Homeade DVD has MPEG audio layer!!!! ?

[geekfemme]

A Friend of mine put a series of my TV shows on DVD for me. I want to back them up on VCD (because I like to keep copies of everything-I don't have a DVD burner). The first step I can't get by (but have on every other DVD) is to change them to MPEG1 format so I can use VCD easy to change them to VCD.

When I try to convert with DVDx-like usual the audio is all messed up (only works with my subtitled movies).

When I try Eazy VCD-it freezes on this DVD or gives me a bunch of error messages.

When I try DVDCopyGold-it says the audio is in MPEG layer and is not supported! I'm guessing this isn't normal on DVDs (I'm still pretty new)-and I'm unable to back them up so far

How the heck do I fix that, or can I????

Oh yes, I have Windows XP and have installed some ASPI layers. My ASPI check says I have: ASPI32.SYS, WOWPOST.EXE, WINASPI.DLL, WNASPI32.DLL, if that helps at all. And I don't think my friend is any help-as apparently he knows about as much as I!

-any help VERY MUCH appreciated!!!

[Poppa_Meth]

whatever method he used to encode it he formatted the audio into MPEG Layer 2 which isn't supported by older DVD players and evidently not by a few programs as well. standard DVD audio is either PCM or AC3. you'll need to use a tool like Virtual Dub to extract the audio to a .WAV file seperately. You'll have to look through them and see which supports MPEG2 audio. I haven't messed with that format so I don't know right off what you need.

[ronnylov]

Unless the DVD is in PAL format. A PAL DVD supports mpeg1 layer 2 audio. In fact NTSC DVD's supports it too as long as at least one audio track is in ac3 or pcm format.

[geekfemme]

Hey guys, thanks a bunch for the help!!!
It sent me on a search-a-thon herefore unbeknownst to mankind!
And, of course, I eventually found a really simple solution, bizzarely and ironically enough.

I found a simple program you normally wouldn't probably need:
DVD Decrypter.

All it does is simply copies the DVD exactly as is onto your hard drive. I've been reading the DVD right from my DVD-rom (I know-I'm such a simpleton newbie!!!). Then, weirdly enough, DVDx is able to convert (from the copied DVD on your hard drive) without wobbly audio. Who knows why. Who knows how. It doesn't take very long to copy either.

If DVDx is still having problems with audio, sometimes I find that instead of "Open DVD Root", if you "Open VOB Files" and convert each one separately, that works even better.

So I just go DVD Decrypter to copy the DVD,
then DVDx to convert,
then if I want to join or cut the mpeg files I'll use TMPGENC,
then VCD easy to do chapters & put on VCD.

And so far *crosses fingers* have been able to copy the most stubborn DVDs. But I've kinda gotten sidetracked so haven't tested as much as I'd like.

I hope that helps someone out there with the same DVDx frustrations I had-because it's a great & easy program-worth the effort.