Automated tool to convert DTS to AC3 (windows) *New Version and Batch Conversion*

[spelosi]

I've written a little tool in VB.net to make converting DTS to AC3 easier for us Windows users.

Install Avisynth-257.zip, mkvmerge, eac3to, delaycut (optional) and a version of .net. I'm not sure which one, since I am running on 3.5. 1.1 is probably fine.

EZmkvDTStoAC3 v1.2

What's new?

Multiple DTS tracks will now be converted automatically.

Tracks are assigned the correct language code when remuxed.

All audio tracks are now preserved when using the "Keep Current Audio" option.

English Audio Tracks are now set to the Default audio track.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/q2f32cvzmdy/EZmkvDTStoAC3 v12.zip



EZmkvDTStoAC3 Batch Converter v1.2

http://www.mediafire.com/file/mwd4zxnyeyx/EZmkvDTStoAC3 Batch Converter v12.zip



Put EZmkvDTStoAC3 in it's own directory, because it's going to generate a txt file that stores the locations of your mkvtoolnix and dts2ac3 folders.

Load up EZmkvDTStoAC3 and browse for the file or Directory you want to convert by clicking the "Load MKV/Dir" button.

Next, find the Mkvtoolnix, eac3to, and (optionally) delaycut directories using the browse buttons. You will only have to do this once.

You can choose whether or not you want to keep the current audio track, any Subs or Clean the DTS track before conversion by clicking the check boxes associated with each feature.

When you are ready to create your new mkv with AC3 audio, click the "Convert to AC3" button.

There should be a brief pause followed by some command boxes opening. Once everything is done you'll get a message.

I've done my best to account for scenarios where the user may end up inputting garbage, but I haven't gone overboard.

If you browse for a file to convert and then manually hose the new file name by including a path that doesn't exist, I suspect it will fail horribly and possibly not produce a meaningful error message.

If you specify everything correctly, I suspect you'll enjoy using this tool.

Please let me know what you think.

Thanks,

Steve

[spelosi]

After doing some thinking I realized that the long filename was not the problem.

I was not checking to see if the directory the user specified for the New Filename actually existed.

A new version is up.

http://www.mediafire.com/?xr7er0ktyuo

[frankive]

Hi,
this worked fine for me. The audio is in sync and works on popcorn hour. But now I can't seem to skip in the movie anymore. Do this program remove the index in the .mkv somehow?

What's new in the new version by the way?

[spelosi]

(08-11-2008 04:08 PM)frankive Wrote:  Hi,
this worked fine for me. The audio is in sync and works on popcorn hour. But now I can't seem to skip in the movie anymore. Do this program remove the index in the .mkv somehow?

What's new in the new version by the way?

Hmmm, that's odd. I haven't had that problem.

I am not removing any indexes (that I know of). I am just automating chris57's tutorial.

PM me the filename that you are converting and I'll see if it's the same on my system.

What's new in the new version - Program won't choke when you give it a non existant directory for the new filename.

[frankive]

I will check if my original file can skip first.. I was pretty sure about that, but I will test it later tonight when I come back home.. Hopefully it's just my bad remembering and not your mkv program

Works great otherwise, using Ubuntu, but started up Windows Xp in a virtual Machine (Virtualbox) and run the program like that..

[spelosi]

(08-11-2008 05:41 PM)frankive Wrote:  I will check if my original file can skip first.. I was pretty sure about that, but I will test it later tonight when I come back home.. Hopefully it's just my bad remembering and not your mkv program

Works great otherwise, using Ubuntu, but started up Windows Xp in a virtual Machine (Virtualbox) and run the program like that..

Definitely let me know.

thanks,

Steve

[spelosi]

I noticed when I was manually extracting, converting, and remuxing the mkv files for movies over 2 hours that they would lose sound somewhere between 2 minutes and 20 minutes into the movie.

This happened with apocalypto, cast away, and batman (1989).

I'm not 100% sure it had to do with the movies being longer than 2 hours but that's what I'm seeing.

I narrowed the problem down to dts2ac3. Possibly aften.exe, but I'm not sure.

My tool was suffering from the same problem as the manual process, since it's the same process, only automated.

I've switched from dts2ac3 to eac3to.

eac3to seems to produce more realiable results.

I'll leave the old version for download if someone wants to use dts2ac3 for some reason, but a new version supporting eac3to is available.

EZmkvDTStoAC3 v.8
http://www.mediafire.com/?xr7er0ktyuo

eac3to
http://www.mediafire.com/?3xortdbgszo

[golf7]

With .7, I just get a bunch of high pitched squeling after conversion

[spelosi]

(08-12-2008 11:56 PM)golf7 Wrote:  With .7, I just get a bunch of high pitched squeling after conversion

That's really weird. I haven't had an issue with it yet. Can you tell me which file you are converting? I'll give it a shot myself.

Steve

[garp99]

Before writing your app, did you bother to look at the thread of other user generated apps and noticed #9
AudioConverter by HeartWare.

[spelosi]

(08-13-2008 08:17 PM)garp99 Wrote:  Before writing your app, did you bother to look at the thread of other user generated apps and noticed #9
AudioConverter by HeartWare.

Yeah, it looked great and I used it a few times, but it was failing to convert a few of my movies from dts to ac3.

I enjoyed writing it, I also enjoy how quick and easy it is to use.

I can convert a movie from DTS to ac3 in as little as 3 clicks, without the use of the keyboard (since it auto-renames the file for you by default.).

Many times similar tools exist to accomplish the same goal.

Thanks for the thoughtful comment though.

[HeartWare]

(08-13-2008 08:24 PM)spelosi Wrote:  Yeah, it looked great and I used it a few times, but it was failing to convert a few of my movies from dts to ac3.

What was the problem?

[spelosi]

(08-13-2008 09:05 PM)HeartWare Wrote:  

(08-13-2008 08:24 PM)spelosi Wrote:  Yeah, it looked great and I used it a few times, but it was failing to convert a few of my movies from dts to ac3.

What was the problem?

It would just tell me that it could not convert the movie to ac3.

If I told it to convert the file to stereo it would work.

I think there was obviously something wrong with the dts track on the file. Not enough to make it not play, or not convertable by eac3to (it turned out dts2ac3 couldn't handle it either. Maybe aften was the problem), but enough to throw off whatever you are running it though.

I can PM you the file names if you want to give them a try yourself.

[golf7]

I found my problem.

the directory structure had a & in the directoryname. Apparently it doesnt work with & in the directory/filename. I removed that, and it worked fine.

I think its a mkvtoolnix issue

great program.

[spelosi]

(08-14-2008 01:30 PM)golf7 Wrote:  I found my problem.

the directory structure had a & in the directoryname. Apparently it doesnt work with & in the directory/filename. I removed that, and it worked fine.

I think its a mkvtoolnix issue

great program.

Thanks for getting back to me.

I didn't test with special characters in the path name. I probably should have. I'll try to take a look at the code later today and see if I can do anything about it, or if it is an mkvtoolnix problem.

Thanks for the compliment on the program