INTERACT FORUM
More => Old Versions => Media Center 12 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: RedJ on February 06, 2008, 02:03:55 pm
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I have a bunch of WMAs from online stores that use that format, as well as a period when I was ripping to that format (different topic). In the Windows OS, MP3s display tag information such as BPM but WMAs do not. Given that WMAs are a Microsoft format, this is a bit surprising to me. All my WMAs are DRM free, so they are writable.
Does MC write this information to WMAs? Can WMAs store this information in their tag? Is there a list of tags that are and aren't embedded to WMAs by MC? It's really nice, BTW, that MC ratings are now visible to the OS.
I really don't want to convert all my WMAs to MP3 as the solution to this. Aside from the fidelity problems of converting one compressed format to another, it would be nicer to leave sleeping dogs lay.
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I don't think that MC writes to the tags when the file is protected by DRM, as those files are.
It does store tag information in the MC library.
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Jim,
Thank you for a reply, but all my WMAs are DRM free, so they are completely writable (I can change some of their tags inside of MC and the rest outside of MC). I have actually even been able to change the tags of protected WMAs through Windows Explorer.
I think what's happening is that MC is storing some tags (such as BPM) differently than the way Windows reads them. If MC would write the tags redundantly to its location and to the Windows-specific locations, I think the problem would probably be resolved.
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I have a bunch of WMAs from online stores that use that format ...
All the WMA online stores I know about also use WM DRM.
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Most of my WMAs are ripped from CDs. I don't know what else to say other than I assure you that I actually do have a large number of DRM-free WMAs.
My observation is that WMAs have some tags visible to the Windows OS (such as BPM) that MC doesn't put where Windows is looking for it. Other tags in the same WMAs are written to by MC in a way that the OS sees (such as Name, Artist, and now Rating). I'm suggesting/requesting that MC write those tags in the Windows standard location (which may mean writing some tags to multiple locations in order to not break current MC functionality.)
BTW, I am able to change tags on protected WMAs as well. I just did a simple test:
1) In MC, did a search for a protected WMA.
2) Located the same WMA in explorer and compared tags to ensure they matched.
3) Changed the Genre and Rating inside MC
4) Changes from MC were immediately reflected in the explorer view.
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I actually do have a large number of DRM-free WMAs
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Question: If You Had A WMA File, How Can You Tell If It Is DRM Free?
If i remember correctly Once upon a time if you ripped a file to wma and you did not go to the settings menu, Windows media player always made it a protected wma.
I Just Checked The Option Now Is Called [X] Copy Protect Music.
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MC writes BPM to a JR/BPM field. WMP writes BPM to a WM/BeatsPerMinute field
Also the disc number is stored differently: WM/PartOfSet vs. JR/Disc#
Here's a tag dump:
Audio Codec: Windows Media Audio 9
Format: 192 kbps, 44 kHz, stereo 2-pass VBR
Protected: No
Seekable: Yes
Trusted: No
WMA Tag dump:
Signature_Name:
Title: Contrapuntus 1
Author: Grigory Sokolov
Description: CD1
WMFSDKVersion: 9.00.00.2980
WMFSDKNeeded: 0.0.0.0000
WM/Year: 2000
WM/ToolName: Media Center
WM/ToolVersion: 12.0.439
WM/AlbumTitle: J.S. Bach - Die Kunst der Fuge
WM/Genre: Classical
WM/TrackNumber: 1
WM/PartOfSet: 1
WM/BeatsPerMinute: 111
WM/Composer: J. S. Bach
WM/AlbumArtist: Grigory Sokolov
JR/Disc#: 1
JR/Date: 36526
JR/PeakLevel: 0,5525500178337097
JR/BPM: 111
JR/ReplayGain: -3,1770401000976562
JR/Intensity: 1
JR/Encoder: WMA9,VBR192
Duration: 1871330000
Bitrate: 195535
Seekable: Yes
Stridable: No
Broadcast: No
Is_Protected: No
Is_Trusted: No
HasAudio: Yes
HasImage: No
HasScript: No
HasVideo: No
CurrentBitrate: 191345
OptimalBitrate: 191345
HasAttachedImages: No
Can_Skip_Backward: No
Can_Skip_Forward: No
FileSize: 4495541
HasArbitraryDataStream: No
HasFileTransferStream: No
WM/ContainerFormat: 1
IsVBR: Yes
ASFLeakyBucketPairs: <unknown data>
I'd suggest changing both tags to use the WMP standard.
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Question: If You Had A WMA File, How Can You Tell If It Is DRM Free?
MC shows it in the tag. Protection Type.
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Ok, I Found It
I Have Two Yahoo Music Files
Protection Type: Subscription
Or
Protection Type: Purchased
Edit: Both Have The WMA Tag "Is_Protected: Yes"
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Also the tag dump can show if a WMA file is protected. The Is_Protected field value can be yes or no.
Here's how the tag dump can be accessed in MC12:
(http://www.pix01.com/gallery/4AD73041-94E6-4810-80BE-EDB7F3274485/format_info_in_AW/image_orig0.jpg)
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a useful tool for converting wma to mps is altoMP3 gold. Comes in a trail version that will convert 3 tracks at a time, or piad up to convert as many as you throw at it. I've used it once or twice and the quality seems to remain OK
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a useful tool for converting wma to mps is altoMP3 gold. Comes in a trail version that will convert 3 tracks at a time, or piad up to convert as many as you throw at it. I've used it once or twice and the quality seems to remain OK
MC can convert WMA files to MP3. However, that is not the topic here.