AC3 Never Plays After Authoring:(

[Benn_Black]

No matter what I try when encoding anything with AC3 or converting WAV
to AC3 I can never get sound after the encoding is complete.

I extracted a movie to my HD with DVD Decrypter. I then used Vobedit to demux the video and audio (ac3). I then used DVD lab to re-author, inserted chapter points then compiled but no sound.

I have also tried using Ifoedit to re-author, again no sound.

I have also tried converting WAV files (from avi) to ac3 but again when
compiling I get no sound.

This is driving me nuts. If the ac3 plays fine on the DVD player why doesn't it work after I demux then recompile?

I even converted the ac3 to wav, it played fine, then converted back to ac3 (48000) but again no sound.

[awlchu]

DVD player means standalone player?

You do have a directshow AC3 filter installed on your computer, right?

If you installed a DVD player s/w, it should install the AC3 filter.

[Benn_Black]

DVD player means standalone player?

You do have a directshow AC3 filter installed on your computer, right?

If you installed a DVD player s/w, it should install the AC3 filter.

I had a filter installed but it didn't work. I d/l from the link you gave and it seems to be working. I'll let you know after encoding has finished and I have burned the DVD.

Thanks.

[Benn_Black]

DVD player means standalone player?

You do have a directshow AC3 filter installed on your computer, right?

If you installed a DVD player s/w, it should install the AC3 filter.

I can play AC3 files on my PC but after authoring the DVD no sound

[awlchu]

Benn,

Clarify for me:

You authored a movie and produced the AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS directories. yes or no?

You can play the VIDEO_TS contents on your computer. yes or no?

You burned a DVD and you can play it back on your computer yes or no?

It plays on your standalone DVD player excet for the audio. yes or no?

Try a different player too.


Qs:

- Source of the AC3 file is from a DVD. Did you change it at all?
- What is the make of the dvd standalnone player.

Look:

Demux the video and AC3 using dvddecrypter in stream mode and click on the stream name then select the 'demux' button. Repeat for each stream you want dvddecrypter demux. Then rip. You should have the video stream and all audio streams waiting for you when the program completes. Take those elementarty streams into dvdlab and add them as usual. This should work just fine for you.

[awlchu]

Benn,

You're not mixing audio (PCM and AC3)?

[Benn_Black]

Benn,

Clarify for me:

You authored a movie and produced the AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS directories. yes or no?

Yes.

You can play the VIDEO_TS contents on your computer. yes or no?

I can play video I do not get audio after encoding.

You burned a DVD and you can play it back on your computer yes or no?

Yes but video only no audio.

It plays on your standalone DVD player excet for the audio. yes or no?

Yes.

Try a different player too.

Qs:

- Source of the AC3 file is from a DVD. Did you change it at all?

No.

- What is the make of the dvd standalnone player.

Toshiba 420E.


Look:

Demux the video and AC3 using dvddecrypter in stream mode and click on the stream name then select the 'demux' button. Repeat for each stream you want dvddecrypter demux. Then rip. You should have the video stream and all audio streams waiting for you when the program completes. Take those elementarty streams into dvdlab and add them as usual. This should work just fine for you.

I'll give it a shot. Thanks for the help.

[Benn_Black]

Benn,

You're not mixing audio (PCM and AC3)?

No and tried the method you suggested and it still didn't work.

[awlchu]

Benn,

I'm starting to believe it is a filter issue on your computer.


You are dragging the audio stream onto the timeline within DVDlab right?

Now, let's look at your computer.

Find a tool called gspot (or graphedit). Load one of the VOBs in the VIDEO_TS directory with the tool. Find out what filter your system is using to play the audio (AC3) elementary stream. It will tell what filter has the highest merit that will play the audio.

Also, trying playing your VIDEO_TS movie with a tool called media player classic. It has built-in routines for both audio and video mpeg2 streams so it does not use the filters installed on your machine. If it can play it, then in confirms a config problem with your PC.

Write back, awlchu

[Benn_Black]

Benn,

I'm starting to believe it is a filter issue on your computer.

You are dragging the audio stream onto the timeline within DVDlab right?

Yes.

Now, let's look at your computer.

Find a tool called gspot (or graphedit). Load one of the VOBs in the VIDEO_TS directory with the tool. Find out what filter your system is using to play the audio (AC3) elementary stream. It will tell what filter has the highest merit that will play the audio.

Also, trying playing your VIDEO_TS movie with a tool called media player classic. It has built-in routines for both audio and video mpeg2 streams so it does not use the filters installed on your machine. If it can play it, then in confirms a config problem with your PC.

Write back, awlchu

Under Gspot audio is 'n/a'. So I'm missing a filter right? I installed the directshow AC3 filter as you suggested.

