How-To: here's how I convert troubling MPA to MP2 to WAV

[vhelp]

UPDATE: This post is revised..

I thought I'd post this because its been buggin me for a long time now.

Every time I need to encode a certain video who's format is MPA, (these
are usually from my Set-top player/recorder devices brought over to my HDD
and dvd2avi 'ed w/ the audio being such, mpa) But, for some reason, when I
preceed to encode to MPEG's with TMPGenc, and I play the finished MPEG's,
there is no sound. The video plays silently.

The basic process for these projects go like this:

** dvd r/rw -> Smartripper -> HDD
** dgindex -> [*.d2v / audio] source files
** vfapi -> [vfapi.avi ]
** vdub -> TMPGEnc [vfapi.avi, audio.mpa ] -> video.mpg

So because of the problem with the .mpa audio playing silent after conversion,
I sought other alternatives. I tried using other external type tools to do
conversions from .mpa to .wav, (ie, Headace3he) but it would bail out half-way
with too many error messages.

So, then I tried something a little different, using ffmpegGUI, and what I
did was rename the .mpa file into .mp2 (ffmpeggui doesn't work if extension
name is .mpa) and then open this in ffmpegGUI and re-process to a new .mp2
using a max bitrate setting allowed, usually 384k. ffmpegGUI only converts
to AC3 and MP2 audio, not WAV.
So, in this last step, the final output is now MP2->MP2 audio.

By now, I import this MP2 (w/ 384k) audio into HeadAC3he and process it as
a WAV audio file. This works. Somehow, ffmpegGUI (using whatever command-line
settings) is successfully creating a workable type .mp2 audio that TMPGEnc
likes.
So, in this last step, the final output is now MP2->WAV audio.

I know all this is a *lot* of work, but for short-order situations and thinking
quickly on my feet, and several trial 'n error passes, these steps were what it
took to get the job done, all-be'it, at a slight cost in audio quality.

So, I use the scenario above, and everything works out great, but..

Just out of curiosity, are there any other better or shorter ways of this,
even command-line tools that I could code a quick GUI front-end tool for ??

Thanks,

-vhelp 4036

[celtic_druid]

mp2 to mp2 is not a good idea. You are saying that if you use ffmpeg to output AC3 it doesn't work? How about if you output wav?

[vhelp]

>> mp2 to mp2 is not a good idea. You are saying that if you use ffmpeg
>> to output AC3 it doesn't work? How about if you output wav?

No. I was not saying that.

Remember, I noted in my post above, that I'm using -[ ffmpegGUI ]-
not, ffmpeg. ffmpegGUI 's only limitation is no support for creating
WAV files. It will read them as input, and convert to MP2 or AC3 only.

I guess ffmpeg is another alternative:

** I'm currently investigating it's command-line usage to MPA->WAV and coding
a small front-end utility to help handle repetitive conversion procedures.

Had ffmpegGUI included the WAV format and throw in a drag 'n drop (so that
repetitive procedures can be less work) I probably wouldn't be here looking
for solutions or alternatives But..

After researching this problem since I lost posted this topic..
So, because my needs are more than what ffmpeggui can offer, I've decided to do
some *further* research into the matter with my "original" problem of getting my
"dvd recorded sources" mpa audio to encode inside TMPGEnc without problems.
Right now, as we stand, such mpa's continue to be silent when encoded with
TMPGEnc, and *only* a properly processed mpa -to- wav will work in my projects.

-vhelp 4040