AC3 vs. PCM on DVD-R...

[rlhartman]

"Just an unnecessary step being forced upon me...."

I'm painfully aware of that. [sigh] I'm not trying to do anything exotic. Here's my list of requirements:

1) Create chapter points in existing AVI or M2V files (i.e. clips which were captured using some other software, edited, then imported into the authoring tool). For example, I tried a Sonic tool which would create chapter points but only in clips which IT captured. Worthless!

2) Create simple, multilevel menus. I don't need motion (though it would be nice). All I need is a top-level menu with a clickable entry point for each title, and a submenu for each title that has clickable chapter points created as described in #1 above. That's it.

3) The ability to either transcode to AC3, or accept AC3 input as generated by some other tool.

4) Simple acceptance of the audio associated with my titles, whether it be PCM or AC3 or MPEG. If the authoring tool won't *generate* the output format of my choice, at least don't punish me for getting there some other way and then trying to import it into the authoring tool. (Here again, some tools forceable transcode AC3 to PCM... which means they can at least DEcode AC3! Why not just leave it alone?!?)

With these four things, I could import whatever video and audio I wanted, use the authoring tool to create simple multilevel menus, and then generate the VIDEO_TS structure. Nice and easy. No heavy breathing.

Sadly, it seems every authoring tool I've tried so far fails in at least one of these steps. In some cases (particularly #4 above), they actually have to work HARDER to get in my way and frustrate what I'm trying to do.

(I'd like to try TMPGEnc's Author, but as I mentioned elsewhere I must have installed it some time ago {when a complete newbie} and, now that I actually know what I'm trying to do, it believes my trial period has expired despite a complete uninstall and reinstall.)

[bugster]

Have you tried DVD-Lab. It will do everything listed in your points 1-4, and more. The learning curve may be a little steeper than some programs, but not much and it has a free trial version so you can try before you buy.

[lacywest]

I only ever work with two channels anyway, so that's not a limitation for me.

I'm strongly considering TMPGEnc's Author program and its AC3 option as a compatibility improvement over ffMPEG. Any experience with that? Do you (or anyone) know about compatibility issues and TMPGEnc's AC3? Is it better than ffMPEG?

You may or not know but the new ac-3 plugin has to be used with their new TDA program ... at least that is what I've read.

[rlhartman]

I'll check into DVD-Lab, thanks.

Yes, I'm aware the AC3 plugin only works with their "DVD Author" program, currently at V1.5. That's OK if it will do the four steps listed above, particularly the acceptance of audio in any DVD-supported format. If it can also convert PCM audio to AC3, that's a bonus because hopefully it won't exhibit the compatibility problems I'm seeing from ffMPEG.

I would expect the basic DVD Author to accept any DVD-spec-compatible audio format, including AC3 generated by some other program. I would expect that the AC3 plugin would permit you to input PCM and generate AC3 in the resulting multiplexed output files. But the Pegasys website isn't all that comprehensive in its description of how things work. It says these things, but I've been disappointed before.

[MavDVDR]

TDA fits the bill and is the most straight forward.

and yes it accepts both PCM & ac3.

... as for converting PCM audio to ac3 with the ac3 extension plug-in ... see if someone in this Thread can confirm that. Their website only mentions mp2 to ac3.

For your purposes (ie. mainly mono), I'd just use mp2 (they're just as small) for sound but if you've got your heart set on ac3 and want the cheapest way to convert wave to ac3 with a fairly high degree of compatibility, use this Guide:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/userguides/129419.php

TDA will definitely accept ac3's created by the above method.

[rlhartman]

I've just downloaded the trial version of DVD Author to my work machine. (I can't run it at home because of the "expired trial period" problem mentioned earlier.)

Nothing in its help file says anything about transcoding PCM to AC3. Nothing in the program's GUI mentions it, either. It DOES say that it can transcode MPEG audio to AC3, but that's not what I want. I want to go straight from PCM to AC3, thus avoiding an entire decompress/recompress cycle.

Does anyone know if DVD Author can:

1) Associate PCM audio with M2V files?

2) Transcode PCM (and not just MPEG audio) to AC3 with the plugin?

Thanks!

[MavDVDR]

Does anyone know if DVD Author can:

1) Associate PCM audio with M2V files?

If you mean, can it author the 2 above file types into DVD ready vob files, the answer is yes. It will accept any of the following 3 audio file types:

MPEG-1 Audio Layer2(.mp2)
Dolby Digital Audio AC-3 (.ac3)
Linear PCM (.wav)

2) Transcode PCM (and not just MPEG audio) to AC3 with the plugin?

I don't think so ... but you'll have to wait and see whether someone here can confirm otherwise.

[lacywest]

I've just downloaded the trial version of DVD Author to my work machine. (I can't run it at home because of the "expired trial period" problem mentioned earlier.)

Nothing in its help file says anything about transcoding PCM to AC3. Nothing in the program's GUI mentions it, either. It DOES say that it can transcode MPEG audio to AC3, but that's not what I want. I want to go straight from PCM to AC3, thus avoiding an entire decompress/recompress cycle.

Does anyone know if DVD Author can:

1) Associate PCM audio with M2V files?

2) Transcode PCM (and not just MPEG audio) to AC3 with the plugin?

Thanks!

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