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More => Old Versions => Media Center 11 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: Cheburashka on February 27, 2006, 10:27:39 pm

Title: MC 11 not reading iTunes tagged files
Post by: Cheburashka on February 27, 2006, 10:27:39 pm
MediaCenter seems to be ignoring ID3v2.4 tags, and only reading ID3v1.1 tags on my system.  I can't figure out for the life of me why this would be; I've tried removing 1.1 tags, having iTunes reconvert the tags to 2.4, and checking the tags in Easy Tagger to make sure they're really there (they are).

Does anyone have suggestions?

The only wrinkle I can think of is that the files are stored on a network drive.
Title: Re: MC 11 not reading iTunes tagged files
Post by: Matt on February 27, 2006, 10:43:13 pm
Please try the latest MC 11.1 (build 130 right now) from the top of this board.  Also, try a local file (instead of a network file).

If that doesn't fix or explain it, could you send a sample file to matt @ jriver.com?

Thanks.
Title: Re: MC 11 not reading iTunes tagged files
Post by: Cheburashka on February 28, 2006, 05:46:25 pm
Matt, did you receive the file I sent?
Title: Re: MC 11 not reading iTunes tagged files
Post by: Matt on February 28, 2006, 05:52:19 pm
Matt, did you receive the file I sent?

No, nothing made it through.  Maybe try to put the file in a zip.

Thanks.
Title: Re: MC 11 not reading iTunes tagged files
Post by: Cheburashka on February 28, 2006, 05:55:20 pm
I will try; its going to be large either way though.

One additional piece of information:  Why I try the "File Properties->File Info" trick, MC doesn't show _any_ v2 tag.  Other programs (EasyTagger, iTunes) do show 2.4 tags.
Title: Re: MC 11 not reading iTunes tagged files
Post by: Matt on February 28, 2006, 06:15:18 pm
Currently MC supports ID3v2.3 tags, but not ID3v2.4 tags.

A future version of MC will likely add support for either format.  You'll have much broader support if you stick with ID3v2.3 tags.
Title: Re: MC 11 not reading iTunes tagged files
Post by: Alex B on February 28, 2006, 06:23:10 pm
If this helps anything, iTunes has a right-click convert to v.2.3 function. You can select all files in iTunes and make a mass conversion.

I think ID3v2.3 is quite adequate.
Title: Re: MC 11 not reading iTunes tagged files
Post by: Cheburashka on February 28, 2006, 07:18:03 pm
I have a lot of files with special characters and other languages.  2.3 would also mean it would take forever to tag and retag files since they're on a network drive.  Switching to 2.3 would be a real inconvenience. 

Every other mp3-accessing program in my arsenal has no problem with 2.4 tags, so if something's gotta go, its gotta be jriver.

That's a shame, since the software seems well-featured; when you say a "future version" will support 2.4, is that like next month, or like "maybe sometime."
Title: Re: MC 11 not reading iTunes tagged files
Post by: glynor on February 28, 2006, 10:39:09 pm
That's a shame, since the software seems well-featured; when you say a "future version" will support 2.4, is that like next month, or like "maybe sometime."

Generally if Matt says they're going to add something, it gets added with relative speed (just look at the daily build lists of changes for an idea of how responsive they are).

However, upgrading the ID3 tag support would (I am completely speculating here) probably have to wait until version 12.  They are currently finishing up a point release to version 11, when that's done they'll take a week or so off to party and then it'll be back at it.

If it really is a deal breaker, I'd check back in a couple of months.  This really is a worthwhile program (I haven't found anything close for flexibility and organizational prowess).
Title: Re: MC 11 not reading iTunes tagged files
Post by: Matt on March 02, 2006, 01:07:35 pm
Tonight's build of MC 11.1 will support ID3v2.4 tags.
Title: Re: MC 11 not reading iTunes tagged files
Post by: Alex B on March 02, 2006, 05:05:07 pm
Great support, thanks!

However, I think MC should write ID3v2.3 if 2.4 is not already present (or have a selectable option).

It seems that MC writes only v2.4. This breaks backwards compatibility with earlier MC versions. Also, many other programs and HW devices cannot read v.2.4.
Title: Re: MC 11 not reading iTunes tagged files
Post by: glynor on March 02, 2006, 08:20:50 pm
Wow.  I guess my speculation was wrong!
Title: Re: MC 11 not reading iTunes tagged files
Post by: Matt on March 02, 2006, 08:25:37 pm
Great support, thanks!

However, I think MC should write ID3v2.3 if 2.4 is not already present (or have a selectable option).

It seems that MC writes only v2.4. This breaks backwards compatibility with earlier MC versions. Also, many other programs and HW devices cannot read v.2.4.

Agreed.  We'll change this next build.
Title: Re: MC 11 not reading iTunes tagged files
Post by: Cheburashka on March 03, 2006, 02:24:10 pm
Actuallyl, I think this HAS to be a configuration option.

The problem is that iTunes seems to _always_ write 2.4, and that it (and possibly other software) will under some circumstances write a second set of v2 tags.
Title: Re: MC 11 not reading iTunes tagged files
Post by: Alex B on March 04, 2006, 04:57:54 am
Here is an interesting discussion about the v2.3 vs v2.4 issues at the Mp3tag forum:
http://www.anytag.de/forums/index.php?showtopic=3116.
(Mp3tag is a nice freeware tagging tool.)
Title: Re: MC 11 not reading iTunes tagged files
Post by: Cheburashka on March 04, 2006, 11:03:29 pm
There was some interesting info in that forum.

In any event, as of the MC build supporting multiple sets of v2.4 tags, the bulk of the problematic files are now being recognized by MC.

This leaves two categories of problematic files:

1. A set of about 60 files (from which all tags have been stripped) which play in WinAmp, but not in iTunes of JRiver.

2. A set of about 30 files (with 2.3 UTF-8 tags) which work correctly in JRiver, but which iTunes refuses to import.

Can you help with either issue?