Certain AC3 files won't convert with dMC

[sackingsfan]

I was battling a problem where dMC would hang when converting AC3 files. I resolved most of the problems by switching how I was generating the AC3 files (see http://forum.dbpoweramp.com/showthread.php?t=9238 for full details).

Now the problem I'm having is that certain AC3 files, ripped from the same DVD, won't convert properly. On a given DVD, 19 out of 21 AC3 files convert fine. The other two files are processed very quickly and the resulting WMA file is only 5K in size.

Has anyone else seen something like this? Any ideas?

Thanks!

[ChristinaS]

Re: Certain AC3 files won't convert with dMC

Can you play those AC3 files in any player properly?

Try a test conversion fro those AC3 files that don't appear to convert properly. Does that work?

Try to convert those files to uncompressed wav. Does it work?

[sackingsfan]

Re: Certain AC3 files won't convert with dMC

Can you play those AC3 files in any player properly?

These AC3 files play perfectly in WMP 10.

Try a test conversion fro those AC3 files that don't appear to convert properly. Does that work?

Try to convert those files to uncompressed wav. Does it work?

Any attempt to convert the files to any format, including the test conversion, yields the same results. The conversion completes almost instantly and any resulting file is truncated. A WAV conversion results in a 1K file and a WMA conversion results in a 5K file. Again, only two tracks on this DVD have this problem. The other 19 tracks convert just fine.

[ChristinaS]

Re: Certain AC3 files won't convert with dMC

What does the pop up information say about those AC3 files? Any channels, frequency, duration information?

[sackingsfan]

Re: Certain AC3 files won't convert with dMC

What does the pop up information say about those AC3 files? Any channels, frequency, duration information?

Here is exactly what the ID Tag information is for one of the files in question. I got this by right-clicking on the AC3 file and going to the "ID Tag" tab of the Properties screen.


File: Test
Location: H:\JOSEPH\VIDEO_TS\
Type: AC3 File
Extension: AC3
Length (m:ss): 1:52
Size: 6271 KB
Uncompressed: 21114 KB
Comp. Ratio: 3 to 1 (29%)

Frequency: 48000
Channels: 2
Bits: 16

[gameplaya15143]

Re: Certain AC3 files won't convert with dMC

you are using ac3filter and the dshow decoder right?

if you dont already have graphedit, go get it, open the ac3 with that so you can check for any filter conflicts. should be something like:
track.ac3 -> ac3 parcer -> ac3filter -> default dsound device

since you probably don't use ac3 much, it would probably be easier to just use besweet or headac3he (but i guess the point is to use dmc to do it)

[LtData]

Re: Certain AC3 files won't convert with dMC

Aha, the frequency might be part of it. Try converting it to a 48KHz, 16-bit stereo WAV file and then converting to WMA.

[sackingsfan]

Re: Certain AC3 files won't convert with dMC

you are using ac3filter and the dshow decoder right?)

Yes

if you dont already have graphedit, go get it, open the ac3 with that so you can check for any filter conflicts. should be something like:
track.ac3 -> ac3 parcer -> ac3filter -> default dsound device

I installed the latest version of GraphEdit and loaded one of the working AC3 files and one of the failing AC3 files. Here is what the working file looks like:

WORKING.AC3->MainConcept MPEG Spliter->AC3Filter->Default DirectSound Device

Here is what the two failing files look like:

FAILING.AC3->MPEG-2 Splitter->AC3Filter->Default DirectSound Device

The only difference appears to be the intermediate MPEG Splitter filter used. I have no idea why this would happen when I used one program to rip every track on this DVD in one pass.

In any case, is there a way to somehow swap the "MPEG-2 Splitter" filter with the "MainConcept MPEG Splitter" filter? Or is there some other way to get this working using the filters already in the AC3 files?

since you probably don't use ac3 much, it would probably be easier to just use besweet or headac3he (but i guess the point is to use dmc to do it)

This is my first time playing with AC3 files, so I'm learning as I go. I appreciate everyone's help. I've gotten 7 of my 8 DVD's to rip successfully to AC3 and then converted to WMA Lossless. I only have these last two stubborn AC3 files to go, so I'd appreciate any help to get dMC to work with these last two files.

Thanks!

[sackingsfan]

Re: Certain AC3 files won't convert with dMC

Aha, the frequency might be part of it. Try converting it to a 48KHz, 16-bit stereo WAV file and then converting to WMA.

No joy. I get the same 1K WAV file when I try to convert it. I've tried hard-coding the bit rate and frequency during the WAV conversion and I've tried the "same as source" settings. Every combination still gives me the 1K file.

[ChristinaS]

Re: Certain AC3 files won't convert with dMC

What does anybody make of this information? http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...directshow.asp

[gameplaya15143]

Re: Certain AC3 files won't convert with dMC

What does anybody make of this information? http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...directshow.asp

i couldnt find a link to download it... so i'd say its completely useless

i think i tried the mainconcept mpeg2 splitter and decoder... but didnt like it (could have been the same problem you are having, that or maybe it wasnt free, i dont remember)

the mpeg2 splitter/parcer that i have is the one that comes with ac3filter

to remove a directshow filter:
regsvr32 /u filtername.ext

to install it:
regsvr32 filtername.ext

(i suggest making things easy and adding right click options to do that with *.ax and *.dll files)