AC3 codec for Intel Mac (Universal)

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AC3 codec for Intel Mac (Universal)

11/25/06

AC3 codec for Intel Mac (Universal)

03:38:27 am, by Francois Planque

, Categories: Mac stuff

WOW! All this time I've been running the wrong AC3 codec on my Mac Mini!

Last week, I found one that works soooo much better! To find it, I actually had to search for "a52 codec" and not "ac3 codec". Go figure!

Intel version (Universal)
Original PowerPC version

It is GPL licenced and merely based on the "a52 library". But I really wonder were a52 comes from. Too late to investigate tonight though

Update: a52 is now included in a codec pack called Perian and you can even get 5.1 surround sound out of it.

Tags: a52, ac3, codec, mac, sound, surround

45 comments

Comment from: Brent [Visitor]

Thank you so much! I had been struggling with getting AC3 encoded files to playback in Quicktime on my Intel-based Mac Pro as well as my iMac. You are a life saver!

12/18/06 @ 14:58

Comment from: Pete [Visitor]

THANX!!! :D

10/12/07 @ 18:00

Comment from: dave underhill [Visitor]

you hero!!! this is the only ac3 codec that has worked for me - thankyou thankyou thankyou :-)

10/13/07 @ 19:34

Comment from: andras [Visitor]

thanks! it's great!

11/04/07 @ 17:31

Comment from: Jay [Visitor]

You are the best of the best, Ive been searching AC3 codecs all day just to try and play one movie and nothing worked until now...Its been a long journey, so thx for helping me out

12/02/07 @ 05:09

Comment from: Johnny [Visitor]

thanks man it really works great!

12/03/07 @ 00:45

Comment from: MarsGirl [Visitor]

Thanks! I've been looking for an AC3 codec that works on my Intel MacBook for months. I've tried several others and this is the first one to work! You rock!

01/06/08 @ 17:59

Comment from: misha misha [Visitor]

Thank you very much!!! I spend all day just to fix that problem on my mac. thank you!!!

01/12/08 @ 21:56

Comment from: Sergio [Visitor]

Thanks one more time as with all the previous people, your help has been very much appreciated.

03/11/08 @ 17:00

Comment from: Donaldo [Visitor]

Amazing, not sure how you sleuthed AC52 but you are right. I had to re-import the movie ( in my case I rebuilt it from rar files) When I tried to open the existing movie no luck , then I noticed in the read-me file that this is actually called a AC3MovieImport.component , so I re-imported the movie and IT WORKS, thanks man.

04/02/08 @ 22:09

Comment from: Tomy Illnigga [Visitor]

THANK YOU SO FCKIN MUCH!!!!!!!!

SAVED MY NIGHT WEEK AND ALMOST LIFE!!!

PEACE!!

04/10/08 @ 19:46

Comment from: david [Visitor]

Hey thanks a lot man! It worked!

05/04/08 @ 15:09

Comment from: James [Visitor]

nice one, worked straight away when I reopened the movie on my mac book pro, other ac3's weren't working before this one.

05/11/08 @ 09:03

Comment from: Seely [Visitor]

Thanks so much! I've been looking all over for an Ac3 codec to work on my intel mac and this works great. Worked without even needing a reboot. awesome.

05/20/08 @ 03:19

Comment from: Omar [Visitor]

A miracle!

07/01/08 @ 08:32

Comment from: drugs link [Visitor]

A miracle! :)

07/02/08 @ 12:47

Comment from: Rasec [Visitor]

Thank you very much, thanks to your effort compile this codec i can return to my normal duties, and finally stop looking for this codec. I thought it was AC3 but this was great!!! Work right out the installation! Thanks Again!! you been blaze.

07/08/08 @ 09:38

Comment from: A [Visitor]

Thanks so much!

07/27/08 @ 22:24

Comment from: san [Visitor]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much!!! It works!!!

08/03/08 @ 04:48

Comment from: Azur [Visitor]

You rule! This codec worked like a charm. Thanks for posting this.

08/21/08 @ 21:50

Comment from: TheDude [Visitor]

Worked AWESOME!!! Thank you.

08/26/08 @ 10:49

Comment from: A Visitor [Visitor]

Thank you!

09/25/08 @ 20:55

Comment from: Jonathan [Visitor]

Thanks very much for your efforts. I can now hear a avi movie in Quick time.

Fantastic!

09/26/08 @ 09:38

Comment from: Sid [Visitor]

Thanks so much. I had my doubts but it does work.

11/30/08 @ 22:16

Comment from: scott [Visitor]

thanks so much. really appreciate people out there making life easier for others after struggling through issues themselves. thanks again.

01/06/09 @ 05:57

Comment from: Manuel Alberdi [Visitor]

What can I say? Just a huge GRACIAS from Madrid, Spain.

04/05/09 @ 22:53

Comment from: Adam [Visitor]

Man I still can't seem to get it working, and I don't have an AC3 codec for it to conflict with.

05/07/09 @ 02:44

Comment from: Griffy [Visitor]

Worked GREAT! All I had to do was re-launch Quicktime and no problems whatsoever. Thanks!

08/21/09 @ 20:00

Comment from: nugget [Visitor]

Thanks so much! The Perian link worked perfectly. Much better than all the (useless to me) Windows forums I had to wade through. *cheers with pompoms*

09/30/09 @ 18:19

Comment from: dual [Visitor]

Fantastico!!!
Thamk you so much!!!

10/11/09 @ 20:03

Comment from: lj [Visitor]

You are wonderful! I have been looking for this for quite a while! Thanks :)

10/25/09 @ 03:23

Comment from: Benny [Visitor]

Is it working in Frontrow and m4v Format?! I'll convert all my movies in Apple TV format but with AC3 and run it on Frontrow... I want to use my Dolby Digital 5.1 on it... Does it work?

Thanks for your reply

Benny :D

10/30/09 @ 17:45

Comment from: Ron [Visitor]

I LOVE YOU. Nohomo

12/10/09 @ 04:26

Comment from: Ace [Visitor]

I searched for over half an hour thru dozens of codec sites...THANK YOU SO MUCH...now i can use quicktime and not have a dozen players...you rule...thanks again

02/21/10 @ 11:39

Comment from: Smarty [Visitor]

This is the only thing that really works! Thanks so much!

03/21/10 @ 10:54

Comment from: Ammy [Visitor]

to think that this is the very first website to come up in google and i ignored it for about an hour of useless searching!

thanks, works in both quicktime & divX :)

wicked!

05/24/10 @ 10:11

Comment from: Jake [Visitor]

could some give me an instructional on how to do this? im having trouble understanding what to do...

08/16/10 @ 23:10

Comment from: cristian [Visitor]

great!!!
It works just perfect!!
thanks a lot man.

09/13/10 @ 16:35

Comment from: Nick [Visitor]

Thanks man...

01/18/11 @ 08:58

Comment from: Lisa [Visitor]

OMG!! I cannot believe it! I have been searching for days to get an ac3.avi file to play on my computer, and it was as simple as installing the download you provided, and away it played in Quicktime.
Thank you so much.

04/18/11 @ 08:03

Comment from: Angie [Visitor]

AWESOME!!!! I have been searching for a few hours now trying to find AC3 Direct Show Decoder and couldn't find anything that would work. But this DOES. Thank you soooooo much.
Perfect Perfect Perfect :)))))

08/29/11 @ 02:56

Comment from: oma [Visitor]