how to add audio to a MPEG 2 fille

[iantino]

Hello everybody,

I've an MPEG2 file. It's resolution is 720 X 480. I want to add audio to this movie file in aiff or mp3 format, so I get a mpeg2 file to reproduce on a CompactFlash card. I exported them from Final Cut through Compressor, which gave me one m2v files and one aiff file, but when I mux iboth with ffmpegX to get only one mpge2 file, gave me always a corrupt mpg file. Any clue? All I need is a suitable software which can add audio to my MPEG2 movie file or some help on how to join both files into a MPEG2 file. Thanks in advance.

[tomlee59]

Try audio in MP2 or ac3 format.

[iantino]

You mean to mux the video m2v file with a mp2 or ac3 audio files?
Also doesn't work. Thank you anyway, T59.

[Cornucopia]

Not a lot of choice for MacOS (unlike PC), esp. freeware/shareware, but you could try BitVice Helper Multiplexor.

Note: with the exception of DVD Authoring tools, there is NO WAY to multiplex a PCM track (and this includes WAV and AIF) with an MPEG2 video stream into an MPEG container. So you must use MP2, MP3 or AC3 (DTS and MP4/AAC might also work). Has to do with (the presence or absence of) PACKET sectoring that includes facilities for timecode with which to sync to video.

Scott

[iantino]

with the exception of DVD Authoring tools, there is NO WAY to multiplex a PCM track (and this includes WAV and AIF) with an MPEG2 video stream into an MPEG container. So you must use MP2, MP3 or AC3 (DTS and MP4/AAC might also work). Has to do with (the presence or absence of) PACKET sectoring that includes facilities for timecode with which to sync to video.

Hello Scott,

Many thanks for the help.

As you say there is no program for MAC OS X (and I tried every resource) to do what I wanted to do...except for BitVice Helper Multiplexor.

After some trouble finally this little but powerfull tool let me "fabricate", using the XSVCD OPTION, an MPEG2 2 file with audio included,starting from an M2V video file and a AIFF audio file.

You saved my show!

So now I own you one, Cornucopia...

[Cornucopia]

Alright, way to go!

Happy to help...

Scott

[havema-1]

> one m2v files and one aiff file

MPEG Streamclip can easily be used to multiplex video and audio files together:

Just place similarily named .m2v and .aiff, .ac3 or .m1a files in the same folder, drop the .m2v file on MPEG Streamclip, and convert them to MPEG with PCM, .ac3 or .m1a audio. If necessary, MPEG Streamclip can encode new .m1a audio at 192-384 kb/s.

[iantino]

Sorry, I must insist again on my search...

I said in other message to Scott that it works using the BitVice Helper Multiplexor to multiplex a MPEG2 2 file with an aiff audio file...yes, but only to do clips of 30 seconds, at least I am trying to multiplex a 12 minutes mpeg2 clip and there is no way, it always stops at 30 seconds (in the Terminal visor it says something about droped frames)

I also tried de Streamclip suggested kindly by havema-1, and althought it can convert a .m2v and .aiff files into one MPEG with PCM, file that works perfectlly in my computer with image and sound, when I copy this mpeg file to a Compact Flash card (which also reproduces perfectly the contents when conected to my computer), to watch and hear it at a Compact Flash reproducer installed inside a special monitor, most of the times there is no image or sound (I tried the diferent possibilities of multiplexing gived by Streamclip), or sometimes only appears the image without sound.

Any clue will be worshiped.

[Frobozz]

lantino,
What is the special monitor that plays your video from the Compact Flash card? Are you using a high-speed card?

I've seen digital photo frames that have MPEG 2 playback capability. But they are under-powered. It may be necessary to lower the frame rate to 15 fps. Unfortunately the companies that make these frames give no specs on the maximum resolution, frame rate or other specs for using video.

My business partner is buying a 10.4" MPEG 2-capable photo frame and we're going to do some testing in the next week.

[iantino]

Frobozz,

It's only a monitor with an mpg reproducer through a 1GB Compact Flash Card that ables to see video.
I don't have problems when the card reproduces only video. The trouble is when I want to add audio.

[Cornucopia]

Note: with the exception of DVD Authoring tools, there is NO WAY to multiplex a PCM track (and this includes WAV and AIF) with an MPEG2 video stream into an MPEG container. So you must use MP2, MP3 or AC3 (DTS and MP4/AAC might also work). Has to do with (the presence or absence of) PACKET sectoring that includes facilities for timecode with which to sync to video.

Scott

I've successfully used this Digital Signage company before: http://www.corndigital.com/product/sunlight_readable_lcd_monitor.htm. They also have specs (although not as exhaustive as I'd like) so you can know how to encode.

So....

You were "able" to mux an AIF or PCM into an MPEG. Did it work (in the end)? Did it LOSE SYNC?
That's why I made that note above in the 1st place.
Use MP2, MP3 or AC3 and you'll probably be fine. (CBR, with middle bitrates for best compatibility)

Scott

[iantino]

Hi Scott,

My monitor is not the Digital Signage but it's more or less the same technology.
As you say it seems to be a sync problem.
When I mux an m2v with aiff I get an "aborted"(1 form 12 minutes) mpeg file that can be watched and heard on my monitor.
When I mux an m2v with an mp2 ( Bit Vice Helper wont let me mux it with mp3 or ac3!) I get a complet mpeg file
but I can't hear the audio.

This is something like a Sisifean doom.

Maybe in PC there are more solutions to this puzzle?

[Cornucopia]

There are many solutions on the PC side (TMPGEnc, Imago, Muxman, etc) . Maybe you can do a VirtualPC or a DualBoot or something.

Scott