Playing AC3/DTS tracks sourced from DVD

[etler]

Thanks for this utility smst. Count me as another happy customer.

One thing I don't know if anyone's pointed out is that this works with ALAC (Apple Lossless) seemingly as well as FLAC. This allows better integration with iTunes etc. Just load the WAV files into iTunes (Cmd-O) and have iTunes do a mass conversion of the files.

I just wish there was a way to get MLP 96/24 files off the discs. DSD would be nice too but that's even less likely.

Has anyone had any experience with DTS 96/24? Apparently it allows for 96 kHz / 24 bit 5.1 DTS where normal DTS can only do 96/24 with two channels. I don't even know if my receiver can decode DTS 96/24.

Actually, has anyone had any experience with a two channel normal DTS file at 96/24? I'm not sure if I have any discs with that but if I come across one I'll post the results.

[Eric Seaberg]

FINALLY I've had some time to spend converting DTS tracks using spdifconvert and it's GREAT!! Now, my next issue is that a lot of the DVD-Audio discs I have DO have an AC3 stream, but it rips as one file without chapters. I assume that it plays this way UNLESS you want to go to an individual tune on a DVD player which reverts back to the menu to look for TC marks as opposed to to CHAPTER marks.

Anyone have luck with AC3 only stuff?

[smst]

I've come across an ac3 file I'm having trouble converting from Rammstein's Live Aus Berlin DVD. I tried the --persevere option, but no dice. The file plays fine in foobar2000. Any idea what the problem is?

It looks like the ac3 file has frame sizes that aren't supported -- perhaps the specification has been changed to include more frame sizes, or perhaps there's something odd with your file. If you contact me by private message and can let me look at a problematic file, I'll try to work out what's going on.

[smst]

One thing I don't know if anyone's pointed out is that this works with ALAC (Apple Lossless) seemingly as well as FLAC. This allows better integration with iTunes etc. Just load the WAV files into iTunes (Cmd-O) and have iTunes do a mass conversion of the files.

I recommended FLAC for two reasons: firstly it's free (as in speech) and easy to get hold of (it's distributed with SlimServer). Secondly, I knew that the SB2/3 supported FLAC natively, so there's no transcoding required. Is ALAC natively supported? (I don't think it is, looking at my 6.5.1 installation.) If not, beware that it will be transcoded to FLAC anyway so there's an additional server load when playing the file back. But technically I see no reason why it wouldn't work.

Has anyone had any experience with DTS 96/24? Apparently it allows for 96 kHz / 24 bit 5.1 DTS where normal DTS can only do 96/24 with two channels. I don't even know if my receiver can decode DTS 96/24.

Actually, has anyone had any experience with a two channel normal DTS file at 96/24? I'm not sure if I have any discs with that but if I come across one I'll post the results.

I've not looked for any on my own discs (like you, I've no idea if my receiver could decode them -- and I probably couldn't spot the higher fidelity), so I've not done anything explicit to deal with them. If you find one, it might just work; more likely we'd need to add some data to the utility's internal tables to tell it what the frame sizes etc look like. Do post back if you find anything.

[smst]

Now, my next issue is that a lot of the DVD-Audio discs I have DO have an AC3 stream, but it rips as one file without chapters. I assume that it plays this way UNLESS you want to go to an individual tune on a DVD player which reverts back to the menu to look for TC marks as opposed to to CHAPTER marks.

Anyone have luck with AC3 only stuff?

I've had no problems with The Flaming Lips, which is DVD-A with AC3 on the DVD-V layer, I think. But that has chapters; I've not seen one with no chapters before! You may have some luck with Andy Hawkins' scripts for creating single AC3-FLAC files:

http://forums.slimdevices.com/showpo...3&postcount=35

This requires a .info file containing chapter information, which can perhaps be faked if you can determine the relevant data some other way (presumably the DVD stores that information somewhere).

It's almost certainly possible to split the AC3 after the fact, as long as it's done on a frame boundary. Again, we'd need some information about whereabouts in the file the chapters were supposed to be; it could be split using a hex editor, or a command-line tool. If you can work out the chapter starts, let me know and we'll work something out.

[mswlogo]

I sent an note to smst on this but I thought I ask others as well.

Anyone have any luck in converting 24/96 LPCM tracks off an HDAD disk (which is a form of DVD-A disks).

One example is the Alan Parsons - Eye in the Sky DVD-A.

DVD-A side is MLP 24/192 and DVD-V side is 24/96 LPCM.

I can get the tracks off using SmartRipper. But smst's script doesn't know what to do with it. Smartripper calls it a ".wav"
but it's still wrapped/encapsulated I think (I tried convert it directly and got no where).

Once extracted it could be down sampled to 24bit/48Khz which the SB3 can handle.

[mswlogo]

Anyone have any luck with the Rumors DVD-A. I can't seem to get the tracks off this disk. Tried SmartRipper and DVDDecrypter (I think that's it name). The Disc plays fine in the PC with no special hardware.

[Eric Seaberg]

I've had no problems with The Flaming Lips, which is DVD-A with AC3 on the DVD-V layer, I think. But that has chapters; I've not seen one with no chapters before!

Yeah, that's the problem! The AC3 file is contiguous and is 'pointed' to by the DVD menu if you want to go to individual tunes. Steely Dan's GAUCHO DVD-A does have separated AC3 files for each tune, but it's the only one out of my collection that does.

FOREIGNER, FOREIGNER 4, Joni Mitchell BOTH SIDES NOW, etc., don't have separate AC3 chapters.

I'll try experimenting with one of my waveform editors to see what I can do.


Thanks for the reply!

[Eric Seaberg]

Well I tried ripping the AC3 data from the YES-FRAGILE DVD-A and got an 11MB data stream. Not quite what I was expecting... so there's something else going on here. I'm afraid this isn't going to work.

Sure would like to find a way to rip SACD data, as well!

You know it really just comes down to being to damn lazy to walk over to the system and drop in a disc. Transporter has RUINED my life forever!!!

Thanks again smst for a great script. It does what it's supposed to do.

[mswlogo]

Eric,

I think I ran into the same problem on the Rumors DVD-A.

All the rippers that can directly demux don't see the ac3/dts audio of the DVD-V side on some DVD-A's.

Assuming you can get the Audio to play on regular DVD player you should be able to get it off this way if the ways described earlier don't work.

Switch to File Mode in DVD Ripper or DVD Decrypter (you may have to play the DVD to unlock it as DVD Ripper suggests). Extract everything. You really only need the Large VOB's (they contain the audio your hunting down).

Google for a tool called VStrip. It can do the same Demuxing that DVD ripper and Decryptor does. Except it works only on unlocked VOB files already taken off the DVD. It is much more advanced at extracting stuff (and more cryptic). It works similar to Smartripper.

Add the VOB on tab 1, add the IFO on tabe 2 (if IFO does not load don't worry), on Tab 3 check off dmux and nothing else. Then Check SubStreams and find your stream.

There is only one problem with this, you won't see the Chapters. You just get the whole AC3 or DTS stream. There is also less feedback that your extracting the right thing. But you can get it with this tool. Make sure you enable "Sub Streams" check box.

I selected AC3 Stream 0 (0x80) on rumors and got the whole stream off (including the commentary track, ugh). Then use spdifconvert.py to convert it.