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[greid]

I have a .WAV file which plays fine in the Media Center player.  I select the file from the play list and go to Tool/Convert Format and start a format conversion to MP3 Encoder (not VBR) at 192KB.  The conversion process completes.  I select the new MP3 file for play.  The play is just static, like a radio not tuned to a station.  How do I fix this problem?  (Note: the file plays as static in MAGIX audio cleaning lab, too.)

Also, I went to another computer which has Media Center Plus 9.0.88.  This problem did not happen on this computer.

[JohnT]

Make sure you have the latest MP3 encoder plugin installed. You can download it from the website.

[greid]

This is not the answer.  I just installed MP3 Encoder - 2.0.53 and got the same result.  The output file also played static in Windows Media Player.  More help please

[JimH]

Try changing some of your playback options.  Direct Sound vs Wave Out, for example.

Try updating your sound card driver.

It isn't the program.

[greid]

Just tried the player setting changes.  No change, the playback still sounds like static.  If it isn't the encoder why would Media Ctr play wav files correctly, MP3 files correctly when the file was not encoded by Media Ctr, and fail to play an MP3 file encoded by Media Ctr.  PLus, the files encoded by Media Ctr also plays the same way on Windows Media Player.  There has to be something wrong with the encoded file.

Plus the following test.  I used 1 of my 20 free encodes on MAGIX audio cleaning lab 3 to encode the same WAV file.  It worked fine...played by Windows Media Player...and played by Media Ctr 9.  Something is messing up your encoder on my system.  Please note that I tried a uninstall/re-install before these last tests.

[Omni]

Go download the lame encoder.  (You can get it here:  http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/extra/LAME/lame3.90.2-ICL.zip.)

For simplicity (since I don't know your background), move the lame.exe program (in the above zip) and your wave file to the same directory.

At a DOS prompt, go to that directory and type:

lame --alt-preset cbr 192 my_song.wav my_song.mp3

(change my_song to whatever the real name is)

Now, can you play that mp3 file and not hear static?  If it plays fine, then something is amiss with your encoder settings inside MC.  If you do hear static, then the wave file is in a format not supported by lame by default, i.e., you may have to add some parameters so it will know how to interpret it.  (More specifically, the wave file may contain extra RIFF blocks that confuse lame.)

Omni

[greid]

Thanks for the help.  I performed the test.  Here is the result.

The lame download encoded the file at the DOS prompt.  The resulting MP3 file could be played by Media Ctr 9.  So this worked ok.

Also, you should know that I RIPed a CD with Media Ctr this morning and it worked fine.  The problem has something to do with WAV files on the C: drive.

However, there continues to be a problem with Media Ctr.  If I do the following:
1. reboot my system for a clean environment
2. start Media Ctr
3. Go to File/Open Media File and select the WAV file that lame just encoded...
4. Media Ctr immediately locks up
5. CTL-ALT-DEL shows Media Ctr as 'Not Responding'
6. Several attempts at End Task is required to make Media Ctr go away.

This looks like a bug to me.

The program in the error report is Media Core.  The error signature info is

szAppName: Media Jukebox.exe  szAppVer: 9.0.148.0 szModName:hungapp
szModVer: 0.0.0.0  offset: 00000000

This stuff is in the error report that gets sent to who knows where.

Please note that Media Ctr does not lock up on every .WAV file.  I cannot yet identify the differences in the files that produce a lock up and those that don't produce the lock up.  However, when Media Ctr does read the .WAV file (and it does play the song correctly), the Convert Format function creates an .MP3 file which is just filled with static.
Gordon

[Omni]

Hmmm.. ya got me stumped.  My only suggestion would be to send (if possible) one of those problem wave files to the folks here at JRiver; but given that they are itching to release their product, they probably wouldn't have time to look at it right now.

What OS are you using?  Under XP, in Windows Explorer, you can right click on the wave file and view its properties.  Under the "Details" tab, if you select "Advanced," it will give you the bit rate, sample rate, # of channels, etc.  Maybe you can spy something odd there.

Omni

Edit/Update:

I'd bet the farm that those wave files are simply in a format MC is not expecting.  Interpreting wave files is an art, not a science.  The RIFF specification, so to speak, allows for numereous things to be embedded, and unfortunately, in varying formats.  Sometimes (MOST TIMES!!!) programmers take short cuts, both when creating wave files and when trying to read them.

Anyway, you can try to "resave" the wave files to a more "expected" format.  Download CoolEdit 2000 (http://www.syntrillium.com/cooledit).  Open the problem wave file, and assuming it is able to read it (it should, but they take shortcuts, too, so maybe not), save it under another name.  Now try your MC experiments with this new wave file.

If the new wave file causes MC no harm, and more importantly, produces a valid MP3 after converting it, then you will need to "resave" all your wave files.  CoolEdit has batch conversion functionality, so this actually would not be too hard.

[Omni]

Out of curiosity, have you tried opening the wave file with MC's Media Editor (under "Tools --> More Tools...")?  If that can't open it, then it's definitely a file format problem.

Omni

[greid]

Ok, I've run a bunch more tests.

Test 1.
Downloaded Cooledit.
Opened the file.
Saved it under a different name.
MC 9 opened and played the new .WAV file correctly.

Test 2.
Opened the offending file with Media Editor, both inside MC 9 via Tools and from outside MC 9 using Media Editor alone.
File opened and played correctly.

