DSPGuru, I need help with MP2 to AC3 Popping

[BQuicksilver]

I've been working on an authored DVD for our hospital and medical school. It worked quite well after using tmpenc and maestro with the m2v and mp2 files for audio and video.

Unfortunately, some people came up with no audio in their DVD. I can only assume these people had players which would not accept mp2 as audio. Hence I converted the mp2 to ac3 via AC3Machine using the BeSweet engine. Settings listed below.

The AC3 DVD functioned fine, but contained tremendous clicking/popping in all audio tracks.

Any ideas??? Thanks in advance!

"C:\Program Files\AC3 Encoding\BeSweet.exe" -core( -input "F:\Review DVD\Demuxed Skits\Final Project.mp2" -output "F:\Output.ac3" -logfilea C:\Program Files\AC3 Encoding\BeSweet.log ) -ssrc( --rate 48000 ) -ota( -d 0 ) -ac3enc( -b 384 ) -profile( The AC3Machine v0.4 )

[pacohaas]

first things first, DG will ask you to post the logfile not just the command-line, so please edit that into your post.

[MvB]

If you didn't use the newest version of besweet, do it now. That was the klicking problem with me.

[BQuicksilver]

I've looked high and low, but cannot find any BeSweet.log file. I did check the create logfile box.

I'm using BeSweet 1.4 with AC3Machine 0.41

[pacohaas]

C:\Program Files\AC3 Encoding\BeSweet.log is what your command-line says for where it put the logfile, specify a different location if you want and run it again.

Also update to the newest beta (http://dspguru.doom9.org), there's been so many fixes and added features since 1.4.

[BQuicksilver]

Bizarre, no log file is being produced. Could this be an issue with AC3Machine? I'd love to find this since I doubt DSPGuru will reply until I do.

[DSPguru]

Originally posted by MvB
If you didn't use the newest version of besweet, do it now. :D

[BQuicksilver]

So you're saying the latest "stable release" isn't as good as the beta? And that such an issue would be solved via the beta version?

If so, I'll re-do everything.:cool:

[DSPguru]

yes, v1.5 defenitly have bugfixes for bugs that appears on v1.4

[BQuicksilver]

Thanks for the continuing help. Unfortunately, the clicks remained after using the newest beta linked above.

Still no luck with finding a logfile as well.:confused:

[filewalker]

Originally posted by BQuicksilver
Still no luck with finding a logfile as well.:confused:

Your commandline tells you where your logfile is!

You wrote:
"C:\Program Files\AC3 Encoding\BeSweet.exe" -core( -input "F:\Review DVD\Demuxed Skits\Final Project.mp2" -output "F:\Output.ac3" -logfilea C:\Program Files\AC3 Encoding\BeSweet.log ) -ssrc( --rate 48000 ) -ota( -d 0 ) -ac3enc( -b 384 ) -profile( The AC3Machine v0.4 )

As you see(bold text)your log file is called "BeSweet.log":
Open your Explorer --> goto drive C --> open the "AC3 Encoding"-directory --> and doubleclick at your "BeSweet.log" file(or open this file with a text editor).
That's it! ;)

download:http://dspguru.doom9.net/

Cu filewalker

[BQuicksilver]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by filewalker
Your commandline tells you where your logfile is!

You wrote:
"C:\Program Files\AC3 Encoding\BeSweet.exe" -core( -input "F:\Review DVD\Demuxed Skits\Final Project.mp2" -output "F:\Output.ac3" -logfilea C:\Program Files\AC3 Encoding\BeSweet.log ) -ssrc( --rate 48000 ) -ota( -d 0 ) -ac3enc( -b 384 ) -profile( The AC3Machine v0.4 )

As you see(bold text)your log file is called "BeSweet.log":
Open your Explorer --> goto drive C --> open the "AC3 Encoding"-directory --> and doubleclick at your "BeSweet.log" file(or open this file with a text editor).
That's it! ;)

download:http://dspguru.doom9.net/

Cu filewalker [/QUOTE

Please don't let my 12 posts fool you, I'm aware that's where the logfile should be. What I'm saying is that it unfortunately isn't there. Any ideas.

