I have followed the DVD Video to Audio CD Guide (http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=139536) to convert a concert dvd to an audio cd using DVD Decrypter and am having problems. I thought I followed the guide to a tee but obviously not. I end up with VOB files, not AC3 files. What am I doing wrong? Thanks.

I wonder if you clicked the 'Enable stream processing' checkbox, and the 'Demux' radio button; both in step 3...

Yes I did both of the things in Step 3. I just tried it again with a different dvd and the same thing happened. Should I reset all options to default and try again???

Also just the 'Audio' box checked..?

Perhaps the file was saved as a .vob but really is just audio. Try the procedure again with both audio and video stream boxes checked and see if you get the two files (one about 1/4 - 1/10th the size of the video).

Edit: OK I just tried it with a suitable DVD, and the AC3 audio is indeed saved as a .vob file. You just need to change the file extension to .ac3 if whatever you're going to do next requires that for it to be recognised.

Did it again with both audio and video stream boxes checked. I just got one set of vob files.

How do I change the file extension to ac3?

What do you mean about a 'set' of vob files? You are using DVD Decrypter in IFO mode, I hope...

For renaming a file you just right-click on the filename in Windows Explorer, choose 'Rename', use the cursor keys and delete key to erase "vob" and re-type "ac3" in its place. There may be a warning about making the file unusable but just ignore it.

Step 5 says to select File Splitting to "By Chapter" (this will make each chapter a new track on the CD). So I get 24 chapter vob files.

Can I save them as wav instead of ac3? I really am not understanding how I end up with wav files from ac3 files. If I use Nero to burn the ac3 files to cd and then use EAC to extract them to my hd, are they in wav form? Thanks.

When I tried to change the file name as you said above, it just made the file name VTS_01_CHAPTER_24_1.ac3 but kept the file type vob..

Ah OK I see now.

You can change the file extension to whatever you like, but it will only be useful when it describes accurately what the files actually contain. Changing the file name doesn't change the type of files; it's only an indicator to the computer hardware or software what type of audio encoding has been used.

There are programs that decode AC3 files direct to WAV: I just can't think of any offhand at the moment!

If your Nero version has an AC3 plugin, then you can get it to decompress the AC3 encoding to WAV, which can then be burned on the CD disc as CD Audio. As you say, from there you can re-rip from the CD to hard disk and they will be WAV files.

Could I ask where it says that the file type is .vob after changing file name?

In windows explorer (xp) at the top of the window where you can sort files by different categories, the categories are name, size, type, date modified.

Oh My!!! I have no idea why or how, but I just ran it again this morning (after giving up last night) and this morning it gave my ac3 files!!! VTS_01_CHAPTER_24_1 - 0x80 - Audio - AC3 - 2ch - 48kHz - DRC - DELAY -367ms Type: Nero Showtime file

Ok back to the guide to learn how to burn them to cd with Nero!!!!

In DVDD when you pick the audio stream you want,check it and uncheck all else,and make sure you click/highlight it, cuz if you don't it will save as VOB and not as AC3...