[awlchu]

Benn,

Does DVDlab say "GOP-0" as the attribute in the assets window?

This is a long shot. Go into tools and use the time stamp tool to reset the timestamps on your mpv file. Get out of DVDlab and reenter. The attribute time should match the audio length (in time).

Does it?

[awlchu]

Benn,

I'n confused now. Can you hear AC3 audio and see video when you play your disk on your DVD player? (reread post #1)

If yes (hear and see) it is a filter problem.

AC filter (in one of the tabs) says "uses this as the preferred filter". Make sure this is checked and reboot.

Now try and see if you can hear your audio when you play the VIDEO_TS contents.

I'm running out of ideas to try. I really think graphedit will help you isolate what filter will be used to playback the AC3 audio. See you can find it. Simply load in the VOB and review the output.

[Benn_Black]

Benn,

Does DVDlab say "GOP-0" as the attribute in the assets window?

No.

ac3. CH : 2. 48 Khz. 192 kbps. System : 1:30:15. Dolby 2/0

This is a long shot. Go into tools and use the time stamp tool to reset the timestamps on your mpv file. Get out of DVDlab and
reenter. The attribute time should match the audio length (in time).

Does it?

The audio was out by 0.06 seconds. After resetting the timestamps it was out by a lot longer!

Benn,

I'n confused now. Can you hear AC3 audio and see video when you play your disk on your DVD player? (reread post #1)

Not after encoding.

If yes (hear and see) it is a filter problem.

AC filter (in one of the tabs) says "uses this as the preferred filter". Make sure this is checked and reboot.

It was set to use this as preferred filter - ac3filter_0_70b

Now try and see if you can hear your audio when you play the VIDEO_TS contents.

Not after encoding.

I'm running out of ideas to try. I really think graphedit will help you isolate what filter will be used to playback the AC3 audio. See you can find it. Simply load in the VOB and review the output.

According to graphedit ac3filter_0_70b and that's already installed. I used Ifoedit to remux and still get
no sound. If I convert the ac3 to MP2 (or WAV space permitting) I don't have any problems.

[Perro Grande]

So -- you can convert from your AC3 file to WAV/MP2 and it plays correctly after authoring? This is true both on a standalone player AND on your PC player?

If these assumptions are correct, then chances are very good that the AC3 file you originally extracted is intact. One way that I use to test the validity of an AC3 file is to use WinAmp with Valex's AC3 Plug-in decoder (specifically for WinAmp) installed. It requires no filters, etc, on the machine. Give that a try on your source AC3 file. http://sourceforge.net/projects/winampac3/ is the main location for the plug-in. It is written for WinAmp2.x.

It really sounds to me as if your authoring program is not handling the AC3 files correctly.

After you author and burn a disc, fire up DVD Decrypter and look at the streams that it sees (and compare with the streams it sees when you create a working disc with MP2 or WAV audio). See if an AC3 stream is present at all. If so, rip it and see if you can play it with WinAmp or convert it, etc. If the stream is missing or invalid, chances are that your authoring program is having some sort of a problem...

[awlchu]

Benn,

What version of DVDlab are you using?

[Benn_Black]

So -- you can convert from your AC3 file to WAV/MP2 and it plays correctly after authoring? This is true both on a standalone player AND on your PC player?

Yes. MP2 plays perfectly.

If these assumptions are correct, then chances are very good that the AC3 file you originally extracted is intact. One way that I use to test the validity of an AC3 file is to use WinAmp with Valex's AC3 Plug-in decoder (specifically for WinAmp) installed. It requires no filters, etc, on the machine. Give that a try on your source AC3 file. http://sourceforge.net/projects/winampac3/ is the main location for the plug-in. It is written for WinAmp2.x.

It really sounds to me as if your authoring program is not handling the AC3 files correctly.

After you author and burn a disc, fire up DVD Decrypter and look at the streams that it sees (and compare with the streams it sees when you create a working disc with MP2 or WAV audio). See if an AC3 stream is present at all. If so, rip it and see if you can play it with WinAmp or convert it, etc. If the stream is missing or invalid, chances are that your authoring program is having some sort of a problem...

I authored in DVD Lab 1.3 and as usual no sound when playing back. Instead of burning (to save another coaster) I demuxed in VobEdit but it did not pick up any audio streams. I also authored in IFOEdit and while I got sound it is very choppy and the video kept freezing. I think TDA gave the same results at DVD Lab.

[Benn_Black]

Eureka!

I had problems playing a movie on my PC (no audio) so I installed Power DVD (I was using an old version of WinDVD) and it played fine. So I thought I might as well give it another shot. I encoded a movie in DVDAuthorgui with ac3 sound and it worked! So it must have been the Software movie player all along. What a complete pain in the arse.