INTERACT FORUM

More => Old Versions => Media Center 13 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: sunfire7 on May 17, 2009, 01:20:42 pm

Title: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: sunfire7 on May 17, 2009, 01:20:42 pm
When Sync or converting to aac/m4a/mp4 with an external converter, the output files are tagless, because mc dont have aac native support yet, a workaround can be done to have proper tagged files after sync or convert:

if we send to the external encoder the file, "as is" eg, sending the flac file instead sending a tagless wav, the external encoder could handle and write the tags for us.

Please tell me if im wrong or any comments specially from developers would be appreciated
Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: sunfire7 on May 21, 2009, 10:56:54 pm
Did anybody got what i mean? any comment?  ?
Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: JimH on May 22, 2009, 07:26:01 am
I assume you're trying to work with an iPod.  MP3 would work better.

Apple makes it difficult for other developers, so we're not going to support everything they do.
Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: sunfire7 on May 22, 2009, 10:56:00 am
Hi ! Im not using an ipod  :), im suggesting this because is a solution of aac tags without you develope or implement hard things  :).
I would appreciate a checkbox in external encoder, "pass the file to external encoder as is".  In this way the external encoder could read the tags in the original file and take care of it on the outputed file.

PS. Sorry for offtopic, but im planning to buy mc 13, if i buy now, the licence will be valid for upcoming v14? or should i wait until v14 released to buy ? thank you !
Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: JimH on May 22, 2009, 11:03:44 am
Build 170 on the MC13 board delivers an MC14 license.

When you send any file to an external encoder, it is the encoder that will decide whether to preserve tags (if present).

On AAC files, MC doesn't write the tag.  You may have data in MC database, but not in the file's tag.
Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: sunfire7 on May 22, 2009, 06:17:11 pm
Build 170 on the MC13 board delivers an MC14 license.

then if i buy now will be valid for mc14? ;D

When you send any file to an external encoder, it is the encoder that will decide whether to preserve tags (if present).
im not so sure about this, because I try many times with dbpoweramp:

opening a cmd window, and convert a flac to m4a with dbpoweramp commandline, the output m4a is correctly tagged (even with album art).
then use the same commands in "external encoder" on mc13, and the outputed file has no tags, something is happening there!  I firstly went to dbpoweramp forums to report this, but after some test that we made, we discovered the problem was mc13. 

JimH : Can we test to find out what is going on there?
Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: sunfire7 on May 27, 2009, 12:13:36 am
JimH?
Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: sunfire7 on July 06, 2009, 11:35:46 pm
can someone help me here?
Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: Matt on July 07, 2009, 08:50:55 am
Again, Media Center can not write M4A tags.  We recommend using a less proprietary format.
Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: bob on July 07, 2009, 09:56:56 am
The external encoder should work the same as the command line program (because that's what it is).

This assumes the following:
1) The .flac file has the tags IN THE FILE (not just in the MC database).
2) The command line is EXACTLY the same. Don't pass parameters on the external encoder command line that you don't use when you do the same thing from a windows command prompt.
3) There is no other program doing some kind of post processing that you aren't telling us about when you use dbpoweramp from a windows command prompt.
Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: Alex B on July 07, 2009, 10:21:42 am
The external encoder should work the same as the command line program (because that's what it is)...

The external program's input is always a decoded temporary wave file without tags. If MC cannot tag the end format tagging is not possible.

For instance, MP3 tagging works with the external encoder because MC can use the standard tagging component.

It would be nice if MC could pass some tags through the command line using a parameter passing scheme. It wouldn't need to be a complete system that can tag any library field. For many users the common basic tags would be enough.

