Sound on Background menu but not on DVD chapters....?

[tikigod19]

Hi I have created an mpeg using Mainconcept MPEG Encoder and then authored using TMPGENC DVD Author as I have done several times before with no problems. However a particular player (Onkyo DR-L50) seems to play the audio from the background menu clip but not from the other chapter clips... all of which are mpeg2's created using Mainconcept.

Any ideas?!

[guns1inger]

Do they all have the same audio format ? They must all be AC3 or all Mpeg-1 layer2 or all PCM. You cannot mix audio formats.

[tikigod19]

yeah thats what i thought, however all of the original avi's were created in the same editing program using the same timeline properties, then converted to mpeg using the same settings, and authored/burned as one... I cant see any reason why this audio file mismatch would have occured. Maybe i'll make another disc and just check theyre all exactly the same...

Which tool can I use to check the audio properties of the mpeg files? Kind of like GSpot but a program that also works with mpegs?

This would save me re creating the entire DVD.

Thanks

[gadgetguy]

My guess is if you check the VOBs you'll find that the menu audio has been reencoded to PCM by TDA, while everything else retained the original audio format which appears to be incompatible with the player. To check, play them using PowerDVD. While playing, right click on the screen and select Show Information.

[tikigod19]

Excellent, thanks. I will try that.
If that is the case I assume I need to make sure that all of the audio is PCM format. How do I do this? Is there a tick box in TDA?

[guns1inger]

You are better off making sure that TDA doesn't needlessly change your AC3 or MP3 audio. 2 channel PCM uses 4 - 5 times the space of 5.1 channel AC3. Depending on the running time of your videos, this may cause a big quality hit in order to make room.

[gadgetguy]

What guns1inger said.
I would use AC3 for your audio. Both AC3 and MP3 are supposed to be fully supported in PAL land, but it might be a quirk with this particular player since that is not the case in NTSC (although I've never had a player that didn't play MP3). BTW what version of TDA are you using?

[tikigod19]

Hi,

It is version 1.5.20.62

It was indeed the case that the BG video was PCM audio and the rest mpeg 2. I have now changed this in TDA and I'm authoring now.. I'm pretty sure this will solve the problem.

For future reference is it best to change all of the audio formats to PCM anyway? Are they more compatible with a wider number of players?

Thanks to all for your help

[gadgetguy]

PCM is the most compatible, but as guns1inger pointed out, it takes up a lot of disk space, leaving less for the video. And if your source audio was a compressed format, there is no advantage to decompressing it to PCM. As i said, your best bet would be to use AC3 for your audio. Most compatible with good compression and good sound.
Edit: Note that with the version of TDA that you are using, you can author in AC3 but TDA can not play it while setting chapter points and such unless you have the AC3 plug in.

[tikigod19]

is the AC3 plug in free? I have a feeling I have it already, what utility can I use to check what plug ins I have installed?

[gadgetguy]

The AC3 plug in is/was not free because Pegasys had to pay royalties. (I don't know if you can still get it.) I'm not sure how to check if you have it or not since I never bought it.

Edit: I guess just select a a source file that you know has AC3 audio and try to play it in the "set chapters" time line. If you hear audio you have the plug in, if not, you don't.