[Guide] Remux VC-1 TS --> AVI or WMV

[Ranguvar]

This is a guide for remuxing annoying transport streams that contain VC-1 video to either .avi or .wmv (ASF).
Took me a while to figure it out, so I'll be kind and post my method.
If you have tips, corrections, or comments, please post.

Stop at step #5 to just mux to AVI.

Tools Needed (all freeware or full demo):
ffdshow tryouts (http://sourceforge.net/projects/ffdshow-tryout/) (set to decode AC3 audio, and set to decode VFW VC-1 using libavcodec)
vc1conv (http://www.w6rz.net/)
TsRemux (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=125447)
SolveigMM ASF Multiplexer (http://www.solveigmm.com/?Products&id=ASFMuxer) (free full+unlimited demo)
VC12AVI (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=128943)
VirtualDubMod (http://virtualdubmod.sourceforge.net/)

1.) Open up the TS in TsRemux.
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/4082/01tsremuxopenmc7.th.png (http://img207.imageshack.us/my.php?image=01tsremuxopenmc7.png)

2.) Right-click on each of the the streams you want to save, and choose "Demux to elemenrary steam". Save the video stream as *.vc1. AC-3 audio should be saved as *.ac3.
http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/1968/02tsremuxdemuxmw1.th.png (http://img530.imageshack.us/my.php?image=02tsremuxdemuxmw1.png)

3.) Open the *.vc1 in VC12AVI. If it reports the framerate as 29.97, and you know it should be 23.976, you'll need to do step 3a, and open the result. Otherwise, go on to step 4.
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/9127/03vc12aviopenzu6.th.png (http://img526.imageshack.us/my.php?image=03vc12aviopenzu6.png)

3a.) Use vc1conv from the command line. Example: vc1conv "Input.vc1" "Output.vc1"
http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/3323/03avc1convopeniv2.th.png (http://img514.imageshack.us/my.php?image=03avc1convopeniv2.png)
This will set to framerate to 23.976, it is often incorrectly 29.97.
http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/1609/03avc1convoutputtt4.th.png (http://img509.imageshack.us/my.php?image=03avc1convoutputtt4.png)

4.) Open your fixed *.vc1, or the original in the case that the framerate was correct, in VC12AVI. Click Convert.
http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/2733/04vc12aviremuxlr1.th.png (http://img117.imageshack.us/my.php?image=04vc12aviremuxlr1.png)

5.) Open the *.avi in VirtualDubMod. Go to Streams > Stream list, click Add, and choose the audio tracks you wish to embed.
http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/5967/05vdubmodaddstreamfj9.th.png (http://img352.imageshack.us/my.php?image=05vdubmodaddstreamfj9.png)
Then go to File > Save As... Change the Video mode to Direct stream copy and save.
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/99/05vdubmodsaveuq3.th.png (http://img210.imageshack.us/my.php?image=05vdubmodsaveuq3.png)

6.) Go to the SolveigMM ASF Muxer directory. Run this command if it's your first time successfully using it: regsvr32 SMMASF.ax /s
http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/1353/06regsvr32zu2.th.png (http://img352.imageshack.us/my.php?image=06regsvr32zu2.png)

7.) Start the muxer. If it complains about a certain DLL, you can find mfc71.dll here (http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?mfc71) and msvcr71.dll here (http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?msvcr71). Put them in your C:\WINDOWS\System32\ directory. Then open the *.avi from the last step, and choose a save filename (*.wmv). Click Start.
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/6915/07wmmasfir6.th.png (http://img210.imageshack.us/my.php?image=07wmmasfir6.png)




:)

[shlap]

I don't think the last step actually muxes into a wmv container. I tried this and MediaInfo shows it as BDAV.

[Ranguvar]

Hmm, really? MediaInfo reports my remux as Windows Media format. I will test it in my Xbox 360 ASAP.

[shlap]

I think it's the AC3 throwing MediaInfo and my PS3 off. When I removed the AC3 track, it showed up as a VC1 WMV on the PS3. Unfortunately it plays for a second and then errors. WMV and the PS3 don't play nice together :-(

Thanks for posting this guide though. I'm sure it'll come in handy for me for backing up HD-DVD to WMV when the PS3 stops sucking :) (hopefully in future firmware updates it'll be less picky about wmv)

[Ranguvar]

My video has an AC-3 audio track as well. Make sure you're not using an enhanced AC-3 (640 kb/s) track, instead use the normal audio AC-3 (should be 448kb/s usually).

[shlap]

eac3to shows "AC3, 5.1 channels, 0:01:04, 448kbit/s, 48khz"

The PS3 hates it but that's not surprising. Will the 360 play a WMV file with an AC3 track inside?

[Ranguvar]

For MediaInfo, I'd guess I'm getting the correct info because I'm using ffdshow(liba52) to decode AC3.

I'm also not sure about the 360 playing AC3... it definitely has the codec itself for AC3 since it plays DVDs, but it might not play AC3 WMVs. Not a big deal anyways, since you can just use Windows Media Encoder to convert demuxed AC3 audio into 5.1 WMA.

[Joeboo]

You can't have a WMV file with ac3 audio (not if you want any normal player to play it). So to follow this guide correctly complete all the steps with the video stream only. Take the raw ac3 stream and use windows media encoder to convert it to 5.1 wma, then remux the wmv and wma file using the stream editor utility that comes with WME 9.

[adonaras]

When I VC12AVI to change the vc1 stream, I get multiples of 2GB files and when I try to join them (either by command copy or with TSSPITTER) I get a new file of the correct size in GB but whe I play the file it only lasts as much as the first 2GB file. Any help? This is driving my crazy.

Thanks

[roozhou]

Can FFmpeg do this job in only one step like

FFmpeg -i input.ts -vcodec copy -acodec copy output.avi
or
FFmpeg -i input.ts -vcodec copy -acodec copy output.wmv

[Ranguvar]

Last I checked, I don't think so.

[adonaras]

Sorry, are you answering my question, I cant tell..

[nightrhyme]

I would like to accomplish something like this guide.

However I would like to end up with a h.264 Mkv ?

[Adub]

Then use a conversion program like RipBot or MeGUI. Frankly, you are asking for a conversion, not a mux, so this is the wrong thread for you.