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Author Topic: Can't convert audio to Windows Media  (Read 8982 times)

madbrain

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Can't convert audio to Windows Media
« on: January 23, 2017, 04:26:31 am »

All my conversions to Windows Media fail, regardless of whether I'm targetting lossles, CBR or VBR mode.
The conversion instantly ends with "Conversion complete".
When I click on details, all I get is "Failed" for each file I'm trying to convert.
Conversions to all other formats seem to work.
What could be the problem ? I'm on Windows 10 x64 Pro.

It doesn't seem to matter what the source format is, just the target format being Windows Media.
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ferday

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CountryBumkin

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Re: Can't convert audio to Windows Media
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2017, 05:09:10 am »

If by Windows Media you mean WMA, then it has been discussed here in several threads now.

Here's the short of it:

The Windows 10 anniversary update (aka Windows 10 version 1607 OR build 14393.xx) introduced a bug that results in failures in WMA/WMV encoding.

The only known workaround is to copy "WMVCORE.DLL" and "WMVENCOD.DLL" from the "system32" ("sysWOW64" on Windows x64) folder in Windows 10 version 1511 into the Media Center installation folder and restart so that those files are used in WMA encoding.

from this thread http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,106365.0.html
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madbrain

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Re: Can't convert audio to Windows Media
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2017, 05:43:57 am »

If by Windows Media you mean WMA, then it has been discussed here in serval threads now.

Here's the short of it:

The Windows 10 anniversary update (aka Windows 10 version 1607 OR build 14393.xx) introduced a bug that results in failures in WMA/WMV encoding.

The only known workaround is to copy "WMVCORE.DLL" and "WMVENCOD.DLL" from the "system32" ("sysWOW64" on Windows x64) folder in Windows 10 version 1511 into the Media Center installation folder and restart so that those files are used in WMA encoding.

from this thread http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,106365.0.html

:-(
I don't have Win10 version 1511, so I could not get those files . All my machines are on the anniversary update.

Any chance of working around this bug in MC ?

FYI, I'm trying to target WMA to play in my 2015 Chevrolet Volt . The only other file formats supported by the car are MP3 and AAC. AAC doesn't seem to be offered natively in MC22 as an option. MP3 does work.
I was hoping to try a lossless format. WMA lossless was reported to fail in the 2011 model of the car, but nobody has reported on it since.
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astromo

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Re: Can't convert audio to Windows Media
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2017, 06:14:29 am »

AAC doesn't seem to be offered natively in MC22 as an option.

When did MC not play AAC?

To be clear, I think you mean that MC doesn't natively encode AAC. However you can employ a standalone encoder via the external encoder functionality:
  Tools > Options > Encoding > Encoder: External Encoder

Then click on ... Encoder settings ...

Filename: [Location\Filename_External_Encoder.exe]
Parameters: [Refer external encoder guidance]
Extension: m4a
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marko

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Re: Can't convert audio to Windows Media
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2017, 10:19:32 am »

I put a link to the files you need in this thread here...
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,107514.msg746865.html#msg746865

patented_licks

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Re: Can't convert audio to Windows Media
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2017, 02:00:23 am »

I used lossless WMA for years until it broke in MC (a bug in the program, albeit engendered by a change in the anniversary edition of the OS). Since then have happily gone to flac without issue. (WMA still plays.) Which I would recommend. I do not recommend the supposed fix to get WMA working, as it is problematic (and who knows when it will break).

Keep in mind that MC can translate from one audio format to another in transferring to a portable device.

If you have a auxiliary jack in your car, you may want to get a Fiio X1. It has worked quite well for me. It has two output modes: one for headphones, another (stronger one) for amped output.
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Awesome Donkey

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Re: Can't convert audio to Windows Media
« Reply #7 on: January 25, 2017, 05:44:09 am »

If you're using lossless WMA files, I also recommend converting them to another format like FLAC or APE. At least in the case with APE, you'll know it'll always work in MC - I'd be highly surprised if it ever broke! ;)
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madbrain

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Re: Can't convert audio to Windows Media
« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2017, 01:31:15 am »

I put a link to the files you need in this thread here...
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,107514.msg746865.html#msg746865

Thanks. I followed the thread, but do not see a link to the actual files needed. Your post says to copy certain files from Windows 10 version 1511 . I don't have any such machine to copy the files from, unfortunately .
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madbrain

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Re: Can't convert audio to Windows Media
« Reply #9 on: February 20, 2017, 01:34:50 am »

If you have a auxiliary jack in your car, you may want to get a Fiio X1. It has worked quite well for me. It has two output modes: one for headphones, another (stronger one) for amped output.

The auxiliary jack in the car is already in use by a physical CD player. My husband is the car's main driver and has a 15,000 CD collection that has not been ripped yet. And probably never will be. It would require 2 TB in lossy format, 6TB in lossless. And 1,500 hours to rip and title. These are non-CDDB titles from the most part.
The car's built-in media player has a 10,000 files limit which is pretty stupid. Not too different than most cars, unfortunately.

