Both TMPGEnc and TMPGEnc DVD Author accept ac3 files no problem.

Point 2 TPMGDVD acceps ac3 but it won't allow ac3 preview in any mode

That's probably because there is no preview modes in TMPGEnc DVD Author that plays/contains audio streams.

@Gary,

I authored using TMPGEnc Author, selecting the M2V video file and the AC3 audio file. The resulting output was burned to DVD using the TMPGEnc disk writing tool.

Have you tried multiplexing your m2v and your ac3 together into an mpg using TMPGEnc Encoder, not the DVD Author? I too use TMPGEnc stuff, and always get TMPGEnc to multiplex my m2v and ac3 together, then give the resulting mpg to DVD Author, and have never had the problem you are describing (I also use PowerDVD to preview my DVD). If the audio stream was there, then PowerDVD would atleast play it.

Have you tried playing only the ac3 in PowerDVD? Does it play correctly? I'd be sort of leary of the "ac3 codec" you downloaded, it could be the source of your problems.

I have read that TMPGEnc will not mux an AC3 file with an M2V file. Is this accurate?!

No, it's not accurate. TMPGenc accepts ac3 files just fine. See above

[GarySheehan]

Thanks for the replies.

I'll try muxing using TMPGEnc prior to handing off to DVD Author and see how that works.

Gary

[vcddude]

Theres no need to mux the files. DVD Author accepts elemental m2v amd ac3 streams just fine. You just won't be able to hear the audio when editing. You will be able to hear the audio when you use the wav audio though. I edit with the wav imported, and then replace the wav with the ac3 when I'm ready to burn. Work great.

vcddude

[GarySheehan]

Hey folks,

Well, this whole putting video on DVD's is WAY more complicated than I wanted it to be. I blindly switched to DVD because I thought it would be easier to do this than to compress the crap out of an 8G file to 650M and still have it playable on most machines. I was so naive....

Anyway, a surprise to me, everything I have burned to date will play without a hitch on my new Sony DVD player! So I guess I was doing everything right and my old DVD player just won't play DVD +/- R.

I am now down to one issue. InterVideo WinDVD doesn't play sound. I can play sound, as I said, on my new stand-alone DVD player AND on my computer through Windows Media Player (using an AC3 Filter). But it doesn't play on the same computer using WinDVD.

Any suggestions? My IT guy here in my office doesn't know why it's doing this.

Thanks from a newbie that has been educated by this site to embrace "overscan"...

Gary

[GarySheehan]

Hey folks,

I got sick of the whole AC3 issue and tried authoring the DVD using TMPGEnc with the .wav file instead. Now it plays perfectly in my DVD RW and in my DVD ROM using both WinDVD and PowerDVD. It also plays perfectly in my stand alone Panasonic DVD player.

It must be an AC3 stream compliance issue, right? I used BeSweet to convert the WAV to AC3 according to the tutorial on this site. It played in Media Player (using an AC3 filter) but wouldn't play in a DVD player.

Is there another tool out there that will convert WAV to AC3? I'd like to get AC3 to work properly.

Thanks!

Gary

[lal]

I tried the same thing a couple of weeks back. See my post at
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=174063&highlight=

I gave up with AC3

Now, I am doing my DVDs with .WAV.