HELP!! Trying to convert XviD to VCD

[BDiddy]

Man oh man I need help with this. Basically, I'm trying to convert 2 XviD files to MPEG. Some details about the files: 1) They have subtitles (added them already). 2) The audio is AC3. 3) The format is PAL, but that's not so much an issue. It seems that no matter what I've tried, I just haven't had any luck.

Here's what I've tried so far:
- Direct encode to MPEG with TMPGENC - no go at first. Tried changing the DirectShow priority in the TMPGENC options, but it just crashed the program.

- Again in TMPGENC, tried encoding with XviD AVI as video source and an external WAV as the audio source

- Converted the AC3 audio to WAV and MP2 (using BeSweet and Headache) and attempted to multiplex this with the MPEG video, but for the MP2 TMPGENC said "illegal MPEG audio stream" or something like that, and for the WAV it said "Multiplexing linear PCM stream to system stream not allowed" or something similar to that.

- Tried re-encoding the AVI to DivX 3 with WAV audio but Virtualdub would not convert the audio. Then tried re-encoding using an external WAV for the audio but the finished AVI has no audio at all.

Seems like the biggest problem I'm having is getting the audio to work. The video stream seems to convert fine by itself, but that damn audio just don't wanna cooperate. I haven't tried MP3 audio yet, but I get the feeling that it wouldn't work either.

So is there hope for this project or should I give up now and save myself some grey hairs?

[yf2001usa]

you could try to convert the wav to mp2 with tmpgenc.

[greengate69]

Another suggestion: Download the freeware avi2vcd application, which comes with another program called "decompress". The decompress program allows you to open your source avi file and save a second avi file with the audio decompressed (it will be a bigger avi file). Then load this avi file into your encoder and see what happens.

Its worth looking through the saved avi (with the decompressed audio) to make sure the sound plays all the way through. If it doesn't there may be a problem with the original ac3 (which should be fixable with "ac3fix" - freeware)

[servie_b]

I used the convert to WAV, MP3 guide to extract the AC3 from the avi with Virtualdub, use ac3fix to fix the ac3, process it in Headac3he to 16 bit, 44.1 kHz WAV. Then I used Virtualdub to frameserve (clipping, aspect ratio change) into TMPGenc to convert to SVCD, using the *.vdr as video source and the wav as audio and it worked. Good luck!

[theDruid]

Hi all,

the easiest way I've come across to deal with ac3 audio in an Xvid file when making a VCD, is to open the original video file in GoldWave, then Save As.. a normal wav (e.g. 16bit PCM).

You can use the resulting wav file as the audio source in TMPGEnc.

(I also normalise the wav before encoding, and use tooLame and SSRC as the audio engine in TMPGEnc.)

I've had very good results doing it this way, and as I say - it's very very easy!

cheers,
mcdruid.

PS. I'm not sure what codec GoldWave uses to 'deflash' the ac3, but I do have the ac3Filter installed (see tools section of this site).

[BDiddy]

w00t! Thanks for all the help guys. GoldWave seemed to do the trick. Next project, convert it from PAL to NTSC, but this is a frivolous thing, so I'm not too concerned if it doesn't work hehe. Thanks again!