How do I add AC3 File Support?

[holygamer999]

I want to be able to Right-click an ac3 file and convert it to Flac. I did what it said on this page:

http://www.dbpoweramp.com/codec-central-directshow.htm

I downloaded the AC3 Direct Show Filter. I installed dBpoweramp's DirectShow filter. I couldn't see the convert option in the right-click menu when I clicked on an ac3 file.

I then edited this file and added .ac3 on a new line: C:\Users\Dave\AppData\Roaming\dbpoweramp\directsho w

How can I get this to work?

[Spoon]

Re: How do I add AC3 File Support?

After editing the file, run dBpoweramp Configuration to add the convert to option to the right click.

[holygamer999]

Re: How do I add AC3 File Support?

I can now convert ac3 to Flac or Wav but when I go to play the file, it's empty and doesn't have any audio in it.

Also, I'm subscribed to this thread but I'm not receiving emails. My email address is correct.

[Spoon]

Re: How do I add AC3 File Support?

If the ac3 codec is installed correctly Windows Media Player should be able to play the file, can it?

[holygamer999]

Re: How do I add AC3 File Support?

I have to select the file and choose "Open with" Windows Media Player. It says it's not recognized by WMP but do I want to try and play it anyway.

I say yes and it plays. Is that how it should happen?

So it plays in WMP that way. I then try and convert an ac3 file to WAV and the resulting audio has file has no sound.

I installed everything correctly (see my first post), so why won't this work?

[Spoon]

Re: How do I add AC3 File Support?

Try having a look at the options for the AC3 codec, there will be an icon after installing the codec.

[holygamer999]

Re: How do I add AC3 File Support?

Can you be more specific? Where do I find the options for the AC3 Codec? Where do I see the icon you're talking about?

[Spoon]

Re: How do I add AC3 File Support?

Most directshow codecs have a configuration program, I am sure I saw one for the ac3 splitter about 5 years ago with options such as 5.1 >> 2 channel options, etc.

[holygamer999]

Re: How do I add AC3 File Support?

Why isn't that covered in the tutorial on this page?: http://www.dbpoweramp.com/codec-central-directshow.htm

I did what it said in the tutorial and it doesn't work. I have no clue what I'm supposed to do now to make it work. Is there a more detailed tutorial anywhere?

I bought DB Poweramp for the sole purpose of converting AC3 to Flac. As far as I can tell your program can't do that as I can't make it work so I'm not happy. Can I get a refund?

[Spoon]

Re: How do I add AC3 File Support?

We did not write the ac3 filter, so cannot realistically provide any level of support for it.

[probedb]

Re: How do I add AC3 File Support?

No offence but there are plenty of free programs to do this. You didn't have to pay money, you can't blame dbPoweramp when you didn't do enough research.

[N7X]

Re: How do I add AC3 File Support?

I had this problem as well. I downloaded the AC3File installer that dBpoweramp links to, then installed the direct show filters. dBpoweramp did not pick up the AC3 decoder installed so I manually edited the directshow.txt file just as the thread owner did. When trying to convert, it would leave an empty mp3 file. Windows Media Player could play the source ac3 file, but did not recognize it.

I went to the AC3 filter homepage and downloaded AC3Filter, not AC3File, and installed that. dBpoweramp is now encoding the file without issue. My advice is to disregard the AC3File decoder and install the full filter instead.

[dpastern]

Re: How do I add AC3 File Support?

I know I'm dragging up an old thread, but it's relevant to my problems.

I installed ac3file. Then directshow. No option to Right click on .ac3 file and convert.

Said .ac3 file plays in WMP (or VLC).

I manually edited the directshow.txt conf file (btw, the help page is wrong on its location, at least for Windows 8.1 - it's in:

"%appdata%\roaming\dbpoweramp"

I added (on a new line):

.ac3

I think this is right, at least if I understand things correctly.

I then opened up music converter (again, I think this is right, it's not well explained), and could now see the .ac3 file and select it. So I did, and converted it to flac first, that failed, with a 0 byte file. I tried .wav next, same thing.

I then downloaded ac3filter from the project's homepage and installed that. I configured it via "ac3filterconfig" that comes with it post install (edit: stereo, 16 bit pcm). I then re-checked the directshow.txt file, it was unchanged. Re-ran dbpoweramp config, re-tested, same issue - 0 byte files.

Now, this is where I'm not 100% sure - when I open up dbpowermap config and go to the codecs tab, I only see directshow under the decoders (read) section as "directshow decoder" - there's no file extension to the right of it. I don't think that is right. But - I can't figure out how to add that. I think that is where my problem is.

Any suggestions?

Dave

[Spoon]

Re: How do I add AC3 File Support?

If you type %appdata% into Windows Explorer and press enter then it should automatically be in the roaming folder.

Once you have saved the .ext into directshow.txt (the file would already exist, you would not have to create this file), looking in dBpoweramp Configuration should show the extension next to the directshow decoder on the codecs tab.

[dpastern]

Re: How do I add AC3 File Support?

If you type %appdata% into Windows Explorer and press enter then it should automatically be in the roaming folder.

Once you have saved the .ext into directshow.txt (the file would already exist, you would not have to create this file), looking in dBpoweramp Configuration should show the extension next to the directshow decoder on the codecs tab.

I'll try %appdata% tonight when I get home from work.

There's the problem - the extension (in this case, .ac3) is not showing up next to directshow in the codec tab in dbpoweramp config. It's like dbpoweramp config either can't read the directshow.txt file, or can read it but not see the addition that I added...

I'll take some screenshots tonight when I get home to show what I mean.

Thanks!

Dave

PS I'm loving dbpoweramp!