Topic: MC 11 & FLAC (Read 6186 times)

iCamp · « **on:** September 29, 2004, 12:57:10 pm »

I understand FLAC support within MC is limited but exactly what can I expect from MC11?

I asked because I just installed MC11 and scanned my library. It found all my MP3 & APE files but skipped over my FLAC files. I tried right-clicking on a few FLAC files and selecting "Media Center --> Import" but that failed to add the files to my library as well.
I could double-click on a FLAC file in Windows Explorer and that file would play in MC and, only then, would appear in my MC11 database.
Finally I installed the 'unofficial' FLAC plug-in for MC10 (found here: http://www.monsterfang.com/MCinFLAC/) and tried re-scanning my library. It still failed to find my FLAC files. MC11 then crashed when I attempted to select a group of 11 FLAC files (a single album) and import via the right-click method.

I can't give up on FLAC and I don't want to give up on MC. Can I expect better performance than this?

Matt · « **Reply #1 on:** September 29, 2004, 01:10:00 pm »

The FLAC plugin was written by Oblong. Let him know about the issues you find.

MC offers native support for two other lossless formats.

iCamp · « **Reply #2 on:** September 29, 2004, 01:16:56 pm »

Thanks for the response, Matt.

I'm not trying to cause a hassle or anything. I know JRiver's stance on FLAC and am not trying to make trouble.
It's just that version 10 imported FLAC fine but version 11 seems to have issues with importing (at least for me). I was hoping someone has worked through this issue and had some pointers.

xen-uno · « **Reply #3 on:** September 29, 2004, 04:47:45 pm »

I'm seeing exact same thing in 11. Oblong's flac plugin installs successfully, and puts entry in File Associations (which I checked), and upon running Import Media, it skips over the flacs. Note that I've never verified that 10 can import flacs this way either (and it can't ... just tested). I've always used Explorer>select files>right click>Import (since both 10 & 11 are installed here, I assume that which ever version is open and running receives the Imported files). With 11...no dice (but I see why...the Explorer shortcuts are for 10...not 11). I think the only way to get them into 11 is to play/import them via File>Open Media File, then select them in Playing Now, right click, Import into Library. Playback of flacs via 11 is flawless...BTW.

10^-27

xen-uno · « **Reply #4 on:** November 02, 2004, 12:14:17 pm »

Forget last post (belated correction fer sure). When using Tools>Import Media, you must click on the Advanced button and check flac there (tested with v10). Sorry JR for bad info which may have provoked bad karma.

10^-27

Hildy · « **Reply #5 on:** November 13, 2004, 04:06:52 pm »

I would like to see FLAC support too, but maybe you can suggest another approach. Here is what I'd would like to do:

Rip all of my CDs to a lossless format onto my network drive, and add the most robust tags possible.
Use these files to convert to the cool format of the day, (currently mp3 vbr) and transfer these files to my iPod.
Change the tags in this format for things like ratings etc. and save those changes back to the lossless format to keep the lossless format tags up to date.
Stream the lossless format in which ever format works to my stereo, or over the network to my pc where ever I am.

The reason I ask for FLAC is based on it's open source nature and the lack of DRM, I buy all of my CDs but DRM is goofy.

I currently have my music in mp3 but I would like to go to a lossless solution to allow for easy codec convertion as technology advances. Is there a way to transfer my current mp3 tags to the lossless format once it is chosen and I re-rip all of my music?

MC is sweet, thanks for all of the wonderful work to date.

Best Regards,

Marc

schnidrig · « **Reply #6 on:** November 14, 2004, 01:36:22 pm »

Quote from: Hildy on November 13, 2004, 04:06:52 pm

The reason I ask for FLAC is based on it's open source nature and the lack of DRM, I buy all of my CDs but DRM is goofy.

I guess, the main benefit of FLAC is, that it is well supported under Linux. If you have a dual boot PC, you would probably like to be able to play your music under all OSs you use.... (Monkey's Audio is a Windows only codec.)

Christian

Hildy · « **Reply #7 on:** November 21, 2004, 11:33:47 am »

Quote from: schnidrig on November 14, 2004, 01:36:22 pm

Quote from: Hildy on November 13, 2004, 04:06:52 pm
The reason I ask for FLAC is based on it's open source nature and the lack of DRM, I buy all of my CDs but DRM is goofy.

I guess, the main benefit of FLAC is, that it is well supported under Linux. If you have a dual boot PC, you would probably like to be able to play your music under all OSs you use.... (Monkey's Audio is a Windows only codec.)

Christian

Good point, my pc is in fact dual boot Linux/Windows.

glynor · « **Reply #8 on:** November 21, 2004, 12:38:03 pm »

Perchance Matt would be open to a Linux (and maybe even OSX) port of APE?

bspachman · « **Reply #9 on:** November 21, 2004, 03:57:02 pm »

If you poke your head in on the monkeys audio forums, you'll be able to find MAC tools for Linux & OSX.

However, they are terribly unsexy compared to MC!

