Audio cuts out with AC3 output at 256kb/s

[subjunk@…]

Tested with r33877.
Using the following input, the sound is perfect:

mencoder input.avi -oac lavc -of mpeg -ovc lavc -lavcopts acodec=ac3:abitrate=224 -o output.mpeg

It's also fine when the abitrate value is changed to 448, 192 and I'm sure others that I didn't try.
However, using the following input there are occasional gaps in the audio:

mencoder input.avi -oac lavc -of mpeg -ovc lavc -lavcopts acodec=ac3:abitrate=256 -o output.mpeg

The gaps sound different depending on which media player plays them. VLC produces loud clicking sounds, MPC-HC just skips quietly, as does MPlayer.

MPlayer gives some information on the errors when it plays the file. When the gap occurs it outputs:

[ac3 @ 00e9ee10]exponent out-of-range
[ac3 @ 00e9ee10]error decoding the audio block
[ac3 @ 00e9ee10]new coupling coordinates must be present in block 0
[ac3 @ 00e9ee10]error decoding the audio block

The files I have noticed it happening with have all been avi files with mp3 audio.

[cehoyos]

While I cannot reproduce your problem with the command lines you provided (they both produce a working file for me) and I wonder if ASP in PS really makes sense, please at least provide complete, uncut output of mencoder (when muxing fails).

[subjunk@…]

Complete MEncoder output

[subjunk@…]

I've attached the complete MEncoder output to this ticket, and I've uploaded 10 second video comparisons to ​http://www.spirton.com/uploads/Unsorted/20110712-VideosAC3.zip so you can hear the bug for yourself.
224.mpeg is how the original sounds, while 256.mpeg has the bug.

[cehoyos]

The needed sample is input.avi, please consider attaching it here.

[subjunk@…]

No problem, the file is: ​http://www.mediafire.com/?x6iuiub3y2d1e4d

[subjunk@…]

Did you manage to download the file before it was deleted? I can re-upload it