Test 3.
Used Click'N Burn Pro 2.0 to create an audio CD from the offending file.
MC 9 read the CD and played the file correctly.
Also, MC9 RIPed the file off the CD and created a playable MP3 file.

Test 4.
After completing the above, tried once again to open the offending file with MC9.
MC 9 hangs and is in a 'Not Responding' condition.

Thus, I think the file is the problem...but MC 9 is the only program that cannot read it.  MC 9 should not hang...it should puck the file out and say something like 'Unreadable file'.  Then work could continue without all the restart hassle.  This has to be a bug in MC 9 since all other programs can read the file.  I don't mind that MC 9 can't read the file, because you have provided me with several work arounds via use of other programs.  I mind that MC 9 hangs.
Gordon

After the original post of this message...I wondered where I got the offending file.  (Please know that I have only recently started on this audio stuff, so I don't really know anything.)  I ran a test using MAGIX Audio Cleaning Lab 3 to read the CD of the song in the offending file.  SURE ENOUGH, the output .WAV file from Audio Cleaning Lab cannot be read by MC9.  If you have a copy of the MAGIX program, I am sure you can reproduce the hanging MC 9 condition.  I created a short .WAV file (2.5MB) and will mail it to you if you want to go that way.

[Omni]

MC 9 should not hang...

If it's any consolation, and until I hear another official explanation, I agree.  

Test 2.
Opened the offending file with Media Editor, both inside MC 9 via Tools and from outside MC 9 using Media Editor alone.
File opened and played correctly.

Based on this test, I say the guy who wrote Media Player and the guy who wrote the mmio layer for MC should get together for lunch and talk shop.  

Omni

[jj.oneil]

I've just had a similar problem.

Ripped some live wavs, used media editor to trim the applause. MC still plays it ok.

Then Converted to mp3 and now the track just plays white noise.

MP3 converter J River 2.0.56, MC9.0.154

[jj.oneil]

Ok, upgraded to 9.0.155 - the same. But fiddled a bit more. The problem ONLY seems to be converting dirctly from wav to mp3 (tried several combinations of bps & vbr, all white noise). I can happily convert the wav to ape or ogg then convert those to mp3 ok!

Media Center Registered 9.0.155 -- C:\Program Files\Media Center 9\

Microsoft Windows XP 5.1 Service Pack 1 (Build 2600)
Intel Pentium 4 2532 MHz MMX / Memory: Total - 1048 MB, Free - 733 MB

Internet Explorer: 6.0.2800.1106 / ComCtl32.dll: 5.82 (xpsp1.020828-1920) / Shlwapi.dll: 6.00.2800.1106 (xpsp1.020828-1920)
Shell32.dll: 6.00.2800.1106 (xpsp1.020828-1920) / wnaspi32.dll: Internal ASPI Layer

Ripping /   Drive V:   Copy mode:ModeBurstBigBuffer   CD Type:Auto   Read speed:Max
 Drive W:   Copy mode:ModeBurstBigBuffer   CD Type:Auto   Read speed:Max
 Digital playback: Yes /  Use YADB: Yes /  Get cover art: Yes /  Calc replay gain: Yes /  Copy volume: 32767
 Eject after ripping: Yes /  Play sound after ripping: No  

Burning /  Drive W: SAMSUNG  CDRW/DVD SN-308B   Addr: 1:0:0  Speed:8  MaxSpeed:8  Use MJ Engine:Yes
 Test mode: No /  Eject after writing: Yes /  Direct decoding: Yes /  Write CD-Text: Yes
 Use playback settings: Yes /  Normalization: None

Hope this helps, JJ

[lukecro]

I have exactly the same bug . . .  I cann't go directly from WAV to MP3 (or MP3 VBR), but I can go from WAV to everything else. Since I use mp3 files, and not ogg of wma or whatever . . . well, this is a pretty big problem, isn't it? After all, the work-around of converting the wave to ogg and then converting the ogg to mp3 is going to result in generational loss . . . . Has anyone figured this one out yet?

[jj.oneil]

Lukecro, i get round the generational loss problem by ripping to .ape then converting to mp3.

Cheers, jj

[millertivo]

I am experience the same problem now.  I hadn't previously converted any wav files until last night.

Actually, I opened up some mp3 files in Media Editor (which converts them to wav), then edited out some applause, and then saved them back to mp3.  No problem.

Then I recorded some stuff from a line-in input USING Media Center and saving it as an uncompressed wav.  Edited some applause in Media Editor, but then when I saved as mp3 I get the white static (also if I use the convert format feature in Media Center).

Shouldn't Media Center at least be able to convert a wav that was recorded within the program?  Is this the workaround - Record your sounds in mp3 (or anyother format except wav), then if you need to edit them let Media Editor convert them to wav and back.

[lukecro]

Ripping to Ape and then converting to Mp3 sounds like a good idea . . . thanks jj.oneil.

Still, I wonder why these workarounds are even needed. Wave conversions must be working for most people, I take it?

Like millertivo, I tried using MC9 to make the original wave files   . . .  I recorded streaming music from an internet radio source using  Mc9's "encoding for: sound recorder" to record from my mixer. So this was recorded directly into MC9.

At first, I thought that using MC9 to record just didn't work at all, but then I realized it was actually the conversion of wave to MP3 (and mp3 vbr) alone that was the problem.

I haven't tried this with the latest release (169). Has the problem been resolved? I haven't noticed it listed as a resolved issue . . . .