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[TraumaHound]

I am currently trying to import some "enhanced AAC" files onto my iPod and there are a couple of problems.

1)  Attempting to update the tag information directly on the device fails.  It always reverts back to the blank tags (they weren't blank before MC imported them)

2)  They are imported as Video and in this case, this is incorrect.  They are M4A files and I searched on the forums and found a thread that indicated M4A should be imported as audio, not video.  This is a case where they are being read in as video.  What makes this more problematic is that the file doesn't play on the iPod.

My only workaround is to convert the files to MP3 which I'd rather not do as I'm thinking the bookmarks and the "picture slides" in the podcast will not be preserved.

I have posted the original file here.  !!Warning!! It is a 28mb file.

I am currently using the .186 build of MC 11.1.

[JimH]

Please copy and paste your system info from MC Help.

Are the files showing up as video or audio in MC?

[TraumaHound]

System info as requested:

Code: [Select]

Media Center Registered 11.1.186 -- C:\Program Files\J River\Media Center 11\

Microsoft Windows XP  Workstation 5.1 Service Pack 2 (Build 2600)
AMD Athlon 2164 MHz MMX / Memory: Total - 2096 MB, Free - 1509 MB

Internet Explorer: 6.0.2900.2180 / ComCtl32.dll: 5.82.2900 / Shlwapi.dll: 6.0.2900 / Shell32.dll: 6.0.2900 / wnaspi32.dll: 4.71 (0002) , ASPI for Win32         DLL, Copyright © 1989-2002 Adaptec, Inc. / Aspi32.sys: 4.71 (0002)

Ripping /   Drive G:   Mode:Normal  Type:Auto  Speed:Max
  Drive I:   Mode:Normal  Type:Auto  Speed:Max
  Drive L:   Mode:Normal  Type:Auto  Speed:Max
  Digital playback: Yes /  Use YADB: Yes /  Get cover art: No /  Calc replay gain: Yes /  Copy volume: 32767
  Eject after ripping: Yes /  Play sound after ripping: No 

Burning /  Drive I: PLEXTOR  DVDR   PX-712A     Addr: 4:0:0  Speed:48  MaxSpeed:48  BurnProof:Yes
  Drive L: SONY     DVD RW DW-D26A     Addr: 1:0:0  Speed:48  MaxSpeed:48  BurnProof:Yes
  Test mode: No /  Eject after writing: Yes /  Direct decoding: Yes /  Write CD-Text: Yes
  Use playback settings: No /
In answer to your question re: how does MC see them on the system, they are seen as Video.  Again, with the original tag information stripped with the file name replacing the original name in the "Name" tag.

[JimH]

You can edit the "Media Type" in MC to change a file from video to audio.  Check the file properties by hitting Alt-Enter.

[TraumaHound]

You can edit the "Media Type" in MC to change a file from video to audio.  Check the file properties by hitting Alt-Enter.

Ok, I found this option in the "Extended" section of the File Properties.  My only question then is can this be done globally?  In other words, can I tell MC to recognize all M4A files as audio so that future podcasts can be imported into the library properly?

[TraumaHound]

I'm not confident that this solution is doable as MC apparently prevents the graphics at different bookmarks from displaying.  Not sure how underneath the covers it can be doing this but that is the result after the files have been transferred to the iPod.  These AAC files and others have different images that show at various stages of the podcast.  After I import these files through MC and subsequently to the device, the images are no longer available.  Rather, the default "play button" MC image is placed instead.  These bookmarks also allow me to skip ahead to different sections without going to the next song/file in the playlist.

Importing these files through iTunes results in a complete preservation of these features of the AAC file on the iPod.  Anapod as well.

I have noticed that from the file system (i.e. not on my iPod) that the "slides" functionality is preserved in the file with the image changing at their appropriate locations when I play them from within MC although I cannot skip from section to section as I can on the iPod.

[Yaobing]

Your files are imported as video because Quicktime found video elements on it. If you want the bookmark/chapter text to be displayed, you have to play it as video.

In fact I was able to import the file as audio. This is because I have DirectShow filters that handle aac audio, but no filters that handle the other streams on the file. As a result, DirectShow rendered the audio stream, but not the video stream. In this case Media Center reported it as audio.  Obviously in the case Media Center will only play it as audio. No text is displayed.

[TraumaHound]

I don't doubt that the file can be imported as audio.  I would like for it to be imported in the same manner as other audio managers do (iTunes and Anapod).  Imported as video, the file simply does not play on the device so the implication that if I want to see the "video stream", I need to play as a video isn't correct.  Furthermore, I'm not certain that iTunes imported it as video.  I simply played them from the Podcast genre with all of the functionality I would expect from it.  I'll have to double check although I don't look forward to wrestling with iTunes...words can't describe the loathing I have for it.

I'm assuming that DirectShow is an underlying technology (API set, etc.) that MC uses to interact with and handle files within the system.  Do I gather from the responses I've seen that it is not possible to transfer these particular files to the device unaltered within this framework?

Another confusing twist in the story is that MC, on the computer, will play the file as expected...audio, slides, etc.  It's only when transferred to the device (some auto-tagging) I'm assuming, that it loses this feature.

Perhaps there is some common knowledge I haven't been exposed to yet so bear with me if I'm not completely versed in the MC culture just yet.    I'm new to this application (I've had it for a week and purchased it the day after I installed it as I was thoroughly convinced this was the solution I was looking for.)  In fact, I have sung its praises to at least two people that are looking for a means to manage the iPod between two different computers.  Hopefully they'll be aboard soon.

