INTERACT FORUM
More => Old Versions => Media Jukebox => Topic started by: jaysss on August 29, 2004, 01:32:37 am
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In the 'History' for MJ 8 it says re v. 8.0.311 (6/26/02): "Added support for ACM codec compressed wav files (ATRAC, etc.)." Does that mean I can import and play Sony ATRAC3 (.omg) files with MJ 8? (The ATRAC3 codec is installed on my system in 'Audio Codecs'.) Second question (not so critical, but desirable): can I then convert them to wav or mp3?
Background: I've been using MJ 7.2.280 (Plus) on Windows XP since 2002. I recently acquired a lot of ATRAC3 files that I'd like to import and play in MJ, but it isn't possible with my current version. I was finally able to import and play a test file by fudging it -- changing the file extension from ".omg" to ".mpa" (".wm" and ".snd" also work) -- but the sound quality is inferior and the EQ, DSP, and visualizations don't work (i.e., it behaves as if the input is analog rather than digital). I know it's not using ACM because the fudged file will play even when all Windows ACM codecs are disabled (in 'Device Manager - Sound, Video, and Game Controllers - Audio Codecs') . The sound quality is OK on Sony's Sonic Stage and even Windows Media Player, but I hate those programs and want to integrate my whole music library in MJ. There are no ATRAC input or encoder plugins on the MJ or Winamp sites. I don't mind not being able to edit and save tag info (I can do that in Sonic Stage) or convert them to other formats (which even SS won't do -- see below), but I'd minimally like to import and play them (hopefully also import the tag info so I don't have to re-enter everything in my MJ library).
(FYI, it's well known and documented on various forums that Sony provides no way to convert ATRAC to any other format -- otherwise I'd just convert them to MP3 , or to WAV then MP3, which is what I want to do! Nor have I found any 3rd-party software that will do it, other than by recording from the sound card, which produces atrocious results quality-wise. I've done extensive internet research and there are a LOT of people out there with the same problem and complaints against Sony.)
Can someone using MJ 8 or the current version of MC please tell me if it works with ATRAC files? Or, if someone at JRiver is reading this, will it work if I upgrade to MJ 8, or is there an update to MJ 7 that will add ACM support? Thanks!
Jay
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Sony's ATRAC format is their own and they don't share. I don't think anything we make will play them or convert them. Maybe some day.