can't import ac3 audio into TMPEnc DVD Author

[ZAP]

I've been making VCDs and divx movies for a long time, but I just got a DVD burner so I'm a newbie to this forum. I've searched the guides and forums and so far can't find a resolution to the specific problem I'm having. I can't seem to create ac3 audio files that TMPEnc DVD Author will accept.

Here is the process I've been trying:

1. Use TMPGEnc Plus to create an m2v video file
2. Export audio as uncompressed wav file using VirtualDub
3. Use AC3 Machine/BeSweet to convert wav to ac3
4. Run AC3Fix on the converted ac3 file (find errors and fixes them)
5. Import video and audio into TMPEnc DVD Author

However, I'm running into several problems. When I try to import my ac3 file, TMPEnc DVD Author tells me that they are in an "Illegal Audio Format" and refuses to add them. In addition, I notice that when I play my original ac3 file (before AC3Fix) it sounds fine, but the "fixed" files don't play properly (they repeat segments of the audio).

I have also tried to use HeadAC3he instead of AC3 Machine/BeSweet to convert my wav files to ac3, but ac3 is not one of the format options offered in the menu (though I have installed all the available dll packs).

I have now tried to make this work using various original video files (some with uncompressed audio, some with mp3 audio, etc.), and TMPEnc DVD Author rejects every ac3 I throw at it.

What am I doing wrong, and how can I do it right?

THANKS in advance for your replies.

[HillJack]

4. Run AC3Fix on the converted ac3 file (find errors and fixes them)

Why are you using AC3Fix? Are your ac3's broken? Sounds more like you are breaking your ac3 files with this step, to me.

In addition, I notice that when I play my original ac3 file (before AC3Fix) it sounds fine, but the "fixed" files don't play properly (they repeat segments of the audio).

That should be your first clue... that AC3Fix is the cause of your problems.

I always use BeSweet to make my ac3 files for my DVD's, and have never had a problem. Try skipping step 4 and see what happens.

[ZAP]

Sorry. I forgot to mention that I have tried that. TMPGEnc won't let me import either the "fixed" or the original ac3 files.

[wadebbie]

I don't think you can import AC3 files into TMPGE. There could be a fix somewhere, but I've never heard of it. I always try to use .wav

[ZAP]

You definitely should be able to import ac3 audio files into TMPGEnc DVD Author (it's one of the three accepted formats, the other two being mp2 and wav). As I understand it (being an admitted newbie), ac3 is the preferred audio format for all DVD tracks, since it's far smaller than wav and works in all players. So how do I make an ac3 file that TMPGEnc likes?

As an aside, I made a DVD with two tracks today (a trailer and a movie), and I used wav audio for both. Both tracks play fine in PowerDVD, but the trailer track has no audio when played on my standalone DVD player. Somewhere I think that I heard that you can run into problems like this if you use anything other than ac3 audio, but perhaps it's unrelated.

Any other ideas?

[jeex]

try using sonic foundry soft encode to convert your wav's to ac3. i've created a few dvd's using this method.. works great.. not to mention you wont run in to the bug on some pioneer dvd players where ac3 files made with besweet dont work correctly.

here is how i do it

covert source video to dvd spec mpeg2 w/ mainconcept mpeg encoder

convert source audio to dd 2.0 ac3 w/ main concept

import audio & video in to tmpgenc dvd author, make some stupid menu's & output files

burn with recordnow max.

[HillJack]

How about trying to multiplex the ac3 and m2v using regular TMPGEnc (the encoder, not DVD Author), then loading the resulting mpg into DVD Author? That's what I've ALWAYS done, and I've never had a problem.

Also, what "Endian" setting (the way bits are layed out) are you using in BeSweet -- Motorola or Intel? I don't know if TMPGEnc cares, but I've read that Motorola is the correct setting for hardware DVD players, so I've always used Motorolla and again, never a problem.

Oh, and what is the frequency (Hz) of the wav file you output from VirtualDub? 44.1 or 48Khz? Again, I don't know if BeSweet would complain if you fed it a 44.1Khz wav, but the conversion from 44.1 to 48kHz could be causing a problem in the resulting ac3, if you're starting with 44.1kHz. Just a thought.

[ZAP]

I'm starting with 48000 Hz stereo wav files and creating 224-bit ac3 files of the same Hz and type. I don't see any "Endian" setting in AC3 Machine (the BeSweet GUI). Where would I find that?

You know, I thought about muxing the m2v and ac3 files in TMPGEnc and importing the movie that way, but a) I might sometimes want to have different language tracks for the same video and b) I couldn't get that to work either. I open up TMPGEnc Plus and go to MPEG Tools, choose multiplex and type "MPEG-2 Program" and then try to add my m2v and ac3 files. When I add the m2v file, it appears in the list, but when I add the ac3 nothing happens at all. Whereas if I add an mp2 audio file instead, it appears in the list and I can multiplex it with no problem.

My ac3 files must smell really bad or something...

[sazanon]

Hi,

Try loading your AC3 file to HeadAC3he and choose SOURCE file as your destination format. Somehow HeadAC3he corrects your original AC3 file.

Now TMPGEnc DVD Author will accept that new AC3 file together with you video file


At least it works for me

Good luck

[ZAP]

Curiouser and curiouser...

Well I tried to do that, but HeadAC3he refuses to even load my ac3 files because it says that no ac3 header was found. To which I replied, "Whaaaaaaaaaaa?" I don't understand how that could be...?

Again, I made these files by exporting uncompressed WAV files from VirtualDub (the original audio in this case was already uncompressed anyway). Then I used AC3Machine/BeSweet to transcode them to ac3 format (and they play fine in WMP at this point). Just to be sure that I wasn't going crazy, I did the entire process again and got the same error in HeadAC3he: "Could not find ac3 header."

