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[walfredo]

I need to convert m4a and m4p to upload to a player that do not support them (HiFiMAN).

I tried using tools >> advanced tools >> convert format but I get "Failed to convert. Please ensure that your file exists, and are of a supported file format."  The files do exist and the format is supported (I can play them).  What am I doing wrong?

Also, I tried drag-n-dropping to the device, on which I configured to "convert unsupported formats".  But it just copies the m4a/m4p without converting.  Where do I configure which formats my player supports?

Thanks,
Walfredo

[marko]

I'm not too hot with these questions, but I'll start it off and maybe some others more familiar with these file types will chip in...

Do these files have DMA protection on them?

[glynor]

M4A and M4P are the same type of files (they're both MP4 files with different extensions).  There is no "conversion" needed.

You have a player that supports M4P (DRM-laden MP4 files) but not M4A (the same thing without DRM)?  That doesn't make any sense.  If such a thing REALLY exists, it is absurd, and I don't know that there is a simple way to add the FairPlay DRM into files yourself.

[glynor]

If you misspoke and you are trying to do the reverse, convert from M4P to M4A, then this probably isn't possible except by using iTunes and paying the "upgrade" fee ($0.30 per song or $3.00 per album).  You do also get higher-quality versions (they "upgrade" them to ~256k AAC files).

There are free ways to do this out there, but assuming that you've upgraded to a more recent version of iTunes then the only ones that work will be lossy (they'll essentially be exploiting the burn-to-disc and re-rip loophole in a variety of clever ways).

Lastly, if you are trying to convert from M4A to MP4, or MP4 to M4A, then no conversion is needed.  Just change the file extensions.  A M4A file is a MP4 file that contains only audio.

[walfredo]

I'm trying to convert from m4a/m4p to mp3, such that I can play them on the HiFiMAN.

I bought them from Apple and likely they have DRM.

Thanks,
Walfredo

[glynor]

Converting unprotected M4A files to MP3 should work fine in MC, so long as you can play the M4A files back correctly.  However, please note that you CANNOT be using Quicktime as the playback engine.  You need to be using DirectShow to play the M4A files.  You can tell easily which is active if your visualizers work when you're playing the files back in MC (no Visualizers mean Quicktime's engine is active).

The easiest way to solve this, if you have the issue, is to install CCCP.

You set the supported file types for your handheld in the handheld sync options, under Tools -> Options -> Handheld.  Select your handheld from the top drop-down, and then go under Files, Paths, & More and change the Supported Types from "*" to the extensions you need.  It is a semi-colon delimited list.  So something like this would work well for an iPod:

Code: [Select]

mp3;mp4;m4a;m4v;m4b;m4r;m4p;jpg
The HiFiMAN supports FLAC and other formats though, so you'd want to use your own list.

[walfredo]

Thanks so much for stepping in, glynor.

Converting unprotected M4A files to MP3 should work fine in MC, so long as you can play the M4A files back correctly.  However, please note that you CANNOT be using Quicktime as the playback engine.  You need to be using DirectShow to play the M4A files.  You can tell easily which is active if your visualizers work when you're playing the files back in MC (no Visualizers mean Quicktime's engine is active).

So, what is "DirectShow" and "visualizers"?  I searched the forum and wikis and found no reference to them. :-(  Sorry my noobiness.

The easiest way to solve this, if you have the issue, is to install CCCP.

I downloaded and installed it.  But the problem remains the same. :-(

You set the supported file types for your handheld in the handheld sync options, under Tools -> Options -> Handheld.  Select your handheld from the top drop-down, and then go under Files, Paths, & More and change the Supported Types from "*" to the extensions you need.  It is a semi-colon delimited list.  So something like this would work well for an iPod:

Code: [Select]

mp3;mp4;m4a;m4v;m4b;m4r;m4p;jpg

Cool.  Is there a way to say that my player supports flac only when it is a 44.1K file, and that otherwise I need conversion.

The HiFiMAN supports FLAC and other formats though, so you'd want to use your own list.

[Nilsi]

Thanks to you Glynor,

just by accident I stumbled over this post...and it solved one of my major issues, which was how to convert *.m4a type files into *.mp3 within MC, for MC wasn't doing it. Now I know why.

Thanks again, saved me a lot of "external" conversion, which I have almost started!

Converting unprotected M4A files to MP3 should work fine in MC, so long as you can play the M4A files back correctly.  However, please note that you CANNOT be using Quicktime as the playback engine.  You need to be using DirectShow to play the M4A files.  You can tell easily which is active if your visualizers work when you're playing the files back in MC (no Visualizers mean Quicktime's engine is active).

The easiest way to solve this, if you have the issue, is to install CCCP.

You set the supported file types for your handheld in the handheld sync options, under Tools -> Options -> Handheld.  Select your handheld from the top drop-down, and then go under Files, Paths, & More and change the Supported Types from "*" to the extensions you need.  It is a semi-colon delimited list.  So something like this would work well for an iPod:

Code: [Select]

mp3;mp4;m4a;m4v;m4b;m4r;m4p;jpg
The HiFiMAN supports FLAC and other formats though, so you'd want to use your own list.

[walfredo]

So, how I can use DirectShow?

[JimH]

Please read the wiki articles:
MP4 and M4A
DirectShow Guide