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Author Topic: Converting m4a file to mp3  (Read 3841 times)

wnshall2

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Converting m4a file to mp3
« on: January 23, 2009, 07:31:54 pm »

Hi,

I have some m4a files that play just fine in Media Jukebox.  I tried to convert them using Library Tools | Convert Format.  I have the mp3 encoder installed.  However, it fails.  The error message says "make sure you files are in a supported format."  Searching the forums I found some threads related to MC12 and MC13 with special instructions for playing mp4 (aka m4a) files.  However, as I said, MJ seems to play these m4a files just fine (without me doing anything special in the options.)  Is there some additional requirement (maybe to the input plugins, which does not have one for m4a?) to make conversions work?  Is this something that will work if I upgrade to MC?  Thanks,

-Steve
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Yaobing

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Re: Converting m4a file to mp3
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2009, 04:22:17 pm »

M4a files can be converted only if you have DirectShow filters.

Please read the wiki about Playing m4a/mp4 files using DirectShow.  Once you have the needed DirectShow filters, you should be able to play in DirectShow, and convert.

Note that the DirectShow playback settings configuration tool is not available in MJ12, but the default behavior should work.

And to convert to mp3, you must have mp3 converter.
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Yaobing Deng, JRiver Media Center

wnshall2

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Re: Converting m4a file to mp3
« Reply #2 on: January 27, 2009, 12:24:16 am »

M4a files can be converted only if you have DirectShow filters.

Please read the wiki about Playing m4a/mp4 files using DirectShow.  Once you have the needed DirectShow filters, you should be able to play in DirectShow, and convert.

After re-reading the wiki I see that the m4a files were probably playing because I have Quicktime installed.  I installed DirectShow filters (the cccp package).  Now the conversion process starts but, seems to hang after the green completion bar reaches 100% (and without finishing the conversion).  I get little icons in the system tray (one for FFdshow and one for Haali) that curiously don't go away even after stopping the conversion.  (In contrast, if I play an m4a file these two icons appear in the system tray and disappear after playing stops.)   

Quote
And to convert to mp3, you must have mp3 converter.

Do you mean the mp3 encoder, or is there a special converter I need too?

Thanks for any help.


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JimH

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Re: Converting m4a file to mp3
« Reply #3 on: January 27, 2009, 06:38:33 am »

I get little icons in the system tray (one for FFdshow and one for Haali) that curiously don't go away even after stopping the conversion.
In each of these, turn off the tray icon "feature".  It can cause problems.
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wnshall2

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Re: Converting m4a file to mp3
« Reply #4 on: January 27, 2009, 02:55:24 pm »

In each of these, turn off the tray icon "feature".  It can cause problems.

OK, I did that, but I still find that the Convert Files dialog box never finishes, although the green progress bar is 100%.  Also, I discovered that the converted files *are* being made, and even moved to a different directory if I have that option selected in MJ.  However, clearly something MJ is doing doesn't get completed -- for example, if I try to delete one of these files XP warns it can't because the file is being used by another application.  If I quit MJ then I can delete the files.

On a related note, I set the option in MJ to "update database" after converting the file.  I thought that would put the new converted file into the database and I was hoping that the database tags from the original file would carry over to the new file.  Is this indeed what is supposed to happen?  If so, it's not working for me, and maybe is related to the convert file dialog box hanging.  Any ideas?

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