[mythtv-users] HowTo Transcode HD5000 SD mpeg w/ ac3 audio to SD mpeg w/ stereo audio usable w/ mvpmc

[bha at att.net]

I have a MythTV backend with an HD5000 tuner card recording QAM standard def 
mpeg files. My problem is that these mpeg files have AC3 5.1 audio (mpeg format 
info in xine says the audio format is "a52"). I use mvpmc (niffty little fanless 
setup box http://mvpmc.org) as a MythTV Frontend, but the mvpmc can't play back 
the AC3 audio (the video plays perfectly, but without any audio). I can't find 
any way to configure the HD5000 to record it's mpeg files using standard audio 
(ie not AC3). Have I missed something? Is there a way to make the backend 
transcode the mpeg/AC3 files into mpeg/Stereo files? (Transcoding seems like a 
lot of cycles wasted...even so, after reading the transcoding docs I'm not sure 
how I would do it.)

Thanks,
Dan