[MPlayer-users] Demuxing without decoding?

[Corey Hickey]

ullli wrote:
> [Automatic answer: RTFM (read DOCS, FAQ), also read DOCS/bugreports.html]
> Hello!
> 
> I just managed to install MPlayer with the help of a friend (I am a
> Linux-Newbie, and for the time being only run it as a virtual machine
> in a laptop under XP... *^%&$*"£&^ ) and now that it works I actually
> wonder about one thing I am hoping to find an answer for here:
> 
> I installed MPlayer to rip the audio from my DVDs to listen to some
> concerts while driving or walking in the park etc. Obviously I would
> like to have a good quality of sound to satisfy all environments. Now I
> don't know much about computers but I know a little bit about
> compression and I know that second or third generations of coding and
> decoding don't do the signal much good. What I would like to know is
> whether MPlayer is actually just demuxing the streams from the DVD
> when told to dump the stream to ac3 or whether it decodes and then
> recodes it on the way? If the latter were the case I'd rather rip it to
> wav-files, but if not, then I am obviously happy to dump the ac3 and
> then extract the stereo mpeg signal form there (ooops - is that
> possible? ac3 is new to me as well...)
> 
> Well, I would be very gratefulfor any lights shone on these slightly chaotic questions!
> 
> heers,
> ullli
> 


What command are you using to extract the ac3?

In any case, it might not matter. If you're planning to re-encode to
vorbis or mp3, then decoding to an interim wave file is a necessary
step (some encoders do this transparently). So, if you want to make
an mp3 or ogg, then this will probably work best for you:

$ mplayer -dvd 1 -vc dummy -vo null -hardframedrop -ao pcm -aofile \
audio.wav

and then use oggenc or lame or whatever on audio.wav.

-Corey