How do I create an audio stream for TMPG DVD Author?

[weshuang]

I'm a total newbie, so sorry if this is elementary...

I'm trying to transfer some 8mm tapes to DVD. I've successfully captured to an .avi, and I've used TMPGenc to encode to an .m2v file. I've read that the audio compression is poor in TMPG, so I guess I need to figure out how to create either an .ac3 file or a .pcm file.

I thought I read somewhere that a pcm file is the same thing as a .wav file. However, when I use Ulead to create a .wav file from the .avi, and try to author using TMPG DVD Author, it won't take it. Anyone have any suggestions?

I also tried to use BeSweet to get an .ac3 out of the .wav, but I get an error. As far as BeSweet goes, I have browsed numerous guides, but couldn't find one that was simply avi -> ac3. Can someone point me to a simpleton's guide?

[FulciLives]

I'm a total newbie, so sorry if this is elementary...

I'm trying to transfer some 8mm tapes to DVD. I've successfully captured to an .avi, and I've used TMPGenc to encode to an .m2v file. I've read that the audio compression is poor in TMPG, so I guess I need to figure out how to create either an .ac3 file or a .pcm file.

I thought I read somewhere that a pcm file is the same thing as a .wav file. However, when I use Ulead to create a .wav file from the .avi, and try to author using TMPG DVD Author, it won't take it. Anyone have any suggestions?

I also tried to use BeSweet to get an .ac3 out of the .wav, but I get an error. As far as BeSweet goes, I have browsed numerous guides, but couldn't find one that was simply avi -> ac3. Can someone point me to a simpleton's guide?

LPCM is simply 48k 16-bit Stereo WAV audio. When you capture your AVI you should set the audio to 48k 16-bit Stereo.

I use SoundForge (a WAV audio editor) to import my WAV and normalize it to 0.0 db then you can use that WAV file or you should be able to make an AC-3 audio file out of it using BeSweet.

So try to seperate your WAV audio from your AVI using VirtualDub and then process it.

If you have to use TMPGEnc to encode to MP2 or LPCM it really isn't that bad. Just make sure you go into the ENVIRONMENTAL SETTINGS and set the AUDIO ENGINE to HIGH QUALITY (SLOW) instead of the default which is LOW QUALITY (FAST) ... once you change that setting it will stay on HIGH QUALITY (SLOW) everytime you use TMPGEnc.

As far as having a problem with BeSweet ... maybe it has something to do with your captured WAV being 44.1k instead of 48k?

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[weshuang]

I'm a total newbie, so sorry if this is elementary...

I'm trying to transfer some 8mm tapes to DVD. I've successfully captured to an .avi, and I've used TMPGenc to encode to an .m2v file. I've read that the audio compression is poor in TMPG, so I guess I need to figure out how to create either an .ac3 file or a .pcm file.

I thought I read somewhere that a pcm file is the same thing as a .wav file. However, when I use Ulead to create a .wav file from the .avi, and try to author using TMPG DVD Author, it won't take it. Anyone have any suggestions?

I also tried to use BeSweet to get an .ac3 out of the .wav, but I get an error. As far as BeSweet goes, I have browsed numerous guides, but couldn't find one that was simply avi -> ac3. Can someone point me to a simpleton's guide?

LPCM is simply 48k 16-bit Stereo WAV audio. When you capture your AVI you should set the audio to 48k 16-bit Stereo.

I use SoundForge (a WAV audio editor) to import my WAV and normalize it to 0.0 db then you can use that WAV file or you should be able to make an AC-3 audio file out of it using BeSweet.

So try to seperate your WAV audio from your AVI using VirtualDub and then process it.

If you have to use TMPGEnc to encode to MP2 or LPCM it really isn't that bad. Just make sure you go into the ENVIRONMENTAL SETTINGS and set the AUDIO ENGINE to HIGH QUALITY (SLOW) instead of the default which is LOW QUALITY (FAST) ... once you change that setting it will stay on HIGH QUALITY (SLOW) everytime you use TMPGEnc.

As far as having a problem with BeSweet ... maybe it has something to do with your captured WAV being 44.1k instead of 48k?

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

That was it - thanks, John!

However, now I see the reason why people don't use WAV files. I was previously encoding the WAV files at the lowest frequency, at 48k, the files are pretty big. I would probably want to look at either encoding ac3 or using the TMPG's audio encoding. Do you have any idea how much of a space hog TMPG's audio encoding is? Your point on the quality is good, especially since I'm just transferring old home movies and tapes of football games -- I don't really want to hear Al Michaels in hi fidelity anyway...

[FulciLives]

Try using BeSweet but make sure that you have a 48k 16-bit Stereo WAV file FIRST before you encode to AC-3 and that should solve your problem. Also try either 224kbps or 256kbps but 192kbps seems too low for BeSweet when doing AC-3

If you use TMPGEnc and do MP2 then again you will get a small file size using either 224kbps or 256kbps but not all stand alone DVD players (at least USA models) like MP2 audio.

If you use TMPGEnc to do LPCM well that is just a 48k 16-bit Stereo WAV and you know how HUGE that can be!

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[weshuang]

Try using BeSweet but make sure that you have a 48k 16-bit Stereo WAV file FIRST before you encode to AC-3 and that should solve your problem. Also try either 224kbps or 256kbps but 192kbps seems too low for BeSweet when doing AC-3

If you use TMPGEnc and do MP2 then again you will get a small file size using either 224kbps or 256kbps but not all stand alone DVD players (at least USA models) like MP2 audio.

If you use TMPGEnc to do LPCM well that is just a 48k 16-bit Stereo WAV and you know how HUGE that can be!

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

OK, since MP2 has compatibility issues, I will definitely try to do it with ac3 files. I hadn't tried using BeSweet to convert from wav to ac3, I'll try that next. What I was doing was trying to go from avi directly to ac3 -- does that work?