Can not encode AVI with AC3 or AAC

[Artas1984]

I have a raw avi file, which i can compress (encode) in virtual dub with xvid, ffdshow or x264. But when i try to set audio, virtual dub only allows MP3. I want, for instance, to set X264 with AAC or ffdshow with AC3. Why can't i select these audio encoders? Or do these combinations work only in MKV, MOV, MP4 files and not AVI?

[jman98]

AC3 is valid for AVI. AAC probably is too, but I don't like dealing with AAC and I don't keep up with it so I cannot say for sure.

VirtualDub isn't really a very good choice for audio encoding. It would be best to produce a video only file with it, encode the audio with something else, and then mux them together in VirtualDub. Yes, VirtualDub has limits in what it can encode to. It might be possible to fix your problem that you can use VirtualDub, but I don't know how.

I do NOT recommend using AVI if your video is X.264. Any playback device other than a PC is probably not going to like that.

[El Heggunte]

Why can't i select these audio encoders?

VirtualDub depends on ACM-based encoders/decoders. There exists an AC3 ACM file written by fccHandler.

Optionally you can use the external encoder feature of the latest VirtualDub, but I have no idea of how to deal with that
(I'm still using version 1.9.11).

As for AAC in AVI, yes it's possible, BUT you should 1) encode the audio track separately and 2) multiplex with AVI-Mux GUI.

[Budman1]

I agree with Jman98. I use VirtualDub a lot and even have the AC3 and AAC encoders installed but it will still grumble complain and fail a lot. The easiest method is use FFMpeg directly with an entry such as: ffmpeg -i "C:\PathToVideo\VideoName.mp4" -c:v libx264 -c:a ac3 -ac 6 "0046.avi".

Or, if you are familiar with VirtualDubs external encoders feasture, use it to do the same with:
Audio command line -i - -c:a ac3 -ac 6 "%(tempaudiofile)"
Video Command Line -f rawvideo -s %(width)x%(height) -r %(fpsnum)/%(fpsden) -i - -qscale 1 -vcodec libx264 "%(tempvideofile)"
Muxer command line -i "%(tempvideofile)" -i "%(tempaudiofile)" -vcodec copy -acodec copy "%(outputname)"

The above Audio -ac 6 will give 6 channel audio but use -ac 2 if you are looking for stereo.

[Artas1984]

I installed all the needed audio and video encoders separately, since they do not "arrive" with k-lite codecs pack like they used to. So i will enocde the audio in another program after video compression.

Don't know how to use those command lines, not going to bother.

Heard about avi not being friendly with x264. I guess my next best encoder for avi is ffdshow? Since all those others (Intel, Microsoft, Cinepack, ) i have not used an don't really know what to expect from them.

[Budman1]

Just to clarify, FFDShow doesn't have many ENCODERS any more. The last version I believe that had them was ffdshow_rev3507_20100707_clsid as posted by Brooke Holloway along with the location to download on the thread https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/356824-ffdshow-virtualdub-problem?p=2248905#post2248905. I keep that one to use as FFDShow encoders.

Also K-Lite only contains the VFW codecs used for video ENCODING by VirtualDub if you install the MEGAPack as list at http://codecguide.com/features_mega.htm .

The only reason I mentioned FFMpeg is that it doesn't need to be installed, and doesn't have limitations when it comes to mixing and matching of Video codecs, Audio codecs and File container formats except for when the combination is not valid. If you have only a few to convert I work, indeed, go for a self contained program that works but if you do more than that, I would recommend getting familiar with Virtualdub, especially its external encoders and that includes FFMpeg.

Lastly, you can just ask the experts here to post a command line that you can cut and paste that will work.