convert anything mkv, aac to avi file with xvid video and ac3 audio

[mihaid]

My PVR will happily play avi wrapper with xvid and ac3 inside. I tried to convert files with freemake and the resultant file will not play on my PVR.
Presumably I have to start with the characteristics of the files that play and this is in the picture.

How do I make sure that my converted files have the same settings?

[Baldrick]

Did you change the video codec to xvid and audio to ac3 in freemake video converter? I think the default is x264 video for avi conversions. After you click to avi you can change settings.

Or else try another converter like xmedia recode, choose the dvd player preset, change audio to ac3, convert.

[mihaid]

Did you change the video codec to xvid and audio to ac3 in .

yes I did.

[mihaid]

I have now converted using xmedia recode an mkv to avi+xvid+ac3 and my PVR will not play the sound, video is fine.

the converted file below does not play, what's the difference?

[TorBru]

AC3 and AVI is not a good combo.. If the number of AC3 frames pr. chunk is not supported by the decoder, audio will not play. You must consider to either convert audio to MP3 and keep AVI as container, or to keep audio as AC3 and change container to MP4 or MKV. What PVR are you using?

[mihaid]

AC3 and AVI is not a good combo.. If the number of AC3 frames pr. chunk is not supported by the decoder, audio will not play.

so then why the file in the first post plays extremely well? Most of my video files are like that.

[TorBru]

AC3 support in AVI is bad - you might get lucky or you might not. Can you post info about the MKV's you are converting? And what PVR are you using?

[mihaid]

my mkv has this inside. my pvr is humax fox hdr t2

[TorBru]

Have you tried to simply remux the MKV to a TS? Your Humax should support that without any re-encoding..

ffmpeg -i "Video.mkv" -map 0:0 -map 0:1 -c:v copy -c:a copy "Video.ts"

[mihaid]

Have you tried to simply remux the MKV to a TS? Your Humax should support that without any re-encoding..

ffmpeg -i "Video.mkv" -map 0:0 -map 0:1 -c:v copy -c:a copy "Video.ts"

how/where would I use that code?

[TorBru]

You need ffmpeg on your computer and then you can (modify paths to files and) execute the command in the command prompt (start menu type cmd). You could also use a GUI like ffqueue or whatever you like.

[hello_hello]

Or try TSMuxer for remuxing MKVs as TS files.

I'll confess I've not had any issues with AC3 in AVIs, but try this.
Open the AVI you previously created with VirtualDubMod (it's old and not the official version but it supports AC3 without a plugin). From the Video menu select direct stream copy as the video compression method (no re-encoding). Use the File menu to save it as a new AVI. See if the new AVI plays okay.

[mihaid]

Open the AVI you previously created with VirtualDubMod (it's old and not the official version but it supports AC3 without a plugin). From the Video menu select direct stream copy as the video compression method (no re-encoding). Use the File menu to save it as a new AVI. See if the new AVI plays okay.

tried it, got 2 messages

the resulting file does not play, audio not supported

[TorBru]

Did you try to use ffmpeg to remux into TS?

It seems like it is the VBR (Variable Bit Rate) encoding of the audio that causes your problems, and as VD suggests this can be fixed by re-encoding to CBR. The xvid warning can (most likely) be fixed by installing the XviD VFW codec: https://www.xvid.com/download/

[hello_hello]

The same AVI as mentioned previously with AC3 audio?

If so the first error is a bit odd as AC3 is pretty much always constant bitrate, but if it's AC3 let it re-write the header and resave it as a new AVI. That may be the problem.

The variable bitrate warning mainly applied to MP3 audio and it's a bit of a relic from the dark ages when VBR audio in AVI's was considered evil (although re-writing the header would put the audio out of sync if it is VBR). In your case though I'd let it re-write the header if the audio is AC3 and see what happens.

The second error is telling you there's no Video For Windows codec installed that'll decode the video so VirtualDub can't display it or re-encode it. It'll still let you resave it using Direct Stream Copy though (under the Video Menu), which is just what you want to do anyway. ffdshow includes vfw codecs but there's no need to install any for the purpose of this exercise.

So yeah, let VirtualDubMod re-write the audio header and then use the File/SaveAs menu to save it as a new AVI and give that a playback test.

[mihaid]

So yeah, let VirtualDubMod re-write the audio header and then use the File/SaveAs menu to save it as a new AVI and give that a playback test.

