How To Play Ac3 Files

Horton Secled · Friday, November 26, 2021

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I downloaded this movie, it's in AVI format, and it has a Russian voice-over over the normal english audio. The download also included an ac3 audio file that is just the regular english audio, and I don't know what to do in order to configure windows media player to play that version instead. I installed AC3filter, but I'm a complete idiot when it comes to stuff like this, so I couldn't figure out what to do from there. Does anyone know what I need to do?
Always Watching

Windows Media Player is a poor choice for video with multiple audio tracks. You could try using virtualdub to remove the track you don't want, or use MPC HC or VLC for playback so you can choose the audio you want to hear.
I am not exactly clear about one point - is the english AC3 audio track in the video, or just an AC3 file in the zip download ?
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I'm a MEGA Super Moderator

Try play with MPC or MPCHC, just put both files in same folder and name them like video.avi and video.ac3. Play with MPC. Then see if you change audio in mpc while playing.
Or use virtualdubmod to add the ac3 to the avi, open avi, choose video->direct stream copy, under streams add the ac3, save as a new avi.
Member

I intalled mpc, but every time i tried to open it, my computer restarted. I don't know what went wrong.
I installed VLC instead, but it only shows it having one audio track. It picks up on the subtitle files in the folder. Do I need to convert the ac3 file into something else?
DECEASED

Originally Posted by mark85h

I installed mpc, but every time i tried to open it, my computer restarted.
I don't know what went wrong.

...

Do I need to convert the ac3 file into something else?

Nope, you need to find out what's wrong in your PC.
Member

I haven't had that problem with anything else. It was pretty random.
Member

There is an issue with the newest version of MPC-HC and some systems. I started a thread the other day with the issue of it crashing my other machine. This machine is fine but the other machine crashed every time I tried to open MPC-HC. I installed version 1.4.2499 and everything was fine.
Also, I heard that AVIs downloaded with Russian audio on top of English audio cannot be fixed. Both languages are supposedly dubbed together on one mono track. If in fact, you do have a separate English audio file then I would use Virtualdub and choose "Audio from other file". You'll need the AC3 input plugin to add the English AC3 file. Direct Stream Copy both the video and the ac3 audio into a new AVI.
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Yeah, I think I'm going to go that route. Thanks everyone for the info.