convert A_EAC3 to ec-3 with ffmpeg

[cholla]

This is the what MediaInfo shows the Audio codec for these two files:
File 1 is Codec ID: A_EAC3
File 2 is Codec ID: ec-3

I have my settop BD player updated to the latest software available for it.
It gives a message that it can not play the Codec ID: A_EAC3.
It plays the File 2 with Codec ID: ec-3.

Is there a code for ffmpeg that will convert A_EAC3 to ec-3 ?

I found the .MKV or Matroska uses the Codec ID: A_EAC3 for eac3
MP4 uses the Codec ID: ec-3 for eac3
So I believe the problem is the container format.
My solution is to use AAC for the audio track in a .mkv container.

[Vidd]

It is the same codec, so there would be nothing to convert. The two containers use a different codec ID.

Blu-ray hardware players can be really picky. I have encountered many that will support a particular codec in only a specific container even though many containers are supported.

I guess your solution would be to use the mp4 container or mkv with aac like you said.

Did you try different mkv muxers (like ffmpeg, mkvtoolnix)?

[cholla]

@ Vidd,
I did use both ffmpeg & mkvtoolnix.
My settop BD played the .MP4 audio .
If I use .MP4 I do not have subtitles if i want them.

The conversion to acc seems to work fine.

[ProWo]

@ Vidd,
I did use both ffmpeg & mkvtoolnix.
My settop BD played the .MP4 audio .
If I use .MP4 I do not have subtitles if i want them.

The conversion to acc seems to work fine.

You can simply remux the mkv to mp4 with ffmpeg. The mp4 output codec ID will be ec-3.
mp4 can handle subtitles. Textbased subtitles must be converted to mov_text.
To perform these conversions with ease, you can use clever FFmpeg-GUI.
Muxing mkv with srt, ass, ssa, webvtt subtitles to mp4 will convert the subtitles automatically while muxing.

[cholla]

@ ProWo,
I used the newest stable version of Clever 3.4.1.0
I thought I had tried what you suggested but I tried it again.
I had already tried the mov_text with ffmpeg with command line.
Since Clever does not show this setting in its' subtitles I was not sure what Clever used.
After reading your post I did not make a separate subtitle setting & let Clever select the subtitle mode .
MediaInfo shows the Format as "Timed Text. The same as ffmpeg using mov_text.

The problem is my LG BlueRay player can not play subtitles in this format.
Also if .MP4 is used there are other problems.
1.Rewind goes all the way to the start of the video even if the video is near the end.
Forward works OK.
2. Chapter reverse does the same as Rewind.
Chapter Forward goes to the start of the next video.
3. ec - 3 is the format & does play.

With .MKV.
The only selection that does not work is Chapter Forward. It has the Red circle with a slash when selected.
But A_EAC3 does not work & give a message that the player can not play this Audio format.
It plays the video silently.

The conversion to AAC plays fine & sounds good to my ears.
Using ffmpeg from command line I can use the aac_at or libfdk_aac .

[noemi7]

This is the what MediaInfo shows the Audio codec for these two files:
File 1 is Codec ID: A_EAC3
File 2 is Codec ID: ec-3

Correctly: E-AC-3 (Dolby Digital Plus) and AC-3. Both are Dolby but not the same nor compatible. E-AC-3 is pain in the .... as it requires to convert to PCM which is not always successful.

You can experiment with the following commands:
ffmpeg -non_pcm_mode copy -i source_video_audio -map 0:1 -c:a pcm_s24le -f s24le out.dat
ffmpeg -i out.dat out.wav

[videoAI]

if you believe it is a container issue, try using Losslesscut,
you can change the container, edit the metadata, mux / re-mux audio and subs all in a GUI.

So I believe the problem is the container format.

[cholla]

@ videoAI,
I have a version of Losslesscut.
It is older & the last version that is for Windows 32-bit OSs.
LosslessCut-win32-ia32-2.4.0
So the newer versions may have more capability than the version I have.
I have a 64-bit Windows on my laptop but I do not use it for encoding.

When I "Extract all streams" & have the output set for matroska it creates a .mp4 video file.
It does extract the eac3 audio,
When I try to "merge files". The merge only has the video. Also a .mp4.