Convert audio and video together with TMPGenc or separately?

[ucsbgaucho]

Im working on converting my first original video into DVD format with TMPGenc and the "Link to Avisynth" plugin for Premiere. Im currently encoding only the video, as I want to play around with encoding the audio into 6-channel surround AC3 with a couple programs I have to do that, including SmartCode. Since I can do the audio separately, is this a good way to do it? Even if I just wanted regular 2-channel digital AC3, would the quality be better in a stand-alone program rather than in TMPGenc? I would assume so

[Twin]

It's better to fix the sound outside TMPG, then mux them together in bbMPEG..

[bugster]

6 channel AC3 is not accepted by most consumer level DVD authoring programs, though I believe spruceup will accept audio in any valid DVD format. So unless you know for definate that you can author your DVD with this kind of audio you are wasting your time. If you can, let the DVD authoring program do the multiplexing, no need to multiplex into a single stream beforehand. Good luck all the same.