What audio source to use with TMPGEnc DVD Author

[buzzsaw]

I have an avi and I extracted the audio with VirtualDub to a wav. I then used TMPGEnc to make a MPG (SVCD) with the avi and the new wav. I am now using TMPGEnc to make the DVD, when prompted for the audio source it is by default using the MPG (just like TMPEnc would when I change it to the wav). Do I use the wav again or just the mpg for the audio?

Thanks a ton.

[scooby2b2]

hi,
just load in the new encoded mpg into tmpgenc dvd author and save it to a folder thn use "say" nero to burn.

goodluck an hope you dont get audio sync probs

[daamon]

Hi buzzsaw,

You can use either, but note the following:

1. The WAV is uncompressed audio and so will take up a hell of a lot more disk space than compressed (say MP2 or AC3) because it's at 1,536 kbps. This will be OK if it's short video footage, but will cause problems with longer footage (I can't give precise timings, sorry - depends on the bitrates you use).

2. If you use "filename.mpg" as the source for both video and audio, the audio in the .mpg will be in MP2 format (this is what TMPGEnc outputs). MP2 is not in the NTSC DVD specs, but is pretty widely accepted in NTSC land on stand-alone DVD players. It is in PAL DVD specs and so should be OK in PAL land.

Alternatively, you could use ffmpeggui (dead easy to install and use - my preference to BeSweet, which others may recommend) to convert your WAV to AC3 (pick anywhere from 192 - 256 kbps, depending on the quality of the source audio).

AC3 is universally acceptable to NTSC and PAL (as is WAV (also known as PCM)) but is compressed, but with a negligible quality loss. So it's got the compatibility of WAV, a quality (very) to close WAV and the compression of MP2 - winner on all fronts.

If you go for AC3, just browse to the AC3 file for the audio in TMPGEnc DVD Author. Note: Apart from the very latest version on TMPGEnc DVD Author (TDA), you won't be able to hear the audio when setting chapters if it's in AC3 format. However, burned DVD's play OK as it just "passes through" TDA.

Hope that helps...