Best,
Brad (hoping for a MAC quicktime implementation so I can play my APEs with iTunes.)

glynor · « **Reply #10 on:** November 22, 2004, 03:51:27 pm »

Quote from: bspachman on November 21, 2004, 03:57:02 pm

Brad (hoping for a MAC quicktime implementation so I can play my APEs with iTunes.)

Of course, this wouldn't be a problem if we just had (what all of us Mac-also user's want) an OSX version of MC!!! (Yeah, I know, keep dreaming ...)

indybrett · « **Reply #11 on:** February 07, 2005, 02:05:48 pm »

I decided to give the FLAC plugin a try with MC11. It works fine when I'm importing one album. If I try to import a few hundred albums MC will crash. It's difficult to track down if it's crashing on the same files each time. No big deal. I'll keep using APE for now.

Hildy · « **Reply #12 on:** April 08, 2005, 10:34:40 am »

Quote from: indybrett on February 07, 2005, 02:05:48 pm

I decided to give the FLAC plugin a try with MC11. It works fine when I'm importing one album. If I try to import a few hundred albums MC will crash. It's difficult to track down if it's crashing on the same files each time. No big deal. I'll keep using APE for now.

I've been using MC 11 to rip all of my cds to FLAC, I'm currently 1/2 done the process, when I try to import the files in my library I'm crashing too. I'll try moving to a newer version, (I'm on 11.0.198 11.0.233 is released) I tried to move to a more recent version a while ago and it didn't seem to have any FLAC support so I moved back.

Is this a FLAC issue or is it an issue

scthom · « **Reply #13 on:** April 08, 2005, 09:50:34 pm »

It's a plugin issue - they upgraded the encoder interface partway through the version 11 beta cycle, and updated the plugins which they publish. All other plugins need to be updated by their respective authors before they will work with later (and the release) version of 11.

Hildy · « **Reply #14 on:** April 11, 2005, 10:57:44 pm »

Is there any way to find out when the plug ins are upgraded so I can wait until then to upgrade my beta version?

Omni · « **Reply #15 on:** April 13, 2005, 05:29:13 pm »

Quote from: Hildy on April 11, 2005, 10:57:44 pm

Is there any way to find out when the plug ins are upgraded so I can wait until then to upgrade my beta version?

JRiver is not responsible for 3rd Party plug-in's, nor should they be.

You're best bet is just to keep monitoring the Third Party Plug-ins, Programs, and Skins forum. When someone updates their plug-in, that will generally be where they announce it.

scthom · « **Reply #16 on:** April 16, 2005, 07:03:01 pm »

I've been working on it. Been busy at my "real" job. The hard part is done, so now it's just testing and making sure everything works, then fixing what doesn't

Hildy · « **Reply #17 on:** April 22, 2005, 08:18:56 pm »

Quote from: Hildy on April 08, 2005, 10:34:40 am

I'll try moving to a newer version, (I'm on 11.0.198 11.0.233 is released) I tried to move to a more recent version a while ago and it didn't seem to have any FLAC support so I moved back.

I've now finnished ripping my library and moved to 11.0.247. When I try to build the library of my ~5500 flac songs I crash somewhere around 3500. I tried to move my files into four folders less than 2000 songs and then add the folders to the library one at a time just in case it was an issue with importing everything at once, but that didn't work.

I've been moving the albums into the library one by one so I can find out when the update fails, I'll respond soon but it is some time after 4236 songs and 108.7GB.

Hildy · « **Reply #18 on:** April 24, 2005, 11:06:02 pm »

I've been moving my album folders to a temp directory and adding them to the directory that my library is searching about 100 songs at a time and that seems to be a valid work around for the crash that I experienced when adding a large number of songs at once.

I have my library up to 6647 songs and 171.7 GB by using this method... I'm not sure if my information will help you track down the bug, if not please let me know and I can give you more feedback.

Hildy · « **Reply #19 on:** July 07, 2005, 07:45:09 pm »

Quote from: Hildy on November 13, 2004, 04:06:52 pm

Rip all of my CDs to a lossless format onto my network drive, and add the most robust tags possible.
Use these files to convert to the cool format of the day, (currently mp3 vbr) and transfer these files to my iPod.
Change the tags in this format for things like ratings etc. and save those changes back to the lossless format to keep the lossless format tags up to date.

Wow, I just realized that MC11 supports my dream workflow as noted above! I hadn't figured out that if I convert to mp3 from flac upon transfer to my ipod I can change ratings on my ipod and when I sync the ratings transfer back to my flac files.

I had been converting to a set of mp3 on my external drive syncing that to my ipod and then exporting a playlist with songs that I had rated on my ipod and hand rating the flacs manually from the html list.

I know not everyone is as slow as I am... but you may want to consider mentioning that the sync works across file formats when File Conversion is used with portable handheld devices in the Help notes under Handheld Settings and either Sync data to MC or File Conversion. I had looked there a while ago to see if the workflow was supported, and didn't think to just try it out until recently.

This is an absolutly incredible tool, thank you so much for making my life easier!

Hildy

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Author Topic: MC 11 & FLAC (Read 6186 times)