Amateur Question: My DVD9 doesn't support AC3 Audio

[Keziapurrs]

I've used DVD Shrink to copy a lengthy DVD. I shrunk it down to fit on a typical DVD-R. I can't capture video b/c My DVD9 (part of Roxio Media) doesn't support AC3 (in this version). I have successfully burned a DVD, but with no sound.

What's my best bet for fixing my problem w/o having to purchase expensive software. I visited the Roxio site to see the specs of Roxio Media 10 and they mention nothing about supporting AC3, plus it's about $100.

Should I use another burning software? I tried the one that comes with Vista, but it's screwy and tells me that the files to be burned aren't compatible.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!!!!!

Lis

[freebird73717]

I'm a little confused about what you're trying to do. First you talk about copying a dvd then you talk about capturing video. Which is it you want to do? A little more information please. Anything and everything you can give us.

[aedipuss]

welcome to the forums.

imgburn is probably the best disc burning application out there and it's free. follow the link and download it. once you've shrunk the files to fit use imgburn to burn to dvdr single layer or dual whichever you're looking to do.

burning apps have nothing to do with supporting audio so it will burn ac3, dts or wav - whatever is in your video.

[redwudz]

I'm also wondering what you using to play back the burned DVD? If it's a software player on your computer, you may not have a AC3 codec installed. If so, try AC3 Filter. A set top player should have no problems with AC3, though.

If that was a commercial DVD you used with Shrink, it should have had compliant AC3 audio. A home made DVD may not. Shrink should have passed the audio through with no changes. I would also recommend ImgBurn for burning with Shrink.

Roxio and Nero programs aren't that popular around here. I would try other solutions, JMO.

[Keziapurrs]

Thanks for all the responses. I already have the DVD copied to my hard drive (via DVD Shrink). All I want to do is successfully burn it to a blank DVD-R. Roxio Easy Media Creator says it doesn't support AC3 audio, so I'm left with a DVD with no sound. That's what I was trying to say.

I am, though, going to try ImgBurn now and see how that does. I appreciate all of your help greatly.

[freebird73717]

Yes imgburn will work wonderfully for you then.

[Ghost0744]

Okay, so I am completely new to the world of burning dvds. I recently just used DVD Decrypter to put all of my movies onto my computer. Then I scavenged some forums on how to extract the audio from the dvd, because when I burned the movie to a disc I had no audio with it whatsoever. I extracted the audio and I have an .ac3 format audio and my video files are all in .vob formats and all the others that come with it. You say that imgburn will work tremendously for this, but I can't figure it out. I'm in the process of making an .iso image with both the audio and video files that I had decrypted and extracted. Once the .iso is complete all I have to do is burn that image to a disc correct? And it will come with the audio and video? Any help would be extremely appreciated. I'm eager to learn how to do this stuff, but there seems to be so many different formats and ways to do things lol.

[redwudz]

Ghost0744, If you are just backing up your DVDs to a smaller size, then DVD Shrink is all you really need most times. Otherwise you would need to re-encode them to a different format that would be less likely to play on a set top player. You may need a newer decrypter program than DVD Decrypter, though. DVD Decrypter is very old and won't handle newer DVD formats. AnyDVD or DVD Fab can.

A PC can play most anything if you have the correct codecs. AC-3 is a very common format for audio and most any set top player can play it, along with most PC software players. If your PC can't, you need to install the proper PC codecs. Maybe AC3Filter Or just try VLC. It plays most any format without adding outside codecs.

You can convert most DVD video files to ISO format with ImgBurn or just burn them as a DVD video from the output of DVD Shrink. ImgBurn is a very simple program. There is also a modded version of DVD Shrink that can use ImgBurn directly. The ImgBurn author also created DVD Decrypter.

And welcome to our forums.

[Bonie81]

As you said DVD already copied to HDD. run mediainfo on VTS_01_1.vob and post it here.
So anyone can guide you in proper direction.
AnyDVDHD or DVDFab HD Decrypter + DVDShrink + Imgburn is best FREE combo for winOS.
DVDFab and CloneDVD are the best commercial for DVD back-up or shrinking DVD-9 to DVD-5
while in TuX DVD95.

