AC3 5.1 to Windows Media Lossless 5.1

[thereeper]

I'm tring to convert a multichannel AC3 (5.1) to Windows Media Player Lossless 5.1. But I get this error:
he CODEC required to compress 'E:\Spiral Surround DVD\Nine Inch Nails - Big Man with a Gun.wma' could not be opened.

I can convert 2 channel AC3's but not 5.1. Also I tried both WMA 9, and 9.1 to try to encode it, with the same error message.

[ChristinaS]

Re: AC3 5.1 to Windows Media Lossless 5.1

What frequency does your AC3 file have? WMA Lossless 5.1 is either 48 or 96 KHz.

How about a conversion to wav for same specifications followed by wma lossless ?

Do you have Professional Frequency enabled?

[thereeper]

Re: AC3 5.1 to Windows Media Lossless 5.1

it's 48, it sounds terrible when converted to wav. Unlike when the 2-channel is converted to wav, it sounds fine.

[ChristinaS]

Re: AC3 5.1 to Windows Media Lossless 5.1

Why should it sound terrible converted to wav? I am of course referring to uncompressed PCM wav, with the same channels and frequency as what you have.
That should be absolutely identical, wav is the original lossless format.

[thereeper]

Re: AC3 5.1 to Windows Media Lossless 5.1

True, I'm wondering if the ac3 decoding is the issue.

Because I went ac3 (48hZ 2ch) --> wma lossless (48hZ, 2ch) --> Apple Lossless (48hZ, 2ch): sounds good

but ac3 (48 hZ 5.1 ch) ---> won't convert to wma lossless (48 Hz, 2ch), gave the error in my first post.

ac3 (48 Hz 5.1 ch) --> wave (6 ch, 48 Hz) (sounds terrible) --> wma lossles (48Hz, 5.1 ch) (sounds terrible) --> Apple Lossless (itunes doesn't recognize 5.1 channels, yields 2 ch, 48 Hz) (sounds terrible)

I was looking into software called ac3 decoder, but it can only convert to 2ch wm.

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In a perfect world I would convert the actual DVD-Audio to lossless. But i've looked into the ripping process to cirvcumvent the CPPM protection, but it looks like a huge pain in the ass (tools needed, and many steps). It's ridiculous when I can't rip DVD-audio discs I own. Especially when no one besides crazy audiofiles would want to bother with keeping the large files on their computer, and how small of a market DVD-a is anyways... I guess I'll have to wait until someone figures out an effiecent way to rip DVD-a.

[ChristinaS]

Re: AC3 5.1 to Windows Media Lossless 5.1

So in fact ac3 5.1 doesn't convert properly to anyhting?

[thereeper]

Re: AC3 5.1 to Windows Media Lossless 5.1

indeed