Workshop and AC3 Audio Problem

[leebo]

Using a Pioneer DVR-7000 set top DVD recorder, I have sucessfully used Workshop to author VRO files (similar to VOB), which include AC3 audio to a new DVD.

However...

This only seems to work when the original VRO DOES NOT need to be re-encoded by Workshop!
If it does need re-encoding, Workshop seems to throw away the audio and I'm left with a new VOB without audio.

I discovered this after recording Mummy Returns off of satellite using my Pioneer DVR-7000 at MN15 (frame size is 544X480, so Workshop re-encodes it to 720X480).
I then performed several tests using smaller captures a resolutions I knew Workshop would have to re-encode. In all these cases the audio was thrown out.

Has anyone else seen this? Am I doing something wrong???


The same project done in VideoPack5 keeps the audio, but VP5 has no way to adjust the encoding bitrate, so my 2hr, 10minute 3.63gig VRO gets re-encoded to over 4.3gigs, making it un-usable for DVD.[/quote]

[VideoMann]

Are you sure Workshop handles AC3? I don't see any buttons that says AC3?

If you see it let me know where.

( I posted just recently something on changing the AC3 rate. Do a search for Cinenow.com it will take you to my posting under section Newbie.)

Thanks

[Robert Simandl]

DVD Workshop will take files with AC-3 in them already and burn them to disc if you don't re-encode. But it does NOT have an AC-3 encoder. So its mpeg encoder probably doesn't recognize the AC-3 audio and loses it when you reencode your files.

[ItsMe]

544X480 is not part of the DVD standard so Workshop will always re-encode the file.

[Nolonemo]

I think you'll have to do something like use TMPGEnc to demux your video file, re-encode the video stream to a compliant resolution, and then remux audio and video and then go and author.

Can you set the Pioneer so it resizes to a complaint size as it records?

[leebo]

Thanks to everyone who posted to this topic.

The Pioneer deck has 32 quality levels. Unfortunetly, some of those settings are not included in the original DVD standard, but they are included (I guess) in the newer editable standard that uses VRO files instead of VOB files.

All of your suggestions helped me figure out a workaround.
I want to sometimes use the middle quality levels because they allow me to fit more than two hours on a disc w/o any noticable quality loss, at least for satellite originated programs.


I used the latest version of IFOEdit to author the disc. The latest version allows you to author w/o any menus, but it DOES allow chapter input!

IFOEdit copied the VRO's to new VOB's (retaining the AC3) and created IFO and BUP files.

And, the 544X480 non-DVD forum approved frame size plays in all of my DVD players!