I meant to say that's what I have done rewrite then save but file still does not play on humax. it plays fine in vlc on computer.

[TorBru]

If so the first error is a bit odd as AC3 is pretty much always constant bitrate, but if it's AC3 let it re-write the header and resave it as a new AVI. That may be the problem.

I have a Panasonic DMR-BCT720 HDD recorder and everytime i copy a transport stream / recording to PC the AC3 audio track (there's usually both an MP2 or MP3 and an AC3 audio track) is always VBR, and I've had the exact same issues with VirtualDub as OP. If I really had to edit the content (remove commercial breaks) I had to ffmpeg the TS to XviD+PCM in AVI, edit the AVI in VD and then ffmpeg it to x264 + MP3 (or AC3) in MP4 - problems solved (with a bit of quality loss, of course).

But since the Humac should play TS without any issues, and because both x264 and AC3 (VBR) are compliant with TS the question is if a simple change from AVI to TS as preferred container would solve the issue?

[hello_hello]

But since the Humac should play TS without any issues, and because both x264 and AC3 (VBR) are compliant with TS the question is if a simple change from AVI to TS as preferred container would solve the issue?

Anything's possible.
You also previously suggested to go straight from MKV to TS without re-encoding. I don't know if it's been tried. TSMuxer should do it.

I'd maybe also consider replacing the audio in the AVI.

mihaid,
If you're feeling adventurous. Open the original MKV with either gMKVExtractGUI or MKVCleaver (both require MKVToolnix to be on your computer to work). Extract the original 5.1ch audio from the MKV.
Open the AVI with VirtualDubMod. Click through any VBR prompt, and select the Streams/Streams List menu. You'll probably see one stream listed. That's the AC3 audio. Highlight it and click "disable". Next click on "Add" and select the AC3 audio you extracted from the MKV. Click "okay" and you're back to the main window. Use the File/SaveAs menu to save a new AVI. It'll contain the extracted AC3 audio. Give that AVI a test drive.

Failing that, you can convert the extracted 5.1ch audio yourself to another format (ie MP3) with lots of programs. TAudioConverter comes to mind. Or you could convert it to stereo AC3. Or you could extract the stereo AC3 audio from your AVI and convert it. You can extract it with VirtualDub from the Streams/Streams List menu using the Demux button.
Whatever to try, you now know how to replace the old audio in your AVI with a new version.

Failing all that, instead of just remuxing with VirtualDubMod as I originally suggested, try AVIMuxGUI instead. Something's got to work.
There's various ways AVIs can be created. I don't think I've had an issue playing AVIs VirtualDubMod has saved but by default AVIMuxGUI does things slightly differently so you never know, although I think the problem's with the audio itself.

[mihaid]

I definitely thank you both for the wealth of info. what was foxing me was that apparently avi with xvid and 5.1 ac3 from internet play excellently on my humax. so I assumed that converting my mkv to avi with xvid ac3 would do the same. I now seem to understand that it probably depends on the original mkv settings whether this conversion would work. Is there a way to find out in more detail what the difference is between the avi files from internet that play and my converted avi?

[mihaid]

I think I'm getting somewhere. the one on the left plays the one on the right does not.

[LMotlow]

Did you ever notice this in the MediaInfo window? ---



In "Text" view you'll see a full page of details about your video. The data in Text View can be copied and pasted into this forum as text. It's very high-tech.

Sorry, these abbreviated screen caps from MediaiInfo are getting annoying.

[hello_hello]

I definitely thank you both for the wealth of info. what was foxing me was that apparently avi with xvid and 5.1 ac3 from internet play excellently on my humax. so I assumed that converting my mkv to avi with xvid ac3 would do the same. I now seem to understand that it probably depends on the original mkv settings whether this conversion would work. Is there a way to find out in more detail what the difference is between the avi files from internet that play and my converted avi?

It's nothing to do with the MKV settings. It's to do with the Xvid video encoder settings, the audio encoder settings and maybe the way the AVI is muxed. It doesn't matter if you're re-encoding an MKV, an MP4, or a WMV etc. The input is irrelevant in respect to whether a player will play the re-encoded version.

You could have easily extracted the AC3 from the MKV and used it to replace the AC3 in the AVI to see if that fixes it. Unless you do some experimenting you're just making wild guesses and that probably won't help.

[mihaid]

Yeah, I realise that I need experimenting but atm I was really busy with work and was hoping smth quick might fix it. I'll give it a proper go shortly and let you know.