Help with 'compilations'

[ormonde]

"I double click on the audio stream, but instead of giving me a "save as type" choice it just says all files. the name suggested is "VTS_01_1." with no extension. I add the .ac3 extension myself and hit save."

It will automatically save it as an Ac3 file type. No need to give it an ".ac3" extension just a filename of your choice will do.

"a) extracting the audio stream, but the problem occurs no matter what program I use"

I think, after what you have described, you do need an Ac3 sound codec–search Google to find one. Also you can download a utility called "Gspot". The program will check your machine to see what codecs are installed, and what ones you might need on a certain file.

[DeadSerious]

Ormonde:

I've got Gspot. When I run the .ac3 file in it, it lists it as an AC-3 file. I go to render, and I get these results:

Direct Show claims to be able to play the file. The following combination of filters were used:
<my .ac3 filename> (Audio Source)
AC3 parser filter (Audio Pre-processor)
AC3 filter (Audio decoder)
Default DirectSound Device (Audio Renderer)

If I click on the AC3 filter, I get the info on the filter.
FIL File Description ac3filter
FIL File Version 0.70b
FIL Internal Name ac3filter
FIL Legal Copyright Copyright © 2002 by Vigovsky Alexander
FIL Original Filename ac3filter.ax
FIL Product Name AC3Filter
FIL Product Version 0.70b
FIL Comments Direct show AC3 decoder filter

so I'm guessing that's what I'm supposed to have, right?

(I just tried again, using VOBedit to demux. All AC3s checked out okay. Same message as above.

[DeadSerious]

maa:
Sorry, we did get kind of sidetracked on this thing. The problem is in the authoring. Although the demuxing shouldn't be necessary, here's the problem:

TMPEGEnc DVD Author won't recognize the audio portion of the VOB file. I was using DVDShrink re-author, but there were no menus, and I was trying to make each separate entry a chapter rather than a title. Someone suggested DVD Author, which does exactly what I want it to do (I think anyway), but as I said, it won't recognize the audio stream. So that's when we started in on the demuxing. It just developed into this mystery of "why won't this work?" which is especially frustrating since the point of some of these programs is to do the very thing that they don't seem to want to do for me.

I think I posted earlier on this, but I did make a successful compilation this way:

1. renumber all the various VOB files as if they were from the same movie (VTS_01_001.VOB, VTS_01_002.VOB, etc.)

2. Use VOBedit to open the first file (VTS_01_001.VOB). Select 'edit' and 'join clips', combining and renaming them (VTS_01_1.VOB, etc)

3. Use IFOedit to create IFO files, creating one PGC and a chapter for each cell.

4. Load the IFO file in IFOedit and use 'VOB extras' (or maybe it was 'menu extras' -- I can't remember now!) to correct all the VOB stuff (unit pointers, original IFO files, etc.)

5. Load VTS_TS.IFO in IFOedit and 'get VTS sectors'

6. Check, then burn.

This seemed to work okay, BUT it also seemed like a lot to do. So that's why I was trying to get TMPEGEnc DVD author to work. It looked quick, simple, and painless.

I also have dvd lab, which seems to be the ONLY program that can handle the .ac3 files I create when demuxing. I'm not real familiar with the program, however, and the one quick test I did seemed to do funky things with the aspect ratio. (some clips are widescreen, some not) The method above seemed to not have that problem.

So, that's a long-winded way of saying that although the problem began with how to make a compilation, it quickly became about "how can I get DVD Author to work so I can do this easier?"

[DeadSerious]

forgot this:

1.5 put all renumbered files in the same folder

[ormonde]

"so I'm guessing that's what I'm supposed to have, right?"

Looks like you do. The only thing left I can suggest, if you are still having problems with the audio, is you have an Ac3 file with a bad header. Download a utility called "Ac3Fix". it is a command-line program so you have to also get the GUI that goes with it. Make sure that the main .exe and the GUI reside in the same folder. Run this on your .ac3 file and try to mux with TMPGEnc afterwards.

[DeadSerious]

Hmm....I tried the Ac3Fix, but it doesn't seem to do anything. I opened the file, chose a save name, and hit process, but nothing seemed to happen. after process it says ok in, ok out, and the filename I used to save is nowhere to be found on the drive.

[DeadSerious]

Hey! What do you know! I didn't realize that the .ac3 files had to be in the Ac3Fix directory. Moved them there, corrected them, used TMPEGEnc to mux the files with NO PROBLEMS this time, and loaded the .mpg into DVD Author with no problem. Haven't tried burning yet, but feeling good about this!

Thanks to those who hung with me on this!

[maa]

Ah the infamous broken AC3 !

You would have found that in the end if you'd gone the other route - one by one - too.

DVDLab is the more powerfull authoring program in regards to the menu construction and a few other things BUT it was writen for DVD creation and not so much for re-authoring and compilations. In the basic version ALL "movies" go in to ONE Title set as I said before. However this can only have one audio type and one aspect ratio - specs limitation. The first Beta Pro version is out though and allows a second VTS to be added - still not what you need but its goinig a very Pro route and will have GPRM programming in the near future.

Anyway - glad you solved it!

maa

[ormonde]

"Thanks to those who hung with me on this!"

Glad (we all) could be of help-hopefully you finally solved it!

[DeadSerious]

Mission Accomplished. Test burn gave me sound, picture, and menus. Now I just need to figure out why DVDshrink is giving me corrupted AC-3 files.

Kidding!

Thanks all.