Converting DVD-audio is giving me a headache (weeej, mission accomplished)

[Bresso]

Hi pro-video-editors,

I have a question about how to convert advanced DVD-audio to high-end mp3 files.

When i play the DVD-files, located on my harddisc, with PowerDVD the DTS-sound is cristal clear.
If i show the information inside the PowerDVD-window, it says "Audio: DTS Surround 5.1 @ 768 Kbps".

I tried many ways to convert the audio to mp3 using the tutorials listed on this site. The easiest one, for example, is using PgcDemux and demuxing all audio streams.
But whatever i use, the result is cracking sound when i play the ac3/wav/mp4/etc. It's like the amplitude of the sound is capped on loud parts of the music.

I know the source is OK.
Is there a way to convert the DTS-sound without 'any' quality loss?

Thanx in advance!

Edit: Woops... this post should be in "Newbie conversion"-forum... sorry

[Noahtuck]

Well..
I'm guessing you're talking about taking the audio off a standard dvd and converting it to another format for cd or whatever.

Highend MP3... i'm not even going to touch that
And you will alway's get some quality loss when converting to a lower lossy format, but the clicking must be being introduced somwehre in the ripping or conversion stage

DVD Audio Extractor

I have been using that for a few years and it works great! For $30 you can't get any easier.
One program, done!

[Bresso]

Thats correct, i'm trying to convert the audio from a audio-DVD to play on my mp3-player (to be more precise "BT - This Binary Universe")
100% quality conversion is indeed impossible but i would like it to be as high as possible... no cracking sound if possible.

I'm going to try DVD Audio Extractor and post the result here.

[Bresso]

Unfortunately... it doesn't work.
When i open the video source "Folder - Open DVD files from file folder..." i see all the audio streams.
I check the first audio file (length 8:22) and in the "select which audio you want to use"-window i (only) see "English DTS surround sound mode (48kHz 6Ch) Normal Caption".
But a pop-up window appears when i click the next-button or when i hit the play-button saying "Can not read the selected audio stream. Please try other formats!".
I cannot select any other audio format, the only one is the DTS-sound.

[DarrellS]

Download VirtualDubMod Surround 1.6.0.0 and Aud-X mp3 5.1 encoder here.

http://www.free-codecs.com/Aud-X_surround_codec_download.htm

You can use VDubMod Surround to convert to XviD/MP3 5.1 or use Belight to convert AC3 to 5.1 MP3 using the Aud-X mp3 5.1 encoder.

[Bresso]

I appreciate the help but i am not pro like you guys.
Both tools i downloaded and installed/extracted on my pc.
Now i open VirtualDubMod and open the first VOB-file, named VTS_01_1.VOB,.... but then ???
Aud-X Codec seems to be more what i am looking for but the tool, in encode-tab, can only open ac3- and wav-files.

Maybe i should remind that i allready have the dts-files on my HD... so i dont need to extract them from the VOB-files anymore.
But if i understand correct you should convert the DTS to AC3 and then convert the AC3 to WAV/MP3... is that correct ?

Thanx for the help and sorry if i sound like a newbie (cause i am ).

[Soopafresh]

DaudioK should work for you.

http://www.rockassoftware.pt.vu/

[DarrellS]

Try converting these files with Foobar

http://wiki.hydrogenaudio.org/index.php?title=Foobar2000

you'll need to add foo_ac3 and foo_dts to the components folder

example: C:\Program Files\Foobar\Components

http://kode54.foobar2000.org/

http://www.saunalahti.fi/~cse/foobar2000/foo_input_dts.zip

Once installed > open file in Foobar Player > Right Click > Convert > Convert To Same Directory > Wave

After the 5.1 Wave file is created > open Aud-X encoder (C:\Program Files\Aud-X\Aud-X.exe) , open the 5.1 Wave file and click Encode

[Bresso]

Yes!
With your help i converted the files with verrrry nice quality! Thanx DarrellS.

So the trick is: VOB -(PgcDemux)-> DTS -(Foobar)-> WAV -(Aud-X)-> MP3

Many thanks and maybe till another time...

No more headache

[DarrellS]

You're welcome.

I thought I found a better encoder (mp3sEncoder from Frauhofer) but I can't get it to work. It must need a special frontend program. When I doubleclicked the exe file, I got a DOS window that asked me to agree to all the license terms and then disappeared when I typed yes and clicked enter. When I doubleclicked it again, I got a quick DOS window that disappeared. It doesn't show up anywhere else on my PC.

Found another download site. Maybe this will work.

http://www.all4mp3.com/tools/sw_fhg_demo.html

[Bresso]

Well, i cheated a little bit with converting 6-channel WAV to stereo MP3.

I found that Aud-X was converting to two channels a bit uneven... more to the right.
So i googled something that works very nice.
DBpowerAMP with DSP Effects plugin works great.
Maybe you should give it a try...

I'm currently listening to the amazing work of BT on my iPod (i.e. BT - This Binary Universe - 1.618).

[DarrellS]

I can't get dBpowerAMP Convertor to do anything. It crashes every time no matter what format I try to convert to. Besides, it only uses the Lame codec which doesn't do surround and they want to charge to use it after a month. I already have a Lame codec. I don't want to have to pay for another one. There are plenty of free programs that will encode stereo MP3.

I installed the Fraunhofer 5.1 surround encoder and surround player which I linked to above but without surround headphones for my PC (my stereo and surround PC speakers are in storage since I'm staying in a motel), I can't tell if it's true surround or not. The file shows up as 2 channel stereo in everything I open it in. Aud-X shows up as 1 channel but the creator assured me that it plays in 5.1 surround on a stereo with Dolby Digital DTS Surround.

EDIT: The Fraunhofer MP3sPlayer says the file it encoded is 5.1 MP3 but says that the Aud-X MP3 has no surround info in the bitstream.

[3dsnar]

You have to use HGHQ 192 kbps mode (in Aud-X) to get DPLII stereo base mp3 stream.
128 kbps option is mono mp3 backwards compatible.

[DarrellS]

Good to hear from you. I got my surround system out of storage and hooked it up to my PC today and all the files that I made sound great.

What is up with your website? I can get to the front page all right but every time I click on a download link, I get a message from some dude that has hacked your website and I can't get any further. I have back up copies of both Virtualdulmod-Aud-X and the codec but I have to google to find alternate places to download for others who don't have it.

[3dsnar]

Hi, it should work fine now.
Cheers, 3d

[DarrellS]

It works, thanks.