No AC3 codec in Windows 11 24H2 - Solution is needed

[Averdahl]

If i do a clean install of Windows 11 24H2 i cannot playback mp4 files with 5.1 audio. Microsoft writes "Beginning with Windows 11, version 24H2, the AC-3 codec is no longer included with Windows." and no solution is available such as "Buy the AC3 codec in MS Store now!!".

To reporduce:

1. Do a clean install of Windows 11

2. Install Premiere Pro

3. Import a mp4 file with 5.1 audio.

Result:

The file will be imported as video-only.

Expected result:

That the file imports as Video/Audio and that i can playback the file and hear the 5.1 audio.

Additional info:

If you have upgraded from a prior version of Windows 11 to 24H2 the AC3 codec is included, so doing a clean install of Win 11 24H2 is vital to reproduce this.

I have a HP Z4 G5 workstation and none of the audio drivers for this machine do contain any AC3 codec that Premiere Pro can use.

Any solution from Adobe?

Microsoft document: Codecs in Media Player - Microsoft Support

[Averdahl]

I totally agree! For now the only way seems to be using Pr 23.6.8. Not great but it works unless one need some feature that only can be found in Pr 25.0.

Thanks for the insight. My .mts files are stereo audio. I understand the patch/workaround, and I could also transcode/convert my .mts files on a backup computer, but I definitely need a workflow where I don't have to do anything to them.

By @wxthings

[Sandy014]

I had the 'no audio' problem with Premiere CS6 when I upgraded to Windows 11.  Took a while to sort but down loaded VLC player and made this the default player and all is now working OK, so far!!!

[MyerPj]

<< if i copied the correct importer from 23.6.8 to 25.0>>

Ha, I thought I was fairly alone in these kind of things... Well done!

🙂

I went to try that recently on the obsolete effects, and when I saw they seemed to be there already, I remembered what Adobe said in the ObEf announcemeent, that older projects would still run in the the new version.. 🙂

[R Neil Haugen]

Well, this will be a pain!

We've not upgraded to Win 11 yet, all our computers are still on 10. So would an upgrade from 10 to 11 have this, as seems likely?

[Averdahl]

If you upgrade from Win 10 the Dolby codec will probably carry over to Win 11. 

[R Neil Haugen]

Hoping so, but ... Win10 kept some things from previous, but changed others. It was something of a fishing expedition to sort a few things out. I am not a fan of OS updates. Sigh.

[Averdahl]

Thats the reason why one should avoid upgrading the OS from within an OS. Clean fresh installs is the best since every install will be just exact the same and not a mesh och some settings carried over on some machines while some settings dont carry over on the other machines. Clean installs makes things much more easier since all settings are the same. Having the same settings on all your machines will make everything easier.

I have done upgrades from within an existing OS and some odd issues from the old OS are always carried over as well. Thats important to know, that an in-OS-upgrade is not a clean new install. It carries over a lot of s**t as well.

This is true for Windows and Mac OS.

I did upgrade from Win 11 23H2 to Win 11 24H2 from within Win 23H2 only to see if things worked. After two weeks i did the clean install that ironically made the Dolby codec go bye-bye. But that could be solved.

...Win10 kept some things from previous, but changed others. It was something of a fishing expedition to sort a few things out. I am not a fan of OS updates. Sigh.

By @R Neil Haugen

[MyerPj]

Totally agree with @Averdahl , clean install.

I'm not sure 23H2 and 24H2, totally qualifies in my mind for a clean install, (I did do one on my tester, and I can't find my Nas from it). But from Win10 to Win11, absolutely, clean install only way to go.

I have a 2022 build folder (and a 2017 one also). I keep 'all' changes of note in there, installs, files, updates, notes etc. Thus 'all' the changes I make to the OS over time, should have a note in there. I'm pretty good at keeping it, and all the utilities I install. I just put an MS Edge blocker I found in there, though I haven't installed it. But anyway, it gives and excellent head start.

I was planning on getting an I-285K this season, but the reviews have been underwhelming, so I may keep using this machine (I9-12900k) for another year. Then clean install for sure, I like doing them because the machines run so sweet after. 🙂

[MyerPj]

Found some very good test files:

https://www.reddit.com/r/hometheater/comments/11qqv95/surround_sound_test_files_in_almost_every_form...

[Fondazione_G_Bassetti]

Davvero speriamo che Microsoft, Adobe o anche Canon includano il codec! Ho circa dieci anni di riprese e montaggi fatti in questo formato e mi capita spesso di dover recuperare frammenti passati. Riprese fatte con una Canon che ancora uso come muletto. Ho fatto una installazione pulita di Win11 due giorni fa e ho impiegato mezzo pomeriggio a scoprire come mai non sentivo più gli audio e i file nei montaggi premiere non venivano più riconosciuti. Stasera, ragazzi, è proprio dura scoprire un simile TRADIMENTO.

[MyerPj]

It was Microsoft right mate? This one is not on Adobe. Maybe they'll fix/add it, some other way. There were some solutions above.

[Fondazione_G_Bassetti]

Grazie, mi sembrava dai commenti successivi che fosse una soluzione transitoria. così alla fine ho trovato in codecguide.com e via Adguard ho installato lo specifico codec. https://www.codecguide.com/media_foundation_codecs.htm 

Così anche l'ultima versione di Premiere 25.1.0 build 23 mi pare funzioni.

Speriamo nel futuro Adobe si porti dietro il codec. Interi archivi rischiano di non essere più leggibili

[Averdahl · Accepted solution]

You can install the Dolby Digital codec. Read more here: Dolby Digital Plus Decoder for PC OEMs

This will bring back the audio for you!

We really hope that Microsoft, Adobe or even Canon will include the codec! I have about ten years of shooting and editing done in this format and I often have to recover past fragments. Shots taken with a Canon that I still use as a forklift. I did a clean install of Win11 two days ago and it took me half an afternoon to find out why I couldn't hear the audios anymore and the files in the premiere montages were no longer recognized. Tonight, guys, it's really hard to discover such a BETRAYAL.

By @Fondazione_G_Bassetti

[MyerPj]

Hey @Averdahl , thanks very much for those. I'm about to do a clean install 24H2 on my tester, and I have a surface where I manged to get a clean install of 24h2 pro, so I'll be trying it out on both. 

[Averdahl]

Cool, i have had no issues with DD audio since i installed Dolby Digital Plus Decoder for PC OEMs. Well, i hear the audio in Pr 24 and Pr 25 but there is a bug in those versions so the audio is out of sync with the video. In Pr 23.6.8 everything is flawless. 

Please report back with your results! 🙂

[MyerPj]

Will do! 🙂

[MyerPj]

I've setup my Surface Laptop 3 with a clean install of 24H2, and indeed there was no ac3 audio. I then installed the AC3 (but not the ac4) codec from @Averdahl 's link, and it installs quickly (Ie: Not a lot of nonsense installing) and works great. I doubt I'll install PP on it, but am pondering the Windows update offering of 24H2, or doing a clean install of it soon. 

[MyerPj]

I've just setup my Surface Laptop 3 with a clean install of 24H2, and indeed there was no ac3 audio. I then installed the AC3 (but not the ac4) codec from  @Averdahl 's link, and it installs quickly (Ie: Not a lot of nonsense installing) and works great. I doubt I'll install PP on it, but am pondering the current Windows update offering of 24H2 on my main machine, or doing a clean install of it soon.

[MyerPj]

Something strange is happening here, I'm not able to see my recent posts. Let's see if I see this one?

[MyerPj]

Nope! ?