Converting AC3 to AAC

[thehurricane]

So, I want to convert this AC3 audio to AAC. Media Player Classic says following about it:
Audio: PCM (AC3) 48000Hz 6ch 448Kbps [Output]
Size: 409MB (428995840 bytes)
Length: 02:07:40

So, how do i get the best quality out of the smallest size(not that small). I mean which codec do i need to use, bitrate & stuff. Total newbie, no idea about anyhing:p
I did try to do it on my own but the file ended up being 300 MB in size & sound-less when I played it. By the way, i used MeGUI & still am.

Thanks

[Awatef]

If you don't get anything, then you don't have a proper directshow filter installed.
I would suggest you get CoreAAC, or ffdshow, the latter being a general decoder for all popular video and audio formats, so you may prefer it if you want the least possible number of decoders in your computer.

Now for the conversion. You should be using HE-AAC (not LC-AAC), which will produce acceptable quality at 192kbps and less, so resulting in a file size less than half of your original AC3.

[thehurricane]

But I do have K-Lite codec Pack installed. Do I have to install them separately?
And what codec should I use? ND AAC or CT AAC and should I use ABR, VBR or CBR?

[Awatef]

ffdshow is not a codec pack, it's ONE decoder for almost everything. Codec packs are no good, I suggest you remove them from your computer. The good thing about ffdshow is also its speed. You'll often get faster decoding speeds with it as with the original codec (XviD for instance), especially if you use the optimized versions (for example 3DNow! optimized versions for AMD processors)

And then, I think you're confusing HE-AAC with those "ND AAC" and "CT AAC". ND and CT do not describe AAC norms. For example, the ND here is for "Nero Digital", meaning that it is the Nero Encoder that you're using.
Supposing you're going to use the Nero Encoder, you'll have to change the profile to "HE (High Efficiency) AAC" and the bitrate to "192kbps", and you're all set!

[thehurricane]

Thnx Awatef. I know that ffdshow is not a codec pack. But I also know that it is included in the k-lite codec. That is why I wrote that should I install the decoder separately.

I also know that ND AAC and CT AAC are encoders and that HE(High Efficiency) AAC & LE(Low Complexity) AAC are profiles(I got that to know this from doom9 itself before posting). I just dont know what difference do both the encoders have and which one is better(which one should I use)

And should I use ABR, VBR or CBR(i know the full forms too, just showing off my knowledge)?

[Awatef]

I'm not an AAC expert, as I use Vorbis for 2.0 and leave the AC3 as is for 5.1.
I only used the Nero Encoder, which is supposed to be one of the better encoders.
For the encoding mode choice, I would say you stay by CBR since we're talking about HE-AAC, which sounds 'so-so' by default, so no need to go and tweak things (IMHO).