Converting video with DTS to AC3 using FFMpeg & PowerShell

I have a number of video files with DTS audio, I need to convert to AC3 Audio, without reprocessing the video. I have been given 2 scripts, the first one A-worked perfectly yesterday but today is thr...

powershell

Harm_Veenstra

MVP

Mar 14, 2022

Could you share the errors you're receiving? It would help a lot in seeing what's going wrong

Reddwarf4ever

Copper Contributor

Mar 14, 2022

Harm_Veenstra

Script A with Errors

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> $source = Get-ChildItem -path "D:\convert*" -Recurse -Include *.mkv
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> $ffpath = "C:\Windows\System32\ffmpeg.exe"
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> $DirOut = "D:\converted"
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> $output = Join-Path $DirOut -ChildPath ((Get-Item $source).basename + "_out.mkv")
Join-Path : Cannot convert 'System.Object[]' to the type 'System.String' required by parameter 'ChildPath'. Specified
method is not supported.
At line:1 char:40
+ ... in-Path $DirOut -ChildPath ((Get-Item $source).basename + "_out.mkv")
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (:) [Join-Path], ParameterBindingException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : CannotConvertArgument,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.JoinPathCommand

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> & $ffpath -i $source -map 0 -vcodec copy -scodec copy -acodec ac3 -b:a 640k $output -loglevel 8 -stats

Script B with errors

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> :: convert all mkv files in a source Folder to mkv with AC3 using ffmpeg
>> :: eg. source T:\Old mkvs and eg.destination D:\New mkvs
>>
>> :-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> :: first edit the two Directory values for the Source and Destination "and" the path of ffmpeg
>> :-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> SET Source_Files_Dir=D:\convert
>> SET Converted_Files_Dir=R:\Sons.of.Anarchy
>> SET ffmpeg=C:\Windows\System32\ffmpeg.exe
>>
>> cd /d %Converted_Files_Dir%
>> for /F "delims=" %%a in ('dir /b /s "%Source_Files_Dir%"\*.mkv') do (
>> "%ffmpeg%" -i "%%a" -map 0 -an -vcodec copy -scodec copy -acodec ac3 -b:a 640k "%%~na_out.mkv" -loglevel 8 -stats
>> )
>> pause
>> exit
At line:13 char:4
+ for /F "delims=" %%a in ('dir /b /s "%Source_Files_Dir%"\*.mkv') do (
+ ~
Missing opening '(' after keyword 'for'.
At line:14 char:12
+ "%ffmpeg%" -i "%%a" -map 0 -an -vcodec copy -scodec copy -acodec ac3 ...
+ ~~
Unexpected token '-i' in expression or statement.
At line:14 char:15
+ "%ffmpeg%" -i "%%a" -map 0 -an -vcodec copy -scodec copy -acodec ac3 ...
+ ~~~~~
Unexpected token '"%%a"' in expression or statement.
At line:14 char:14
+ "%ffmpeg%" -i "%%a" -map 0 -an -vcodec copy -scodec copy -acodec ac3 ...
+ ~
Missing closing ')' in expression.
At line:15 char:1
+ )
+ ~
Unexpected token ')' in expression or statement.
+ CategoryInfo : ParserError: (:) [], ParentContainsErrorRecordException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : MissingOpenParenthesisAfterKeyword

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>

Harm_Veenstra
MVP
Mar 14, 2022
$output = Join-Path $DirOut -ChildPath ((Get-Item $source).basename + "_out.mkv") fails when there are multiple files found ($source variable) Perhaps you should try this:

$ffpath = "C:\Windows\System32\ffmpeg.exe"
$DirOut = "D:\converted"
foreach ($sourcefile in $source) {
$output = Join-Path $DirOut -ChildPath ((Get-Item $sourcefile).basename + "_out.mkv")
& $ffpath -i $sourcefile -map 0 -vcodec copy -scodec copy -acodec ac3 -b:a 640k $output -loglevel 8 -stats
}

The second script is not PowerShell but batch/cmd, you should save the script in a .cmd file and try to run that...
- Reddwarf4ever
  Copper Contributor
  Mar 14, 2022
  Harm_Veenstra
  thank you
  How does script A know the source folder I.e. Convert ?
  
  $ffpath = "C:\Windows\System32\ffmpeg.exe"
  $DirOut = "D:\converted"
  foreach ($sourcefile in $source) {
  $output = Join-Path $DirOut -ChildPath ((Get-Item $sourcefile).basename + "_out.mkv")
  & $ffpath -i $sourcefile -map 0 -vcodec copy -scodec copy -acodec ac3 -b:a 640k $output -loglevel 8 -stats
  }
  
  😎😎😎
  - Harm_Veenstra
    MVP
    Mar 14, 2022
    Forgot to put this line in my post, it should be the first line
    
    $source = Get-ChildItem -path "D:\convert*" -Recurse -Include *.mkv

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