No audio on DVD import in VS 11 plus

[dc denizen]

I have been using VS11+ for a few years, and have never run across this problem until now. I am trying to import DVDs recorded on a specific machine and am getting video but no audio. There is audio on the DVDs. I have tried importing both as mpg and as avi (in project properties) but neither works. Although I've been using VS, I am self-taught and not very knowledgeable about codecs, recoding, etc. I mainly use VS for importing video from DVDs, editing, rendering and burning onto DVDs. I am not certain of the make/model of the DVD recorder, but I do know it is new. I appreciate any help and suggestions you can provide. (I did a keyword search for "import DVD no audio" before posting, but it returned over 2,000 results, so apologies if this has already been addressed.) Thank you.

[Ron P.]

Well if the videos are on DVD, the audio codec used will be Dolby, (L)PCM, or possibly MPEG. You will need to have the proper codec installed. VS should have have those, if not most PCs will at least have PCM audio codec.

Probably to go further into this we need some more information to work with.

1. Provide us with your system information, (Operating System, sound card, video card, ect. )
2. Right-click on one of the video clips, in VS's timeline or Library, select properties and post them here.

After getting the video onto your PC, you should be able to play them with a video player on your PC. Windows Media Player, Real Player, Media Player Classic, just to name a few will be able to play the video files. The video files on a DVD use the *.VOB file extension. Those files are found inside a folder called VIDEO_TS. The audio should be mixed in with the video file, as just one file. So when you import it into VS, you should be able to see the audio part. Have you tried splitting the audio from the video file? If your video file does not show audio, then something is happening when you're importing.

Again until we can look at the properties of the video file, it will only be further speculation.

[dc denizen]

Thank you, here is what I have:

OS is Windows XP Pro, Service Pack 3, Pentiium 4 (not sure on sound & video cards)

With one of the video clips in timeline, properties are:
File format: MPEG-2
File type: MPGE-2 video, upper field first
Attributes: 24 bits, 720x480, 4:3
Frame rate: 29.970 fps
Data rate: 4380 kbps

Audio type: NONE

Yes, I tried splitting the audio but nothing showed on the audio track. It seems something is happening in the importing process, as you suggest. This has never happened before among the hundreds of DVDs I have imported. But the deck that recorded these problem-DVDs is brand new.

Two more bits of info:
(1) The DVD seems to parse fine, then when the "Import DVD" window appears with the Title and Chapter listings, in the upper right corner, when an individual chapter is checked, and the "Audio" tab is selected, it says: "MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 without extension bitstream..." When the Title box is checked (therefore checking all chapters), the "Info" box below says (among other things): "Number of audio streams: 1"

(2) The 2 folders files that appear in the tree for the DVD are:

VIDEO_RM
video_rm.bup
video_rm.dat
video_rm.ifo

VIDEO_TS
video_ts.bup
video_ts.ifo
video_ts.vob
vts_01_0.bup
vts_01_0.ifo
vts_01_1.vob
vts_01_2.vob

I have played the DVDs in my Power-DVD program, and the audio is definitely there. But how it is getting lost in the import process, I don't know. Thank you for your help with this. Please let me know if I should provide any more info.

[lata]

Hi

You said “I have tried importing both as mpg and as avi (in project properties) but neither works.”

I don’t know how you are importing a DVD to Avi.

How are you importing the files from the disc.?

Try this……
I don’t use VS 11 but I have 10 which is similar.

Place the disc in the drive.
Right click the timeline and select Insert Digital Media or Insert DVD /DVD VR
Choose Import—then another window opens.
Choose the Titles—a little slow to react, so be patient.

Then choose Import—the video files will be imported, saved to the working folder with a thumbnail placed on the timelines.

[lata]

Hi

I missed the edits to your post………….

After importing the video files, they are saved to the working folder, are you able to play these files using your media player, not Video Studio.?

Your audio is Mpeg2—did other dvd’s use Digital Dolby?

---------------------
Your disc contains two Vob files --- vts_01_1.vob vts_01_2.vob

Copy these to your hard drive
Re-name the Vob files to use the extension MPG
“vts_01_1.vob” to “vts_01_1.mpg”

Import the Mpg files to VS timeline

Do they play ok?

[skier-hughes]

That video_rm folder is weird.
Can you find the make and model of dvd recorder for us.
Is this an RW disc?
Has it been finalised?
Is it a +RW or -RW or +R -R?

It may be that it was recorded in VR mode, so you can record, stop, record more later etc.

[dc denizen]

I followed your suggestion and copied the two vts files to my hard drive, renamed them with mpg, and imported into VS. It worked - the audio imported with the video this time. Thank you very much for that. Any idea why I needed to do that step? To answer your other questions: I doubt that all other DVDs I've imported besides these were exclusively Digital Dolby. I will get the deck's make and model and post it here as soon as possible. The troublesome discs are all +R or -R, not RWs. Our videotape op knows to finalize, as the recordings are treated as masters and we never alter them. But being that it is a new deck, it is possible that one of the settings might be wrong.