The trouble I'm having with the AAC multimedia file is simply a nuance that I would like to figure out if indeed there is a solution.  It certainly doesn't ruin the MC experience for me...far from it.

[Yaobing]

Imported as video, the file simply does not play on the device so the implication that if I want to see the "video stream", I need to play as a video isn't correct. 

It may has more to do with the way the content is transferred to the device or how the device deal with the content than how it is imported into Media Center.

I'm assuming that DirectShow is an underlying technology (API set, etc.) that MC uses to interact with and handle files within the system.  Do I gather from the responses I've seen that it is not possible to transfer these particular files to the device unaltered within this framework?

DirectShow is Microsoft technology for playing media content. You are suggesting that the content does not play properly on the device because it is not transferred properly. Can the file be transferred from iTunes?

Another confusing twist in the story is that MC, on the computer, will play the file as expected...audio, slides, etc.  It's only when transferred to the device (some auto-tagging) I'm assuming, that it loses this feature.

This indicates that Media Center plays the file using Quicktime engine on your system. It would not matter whether it is imported as audio or video.

If there is a consensus that all m4a files should be imported as audio, regardless of its content type, I can change it. I am still not sure whether that will help with transfer to iPod.

[TraumaHound]

I am going to test the importing of the M4A file via iTunes and I'll get back to you.  The impression I had was iTunes copied this to the device as I would expect.  When transferring via Anapod, the same thing but I need to back up what I'm saying so I will run a few tests.

Of course, I need to back up the iPod before I let iTunes get a hold of it again. 

This indicates that Media Center plays the file using Quicktime engine on your system. It would not matter whether it is imported as audio or video.

Perhaps this is so but when MC imports these files into the library from disk, the original tags are stripped and the name tag is replaced with the filename.  This may be a completely different issue/behavior altogether.

[TraumaHound]

Couple of interesting observations.

1)  When I brought up iTunes after downloading a "fresh copy" of the M4A file, importing it through the file menu into the library (again, iTunes, not MC) resulted in this error:



2)  However if I double-click the file from the file system or if I drag the file from the desktop into the library interface, the file will play and has the aforementioned chaptering and slide functionality.



I then hooked up the iPod, iTunes picked up the iPod and I dragged and dropped the file onto the iPod in iTunes and I am able to play the file with chaptering and slides.  So, I think I can answer with certainty that iTunes delivers the file to the device as expected.

When I drag the file from the desktop to the Sync "platform" in MC, the file is imported as audio (due to the previous recommendation that change the type from "video" to "audio" for M4A files) with the tagging intact.  However, when playing this file on the iPod, the chaptering and slides are not functioning.  I wonder if perhaps this has something to do with the "album art" option.  I will attempt to sync the file without this option enabled and see if it doesn't make a difference.

[TraumaHound]

I attempted to sync the file without album artwork support and the file played on the device without any thumbnail at all.  (Before it had a thumbnail but it was static and did not change at the "chapter points" or bookmarks as the file progressed).

This suggests a couple of things, the chaptering data (images and time values for bookmarks) are seen by MC as "album art" but apparently the entire structure of this scheme is not transferred, only the first "frame" of the stream from what I can gather.  I say this because with album art enabled, a thumbnail is produced but it is static.  In fact it has a black background with the string 'eBibleLesson.com' in blue text along the bottom.  A malformation I've never seen in any other instance of this file in other platforms.

It should look like this on the device:



Similar to the populated drop down images in the iPod application that allows for skipping to a chapter while playing these "enhanced" files.

[Yaobing]

Perhaps this is so but when MC imports these files into the library from disk, the original tags are stripped and the name tag is replaced with the filename.  This may be a completely different issue/behavior altogether.

This is one issue I know the answer for

We only have code to read tag data for aac audio files.  Since MC treats the file as video during importing, it skips the tag reading.

[TraumaHound]

This is one issue I know the answer for

We only have code to read tag data for aac audio files.  Since MC treats the file as video during importing, it skips the tag reading.

That makes sense since now MC is importing these as audio and the tags are "preserved".  Although I'm not sure what changes this behavior because I can only see in the UI a means to change each file individually and not globally.  Once you change the file in the library from video to audio, does MC then assume that any of these other file types will from that point be imported as audio?

[Yaobing]

That makes sense since now MC is importing these as audio and the tags are "preserved".  Although I'm not sure what changes this behavior because I can only see in the UI a means to change each file individually and not globally.  Once you change the file in the library from video to audio, does MC then assume that any of these other file types will from that point be imported as audio?

Likely you have DirectShow filters that handle m4a audio. MC always tries DirectShow first for m4a. There are occasions when DirectShow fails, MC then tries Quicktime as a fallback method. That explains why you got video before but are getting them as audio now. Try playing the files in MC, if you get visualization instead of the bookmark text, MC is using DirectShow.

[TraumaHound]

Likely you have DirectShow filters that handle m4a audio. MC always tries DirectShow first for m4a. There are occasions when DirectShow fails, MC then tries Quicktime as a fallback method. That explains why you got video before but are getting them as audio now. Try playing the files in MC, if you get visualization instead of the bookmark text, MC is using DirectShow.

Actually, I get an indication that QuickTime is playing the file since in the lower left hand corner of the window where the visualization type shows, it says "QuickTime".  Interestingly enough, the visualizations are not present.  Just a large white square where typically the album art would be.  At home, however, Quicktime actually plays the visualization through MC.  Could be a compilation difference between two different files.  I'll try to play the same file (the current week for the podcast) at home and see if the behavior is the same.