Import AC3 into PP3 to edit
 

Can it be done? I have a client that wants me to take footage from their training DVDs make a few minor changes and export as FLV for their online training manual. The majority of the files their in house Media Producer gave me are MPG with aiff audio streams, but about 30% of the files are the DVD ready renders (MPG with AC3 audio) I cannot seem to make any sense of the AC3 audio in PP3 is there a way around this? a plug-in? a trusted converter? Thanks for the help!

If you copy the file "ad2ac3dec.dll" from C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Encore CS3 to C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 and then start PP, you should be able to import AC3 audio. An alternative is to convert the AC3 to WAV using something like Switch Sound File Converter, which is freeware and the Plus version is attractively priced.

I know you can do it in CS4, I've done it, but I don't think you can in CS3 without the above trick that Harm mentioned.

I should have clarified this in the OP but I have the standalone version of PP3. Until i had this client I used Vegas Pro only. I purchased PP3 just for their editing so I don't have encore. If someone were to copy their file "ad2ac3dec.dll" and send it to me would that work? Would anyone mind sending it to me? Thanks!

Bryan, PP CS3 includes Encore. Just make sure to install it. If you have the download version, go to your account at Adobe and look for Encore. It is a separate download.

Hmmm...I will look into this. Thanks for the info. It was a download but I could have sworn I bought it by itself. Thanks!

Had one heck of a time trying to find out if my CS3 download included Encore but in the end I found the easier solution was an upgrade to CS4. The client I do my Adobe work for provided the upgrade to solve this and put me on the same version they are on. So thanks to everyone for the helpful information but CS4 was the easier solution for me...

I use the AC3ACM plugin for Windows then VirtualDubMod to mux the AC3 into a AVI with blank video to import it into Vegas. I get all 6 channels of a 5.1 file.