I really do want get WMA lossless to format. I wonder if the car might support WMA format in 5.1. I'd love to try converting some SACD to that format.
So far, I'm completely with stuck with JRiver media center.
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madbrain

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Re: Can't convert audio to Windows Media
« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2017, 01:37:27 am »

If you're using lossless WMA files, I also recommend converting them to another format like FLAC or APE. At least in the case with APE, you'll know it'll always work in MC - I'd be highly surprised if it ever broke! ;)

My collection is currently in FLAC and I'm looking to convert it to WMA lossless due to car. The 2015 Volt only supports Windows Media for lossless, no APE or FLAC. The new 2017 Bolt we purchased on 1/26 also only supports WMA lossless, no APE or FLAC. I think the Bolt may support lossless WAV, but that's twice the space and no metadata. I don't think I will be able to convince GM to add FLAC support in this 2017 model Chevrolet Bolt car, much less to the 2015 Volt.

Maybe they'll have some future models of cars that support it, but I hope to keep those 2 cars for many years. I sure hope the WMA issue between JRiver and Microsoft gets fixed. This is really vexing. Really makes me wish I had tried this WMA conversion before paying for the MC22 upgrade 5 days before I discovered this problem and less than 2 weeks before buying a second car that supports Windows Media. But just to be clear, the car decision wouldn't be driven by which formats it supports - the choice of computer media player/converter computer software is, however. I hope JRiver & Microsoft can resolve this ASAP.
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Awesome Donkey

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Re: Can't convert audio to Windows Media
« Reply #11 on: February 20, 2017, 05:38:56 am »

It's up to Microsoft to fix the issue. marko already posted the files you needed in the other topic to get conversion working again - just look for the link located in the word here.
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madbrain

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Re: Can't convert audio to Windows Media
« Reply #12 on: February 20, 2017, 05:58:32 am »

It's up to Microsoft to fix the issue. marko already posted the files you needed in the other topic to get conversion working again - just look for the link located in the word here.

Would you please be so kind as to actually post the download URL for those files ?
There is no link in your post. I searched the other topic linked by marko above, and didn't see a download URL in his post either.
Never mind, I found it! I need to get more sleep.

I'm sure there has been some sort of change by Microsoft that affects JRiver Media Center. However, I have other non-MS programs that are still able to output Windows Media - Cyberlink PowerDirector 14 is one. I'm running an encode right now without any issue. It's an audio/video encode, though, not audio-only, and the program only offers a set of fixed profiles, not including lossless - I don't think they offer lossless for video. Is Windows Media only broken for Audio in JRiver Media center ?
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madbrain

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Re: Can't convert audio to Windows Media
« Reply #13 on: February 20, 2017, 06:39:52 am »

So, I tried it with those files. Converting a stereo FLAC to WMA lossless worked fine with, and this WMA lossles file plays fine in the 2017 Bolt.

I also tried converting a 5.1 track track from an SACD . It looks like Media Center created a stereo file out of it. I didn't see any option for 5.1 . This particular WMA stereo file does not play in the car, strangely. It doesn't even show up at all - the file is skipped in the 2017 Bolt.

I also downloaded a 5.1 WMA file (not lossless) which plays file in Media Center. This file does not play in the 2017 Bolt either, it is skipped too.

Haven't tried in the 2015 Volt yet. Need to use different USB sticks and different file systems. Misplaced the smaller stick, will try tomorrow.

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JimH

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Re: Can't convert audio to Windows Media
« Reply #14 on: February 20, 2017, 06:56:34 am »

WMA files (zipped)

Thanks, Marko.
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madbrain

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Re: Can't convert audio to Windows Media
« Reply #15 on: February 26, 2017, 05:01:47 am »

WMA files (zipped)

Thanks, Marko.

Thanks - sorry for not seeing the obvious earlier.

I finally found my smaller USB stick which is FAT32 and works in both of our cars - 2015 Volt and 2017 Bolt .

Both can play Windows media lossless stereo files, so that is great news. The Volt even shows the case artwork on the display.

The Volt cannot play WMA 5.1 files at all (which JRiver doesn't encode currently) . The Bolt can play them, but only left and right channels.

One WMA encoding that I made with JRiver from an SACD had a bit rate that was apparently too high for the Volt to handle - I kept getting dropouts in the sound. I think the decoder couldn't keep up. No such issue in the Volt.

I think I will just keep the SACDs in ISO format for now.
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madbrain

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Re: Can't convert audio to Windows Media
« Reply #16 on: September 21, 2020, 08:45:05 pm »

Hi Jim,

Thanks - sorry for not seeing the obvious earlier.

I finally found my smaller USB stick which is FAT32 and works in both of our cars - 2015 Volt and 2017 Bolt .

Both can play Windows media lossless stereo files, so that is great news. The Volt even shows the case artwork on the display.

The Volt cannot play WMA 5.1 files at all (which JRiver doesn't encode currently) . The Bolt can play them, but only left and right channels.

One WMA encoding that I made with JRiver from an SACD had a bit rate that was apparently too high for the Volt to handle - I kept getting dropouts in the sound. I think the decoder couldn't keep up. No such issue in the Volt.

I think I will just keep the SACDs in ISO format for now.

I think those files are 64-bit DLLs . I need the 32-bit DLLs as I'm now using MC 32-bit due to a problem betweenn my soundcard drivers  and MC-64 bit. Do you know where I can get the 32-bit version ? My music collection is still all WMA due to cars.
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