INTERACT FORUM

More => Old Versions => Media Center 11 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: rcwoll on September 24, 2003, 12:44:13 pm

Title: Plea for AAC/MP4
Post by: rcwoll on September 24, 2003, 12:44:13 pm
I know you've heard it before, but as the proud owner of a license I feel I now have the right to make my vote count too.
Please consider adding mp4/aac support to MC 9.  I have invested tons of time and some money in making it my program of choice for ipoding.  But I cannot use a large portion of my collection without this featue.  Thanks for you consideration.
Title: Re: Plea for AAC/MP4
Post by: JimH on September 24, 2003, 12:48:15 pm
My understanding is that the iPod uses a "special" encrypted AAC, so it wouldn't make any difference if we did support it.  Only Apple can read and write the files.

If this is the case, it's a little mis-leading to call the format AAC.

It might be possible to convert from AAC by using the Winamp input plug-in, and save to another format in a separate library.



Title: Re: Plea for AAC/MP4
Post by: Kurt Young on September 24, 2003, 12:52:01 pm
Jim,

Would it be of any assistance to y'all if you had a sample song from the iTunes Music Store to experiment with?  I'd gladly fire up my mac and throw $.99 at Apple if the song would be of any help.  Let me know, sir -- justanotherordinaryjoe at msn dot com


(of course, I'd get to pick out which song,  ;D)
Title: Re: Plea for AAC/MP4
Post by: rcwoll on September 24, 2003, 01:16:07 pm
I guess I didn't make it very clear in the post, but it's not just ipod use that is important to me (and probably lots of others).
I also want to play both files (mp3 and mp4/AAC) on my home network.
Title: Re: Plea for AAC/MP4
Post by: Doug183 on September 24, 2003, 01:41:48 pm
First of all, let me clear up some confusion.

The Ipod - does not use "encrypted" AAC files.  You are confusing this with the Apple I-Tunes store, which has a policy of after buying a song (In AAC format) you can only put it on three machines.  There is some encryption there to keep the 3-song limit, and I am not even sure it is encryption, but the point is made.

So AAC is just a format, MPEG-4, the same audio format used on DVD's.

Now I understand there is a licensing fee for AAC and apparently is too high to be incorporated in MC9.  To bad, as a Mac User, I see it on my Friend's window XP machine and think it is a marvelous program.

That said, there is no great reason for MC9 not to be able to see AAC files both with .MP4 and .M4A extensions (PC and Mac)  and download them to the IPOD even if MC9 itself can not play them.  

My vote is to have this addressed as soon as possible.

Doug
Title: Re: Plea for AAC/MP4
Post by: MachineHead on September 24, 2003, 03:08:45 pm
Why don't you guys just offer a free version to anyone who will port  faad to MC? Hell, I'll buy it for someone if they do it. Simple. They get a great program, the rest of the world gets a great plugin. Your hands are 'clean'.

Afterall, you just cannot control what the rest of the world comes up with as far as plugins are concerned.  ;D
Title: Re: Plea for AAC/MP4
Post by: kiwi on September 24, 2003, 03:12:58 pm
What's the advantage to AAC files?  I'm seen that the iPods now support them.
Title: Re: Plea for AAC/MP4
Post by: Kurt Young on September 24, 2003, 03:23:46 pm
Quote
What's the advantage to AAC files?  I'm seen that the iPods now support them.


I believe that the advantage for Apple was that .aac can accept their digital rights controls better than .mp3 could.

The advantage for most everyone else is smaller file size when compared to a like .mp3
Title: Re: Plea for AAC/MP4
Post by: Sauzee on September 24, 2003, 10:17:04 pm
I've heard great things about the AAC format.  Haven't tried it myself yet but I do know that Nero 6 includes it as the main audio file compression option.

So it will probably become more widely used in non Mac circles.
Title: Re: Plea for AAC/MP4
Post by: MachineHead on September 26, 2003, 03:49:59 pm
Interesting read about licensing issues and how another software company may get around them.

hint.....
(http://doc.hydrogenaudio.org/Members/JohnV/IBC%202003/IBC2003/view)
Title: Re: Plea for AAC/MP4
Post by: Galley on September 26, 2003, 09:34:48 pm
Quote
First of all, let me clear up some confusion.

So AAC is just a format, MPEG-4, the same audio format used on DVD's.

Doug


DVD uses Dolby Digital PCM audio
Title: Re: Plea for AAC/MP4
Post by: Galley on September 26, 2003, 09:36:10 pm
Quote
I've heard great things about the AAC format.  Haven't tried it myself yet but I do know that Nero 6 includes it as the main audio file compression option.

So it will probably become more widely used in non Mac circles.


Don't forget that the Nero Media Player bundled with Nero 6 can play back AAC files.  Of course, it's a pretty basic player, but surprisingly reads CD-Text as well.
Title: Re: Plea for AAC/MP4
Post by: StoneRoses on September 30, 2003, 08:12:06 am
At least, MC9 should be able to play, tag, and upload non DRM AAC/MP4 files to portable. It is acceptable if MC9 can't play iTunes AAC files.


JimH,

I have about 1-2 thousand AAC files (encoded on Windows PC using Nero, Quicktime and PsyTEL AAC) none of them comes from iTune Music Store. So they are not encrypted and all played fine on my iPod (means iPod and all encoders I used are very complied with the standard).