It was last discussed here: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=50290
Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: bob on July 07, 2009, 10:36:49 am
Right Alex, I had a memory glitch :(
Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: bob on July 07, 2009, 11:24:55 am
A relatively easy fix (at least for this situation) would be if there was an option with the external encoder for just passing the file as is instead of converting it to a temporary wave file. Are you certain that the dbpoweramp command line can actually read the flac tags?
Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: sunfire7 on July 07, 2009, 11:28:55 am
The external program's input is always a decoded temporary wave file without tags. If MC cannot tag the end format tagging is not possible.

yes! thats why im asking a checkbox in external encoder options to switch between "send a wave without tags to the external encoder" and "send the input file as is to the external encoder".  This way dbpoweramp will write all the tags, even the cover art.

a parameter passing scheme will be good too

A relatively easy fix (at least for this situation) would be if there was an option with the external encoder for just passing the file as is instead of converting it to a temporary wave file. Are you certain that the dbpoweramp command line can actually read the flac tags?

that is just what im asking, and yes, im completely sure that dbpoweramp can handle the flac tags just perfect, i can share my commandline to try it yourself =D
Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: bob on July 07, 2009, 03:51:18 pm
that is just what im asking, and yes, im completely sure that dbpoweramp can handle the flac tags just perfect, i can share my commandline to try it yourself =D
I'm messing with dbpa. I'd like to see an example of your command line encode.
Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: bob on July 07, 2009, 04:39:32 pm
Dbpa seems to not pass the command line options through to underlying encoder properly. if I put the option -q .65 on the end it still uses the default (I'm doing this at a command prompt). coreconverter.exe doesn't seem to pass the options through to the neroaac encoder. If I run the same flac file through the GUI it will convert it properly. Also, from a command prompt it give a tagging error at the conclusion though the resulting .m4a audio file seems fine otherwise. I'd like to see a line you can use from the command prompt that works for both q and tagging.
Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: sunfire7 on July 08, 2009, 02:29:30 am
Dbpa seems to not pass the command line options through to underlying encoder properly. if I put the option -q .65 on the end it still uses the default (I'm doing this at a command prompt). coreconverter.exe doesn't seem to pass the options through to the neroaac encoder. If I run the same flac file through the GUI it will convert it properly. Also, from a command prompt it give a tagging error at the conclusion though the resulting .m4a audio file seems fine otherwise. I'd like to see a line you can use from the command prompt that works for both q and tagging.

i firstly did the same as you, later i browse dbpa forums and found correct way to put parameters:

my commandline:
Code: [Select]
-infile=%IN -outfile=%OUT -convert_to="m4a Nero (AAC)" -cli_encoder="C:\Program Files (x86)\Illustrate\dBpoweramp\encoder\m4a Nero (AAC)\neroAacEnc.exe" -cli_cmd="-q .60 -ignorelength -if - -of {qt}[outfile]{qt}"

of course change the "%IN" with the input flac and "%OUT" with the wanted output file ,and erase the (x86) from program files if needed and change wanted -q

eg
Code: [Select]
coreconverter.exe -infile="D:\SunFire\Musica\Michael Jackson\Thriller\05. Michael Jackson - Beat It.flac" -outfile="D:\Ripped Music\test.m4a" -convert_to="m4a Nero (AAC)" -cli_encoder="C:\Program Files (x86)\Illustrate\dBpoweramp\encoder\m4a Nero (AAC)\neroAacEnc.exe" -cli_cmd="-q .60 -ignorelength -if - -of {qt}[outfile]{qt}"

result file is quality correct and properly tagged, with cover art.
"Writing ID Tags: Done
Conversion completed in 18.7 seconds x13 realtime encoding"

Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: bob on July 08, 2009, 03:04:27 pm
Thanks, I'll give it a try as soon as I get a chance.
Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: sunfire7 on July 14, 2009, 01:54:26 pm
any news bob?
Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: sunfire7 on July 16, 2009, 12:22:13 am
I think he said that because of apple and its "obstacles" to other developers  :(
Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: bob on July 16, 2009, 12:47:19 pm
any news bob?
Pushed back a bit because of server tasks.
Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: bob on July 30, 2009, 05:41:01 pm
I think I've got it going but dbpa won't let me do command line encodes any more. I think it must have timed out some demo mode. It now says: Only DBpoweramp Reference supports command line encoding
Title: Re: Please avoid MC break aac/m4a/mp4 tags
Post by: sunfire7 on August 10, 2009, 01:55:34 am
++++++++++++++++++++++
14.0.46 (08/05/2009)
7. NEW: Option added for the external encoder for format conversion to present the file being converted as-is in whatever format it was originally instead of being converted to a temporary wave file first.
++++++++++++++++++++++

Thank you !!!!