I have gone further.

I have tried to extract the audio from the video but PDR stops working every time.

I have sent an error report for this.

Each time I have tried to extract the audio a very small audio file is produced before PDR collapses. I have tried to import this small audio into Audio Manager but Audio Manager stops. I did not send an error report for this.

I have tried to import the original video into Audio director but this stops working. Again I sent no error report .

I have tried to import the original video into Wave Editor but this stops working. Again I sent no error report.

We seem to have the situation where something is wrong with the original video which stops any CyberLink app from continuing. I am very distressed that none of the CyberLink apps can give me a soft fail with an error report. After a lifetime in IT development, much of it as a manager, I would never have allowed any computer system or application to just stop working without the end user having a clue about what to do next.

I would at least expect a report to say something like "PowerDirector cannot process the audio as it is not in a format that can be dealt with. Change the input file to an appriopriate format" Even that is not very helpful but at least PowerDirector would continue working.

Thank you to anyone who may have looked at this problem, but I think I will have to admit defeat and go back to the original VHS and extract it again. There is a possibility that the audio is set to a non standard value. Maybe I'll try to set it to a standard value such as 128 Kbps (CD Quality).

Clip plays fine with multiple players
Sound in PD media library, no sound in timeline.
No waveform in timeline
Can't extract audio in PD media library

Typically any time I've seen this behaviour PD simply is not compatible with audio stream in the video. In these cases I'd simply convert source video with Handbrake or similar utility to more compatible format for PD for editing.

Attaching a small acquired clip with the sound issues may provide other workarounds or at least validate multiple users have same audio issue.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff

I'll look into that.

I'll Keep you posted.

Martin

After exhaustive research - well a few tests - I can tell you the answer.

I extract the video from a vhs player through a Hauppauge PVR.

This I record on my computer using TotalMedia Extreme 2 (TME2) which came with the PVR.

On TME2 I can record using one of the formats MP4, M2TS or TS. Originally I used M2TS but found it could not be played easily on my TV, so I switched to MP4. TME2 gives two options for audio - AAC & AC3. AC3 is generally used for MP4 but I haven't seen anything which says that it MUST be used.

On the video I was having trouble with, I recorded it using MP4 and I set the audio to AC3. Unfortunately although I set the audio to AC3 the output audio was always AAC.

If PowerDirector or any other Cyberlink app receives a video as MP4 but with AAC audio it will not handle the audio properly. Audio can be played in the media library but will not transfer to the timeline nor will it play in the other apps I mentioned.

Using Handbrake as suggested by Jeff I could convert the video with the AAC audio to AC3 (Dolby) audio and this then works in PowerDirector. So MP4 + AC3 works. M2TS works with both AAC and AC3.

These combinations work for me anyway.

• M2TS + AAC.


• M2TS + AC3.


• MP4 + AC3.

This combination does NOT work for me.

• MP4 + AAC.