converting MPEG files / no sound issue

My friend gave me some MPEG files on a disc which were recorded on a PC using one-touch video capture and a piece of hardware which records directly from a DVD Rom. I am attempting to convert them using Quicktime Pro but there is no sound (sound option is grey). When I play the MPEG, the sound is there, however. Can anyone tell me why this is? Also, is there other conversion software, such as MPEG streamclip which may convert it with sound so I can import into FCP?

Yeah, probably muxed sound. Press APPLE-J in QuickTime Player and you'll see if video and audio are muxed. If so, MPEG Streamclip can demux them.


www.derekmok.com

You answered your own question.

Odds are the files you have are MPEG-2 program streams. These contain picture and sound in a "muxed" format. Many applications have a hard time dealing with "muxed" streams. MPEG Streamclip is not one of them. So that's your choice.

The bad news: MPEG Streamclip cannot (to my knowledge) be automated. You have to export each file manually. There's a batch-list feature, but that still requires you to export each file by hand; it just saves up the processing until the end.

The good news: I think Episode Pro can handle muxed program steams now. I worked with their engineers a little bit a couple months back to get that feature built into the new release.

The bad news: Episode Pro is a thousand bucks.

The good news: It comes with a free frogurt.

The bad news: It does not actually come with a free frogurt. That was just me making a joke. I do that.

> MPEG Streamclip cannot (to my knowledge) be automated. You have to export each file
> manually. There's a batch-list feature, but that still requires you to export each file by hand; it
> just saves up the processing until the end.

No, not true. MPEG Streamclip doesn't ask you repeatedly for settings unless the specs of the files change. If all the files have the same frame size, frame rate, codec etc., then it will apply the first settings to all of them. It's pretty smart that way.


www.derekmok.com

Good heavens! I never knew that! Thanks, Derek!

Wow, Ok. Thanks guys!