So now I've tried converting several other files by various methods, and I seem to be completely incapable of generating anything recognized as an ac3 file.

Anyone have any idea what I could be doing wrong?

[bigb_y2g]

What is your source file? Is it an AVI you downloaded or is the video something you captured? The reason why I ask is that I ran into a problem where TMPGEnc DVD Author wouldn't take an AC3 file from a converted WAV I made using BeSweet.

I found out that the WAV I demuxed using VirtualDub was actually a MP3 not a WAV file, so I changed the extention of the WAV to MP3 then converted the MP3 with Music Match into a WAV. Once I took this WAV file and converted to AC3 I had no problems.

If it's an AVI check the properties of the file and see what the audio encoding is.

[daamon]

Hi, I'm no ac3 expert (or anything else for that matter) but I was just browsing the homepage this morning and read this new article:

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/userguides/186739.php

It may be of some use to you. Don't know, worth a try.

Good luck...

[RWANDREWS]

I use TMPG author & AC3 files made by BeSweet, & I have made over 50 DVDs without a problem, so IT CAN BE DONE.
When I "add file" the AC3 track does NOT automatically load, I have to choose it manually. I know this sounds stupid, but have you tried this ? If one track is wav, you cannot add another in a different format. YOu must create a different track.
There are all kinds of problems involved with converting MP2, MP3 to AC3 and then authoring them, so this is not the way to go. I start with the .WAV, make sure it's 48 khz & 224bit rate. NEVER had a problem.

It seems to me your problem lies in the initial step with splitting via Virtual Dub & using AC3 fix. Try tests using only one of them at a time, then using a different AVI splitter. Keep trying, you just have to find your hang point & then everything will go fine after that.

[ZAP]

I think you're right, RWANDREWS, that my problem is before I get to TMPGEnc DVD Author. I thought that VirtualDub would be the best possible tool for exporting my audio, which was why I've been using it (plus I know it well already). Is there a better tool for splitting out the wav audio from a divx file (TMPGEnc only accepts mpg input)?

I know I need to add the ac3 track automatically, but it won't let me (cuz my ac3 is bad, apparently)...

My current source file is a movie made by a friend of mine that I captured from VHS via my digital video camera and converted from DV to divx video/uncompressed wav audio in Premiere. I'm pretty sure of this file, which is why I was trying to make the process work with it, but I've tried several others also. I think that somehow BeSweet is not doing its job, although the command window opens up and it goes through the motions of doing it with no errors.

Interesting idea though, bigb_y2g - maybe I'll try it using some other audio sources that don't come from avi files and see what happens.

daamon that guide that you referred me to is for when your original source file already has ac3 audio and you want to keep it that way, not for converting wav audio to ac3. But thanks for mentioning it anyway, since it gave me the idea of trying VirtualDubMod instead of regular VirtualDub to split out the audio track. Gonna try that now and see if it helps at all.

THANKS all for your help.

[RWANDREWS]

Do I understand you correctly , that you have a AVI file that you converted to DIVX ? If so, that's your problem. Don't convert, encode the original AVI file in TMPGEnc, using the PCM audio selection, convert the WAV file with BeSweet to AC3, then import them into TMPG author. No need to mux. This is what I do.

BeSplit is another way to split the audio/video, but I've never used it.

Hope that helps.

[ZAP]

Yes, I did convert this particular file to divx, but only because the original captured video is in DV format (which means I can't work with it in most programs). I've tried other avi files as well, and I get the same results, so I don't think it has anything to do with the divx conversion. Once I strip out the audio to uncompressed wav, the video track should be irrelevant anyway.

I think I've narrowed down my problem to BeSweet. I find that even if I try to convert one of the standard Windows wav files to ac3 I get the same errors from HeadAC3he and TMPGEnc DVD Author telling me that the resulting ac3 file is invalid. It seems to be working, and I have installed all the associated dll files from the BeSweet website, so what else could I be missing?

Is there any tool that converts wav audio to ac3 other than BeSweet?

[learner1]

In Premiere, you can simply export timeline audio and
select window wav file. This will give you a wave file
quickly. The wave file is compatible with Besweet.
This is how I do it with Premiere 6.5. Other versions
may be similar.

[learner1]

Another comment, Premiere captures the DV into
AVI which is compatible with Tmpgenc. There is
no need to do any conversion at all.

[ZAP]

Well, I guess I could use uncompressed wav audio on the DVDs that I burn, but that would be a major waste of space. I don't think I'm willing to give up just yet. I can burn DVDs with wav audio (I've done a couple today that had short movies on them), but I ought to be able to make ac3 audio also.

So my problem is definitely in the BeSweet conversion step. It just doesn't seem to be making ac3 audio at all, so of course TMPGEnc DVD Author rejects it. Anyone else ever seen this or have an idea what might be causing it?

Is there some other way to convert my wav audio to ac3 with another program?

[ZAP]

I seem to have made it work!

My problem was definitely with BeSweet, but I still don't know exactly what that problem was. It would transcode the wav file and seemed to be working properly, but the resulting ac3 files were playable but not recognized as ac3 format. Damned if I know why that would be, but I eventually figured it out by starting over on a different computer and working through the steps.

I had to delete BeSweet and AC3Machine and reinstall them. That actually made the problem worse, since then BeSweet didn't even transcode the files at all. Which is when I realized that I also needed ac3enc.dll in that directory, and since I added the latest version of that from the web it seems to be working.

Now my plan is never to mess with it again...

THANKS to all who tried to help me resolve this.