How to author mpeg video with AC3 audio

[kitaro]

I can produce DVD video only files (with tmpeg) and I have AC3 files. I can mux them (also with tmpeg). How can I author them ? Most of DVD authoring want to convert them or tell they are not compliant (DVD Workshop, DVD Movie Factory, VideoPack 5, etc ...).

Thanx for suggestions !

[wingnut]

Hi there,

The biggie packages such as scenarist and dvd maestro may well be able to handle muxed ac3 files or even VOBS, I can't say for sure since I can't afford them and dont have any 'demo' copies to try.

However, I can tell you how to do this in spruceup.

1. Create your movie and separate, (NOT MUXED), ac3 file, this should give you two files, let's assume the mpeg is of enterprise, you should have

Enterprise.m2v < ------------- unmuxed video only file
Enterprise.ac3 < ------------- ac3 dolby digital 2.0 audio file

Make sure the files have the same name before their extensions, in this case 'Enterprise', and put them in the SAME directory. Then go into spruce up and use the add new asset option to load the Enterprise.m2v file, Spruce up SHOULD detect and load the ac3 audio too.

There are two problems with this method, 1. Spruce up doesnt like previewing ac3 audio, (at least in my version), and 2 when I have tried this method my audio is pitch bent as it runs too fast. However I think this was my audio encoding as I have a copy of soft encode but its a 'demo' copy and I think I'm doing something wrong anyway. As a test I ripped apart a dolby digital trailer vob and then encoded it using this method ... it played perfectly more or less confirming my suspicions that it was my ac3 file at fault.

Let me know how you get on. Also if anyone has a guide to using soft encode to produce .ac3 dd 2.0 audio files from mpeg audio, or even from the original wave file, (these are TV captures not DVD Rips), please post here as I'd love to get this to work to improve compatibility of audio playback and also as I suspect AC3 has higher compression so I could fit more per disk.

Hope this helped.


Cheers

Ed

[kitaro]

Hi Wingnut !

Thanks for reply.

I downloaded the demo version of spruceup and I used the Thx Tex trailer. I de-multiplexed it with bbdmux and inserted the .m2v in the project. As you told, it automaticaly loaded the .ac3 with the same name, and I burned a DVD-RW and it worked fine. I didn't noticed the sound runed too fast (the trailer is short). I will try with other vobs.

Anyway, thanx for your reply.

[wingnut]

Glad it worked, funny enough I found a guide on these very pages yesterday and went through soft encode again, resulting in a perfect titleset. I traced the problem to my captured audio which was cd quality 44100/16 bit. I converted this to a 48khz file before encoding and the problem was resolved.

The only issue now is that my AC3 file was larger than the mpeg equivalent , oh well....


Cheers

Ed

[pacoreguenga]

I just would like to mention that some systems won't understand ac3 without the proper hardware or software filters installed.
BUT... you can always rename your .ac3 files to .mpa in order to get them into spruce or even DVDit!
That does the trick always.

[polygonsun]

Do any of you have any suggestions as a replacement to SpruceUp?

I'd like to have a backup authoring program in the event that the SpruceUp registration server goes away and i'm unable to re-install if I buy a new computer.

[wingnut]

Hi again,

well, this depends on the depth of your pockets. I've been lucky enough to have a good play with scenarist which is the best thing out there, (its what most of the professionals use to make the releases we buy on DVD), but its horribly expensive and I've never been able to find a demo version, your mileage may vary maestro is also extremely good but is also fairly expensive.

Meanwhile, back in the real world we mortals occupy..

DVDit is ok but is limited, Powerdirector (DVD author) does allow you to produce reasonable DVD productions but uses PCM audio so seriously reduces the length of time you can record on a disc.

Other than that the pinacle and videostudio/dvdstudio ranges aren't bad for click/burn production but dont allow some of the more funky options such as animated/scored menus, (neither does spruce up to be fair).

Hmm, sorry if I've confused you even more than you were when you came in


Edz