Adding a Second Audio Track to Your SVCDs

[adam]

Adding a 2nd Audio Stream to Your SVCDs.
By: Adam

Software Needed:

SmartRipper
BeSweet
TMPGenc or BBmpeg

1) Ripping

a) Insert your DVD in your DVD-ROM and open SmartRipper. It should automatically recognize your DVD.
b) Click on the Stream Processing tab.

c) Uncheck any streams you do not want. Here, I have chosen not to rip the DTS track (SDDS) or the 5.1 Dolby Digital Track. The only streams I am interested in are the Dolby 2.0 (2Ch) mixes for both the main audio track and the Directors Commentary Track.

d) Click on each of the audio tracks and select Demux to extra file.

e) Set a Target Directory

f) Click Start.





You will now have .ac3 files for your audio and the video will be stored as .vobs. Notice that the .ac3 files list a delay. If yours is 0, like mine, then ignore this otherwise make note of this number and also pay attention to whether it is a positive or negative delay ie: 32 ms or -32 ms.





2) Encoding

a) In BeSweet, make sure that the Azid, SSRC, and Boost boxes are checked.

b) Under MP2ENC set the output to MP2.

c) Load your first ac3 in the Input tab and set a filename and location in the Output tab.

d) If your .ac3 had a delay listed in the filename, then check the Set Delay to box and input the number.





e) On the Azid 1 tab you may want to adjust the downmix levels. In this case I am using a 2.0 audio source that has already been downmixed so these settings will have no effect. If your source is 5.1 Dolby Digital then you may want to lower the LFE To LR Channels. This can prevent distortion during loud sounds such as explosions.

f) Set the Output Mode to Stereo and Surround.

g) You may want to use Compression. This is highly subjective so just use what sounds best to you.





h) On the SSRC tab, set the sampling rate to 44100Hz.

i) You may want to raise the volume slightly.

j) I recommend that you normalize the audio.





k) On the 2Lame tab, set your desired bitrate. For main audio tracks I use either 192kbits or 224kbits. For Directors Commentary tracks I use anywhere from 192kbits down to 32kbits mono, depending on how much talking the track has.

l) Set the Encoding Mode. For 192kbits or higher use Stereo and if lower you may want to use Joint Stereo. If you use a very low bitrate like 32kbits then use Mono.

m) Enable Error Protection.

n) Click AC3 to MP2 and BeSweet will encode your audio. When its finished return to the BeSweet tab and load your second audio tack and repeat the process but make sure you change the output name or you will overwrite the first file. If you find yourself using the same settings frequently then you can save them as a preset at the top right.





To encode your video follow one of the SVCD conversion guides here.

3) Multiplexing-TMPGenc

a) In TMPGenc, go to File/Mpeg Tools





b) Go to the Multiplex tab.

c) Set the Type to MPEG-2 Super VideoCD (VBR)

d) Click Add and load your video and two audio streams. Make sure you load them in the correct order. The first audio track (top) will be the main audio track which is played by default.

Note: You can actually have a total of four mono streams or any combination thereof ie: 2 stereo, 1 stereo and 2 mono, or 4 mono.

e) Set an Output directory and filename.

f) Finally hit Run. TMPGenc will export an mpg which you can author as a SVCD. Use the Audio button on your remote control to toggle between the different audio tracks.





4) Multiplexing-BBmpeg

a) As an alternative you may wish to use BBmpeg for multiplexing instead. Simply load your audio streams in the spaces provided. For a more in depth guide on multiplexing with BBmpeg click here.

[oddbod77]

Just a quick warning, some DVD players will not play correctly if the bitrate of the Program Stream is greater than 2600kbps because of the way the manufacturer interpreted the SVCD spec. This applies to quite a few Philips and Sony players.

In the example shown above you can see 2500k for the Video assuming it was CBR encoded and 2x192k CBR for the audio which equates to a 2884kbps total bitrate (or total maximum bitrate if the video was VBR). This would frameskip very badly in my Philips DVD718 if it played at all, even the "standard PAL SVCD" template with a single audio track in TMPEGEnc 2.54.37.135 is too high.

