I found out the cause of the problem . The presets was set to "User defined"

@Dimitrios-Panagopoulos

Hi

. . . . The presets was set to "User defined" . . . .

The image above although it says User defined the audio is AAC, Stereo, 48000 Hz, 160 kps - that is a standard MP4 FullHD 1920x1080 25fps, I suspect you have clicked the Advanced button as as soon as you do it changes the preset name to 'User defined', even if you do not change anything.

In this case of the error message you initially posted was about the audio parameters:

Audio (AC3), Channels: Stereo, Bitrate: 384

these were incorrectly set for the the preset selected, which was not the one in the image above - AC3 audio is only available in the AVCHD (.m2ts) presets, all MP4 presets are AAC encoded audio.

There should be no need to change any of the preset advanced parameters as they are already optimised for best quality vs file size.

HTH

John EB

Hi @johnebaker. I cannot recall whether I've opened advance settings. It is very probable. Anyway, this behavior is should not appear, at least in my opinion.

@Dimitrios-Panagopoulos

Hi Dimitrios.

There are presets which should not be altered for those not knowing what they are doing.

Without the ability to customise the presets for those who do, it would cause more complaints from those expecting more flexibility from a more advanced video editing program.

Ray.

@Dimitrios-Panagopoulos, @CubeAce

Hi

. . . . Anyway, this behavior is should not appear, at least in my opinion. . . . .

I have to agree with you, older versions of MEP did not changed the preset name after clicking the Advanced button and not changing any parameter in the Advanced settings.

The behaviour is either a change by design or a minor bug.

Ray - the name changes to User defined even if you do nothing but look at the parameters in the Advanced settings. This is different to the behaviour of earlier versions where the name would change only after a parameter had been changed and applied.

John EB

@johnebaker

Hi John.

Duly noted.

As I have always altered my base settings I had never noticed the change of behaviour.

Does sound like a bug.

Ray.

@johnebaker @CubeAce@CubeAce

I have to agree with you, older versions of MEP did not changed the preset name after clicking the Advanced button and not changing any parameter in the Advanced settings.

The behaviour is either a change by design or a minor bug.

I do not think this has changed. I have just checked MEP16 and MEP2014 and they both change to "User preset".

When selecting mpg4 as export format I receive the message "The selected audio format is not supported. Please use the Stereo setting for export". I have checked the advanced settings and in Audio (AC3) I have

Channels: Stereo Bitrate: 384

Dimitrios - You do not say which version of MEP you are on but if it is the latest patch of MEP2021 I believe that the Dolby Digital 5.1 AC3 codec has been removed from the export choices. Were you trying to export with DD5.1 surround sound?

Peter

@Scenestealer@Scenestealer @johnebaker

Hi Peter.

I just checked my copy of MEP 2021 for exporting.

I can get this MPEG2 AC3 Surround export.

Of course the mixer has to be enabled in 5.1 surround sound in the project.

MPEG4 H264 also supports 5.1 AC3.

Ray.

@CubeAce @Dimitrios-Panagopoulos @johnebaker

Hi Ray

Yes, it is all a bit confusing. It may be that if you had downloaded the DD AC3 expansion package in an earlier version then that becomes available in the latest patched version of MEP2021, a bit like the Main Concept Codec for MPEG2.

The MEP 2021 Specification says Import - Multichannel sound (with Stereo downmix), Export - X ie not possible.

@sasiuk has posted a sticky in the French forum - thanks DeDe:

Here is a copy of a response from MAGIX technical support regarding an AC3 audio stream of AVC / MTS video files and for MAGIX software that runs on Windows 7 .

Import / export of AC3 5.1 in Win 7/8/10 11/23/2020

Products - See all products

. Deluxe Photostory

. Fastcut

. SOS Video Cassettes

. Deluxe video

. Easy video

Due to the end of support for Windows 7, unfortunately it is no longer possible for us to support AC3 Stereo / 5.1 Sound for import or export.
Exporting AC3 / 5.1 sound in Windows 8/10 systems is also no longer possible.
Importing the AC3 format into Windows 8/10 systems is still possible without restrictions.

It must be something to do with Windows making the encoder unavailable for free to Magix (a bit like the MP3 codec which relies on WMP) but still allows the decoder to work..... or something?

Peter

@Scenestealer, @CubeAce

Hi Peter

We had this discussion a short while ago in another topic and at that time I could export as AC3 DDSS 5.1.

Since that discussion, my computer has now had a re-install of Windows 10 20H2, and all software, to a new hard drive, importing video and audio with DDSS 5.1 is fine, however export is not possible despite setting the Mixer and Sound card to DDSS 5.1.

I also checked this in new installs of MEP 2015 and 2016 - importing DDSS video required the expansion package to be downloaded MEP 2015 downloads it OK, 2016 does not. Trying to export as DDSS both require an expansion package (encoder) to be downloaded however this never happens.

