Converting .AAC 5.1 files to anything but .AAC

[mxms]

Alright, so basically I've been having problems with this for awhile now, I eventually got kind of irritated and stopped trying to figure it out. Now I'm trying again...

I have several .AAC files which are in 5.1 sound or 6 channels. I want to convert them to something I can play on a standard DVD player on my TV. I'm under the impression that it can't read AAC files so I need to convert them to AC3 (AC3 has worked in the past on my DVD player) or MP3 or any format that can maintain the same quality and will work.

Using dBpowerAMP when converted using LAME it plays it ultra slow, I'm talking 3 or 4 times slower than the original audio. BeSweet I had 0 zip nadda luck with. I tried converting it to WAVE and it worked but the WAVE is 800+MB from a 60MB AAC file. When I tryed converting the WAVE to MP3 I got that slow speed again. I then tried going to AAC - OGG - MP3. Which worked better but the quality is horrible and echo-ey.

Any help in this matter is appreciated. I'm getting desperate now. :(

[dimzon]

try MeGUI or BeHappy (read guides before)

[mxms]

try MeGUI or BeHappy (read guides before)

Where can I find the guides? (Sorry I really am new to this, I'm trying to learn.)

:confused:

[mxms]

Well I've been trying things, BeHappy does not work for me at all. BeSweet with BeLight GUI appears it will work, but when I click 'Start job' it just says 'finished' as soon as I push it, and nothing gets done. I get the same thing with regular BeSweet GUI. AC3 machine doesn't work, when you click 'Go AC3' (or whatever it was) nothing happends.

I'm at a loss. I really really need to get these files in some sort of format other than ACC. This is just taking way too much time, if anyone has any ideas please, please share them.

This forum seems pretty dead too. Maybe someone can recommend me an active one. :(

[tebasuna51]

if anyone has any ideas please, please share them.
This forum seems pretty dead too.
Searching in the forum you can find all of this, but I can resume for you:
How transcode aac 5.1 to ac3 5.1 (with free software)

All transcoding jobs involves three steps:
1) Decode (decompress) original format.
2) Do any modifications if is necessary.
3) Encode to new format.

This can be do with a unique process (without intermediate wav files) or in three separate processes.
a) Unique process. I know the methods:

a.1) GraphEdit-ffdshow. There are threads in this forum about this, for instance:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=666230#post666230

a.2) BeHappy. You need a DirectShow filter properly configured to decode aac, use DSP functions if needed (resampling to 48 KHz, normalize, ...), and ffmpeg like encoder. Basic Help:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=779783

a.3) Maybe Foobar2000. At this moment (version change from 0.8.3 to 0.9) I don't know the proper necessary plugins.

b) Three processes. There are many possible combinations. I suggest you a method for each step. Making the job in steps you can easy detect if your source files have any problem.

b.1) Decode aac to wav. Use FAAD 2 (http://www.rarewares.org/aac.html).

b.2) WAV modifications. The faad generated wav is WAVE_FORMAT_EXTENSIBLE and need a channel remmaping to be ac3 encoded for free software. Then you need WaveWizard (http://needfulthings.c-f-h.com/tools/) with this settings:
- Menu Edit -> Channel Mapping. Select "ac3 order for SoftEncode or ac3enc" and check Enable Channelmapping.
- Menu Edit -> Preferences. Output Format: Wave PCM. Convert Samplingrate: 48000 (if needed). Sound level control: Normalize (if desired).

b.2) Encode to ac3. I suggest you HeadAC3he v0.24-a13 (http://needfulthings.c-f-h.com/tools/) with this settings:
Left panel:
- Select Source file and Destination Format AC3, rest unchecked. Click in Options button

Right panel:
- Downmix Type desired: 6 ch (for ac3 5.1)
- Individual input/output channels: 0 dB, No DRC (DRC always without effect)
- Global Gain: 6 dB
- Low pass filter for surround: (for 5.1 checked or unchecked always do the low pass filter)

Second Right panel (click in Options button):
- Bitrate desired: 448 (recommended for 5.1).