Codec for encoding WMV with 5.1 audio?

VanderRG wrote on 11/1/2009, 1:36 PM
With some much-appreciated help here on the forum, I have found that I can successfully take my AVCHD files from my Sony camcorder and convert them to either MP4 or WMV using Movie Studio 9 PE.

One issue I have run into is that when I attempt to create WMV files in 5.1 audio I get a stop message from Movie Studio that says "the required audio codec was not found". I can make great WMV files if I have Molvie Studio downconvert the sound from 5.1 to stereo...but it would be really nice to be able to preserve my home videos in the 5.1 sound they were created in.

Does anyone know what codec Movie Studio is looking for and how I can secure it?

If I install Windows Media Encoder on my computer will it install the necessary codec? Along that line is WME compatible with Windows 7?

Any help is much appreciated-

BV

Comments

Allegretto wrote on 11/1/2009, 3:29 PM
If your VMS PE project is 5.1, you should be able to render to WMV with 5.1 audio. The default template should render with 5.1 audio, or you can choose one of the built in presets that renders 5.1 audio.

From Project -> Render As, if you click Custom for the WMV (or WMA) render format, you should see the Windows Media Audio 10 Professional codec in the format dropdown in the Audio tab. This codec supports 5.1 and stereo. The attributes dropdown should show a variety of combinations of bit rate, sample rate, and 5.1 or stereo. Are you seeing the WM Pro codec and 5.1 at all in Custom? Custom enumerates the available Windows Media codecs and formats so if there is a problem I'd expect they wouldn't show up at all.
VanderRG wrote on 11/1/2009, 6:18 PM
Sockpuppet:

First off thanks very much for the info. The Windows Media Audio 10 Professional Codec defintiely does show up in the list that you describe and the dropdown list is there with the diffrerent bitrate combinations and all just as you describe.

Also I have no idea what to make of this but I tried over and over and one time it just worked. On a second project the same thing happened...it tells me the codec isn't there and aborts the render but if I just keep telling it to do it it eventually just started rendering!

Not exactly confidence-inspiring but I'll take it!

Thanks again for your help!

BV