[pacohaas]

try specifying a different location for the logfile, also try -logfile instead of -logfilea. if all else fails, run it in a batch file with the pause command at the end of it and copy and paste the dos output here.

[LB]

It's a bug with besweet. I had the same problems. Solution? Use TMPG to convert the mp2 to a .wav

Use no other program, only tmpg. Also, do your 44 -> 48 in TMPG. Besweet doesn't like to convert from .wav at 44 to .ac3 at 48. The pops will remain. Tell me how it goes. ;)

LB

[BQuicksilver]

Big thanks, LB. I'll try it as soon as I get back from work today!

One question, you said to convert to wav, but I still need an AC3 track (the reason I initially went through all this). What should I use to get an AC3 since tmpenc can't do it and BeSweet won't do it correctly?

Edit: or are you saying besweet will be happier handling the wav file than the mp2 file?

[DSPguru]

Originally posted by LB
Besweet doesn't like to convert from .wav at 44 to .ac3 at 48. The pops will remain. false.

[BQuicksilver]

Guru, what about the rest of it? Do you think that my issue could be a bug? I guess I really can't tell (I have no basis for comparison) since I know of no other freeware that does what your program will.

[BQuicksilver]

This was posted when I presented my problem at afterdawn.com

Anyone want to analyze this????...or tried this?

I know this problem well, and never managed to solve it via BeSweet (AC3machine), which just doesn't seem to produce DVD compliant streams (or neither of us have figured out the right settings).

1) Use Sonic's ReelDVD to encode the AC3 audio. Works like a charm, but fairly expensive if you are getting the product only for AC3 conversion.

[DSPguru]

come on guys, this thread is already 17 posts long and it's still about nothing. i'm sorry, but that's so amature... :(

it's pointless to run this discussion unless we have the logfile and relevant samples !!!
..and i really don't know what LB's post about, but it's simply wrong.
(and saying "Yep Yep" will not transform wrong proclamation into truth ;)).


please note..
i'ts been more than a year since i started developing BeSweet and recieving bugreports from users, mainly as posts in this forum.
i believe that at this point i already have a good sense for differing a BeSweet bug with a misuse bug (not to mention that statistics of old threads in this forum encoruges me to assume 96% of BeSweet "bug" reports are actually not BeSweet's bugs).

whenever i release a new version (beta/stable) with a bug, it's just a matter of days/hours until i recieve bug reports from several users.
now, it's been monthes since i released v1.4. LOTS of people using it daily for various tasks, and it's pretty obvious now that there are about 10 minor bugs in BeSweet, plus 2 major bugs.
12 bugs for a tool with hundreds of features is pretty reasonable, imho.


regarding your task,
1. indeed, there had been a bug in some of the BeSweet versions producing clicks when using "--rate 48000", but as MvB told you, it had already been resolved.
search for old threads in this forum regarding this issue and you'll see for yourself.
2. BeSweet is happy with all its supported input fomrats - wav/ac3/mp2 - you name it.. anyone who claim differently is simply misleading.
3. BeSweet uses ac3enc.dll which is an ac3 encoding module at a very premature stage. i would only advise of using it for experimenting, not for authoring.
4. tmpgenc cannot encode ac3.
5. the logfile is probably at "c:\program files", under the name "ac3", or perhaps you have a folder name "c:\program"?
anyway, pacohaas is right. use his tip.
and you can always create the commandline by yourself, controling the naming of the logfile.

[BQuicksilver]

Guru, I don't think anyone is trashing your work. Obviously many here have used it with great success and programs have been written just to utilize your tools...that speaks volumes for what you've done. And I agree 12 bugs isn't half bad for a young program. I would have simply moved on to another program if I felt there was anything else on par with yours.

