iPod Is this completely unnecessary or am I thinking ahead? (DVD-audio- ripping related)

[marklight]

So my goal is to just be able to hook up my MBP to my television and 5.1 surround system - using an optical out from the MBP.

I started ripping my DVDs using handbrake and the AAC+AC3 setting- mainly apple tv preset. Then I heard that receivers don't handle AAC for the most part- and I'm not sure how to get iTunes or Front row to use the hidden AC3 track of my ripped DVD (haven't tried it yet- any suggestions)...

So I started ripping my content as MKV files- and then I just save those MKV files as .MOV files so I can retain AC3 audio.

I'm just wondering if this is a good way to do things or if it is unnecessary. Are there any reasons not to do this? Also another reason I did this was b/c my entourage and robot chicken DVDs that I ripped using the apple tv preset w/ the hidden AC3 track- had very weird AC3 audio come out. When I selected the AC3 track on these I got this really high pitched - Alvin and the chipmunks sound...

 

[kolax]

I'd avoid ripping your DVD's as .mkv.

How much of them have you ripped? If you are still in the process, rip the rest with AC3 and H.264.

 

[marklight]

I'd avoid ripping your DVD's as .mkv.

How much of them have you ripped? If you are still in the process, rip the rest with AC3 and H.264.

I've done almost all my library with the apple tv settings. I'm just wondering if I will be able to get access to that ac3 audio track without an apple TV-

- I just started ripping my TV shows as MKV and then switching them over to .mov files because when I tried to do mp4- H.264 and AC3, the audio came out and sounded "chipmunky"

 

[Mernak]

I've done almost all my library with the apple tv settings. I'm just wondering if I will be able to get access to that ac3 audio track without an apple TV-

- I just started ripping my TV shows as MKV and then switching them over to .mov files because when I tried to do mp4- H.264 and AC3, the audio came out and sounded "chipmunky"

I don't know what the deal is with the audio sounding "chipmunky", but when I tried a clip of Serenity with AAC+AC3 audio, I get an option in "view>show movie properties" to select tracks that I would like to use, and you can choose AC3 in that, deselect stereo, and have no alternate track to play for the audio (note: I think you need QT Pro and maybe Perian too, I am not sure).

 

[marklight]

I don't know what the deal is with the audio sounding "chipmunky", but when I tried a clip of Serenity with AAC+AC3 audio, I get an option in "view>show movie properties" to select tracks that I would like to use, and you can choose AC3 in that, deselect stereo, and have no alternate track to play for the audio (note: I think you need QT Pro and maybe Perian too, I am not sure).

Yea I have done this before- however, I don't think you can save those options- meaning if I open a mp4 movie up in quicktime, and then select the ac3 track and deselect the aac track- I can't save the MP4 track with the ac3 track not hidden- or as the default track.

The reason I went away from saving some tv shows as mp4 was because the ac3 track did come out sounding really high pitched for whatever reason - entourage and robot chicken. Not sure why...

 

[Mernak]

Yea I have done this before- however, I don't think you can save those options- meaning if I open a mp4 movie up in quicktime, and then select the ac3 track and deselect the aac track- I can't save the MP4 track with the ac3 track not hidden- or as the default track.

The reason I went away from saving some tv shows as mp4 was because the ac3 track did come out sounding really high pitched for whatever reason - entourage and robot chicken. Not sure why...

Hmm, I'll try that when I get home tonight. When I was messing with the settings, it kept on bugging me when I closed the window, saying that it hadn't saved. The AC3 track sounds a bit weird for me, but I think it is just because of it have 6 channels and normal speaks are kinda weird when it comes playing that (but I could be wrong on that, I'm not sure), that's weird about the pitch, mine just has lower volume for normal speech, but higher volume of explosions and stuff like that (low pitched stuff)

EDIT: Got the stuff to save, but only in a reference movie or a completely other self-contained movie, can't just save the changes to preferences in the same movie file.