AVi conversion to Surround Sound?

[RBCC]

is it possible to convert an avi to surround sound 5.1 or 7.1? What do I need to do this? Is there any freeware to help me do this? Please help! Thank you John

[yoda313]

There are plenty of stereo to 5.1 guides - don't know about stereo to 7.1.

But you might not like what you get. They can sound hollow and definitely fake.

Though there might be some that are decent.

However you might be better off investing in a surround sound amp that has dolby pro logic 2 on it. That is supposed to take any stereo source and make it a 5.1 track. Though I have never heard it personally so I don't know how good of a job it does. But it is probably better than any home spun stuff you can do yourself.

Just search this website for stereo to 5.1 and you should find what you need.

[RBCC]

I went into Best Buy and they said that avi is not Surround Sound, or even stereo. Is this true. If I convert the files mp4 and ac3 can I make them surround sound from that source?

[jagabo]

I went into Best Buy and they said that avi is not Surround Sound, or even stereo. Is this true. If I convert the files mp4 and ac3 can I make them surround sound from that source?

AVI is "box" that contains audio and video. That says nothing about the contents. AVI can contain 5.1 channel AC3 or any other kind of audio you want.

Creating 5.1 out of 1.0 or 2.0 audio generally doesn't get you good results. Let's say I have five numbers. The average is 23.95. Can you reconstruct my five numbers from that information? Sometimes you can isolate individual sounds and move them to one channel or another. Most people just end up adding a delay and echo to make rear channels. But any surround sound amp can to that.

[Noahtuck]

I went into Best Buy

Mistake #1

and they said that avi is not Surround Sound, or even stereo. Is this true.

Mistake #2
Believing the part time monkey you asked has a clue......

Otherwise what jagabo said.

Not worth the time or effort for the end result.

[RBCC]

Well you can train some monkeys to crap. I guess that some even talk crap also LOL Thank you John

[RBCC]

Now if could just get my muxing question solved I'd have it made! After demuxing which files do I use to author the movie? mp4 or mpeg? Or does it matter? Thank you John

[netmask56]

If you are going to author a DVD using say for example ConvertXtoDVD it doesn't care if you use a mp4 or MPEG2 file. What is important is the quality of both files. As all authoring programs are going to reencode the input file you are better off using a file that has the least compression and maybe if you are lucky the mpeg file is DVD compliant.

I suggest you post a MediaInfo file log of both files to see what the difference is.

[Noahtuck]

Now if could just get my muxing question solved I'd have it made! After demuxing which files do I use to author the movie? mp4 or mpeg? Or does it matter? Thank you John

Okay, you never asked about muxing, or after demuxing.......

Why do you need to author them ?

You seem to be all over the place with no exact idea of what you are doing, or doing a very poor job of explaining it.......

Authoring, demuxing, muxing, audio conversion, can I get beans to smell like roses when I fart!!!

Oy Vey!!!

[RBCC]

I have several dvd-dl's full of movies. I would love to seperate the disk into two DVD-5 disks complete with menus, transitions and special features. I would also like to put them off on my hard disk in a format that utilizes surround sound.

These disk should be playable on a standard DVD player. This is a backup.
I have read through the guides on dvdshrink but they tell you how to split or copy but not both. How do you do this?
Thank you, john

[Cornucopia]

What does the above question have any at all to do with your original question?!!!

#1 - You need to figure out what you have (point A) & what you want to end up with (point B). This last part is often decided by what equipment you currently have (or will have in the near future), and what they support.
#2 - You need to stop mixing in other questions, scenarios, etc and focus on the task at hand that is specifically pertinent to getting from point A to point B. This is the workflow, and is determined by the tools (hardware & software) that you use and by your own level of smarts (plus how much available time & effort you're willing to devote to having the workflow succeed).

AFA your 1st post: The AVI container does often contain audio track(s). They could be mono, stereo, or already surround. Or they could be missing. Obviously, if it's a case of the last one, you can never make surround out of it! And if it's already surround, you don't have to do anything (except possibly convert it to a codec that your system would accept). That leaves AVI files with mono or stereo audio tracks in them. And I have stated before on numerous threads:
UNLESS YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND HAVE LOTS OF TIME AND EFFORT TO SPARE/WASTE (or have NO ability to discern quality), DON'T EVEN CONSIDER DOING AN UP-CONVERSION!
You would be guaranteed to get a worse "surround" effect than what is already capable out-of-the-box and in real-time in you standard Surround Receiver/Amp (using Dolby Surround/PL/PLII or other Matrix or "Ambience Synthesis" or "Hall" effects).

