DVDLab Pro - no sound on chapter change.

[ipodmusicman]

I am using DVD Lab Pro to author a dvd of home movies. I imported MPEG2 files and transcoded the sound to AC3. I created chapter points manually on the movie page. Compiled and cut the DVD. I played it on my DVD player, sound, video and menus works perfectly ... but when I skip chapters, the sound disappears. Total silence. I even have the same problem when I paly the DVD on my PC DVD-ROM.

Does anybody have an idea how to prevent the sound disappearing when I skip to different chapters?

[guns1inger]

disappears completely from that point on, or just while the chapter is skipped ?

[ipodmusicman]

It disappearas completly and the only way to get the sound back is to start that movie from the beginning. If you don't skip chapters, the sound plays fine throughout the movie.

I didn't do anything special when I authored this DVD. Imported the MPEG2 files, transcoded the soundtrack to AC3, drag-and-dropped the video and audio onto the movie page, created chapter points manually, created a menu, linked the menu item to the movie, compiled and burnt the DVD. Nothing weird and wacky at all.

[ipodmusicman]

Hi,

I know that I am bumping up this topic and I'd like to know if somebody has ran into this problem by any chance. I see that DVD Lab Pro 2.0 is out and hopefully this problem has been seen to. I just downloaded the 1.6 patch which I am going to try first before I try 2.0.

Any comments?

Thanks

[Shadowmistress]

You must have let dvdlab transcode it to ac3 for you.... I've never used that feature before so I don't know how stable it would be. Dvdlab is a great authoring app but a really bad transcoder.

I'm thinking the GOP markers don't match between the audio and video somehow after the transformation. No real reason why I think this would happen but video and audio being out of sync would throw chapter recognition off on a finicky program like this. It would rather play nothing at all than a mistake.

The lazy man's fix: In dvdlab under the tools tab, try "fix stream headers". Otherwise, remux the ac3 and video using a proper encoder (not dvdlab), check that it's in sync, then demux it again. The muxing process should rewrite the GOP markers in the audio stream.

[Noahtuck]

You must have let dvdlab transcode it to ac3 for you.... I've never used that feature before so I don't know how stable it would be. Dvdlab is a great authoring app but a really bad transcoder.

Does dvd lab even have an ac3 encoder with/in it ?
The transcoder in dvd lab pro only converts from mpeg audio to pcm & will can change the freq. of the audio, like from 192 to 256 ect.

I use dvd lab pro and it will only encode to ac3 from wav's or W.E. by using an external ac3 encoder and i use the ac3 encoder in dvd lab pro that comes with/for TDA.
But i have used it for a loooong time and never had a problem.
But i only use it for 2 channel audio, 5.1 i use other apps.

Are you sure you are converting the audio to ac3 in dvd lab or just from mpeg to pcm ?
And if you are what external ac3 encoder are you using ?

[Shadowmistress]

I use dvdlab pro and I see the option to transcode to ac3 but I've never used it. It calls itself a plugin so it's most likely as you say, using another program to actually do the work.

I just noticed that the original post is dated a year ago. Dude, are you still having the same problem? Get yourself a proper ac3 encoder, man.

[guns1inger]

The OP bumped it himself recently, so I am guessing it is still an issue for him.

[ipodmusicman]

After long hours and finally getting back to this forum, the problem has been solved. I was using a dodgy AC3 encoder. I downloaded a different AC3 encoder and all worked 100%

Thanks to those who contributed.

[mats.hogberg]

For future reference - what AC3 encoder was dodgy, and what encoder worked well?

/Mats