There are a number of tools to convert ac3 files to wav, but unfortunately automatic conversion to 44.1 kHz is almost always present. If you check at sites like doom9.org, dvdrhelp.com, and digital-digest.com you'll find a fair selection. If you're not adverse to playing with graphedit, http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=82303&release_id=162590 has a few filters that should help.

Far as I know, Azid is the primary tool for decoding ac3 files, and besweet is a popular command line tool that makes use of it - there are also several front ends and apps that make use of such. HeadAC3he & Besure are popular. In my experience, have trouble running besweet direct from the command line in XP pro sp1, but that may just be me... I haven't had great success using headache to get 6 mono files out of an ac3, though I think it can create a wav file with all 6 channels - you'll need something like CoolEdit pro to handle them though as VV4c doesn't. Besure can do it easy enough, with a couple significant gotchas - I modified the prog. to not downmix to 44.1, & the resultant mono wav files can be quite hot, needing a fair amount of compression.

Stuff to play with perhaps that I haven't gotten around to trying yet: You can use Graphedit, the ac3 source filter from the sourceforge link above, and filters installed with power dvd 4 to get an excellent 2 channel mix, and it may be possible to use a similar arrangement to get 6 mono wav files out. And, dvd2avi can create a stereo wav file from an ac3, but haven't tried it for 6 channel output, which may be possible.

Not a huge number of sources to get 6 channel sound out, of info or software - sorry couldn't help more but this is just something I occassionally played with when I had time, trying to better learn ac3 and such, & trying to learn 6 channel in VV4c & winmedia 9.

RE: the m2v files - should already be mpg2 video only, & should be able to handle them directly in VV4c, though of course some folks prefer TMPGEnc, and there is the issue of VV4c perhaps not handling all mpg2 files equally well. It is possible to use dvd2avi through vfapi in VV4c, or most any NLE, which to me seems a better way to go, better results as VV4c is just handling images versus haveing to decode and generate each frame.

FWIW, might want to look at ac3fix and download it in case it's needed as you're playing with the audio, and might want to check out restream for the m2v files.

hope this helps

Thanks for all the help, both of you
The .ac3 file I'm 100% sure is only a stereo mix so besweet should handle it no sweat once i get my hands on it.

The.mv2 files neither VV nor DVDA will handle them at all but they are no problem I just muxed (restreamed actually I guess) them through TMPGEnc to produce mpeg2 and then both DVDA and VV are happy.

The chap I'm doing this for is a FCP user and he's already got his credit card out to buy VV and DVDA!

Just thought I should add another BIG thank you!

BeSweet along with Azid did the trick just fine, converted to 16bit 48K .wav with lots of problems. In all fairness though this is free stuff so I didn't expect a comprehensive manual. Azid kept complaining about a missing dll which is nowhere to be found BUT it turns our when I click the correct button it suddenly flew into life, calculated max level for .wav file and then produced what sounds like a perfect .wav file.

Added that to VV timeline along with .mpg file at specified offset and all is in sync!

When I get a bit braver I'm going to try the batch converter as there a lots of audio files to rip, the final DVD is about 40 music vids with and without vocals.

As they say the best things in life are free.

PS: Now if only DVDA supported multiple audio tracks....