The 2nd question has to do with DVD-Video disc backup & re-authoring, with the "surround" portion as supplemental. What I just said about surround in AVI goes just as much for any other kind of container: MKV, MP4, MPG, WMV, DVD VOB, etc.

There are plenty of apps available here to both backup/rip DVD titles and re-use their assets when re-authoring a new disc (whether it's a compilation, splitting, excerpts or whatever).
Seriously, though, maybe it is not your case, but in mine, TIME IS MONEY. That includes your effort time as well. Unless you specifically need a compilation or exceprts, the necessity for using DVD-5 discs is tenuous. Just spend the extra few cents per disc and burn 1:1 copies! If you DO need compilation/excerpts, I don't recommend the freeware apps that are meant for simple jobs - use a good true authoring app (DVD Lab, Encore, DVD Architect, etc).

Scott

[sanlyn]

As all authoring programs are going to reencode the input file ...

They do? None of my five authoring programs does any re-encoding. Where'd you gets yours? BestBuy?

Or was that a typo?

[Noahtuck]

As all authoring programs are going to reencode the input file ...

They do? None of my five authoring programs does any re-encoding. Where'd you gets yours? BestBuy?

Or was that a typo?

LOL!!!

I totally missed that!!!

True "Authoring" programs do NOT re-encode anything!!!

[yoda313]

True "Authoring" programs do NOT re-encode anything!!!

This is a bit offtopic and a bit nitpicky but that is not truly the point is it?

For any authoring project if it isn't already compliant to what you are trying to make there HAS to be some kind of reencoding be it the audio or video or both.

You feed any program the right information it won't mess with it. Feed it stuff that isn't right and it will need to be made right.

I know you know that noahtuck and all the regular members here. But I just needed to spell that out to the less initiated.

[Noahtuck]

This is a bit offtopic and a bit nitpicky but that is not truly the point is it?

I don't know, ask....

As all authoring programs are going to reencode the input file ...

They do? None of my five authoring programs does any re-encoding. Where'd you gets yours? BestBuy?

Or was that a typo?

LOL!!

For any authoring project if it isn't already compliant to what you are trying to make there HAS to be some kind of reencoding be it the audio or video or both.

Yes, but that does not mean an "authoring" program re-encodes anything, because a good "authoring" program expects you to feed it already compliant files.

Now there are "converting" programs that convert and do minor authoring at best, but good high end "authoring" programs do not convert and have way more options to make way more professional menus.
IE: DVD-LAB Pro
Yes there are more expensive ones, but that is just an example.

Authoring is exactly what it says, "authoring" not converting.

You feed any program the right information it won't mess with it. Feed it stuff that isn't right and it will need to be made right.

Exactly, that's why you feed it the correct files to begin with, or it won't work, or you use something like ConvertXtoDVD or TDA, etc.

But I can do WAY more in DVD-LAB Pro than either of the previously mentioned programs that also convert.

[yoda313]

@noahtuck - yes I agree with everything you are saying I just wanted to add more to the initial comment.

Fyi tmpengc dvd author does have the ability to reencode and that is pretty robust as far as authoring goes.

I have said my piece and more so I am done. Thanks.

Edit - didn't see you mentioned tda aka tempgenc dvd authoring - gotcha

[netmask56]

The vast majority of my non professional friends making DVD's start of with absolutely non conforming files like AVI's or FLV's etc. so reencoding must take place to produce the conforming mpeg format. On the other hand if I bother to make a DVD, a rare event these days with NAS and cheap storage then yes I make sure everything conforms to the standard. But in this forum I find it is best to provide information on the basis it's to the complete layperson who wants a quick and uncomplicated solution. People who all ready "know" wouldn't ask the type of questions that crop up here. There is a tendency on nearly all forums to develop an "elite" or priggish attitude ie undemocratic and it's especially common amongst middle aged males in my experience.

So comments like and I have seen this on this forum in much earlier days "You don't know what authoring is? then go away and do some reading" !! very helpful indeed and says a lot about the distorted personality that wrote it....

[Cornucopia]

True "Authoring" programs do NOT re-encode anything!!!

This is a bit offtopic and a bit nitpicky but that is not truly the point is it?

For any authoring project if it isn't already compliant to what you are trying to make there HAS to be some kind of reencoding be it the audio or video or both.

You feed any program the right information it won't mess with it. Feed it stuff that isn't right and it will need to be made right.

I know you know that noahtuck and all the regular members here. But I just needed to spell that out to the less initiated.

The problem is, there are a number of consumer-based apps that WILL mess with it, even if it's already compliant! Heck, think about YouTube - you upload as exactly matching as you can try, but it'll still re-encode it. "Authoring" apps that do this should be avoided, even by newbies.

Scott