[Ghost0744]

@Redwudz Well here's where my problem occurred. I'll go step by step of how I did everything. First off I just used DVDDecrypter to rip everything from the DVD to my HDD. When I did that everything was there (or at least I thought it was) and I burned what I had ripped to a blank DVD. The DVD played fine with no problems to speak of except the fact that there was no audio. So then I used DVDDecrypter to rip the audio off of it. I have the AC3 file and then I used IMGBURN to put what was in the two seperate folders (Audio and video) into an .iso image. Once I burned that to the DVD I realised it was all out of order. The audio was definitely there. I was basically just wondering is there a free program that will burn my video to a dvd and accept an AC3 format? I know it's a lot of trouble, but it would really be appreciated if someone could just post a step by step tutorial of how they ripped their movie onto their computer how they organized everything together and how they burned everything back onto a blank disc. I'm putting this all on my computer, because I'm not really interested in the movies themselves anymore and have a cousin who wants to buy them all for a good amount of money. But I want to have them so that I can re-burn them back onto a disc if I ever choose to re-watch them. I have heard that the easiest way to do that is by making .iso images and just having them burnt onto a disc. But how is the perfect way to burn an .iso image? Does every scene of the movie have to be put into perfect order or will the program do that itself? If I were to go back and maybe put the AC3 file and put it into the folder with all of the files from ripping the video off the DVD, and then making that into an .iso image will that make everything work correctly?

[manono]

No, you don't extract the audio and stick it into the AUDIO_TS folder. Your first use of ImgBurn with the DVD extracted using DVD Decrypter in File Mode should do the trick. Have you tested in your standalone DVD player yet, or only on the PC? Windows doesn't come with an AC3 decoder so, as been suggested twice in this thread now by redwudz, for computer playback get and install the AC3 filter. Have you done that?

You don't need to make ISOs to burn to DVDR. You said you already had the VIDEO_TS and (empty) AUDIO_TS folders and that's enough.

It's pretty simple, but if you want instructions on how to burn DVDRs, here's the guide:

http://forum.imgburn.com/index.php?showtopic=4632

Or, if you really want to extract an ISO to the hard drive and then burn that to disc:

http://forum.imgburn.com/index.php?showtopic=6380

[Cornucopia]

I think I may know where the problem lies...

DVDDecryter can rip in a couple of ways (I hope I do this right, working from memory):

1. ISO Mode - Makes a single ISO file that is a 1:1 duplicate of the original (with the exception of the ISO being decrypted)
2. IFO Mode - Allows you to choose titles/chapters, etc referenced within the VTS/VOB/IFO. This can either be extracted to raw media stream(s) or not.
3. File Mode - Allows you to select which VOB(s) to extract and optionally concatenate. Also either extracted raw or not.

Don't know which one you did 1st (certainly NOT the 1st one). 2nd time, it looks like you did a raw extraction of an AC3 track.
But getting them lined up again is way more work than necessay. Don't waste your time going that route.

IIWY, what I'd do is this:
Take your original DVD and play it on both your PC and you settop DVD player. Does it play correctly and fully, with all audio?
If yes, move on. If no, you either have a corrupt disc or one or both of your players doesn't fully support the audio on the disc (DTS?). Add codecs where available and/or get a player and reciever that fully suports all the audio types.
Moving on successfully, you should just go back and re-rip using ISO READ mode.

Play the ISO on the PC. It should be an identical experience to the original. If not, you're either not doing things right or you've got a disc that has copy protection which DVDDecrypter no longer can handle, or worse. Try DVDFab and make an ISO from it. Should be IDENTICAL now.

But is it small enough for your burned disc? If so, burn directly with Imgburn. If not, shrink to fit (either as full disc, or with MainMovieOnly in reauthor mode) with DVDShrink and then burn the result with Imgburn.

Scott

[Ghost0744]

Okay I think I have it now. Thanks everyone for their help. I really do appreciate it.

[Ghost0744]

Also just another quick question. When I decrypt my movies onto my HDD is it to choose to decrypt into......file mode.....ifo mode......or iso mode? Does it really matter? I'm assuming in iso mode that it just makes an iso, but what;s the best overall option to pick for just re-burning them onto dvd's?

[Bonie81]

Also just another quick question. When I decrypt my movies onto my HDD is it to choose to decrypt into......file mode.....ifo mode......or iso mode? Does it really matter? I'm assuming in iso mode that it just makes an iso, but what;s the best overall option to pick for just re-burning them onto dvd's?

if it is your hobby and routine...
spend either on AnyDVD HD + CloneDVD or DVDFab, both are commercial but easy to use after reading manual or guide (here).

[Cornucopia]

Also just another quick question. When I decrypt my movies onto my HDD is it to choose to decrypt into......file mode.....ifo mode......or iso mode? Does it really matter? I'm assuming in iso mode that it just makes an iso, but what;s the best overall option to pick for just re-burning them onto dvd's?

PARTICULARLY if you don't intend to do anything to the title, the most straightforward way is ISO mode.

You can still use DVDDecrypter & DVDShrink on many titles (I still do successfully), you just can't use them on titles that employ newer and/or more complicated forms of copy protection (that is, newer than when those apps were last updated). It's now been many years, so there are now LOTS of titles that make use of those new methods, and for those, you should use AnyDVD + a disc copier/ripper, or DVDFab, since they're still updated (constantly).

IIRC, all those apps have an ISO mode.

Scott