Import Media audio AC3Filter problem

BusyBee wrote on 6/2/2005, 12:44 AM
I have a problem importing the audio stream of MPEG-2 (and VOB) files in VMS and in SF.
I can run them on my different players (WMP, ZoomPlayer, Nero Show Time) without any problem, the audio being flawlessly taken care of by the AC3Filter 0.70b.
But when I import them in either VMW, SF7 or SF8, only the video stream loads (MainConcept MPEG-2 codec). The Media Properties panel reports no audio...
Note that this audio problem is limited to mpeg-2 files (I have no problem with avi or wmv files).
I am puzzled, and don't know what to do... All my Sony sound and video editing programs are down together with this topic!
Do they access the codec by a similar bridge that has broken ?
Where is the problem, and how should I go to treat it ?
Do VMS and SF rely on the same audio decoding engine ?

Comments

IanG wrote on 6/2/2005, 5:44 AM
The bottom line is MS can't handle AC-3 audio! You can try something like VirtualDub- MPEG2 to convert your files, but I've had mixed results.

Have a search through this forum - you'll find a lot of discussion on this!

Ian G.
ScottW wrote on 6/2/2005, 5:48 AM
VMS does not include an AC3 decoder. I expect if you search on VOB in this forum and the Vegas forum you'll find lots of discussion about the lack of AC3 decoding.

You can use DVD2AVI to convert the VOBs into AVI files (of some sort) and associated WAV files; or any number of other options (like DVDDecryptor to demultiplex the streams and BeSweet to convert the AC3 to WAV).

--Scott
BusyBee wrote on 6/2/2005, 6:20 AM
Very surprised about these limitations. I thought I was on the 'safe' side by investing in these up-level Sony products... I have VMS, SF7, SF8, DVDA. What is the end-story ? AC-3 is not an exotic codec. I was just trying to edit a capture my wife made with Nero using its standard DVD import template... VirtualDub will not open the files (says they have no video!), DVDDecrypter works only if you are starting from an existing DVD, and BeSweet is a command-line program requiring sweat and pray. I think I'll have to go back to the start and re-capture these files again using compatible settings.
IanG wrote on 6/2/2005, 2:29 PM
>AC-3 is not an exotic codec.

And it's not free either - I doubt that it would make commercial sense to include AC-3 support in an app like VMS. Have you tried the mpeg2 version of VirtualDub?

Ian G.
BusyBee wrote on 6/3/2005, 2:21 AM
The VirtualDub-MPEG2 indeed Opens the file and allows a Save As in avi format. That brings me back in to VMS usable ground. However, the process takes longer than a re-capture (I still have the source files).
Thanks for the tip.
ChristerTX wrote on 6/3/2005, 11:58 AM
AC3 is included in the Big Brother program Vegas 6 if I'm not misstaken.
ericlast wrote on 6/3/2005, 8:13 PM
Just out of curiosity...
I was browsing the directory in which I've got VMS installed, and there's a windows cabinet file called "ac3plug"

Does this thing give VMS the ability to do ac3's???

Eric
ScottW wrote on 6/4/2005, 12:23 PM
AC3 encoding is included with big brother, but there's still no AC3 decoder.
rondi wrote on 6/7/2005, 10:27 AM
I would recommend BeSweet and its companion BeSweet GUI. i use it to rip commercial DVD Concerts which i then convert selected audio clips to my Ipod after editing in Audacity.

I don't have the url, but do a google for BeSweet.....

hth,
ron