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Author Topic: Why is MC converting flac to mp3?  (Read 2811 times)

mattkhan

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Why is MC converting flac to mp3?
« on: August 24, 2015, 09:52:50 am »

I have noticed an issue that sounds a lot like http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=88747.0 (which was reported against MC19 on the mac)

I have the same configuration as in that thread, i.e.

Tools → Options → Media Network → Client Options → Audio Conversion is set to "Convert audio if necessary"

The source material is flac
jremote reports that it is playing a flac
audio path says it is playing "44.1kHz 2ch from source format MP3"

the MC library server is running on windows
the MC client is on linux
both are MC21

Interestingly the blue light is lit up on audio path which I think is probably correct to the letter of the law (my MC client is doing nothing to the signal) but not the spirit (there is no manipulation all the way through the signal chain)
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mwillems

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Re: Why is MC converting flac to mp3?
« Reply #1 on: August 24, 2015, 11:22:51 am »

I think there might be a misunderstanding of what that setting does.  My understanding of that setting (based on some testing) is that it will convert any format that isn't the target format ("When necessary"), but will not reconvert files that are already in that format.  That's definitely how it works in the handheld context, even on Windows.

Always convert, by contrast, re-converts all files, even files that already "conform."  If you want native playback of file formats, change the setting to "never convert." On a client running a full MC instance there's usually no reason to have any client setting other than "never convert," as MC can play almost anything. 
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mattkhan

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Re: Why is MC converting flac to mp3?
« Reply #2 on: August 24, 2015, 11:44:57 am »

I had to read that twice to understand what you mean, or what I think you mean anyway :)

do you mean

source format = flac
target format = whatever format you're streaming to your device

source != target therefore it decides it must convert flac to mp3 before it converts it to something that can go out the door to the device

if so, that's quite an odd interpretation of "when necessary" and it's quite an odd default setting (I think it's a default anyway).
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mwillems

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Re: Why is MC converting flac to mp3?
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2015, 02:05:20 pm »

I had to read that twice to understand what you mean, or what I think you mean anyway :)

do you mean

source format = flac
target format = whatever format you're streaming to your device

source != target therefore it decides it must convert flac to mp3 before it converts it to something that can go out the door to the device

Yes that is what I mean (and how I've observed the setting to work). It appears to convert whenever source does not match the specified format. You can watch this in action more easily in the handheld syncing context.

Quote
if so, that's quite an odd interpretation of "when necessary" and it's quite an odd default setting (I think it's a default anyway).

It is the default, and it is odd.  It's on my very short list of MC default settings that I immediately change on every install (along with trimming leading and trailing silence by default, and one or two other things)

I think it's a backport of the language from the handheld context where that reading of "when necessary" makes more sense (as the capabilities of the target device aren't necessarily known).
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bob

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Re: Why is MC converting flac to mp3?
« Reply #4 on: August 25, 2015, 02:31:51 pm »

In the context of DLNA, "when necessary" means when the file is not mp3 or l16. These 2 formats are supported by all DLNA devices (l16 is a mandatory requirement).
We don't use the devices sourceprotocolinfo field for a few reasons:
1) It's often not accurate
2) It's not verbose enough to describe all of the possible acceptable formats.
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