how do you convert aiff/wav to ac3 with tracks for Sizzle?

[baturjan]

I'd like to put some music (20 sec segment) as background in Sizzle, but Sizzle only takes AC3 files. How can I make my music from aiff/wav into AC3 with tracks?

I converted wav to ac3 with D-vision 3, but the ac3 still needs a track for Sizzle to take it.

[pants]

i'm pretty sure ffmpegx can do ac3, it's been awhile though, so maybe look in the ffmegx forum.

[pixeljammedia]

I'm not sure what you mean by needing a "track." If you have an AC3 that will become your sound "track" which sizzle will multiplex into a menu vob. Here is the entry (so far) from the upcoming FAQ about AC3s:

AC3, also known as Dolby Digital, is a perceptual sound format which takes advantage of how humans hear. It compresses sound using an algorithm that screens out frequencies that the human ear usually ignores as noise. AC3 can have anywhere from 2 to 5.1 audio channels (.1 being a low frequency subwoofer channel) and has allowable stereo bit-rates from 128k to 448k. Most commercials DVDs using stereo use 192k or 224k audio. You can create these types of audio files using a program on the Mac known as A.Pack, which comes packaged with Final Cut Pro or DVD Studio Pro. FFMpegX also allows you to create stereo AC3s.

The reasons why you want to create AC3 audio is simple: by doing so, you allow yourself high quality stero sound for your DVD at a higher compressed rate than AIFF (which has no compression), it will allow you a greater authoring ceiling in creating your DVD. This
givess you room to encode your video data at a higher bit rate, anywehre as much as 15% to 30% higher depending on the amount you are trying to squeeze on a DVD.

[baturjan]

I need an AC3 or MP2 file that has tracks in it, otherwise Sizzle won't import it to be the background music on the menu scene. I want to make this file from a song in iTunes.

[pixeljammedia]

Then use either A.Pack or ffmpegx. All ac3s have tracks in them (audio in their channels) and if something is telling you your ac3 doesn't have tracks then start again from your source file. Explain yourself better. Saying "I need an ac3 with tracks" again doesn't help.

[baturjan]

I want to drop an 18 second audio file on the "Drop Menu Background Audio" in Sizzle. I cut the 18 seconds from an aiff file via Amadeus.

Sizzle says that the Background audio must be an "mp2 or ac3 file with tracks".

I used ffmpegx to convert my aiff to ac3. When I dropped it into Sizzle I get the error message that the file must be mp2 or ac3.

I was getting frustrated after trying various mp2 and ac3 files and still getting the error. so I took the 18 second file, put it into FCE, added the same length of soundless video. Exported it as a QT movie. Encoded it with MPEG2Works to DVDNTSC 4:3. Then I took the the VOB file from the VIDEO_TS folder and dropped it into Sizzle. This time Sizzle accepted it. I don't know if it will work yet or not. I'm still trying to figure out the rest of Sizzle. I don't understand the perameters that Sizzle needs for the "Backround Audio" but at least it now received my file.

[terryj]

seems more and moree like People are having problems with Sizzle...Maybe its time to move up to DVDSP3?


Hey, PJ nice mux of ( i assume) your words and mine 4 the FAQ...
i wondered if I was being too wordy....

[baturjan]

I'm just getting into making DVDs and I would gladly use something else. However, is there a good authoring program that's cheaper than $500?

[pixeljammedia]

Hey, PJ nice mux of ( i assume) your words and mine 4 the FAQ...
i wondered if I was being too wordy....

Yeah, I tend to be pretty wordy on my own, but I was suprised at the amount of work you had put into the faq. Good job. Where we overlapped I tried to do some creative editing to say something coherent. In the end I like wordier explanations that I can pare down and bring focus to rather than having to fill out a terse answer. I think this FAQ is going to work out well. But I'll repeat that we could use some help

Oh and iDVD is extremely powerful for the price though unable to easily work with existing mpeg streams. If you want some simple menus though I would suggest just making a DVD compatible 48kHz mp2 to put into your Sizzle menu rather than an ffmpegx ac3 (which I don't use since I create them with A.Pack). I would also check the sound file in Mplayer or VLC first before dropping it into Sizzle.

[baturjan]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try it. I've got another problem with Sizzle, but I'll start a new post. I've done quite a bit of searching for others comments and found no answers.