On the other hand, it's absolutely incorrect to state this thread is about nothing. I have a problem which has certainly NOT been solved yet. 17 posts or 700 shouldn't really matter. Problem solved/not solved is what matters. Now is this operator misuse or a bug, I don't know...but what I do know is that there apparently is no simple solution since the problem hasn't been solved..that makes me lean toward the latter.

I understand that it might feel a bit "amature" to not have the logfiles posted here, but apparently that is an issue as well, as no one has managed to find the location of such files. I've tried all suggestions here to no avail. I'm sure we'd both like to find that file.

1. indeed, there had been a bug in some of the BeSweet versions producing clicks when using "--rate 48000", but as MvB told you, it had already been resolved.

The problem remained after upgrading to the newest beta that MvB linked me to.

2. BeSweet is happy with all its supported input fomrats - wav/ac3/mp2 - you name it.. anyone who claim differently is simply misleading.

Forgive me if I'm a bit quick to jump at any new solutions/bug theories...I just want to solve the problem here and appreciate those who are willing to help.

3. BeSweet uses ac3enc.dll which is an ac3 encoding module at a very premature stage. i would only advise of using it for experimenting, not for authoring.

??? I'm not sure what you're recommending here, since I need BeSweet solely to make AC3 files. Tmpenc does most everything else for me...short of making AC3, as you noted.

5. the logfile is probably at "c:\program files", under the name "ac3", or perhaps you have a folder name "c:\program"?

I tried the recommendation pocohontas gave, with no luck. I don't have a folder named c:\program.

[BQuicksilver]

Guru, I just looked and though I didn't have a FOLDER at c:\program, there was a file called C:\program with no extension. After running it into notepad I believe I found the logfile!!!

BeSweet v1.5b18 by DSPguru.
--------------------------
Using hip.dll v1.19 by Myers Carpenter <myers@users.sf.net>
Using Shibatch.dll v0.24 by Naoki Shibata & DSPguru (shibatch.sourceforge.net).
Using AC3enc.dll v0.21 by Fabrice Bellard (http://ffmpeg.org).

Logging start : 06/18/03 , 11:36:48.

C:\Program Files\AC3 Encoding\BeSweet.exe -core( -input F:\Review DVD\Demuxed Skits\Commercials.mp2 -output F:\Com.ac3 -logfile C:\Program Files\AC3 Encoding\BeSweet.log ) -ssrc( --rate 48000 ) -ota( -d 0 ) -ac3enc( -b 384 ) -profile( The AC3Machine v0.4 )

[00:00:00:000] +------- BeSweet -----
[00:00:00:000] | Input : F:\Review DVD\Demuxed Skits\Commercials.mp2
[00:00:00:000] | Output: F:\Com.ac3
[00:00:00:000] | Floating-Point Process: No
[00:00:00:000] | Source Sample-Rate: 48.0KHz
[00:00:00:000] +------- AC3ENC ------
[00:00:00:000] | Bitrate method : CBR
[00:00:00:000] | AC3 bitrate : 384
[00:00:00:000] | Channels Mode : 2.0
[00:00:00:000] | Error Protection: Yes
[00:00:00:000] +---------------------
[00:02:53:000] Conversion Completed !
[00:02:53:000] Actual Avg. Bitrate : 383kbps
[00:00:12:000] <-- Transcoding Duration

Logging ends : 06/18/03 , 11:37:00.

[pacohaas]

Originally posted by BQuicksilver
I tried the recommendation pocohontas gave, with no luck.who's that? :rolleyes:

[BQuicksilver]

sorry bout that pacohaas...lol

[BQuicksilver]

Anyone?

[DSPguru]

you need to find the problem by eliminating.
first encode to wave without ssrc, if it works okay, encode to wave with ssrc, if it works okay, encode to ac3 without ssrc, etc'..

[BQuicksilver]

Will do. I'll get back to you when I learn where things have gone bad. Thanks!