Just something to bear in mind before you give up in frustration.

[adam]

Good point but...

The 2778kbit total max limit for SVCD only applies to the video+overhead+ 1 audio stream which has the highest bitrate. The limit was determined by the speed at which data can be read off of a 2x drive, and you only listen to one audio track at a time so actually the figures listed in my picture do comply with the specs, though you are absolutely right, some players will still have problems. In actuality, my video in this example only had a max bitrate of 2500kbits and the avg was more like 2mbits. Not sure why TMPGenc listed it like that, I think it must be looking at the nominal bitrate. I think it has to do with how CCE tags the stream, which was the encoder I used.

I'm not sure why some players have limits below what the standard sets, and I'm not convinced this is even a hardware issue. For instance when you use TMPGenc to encode you get bitrate peaks sometimes as high as 1mb more than what you set your max at. I think this may be more of a limitation in the software we are using. In any case I kinda doubt the manufacturers misinterpreted the specs, since they are actually pretty straightforward in this matter not to mention the fact that Philips wrote them I think this is more a case of the manufacturers trying to cut corners by using cheap dvd loaders.

In any case you have a very valid point. I should probably edit the picture so as to avoid any confusion.

[Anonymoususer]

OK I don't know if this will sound stupid or not...but would this guide work with .OGM files..considering .OGM files have 2 audio tracks including subtitles....could this relate to .ogm files somehow or maybe there is a different guide for that...?

[vitualis]

It depends what you mean by "work"...

This guide is geared towards MPEG. bbMPEG will only mux mpeg. All the MPEG specific parts of the guide will not work with what you want.

However, the parts on how to extract the raw audio is relevant.

Regards.

[Anonymoususer]

By "work" I mean does it relate to .OGM files in anyway. Im not that advanced BUT I have been making SVCD';s for a while now and know the settings pretty good, I was looking around the guides section and saw SVCD multiple audio tracks and was intrigued whether or not it would work with .OGM files.

[flobbo]

When I multiplex the video and audio streams in TMPGEnc I get an error at the end of the process saying:
29252 s packets cause buffer underflow. The MPEG file might cause error when played.
And my software DVD player does not allow me to switch audio playing the unauthored mpeg file. Any ideas?

[adam]

I just noticed your post flobbo.

You get underflows when your bitrate is too high. If making a VCD your video bitrate must be 1150k and your audio must be 224k.

If making a svcd your total bitrate cannot exceed 2778kbits and your video alone cannot exceed 2600kbits.

If you would like to proceed anyway, and make a non-compliant disk, then use bbmpeg to multiplex instead and set the forced mux rate to 0.

I have found that software dvd players often will not play the 2nd audio track from the mpg alone, but only from the burnt SVCD. Its also possible that some software dvd players won't support a 2nd audio track in a SVCD or raw mpg at all.

[sherman]

Hi

I've backuped movies to SVCD with one audio channell befor. I have decided to give this guide a try to make one with two audio tracks.

However I have a question. Now that I have my two audio tracks converted in Besweet if I multiplex them with the video. How do I then split the MPEGS to 2 or three MPEGS. When I was doing them with one audio track. I used DVD2AVI to framserv to TMPGEnc as three different projects and have TMPGEnc split it during encoding. If I am reading this goide right I would have to Multiplex the two audio treack together then use that to encode the Video and split.

Sherman

[adam]

If you wanted to continue using your method then you would have to run the dvd2avi process twice for each of your segments. Do it once with your main audio, then again with your secondary track. Then you will have both wavs for each section.

However, this is a very impractical way to split your mpgs and its a real waste of bitrate. (maybe 1st 3rd hardly needs any bitrate and last 1/3rd needs tons.) It makes much more sense to encode the whole file using your set bitrate and then split it by size. To do this just follow the guide and use Bbmpeg to multiplex, trust me its much easier. In bbmpeg you can specify the size of the mpegs, so you can set it to 790Mb and it will split your movie up accordingly.

