WMA and AC3Filter in Windows 7

[Modify_inc]

I wish someone could resolve this for me so I could upgrade my Vista Media Center to Windows 7. Yes this is one of the only things holding me back. Here’s the deal, and maybe I should have put this under newbie’s section, but it is an audio issue.

I rip my Blu-Rays to wmvhd, using tsmuxer. I then use eac3 to convert my audio to ac3. I then use TMGenc Xpress to create a wmvhd. I use an audio receiver for this Media Center computer, and as most know, most avr equipment does not decode wma. So I use AC3Filter, and it works fine in Vista. I get my surround sound. I upgraded to Windows 7, and tried everything to get it to work, and never could get AC3filter to work. I realize it has something to do with Windows Media Foundation supposedly, but I have used hacks and even a small app that disables the WMF with no luck. What I don't understand and it just baffles me, is my Xbox 360 extender, plays the wmv hd through my audio receiver, and it plays the surround sound just fine. How is that possible, and yet my computer will not allow this. I have to use AC3filter and yet the Xbox 360 does not.

If AC3filter can't handle this in Windows 7, is there another method I can try?

[Sharktooth]

WMV HD? OMG... i dont have an answer since i dont use AC3Filter nor WMC. however, there are MediaPortal and XBMC (both opensource media centers) that have more functionalities than WMC and support almost all formats without any problems so far...
also WMV HD is orrible... use x264 and, for audio, use AAC (nero, faac, apple encoder...) or vorbis otherwise keep ac3.

[7ekno]

... this is one of the only things holding me back...

.. I rip my Blu-Rays to wmvhd...

Then why not rip to standard H.264 / AAC-AC3-DTS inside MKV?!? Far better quality, far less tools needed, far wider compatibility, far smaller file sizes ...

If you are going to spend the time to transcode wouldn't you want the best quality in the smallest file size possible with the widest playback compatibility?!?

I am curious now, how did you derive at using WMVHD for BDs?

7ek

[Modify_inc]

Whats wrong with wmvhd, the quality is great, and it works beautifully with all my extenders in the house. It's simple to do, nothing complex about it. I get fastforward and rewind in my movies. What else do I need?

But seriously, does anyone know how to make this work with windows 7 using the setup I am? This just was the best way I was told back in the day for extenders which was important to me. My collection is pretty large now, so there is no chance of going any other route. I have way to much time invested, and it's been working fine for me, other than the small issue with Windows 7.

I just don't understand why windows 7, I can't get the surround sound out of my receiver yet the Xbox 360 extenders can. Is it because the audio is streamed to the extenders or something?

[Midzuki]

I just don't understand why windows 7, I can't get the surround sound out of my receiver yet the Xbox 360 extenders can. Is it because the audio is streamed to the extenders or something?

Too bad neither Zambelli nor Ben Waggoner are around, in order to give you an appropriate answer. :devil: Anyway, are you really sure you cannot do without Microsoft Media Center ? And have you tried ffdshow instead of AC3Filter ? Just in case you didn't know it, MPC-HC should have no problems with WMV-HD + AC3, even under Windows 7.

As a side note, the main thing I have against the WMV format is, unless you know very well what you're doing, the final result often is a festival of dropped / duplicated frames. :devil: :D