Maestro will not process mpeg audio?

[Clydesdale]

When I compile a project I get a message that audio must be pcm or ac3. Maestro finishes but the clip is silent. Am I missing a codec?

[Thorn]

Since mpeg audio is outside of the NTSC specification for DVD, it's not too surprising that Mastro doesn't handle it. Maestro is probably ignoring all invalid (i.e. mpeg) audio, giving you a silent movie.

[Quigonsean]

According to t+he manual it supports it. Here is an excerpt from the manual of all supported assets vid, sound, subs, etc...

Sean

2-14 DVDMaestro/DVDConductor User’s Guide
Supported Assets
As introduced in the Spruce Technologies QuickStart Guide that accompanies this User’s
Guide, Spruce DVDStations and authoring software are designed for DVD digitizing and
authoring, but not editing. This means you’ll need to edit your video, audio, and other
assets outside of DVDMaestro or DVDConductor. (For more guidance regarding this
matter, please contact Spruce Technologies Technical Support.)
However, your Spruce authoring software is able to work with a wide range of audio,
video and other assets — practically every asset supported by the DVD-Video
Specification. Here’s a rundown of all the currently supported asset formats:
Still Assets
You can import a wide range of still image formats, for use as background images or
subpictures in DVD Menus:
• Bitmapped images (.bmp)
• Adobe Photoshop files (.psd — Photoshop native files, with layers)
• TIFF images (.tif — Tagged Image File Format)
• JPEG images (.jpg — Joint Photographic Experts Group)
Note: Due to the nature of JPEG, highly compressed JPEG images may suffer
from unwanted artifacts when imported into Spruce authoring software.
Still images can also be used as “slides” within a DVD Movie presentation, either silent
or accompanied by a soundtrack.
Video Assets
Your Spruce authoring software also lets you import both video formats of the DVDVideo
Spec — including both types of common MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group)
files — for use in DVD Movies or in “dynamic” DVD Menus:
• MPEG-1 video (.m1v, .mpv, or .vbs)
• MPEG-2 video (.m2v, .vbs, .mpg, .mpeg, or .avi – MPEG only )
Note: Spruce authoring software can import MPEG video files with extensions
other than those listed above; for the details, please see Chapter 5 “Importing
MPEG Video Files with Non-Standard File Extensions”.
Note: Spruce authoring software imports elementary (not multiplexed) MPEG
video streams.
Note: Spruce authoring software does not support true AVI (Audio Video
Interleave) files, but does support MPEG files with the .avi extension.
Chapter 2: Fundamentals 2-15
Audio Assets
DVDMaestro and DVDConductor also support a broad range of audio file formats for
use in DVD Movies or in “dynamic” DVD Menus:
• MPEG-1 Layer 2 audio (.m1a, .mpa, or .abs)
• Dolby Digital (AC-3) audio (.ac3 — mono up to six channels)
• DTS multichannel audio (.dts)
• WAV audio (.wav — Windows uncompressed PCM audio; most common Windows
audio format)
• PCM audio (.pcm — “raw” pulse code modulation audio; similar to WAV, but
without “header” and other file information)
• AIFF audio (.aif — Audio Interchange File Format uncompressed PCM audio; most
common Macintosh audio format)
Note: Spruce authoring software imports elementary (not multiplexed) MPEG
audio streams.
Uncompressed PCM Audio
Uncompressed audio is typically referred to as PCM, although the file usually have a
“.wav” or “.aif” extension. The DVD specification supports uncompressed PCM audio at
resolutions of 16-bits and 24-bits, and sample rates of 48 kHz or 96 kHz. Audio in this
format is completely compatible with DVD players worldwide, and is of higher fidelity
that data-compressed audio. The disadvantage of PCM audio is the relatively large files
sizes, compared to the compressed audio formats. Spruce Technologies recommends the
use of PCM audio whenever possible.
DVDConductor supports only a PCM audio resolution of 16-bits with
a 48kHz sample rate. DVDConductor users may add support for 24-
bit 96kHz PCM audio by upgrading to DVDPowerPack.
Data-Compressed Audio
The DVD medium uses data-compressed (as opposed to sonically compressed) audio for
two purposes. One is to deliver discrete surround audio (5.1). This application is covered
under ‘AC-3 Audio’ below. The other reason to use data-compressed audio is to conserve
bandwidth and disc space to apply to video. This is especially applicable in long-form
material such as feature films, and especially when the smaller DVD-5 medium is the
target. Data-compressed audio for DVD comes in a few forms. Note that for stereo audio,
neither format will sound as good as PCM, so we recommend use of PCM audio
whenever possible.
MPEG-1 Layer II Audio
For DVD product in PAL, MPEG-1 Layer II audio is compatible with all players. Note
however, that due to some vagaries in the DVD specification, most (but not all) DVD
players for NTSC markets (North America, Japan) support playback of MPEG-1 Layer II
audio. If you create NTSC titles using MPEG audio, be aware that there may be problems
in playback on some players.
If your application requires use of data-compressed audio with compatibility with all
players for NTSC, then we recommend use of AC-3 format. See the next section below for
information on encoding and authoring with AC-3 format audio.
Dolby Digital AC-3 Audio
There are two reasons why you may wish to use AC-3 format audio in your DVD
production. One very good reason is to take advantage of 5.1 (5 main speakers and a
subwoofer) surround audio, which is supported by AC-3 but not by MPEG-1 Layer II or
PCM audio. The other reason is to offer stereo data-compressed audio which is fully
compatible with every DVD player in the NTSC markets of North America and Japan.
You may run into some compatibility issues with older DVD players in PAL countries.
DTS Audio
DTS (Digital Theatre Systems) is an alternative format for 5.1 surround. Only
DVDMaestro supports encoding or authoring with DTS-format audio. If you have needs
to produce DVD content with DTS-format audio, contact your Spruce dealer or Spruce
Technologies directly for information on compatible products and upgrades
Subtitle Assets
Finally, although you can create individual DVD Movie subtitles directly using your
Spruce authoring software’s Subtitle Editor feature, you can also import three different
subtitle file formats:
• Spruce Technologies format (.stl)
• Daikin Scenarist™ format (.son)
• Any bitmapped image (.bmp), TIFF (.tif), or even JPEG (.jpg) file
Note: Typically, both “.stl” and “.son” file types are a list of dozens, hundreds,
or even thousands of subtitles, each with their relative timecode location
embedded and hidden as part of the file data. These are the file types that
DVDMaestro and DVDConductor use for creating a complete subtitle stream,
from the start to finish of a DVD Movie (or a portion of a DVD Movie). On the
other hand, you can import bitmapped images for use as individual subtitles
without any embedded timecode information.