[dsukhee]

Dear Adam

I'm from Mongolia. I read your post and I have questions. I created 2 stereo audio tracks mpeg file using TMPGENC. But after burning with Nero 2nd audio is disappeared. How I keep 2 audio tracks after burning.

Please help me

Thanks

Adding a 2nd Audio Stream to Your SVCDs.
By: Adam

Software Needed:

SmartRipper
BeSweet
TMPGenc or BBmpeg

1) Ripping

a) Insert your DVD in your DVD-ROM and open SmartRipper. It should automatically recognize your DVD.
b) Click on the Stream Processing tab.

c) Uncheck any streams you do not want. Here, I have chosen not to rip the DTS track (SDDS) or the 5.1 Dolby Digital Track. The only streams I am interested in are the Dolby 2.0 (2Ch) mixes for both the main audio track and the Directors Commentary Track.

d) Click on each of the audio tracks and select Demux to extra file.

e) Set a Target Directory

f) Click Start.





You will now have .ac3 files for your audio and the video will be stored as .vobs. Notice that the .ac3 files list a delay. If yours is 0, like mine, then ignore this otherwise make note of this number and also pay attention to whether it is a positive or negative delay ie: 32 ms or -32 ms.





2) Encoding

a) In BeSweet, make sure that the Azid, SSRC, and Boost boxes are checked.

b) Under MP2ENC set the output to MP2.

c) Load your first ac3 in the Input tab and set a filename and location in the Output tab.

d) If your .ac3 had a delay listed in the filename, then check the Set Delay to box and input the number.





e) On the Azid 1 tab you may want to adjust the downmix levels. In this case I am using a 2.0 audio source that has already been downmixed so these settings will have no effect. If your source is 5.1 Dolby Digital then you may want to lower the LFE To LR Channels. This can prevent distortion during loud sounds such as explosions.

f) Set the Output Mode to Stereo and Surround.

g) You may want to use Compression. This is highly subjective so just use what sounds best to you.





h) On the SSRC tab, set the sampling rate to 44100Hz.

i) You may want to raise the volume slightly.

j) I recommend that you normalize the audio.





k) On the 2Lame tab, set your desired bitrate. For main audio tracks I use either 192kbits or 224kbits. For Directors Commentary tracks I use anywhere from 192kbits down to 32kbits mono, depending on how much talking the track has.

l) Set the Encoding Mode. For 192kbits or higher use Stereo and if lower you may want to use Joint Stereo. If you use a very low bitrate like 32kbits then use Mono.

m) Enable Error Protection.

n) Click AC3 to MP2 and BeSweet will encode your audio. When its finished return to the BeSweet tab and load your second audio tack and repeat the process but make sure you change the output name or you will overwrite the first file. If you find yourself using the same settings frequently then you can save them as a preset at the top right.





To encode your video follow one of the SVCD conversion guides here.

3) Multiplexing-TMPGenc

a) In TMPGenc, go to File/Mpeg Tools





b) Go to the Multiplex tab.

c) Set the Type to MPEG-2 Super VideoCD (VBR)

d) Click Add and load your video and two audio streams. Make sure you load them in the correct order. The first audio track (top) will be the main audio track which is played by default.

Note: You can actually have a total of four mono streams or any combination thereof ie: 2 stereo, 1 stereo and 2 mono, or 4 mono.

e) Set an Output directory and filename.

f) Finally hit Run. TMPGenc will export an mpg which you can author as a SVCD. Use the Audio button on your remote control to toggle between the different audio tracks.





4) Multiplexing-BBmpeg

a) As an alternative you may wish to use BBmpeg for multiplexing instead. Simply load your audio streams in the spaces provided. For a more in depth guide on multiplexing with BBmpeg click here.