AFAICS searching the Internet - there has been a bit of a history of DDSS licensing with some other video editors that have the same issue needing the DDSS licence to be renewed.

Are Dolby clamping down or upping the licencing costs?

John EB

@johnebaker @Scenestealer @Dimitrios-Panagopoulos

Hi.

I may be talking at crossed purposes here.

First I've never tried importing files with an AC3 5.1 surround sound track so don't know about that at all.

I thought the AC3 surround export could only found in the burn menus. That you couldn't export a normal file with it.

So I had a play around with normal export settings.

Look what I found I could set up.

That setting exports with no problems but unfortunately I have no way of testing out the results of the output of the file for playback.

[Ignore the output file name. It's irrelevant. I just didn't bother to change the name of a previous test file I had written over]

[Edit]

Hi Peter.

Please note my install of MEP 2021 is like Johns', a fresh install with no prior files from previous versions. Only those from my account on the Magix site which only shows me licensed for the 2021 version although I do seem to get some but not all of the previous third party plug-ins I had since having MEP 2018.

I have no earlier versions on MEP on my current system.

Ray.

@CubeAce

Hi Ray

. . . . Look what I found I could set up. . . .

That was the same for me before my latest re-install however this is what happens for me now:

Before correct configuration of Mixer and Sound card

Once Mixer and Sound card configured correctly

. . . . That setting exports with no problems but unfortunately I have no way of testing out the results of the output of the file for playback. . . . .

Reload it back into MEP and select to display all channels - you should then see it as shown in the images above.

MediaInfo should indicate the Audio is some thing like this:

Format                                   : AC-3
Format/Info                              : Audio Coding 3
Commercial name                          : Dolby Digital
Codec ID                                 : 129
Duration                                 : 15 s 616 ms
Bit rate mode                            : Constant
Bit rate                                 : 448 kb/s
Channel(s)                               : 6 channels
Channel layout                           : L R C LFE Ls Rs
Sampling rate                            : 48.0 kHz

John EB

@johnebaker

Hi John.

Apologies.

Upon inspection of the file it was stereo. No idea how that happened. Can't now reproduce what I thought was the export.

The only 5.1 surround export I can make is via using WMA although I have to say the export looked a lot better than I had expected although I have to really look out for sound levels that clipped horribly in some sections.

I can't even get the mixer levels to appear in my screen shots. 😒

Ray.

@CubeAce

Hi

. . . . I can't even get the mixer levels to appear in my screen shots. . . .

Start and then stop the playback at any time - the meters should hold the levels at the instance of stopping.

John EB

@johnebaker

Hi John.

That is not the problem.

I have no idea why but the levels just don't show. They disappear completely when they show on screen.

It's like in my second shot above. The mixer levels were showing there including the peak levels.

One of life's mysteries.

@CubeAce

Are you using screen capture software or the good old fashioned Print screen button?

Try grabbing the screenshot while playing to see if youget a bar then.

Do note you only get the peak single bar at the time of stopping or hitting the Prnt Scn key.

John EB

@johnebaker

Hi John.

Print screen.

Ray.

@johnebaker @CubeAce

So can we agree that DD5.1 export is no longer possible since the last patch of MEP2021 when the install is a clean install with no prior version of MEP on the PC?

Trying to export as DDSS both require an expansion package (encoder) to be downloaded however this never happens.

John - This concurs with comments in the German forum that the encoder expansion package is no longer on the server, as does Ray's report of a successful SS export with .WMV.

Can you check again that VPX12 with the .89 patch allows DD 5.1 export on your clean install.

Peter

@Scenestealer

Hi Peter.

Would my 5.1 wmv file be convertible using handbrake?

Ray.

@Scenestealer

Hi Peter

. . . . VPX12 with the .89 patch allows DD 5.1 export on your clean install. . . . .

It does not - giving same messages as for MEP 2021.

GSpot does indicate the Dolby codec is installed on the PC (same as before the clean installs) however it is not being used.

I did find some references regarding licencing issues with AC3 going back as far as 2015 with various video editors - the issue being that some 'professionals' were using the codecs outside the licencing terms.

John EB

@johnebaker @Scenestealer

Hi John.

That seems highly plausible as even large studios can sometimes see themselves as facilitators and not end users, therefore negating any possible use of the product after release. A lot of studios will not refuse such requests to high value clients. Often the request is not related to the job in hand but a 'favour' to the person who booked the studio and is put on the invoice as possibly an additional copy and tagged on to the legitimate copies from that session. These are typically low volume requests and often go unnoticed or marked after as a personal copy of the session.

That was in the days before digital media but there is no reason why the practice hasn't continued into the digital era. Large organisations seldom query such expenditure as it represents a small fraction of the total cost of the bill.

Ray.

@CubeAce

Hi Ray

. . . . Would my 5.1 wmv file be convertible using handbrake? . . . .

Yes - you can even convert to MP4 container file AVC/DD 5.1- however do be careful which option you select for the audio output - you must the following audio options - bitrate at your discretion:

HTH

John EB