mp4 format issues

[Janarth]

Woe is me...I have an expensive HP Media Centre PC, with the trendy looking (if not entirely useful) Windows Media Centre software, but it won't play all my tunes, which Itunes has conventiently rendered in MP4 (?) format. So....anyone know if there is an upgrade/other fix available (tried updating my Media Centre software, but it actually appears as if Microsoft refuses to support MP4...) or if there is a easy to use freeware program that can convert about 10,000 mp4s to mp3s so I can use my media centre software to play them, but also not alienate my ipod? Thanks.

[CrystalTears]

Just curious.. what's wrong with using iTunes since that's what you were using before? Why the change?

[Bobmuhthol]

.mp4 files are nothing new to Windows. Apple has stupid protection on their files that makes them virtually unplayable in a non-Apple product.

They're also being sued for doing it as they've created an illegal monopoly.

Though I just looked up the actual iTunes extension and it should be .m4p instead of .mp4. The .m4p files are the encoded ones from Apple, though it is still MP4 format. Windows will generally be able to read .m4a files, as they are the standard MP4 audio-only extension. You'd have to decode the files to get them to play elsewhere. I can't help you there; I don't deal with Apple products.

[Janarth]

Just curious.. what's wrong with using iTunes since that's what you were using before? Why the change?

New Media Center software is supposed to be the "brain" of my entertainment...acts as a tivo, manages my music, etc etc. Except its letting me down. Or - as Bob pointed out - Apple is just being jerks.

I do like the media center software though...it has a very neat interface for playing music on your harddrive - better than itunes imho - but all my music is locked up in a apple proprietary format waaaaah.

[CrystalTears]

What format is Sony's music when you download from their site? I don't know if that's changed, but when I got free downloaded music from their site, I could only hear it from their software.

I was curious too about that media center since I would rather gouge out my eyeballs than use Windows Media for anything. Hopefully they've improved it.

Anyhoo, not sure how to convert a large volume of music like that, but I'll ask my Apple contacts. :)

[CrystalTears]

Oh and I don't see how Apple can have an illegal monopoly when they aren't the sole distributor of music.

[Back]

Burn an audio CD of the mp4 files, then re-rip the CD into regular mp3 files.

[CrystalTears]

I think Backlash is volunteering to buy enough CDs for 10,000 songs, burn them and then convert them for you. :D

(Although considering that Janarth was able to spend 10k on song downloads, maybe Janarth should chip in.)

[Xaerve]

Burn an audio CD of the mp4 files, then re-rip the CD into regular mp3 files.

Quality gets destroyed. But for the non-audiophile this is the best way.

[Back]

I think Backlash is volunteering to buy enough CDs for 10,000 songs, burn them and then convert them for you. :D

(Although considering that Janarth was able to spend 10k on song downloads, maybe Janarth should chip in.)

Heh, missed that part. I don’t know any other way to convert them.

[Bobmuhthol]

<<Oh and I don't see how Apple can have an illegal monopoly when they aren't the sole distributor of music.>>

You can't get music from anywhere but iTunes if you want it to work correctly with an iPod.


* I claim no validity in the above statement, because I don't use iPods and would not know. But that's what the lawsuit is over.

[Daniel]

Yea. That's not even close to being true.

[The Ponzzz]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4151009.stm

[CrystalTears]

Oh I understand that you can only hear iTunes downloaded music on an iPod, but it's not like this new, and it's not like people are forced to use iTunes. Just because Apple did a good job of packaging the music and player doesn't mean they're monopolizing it. You don't have to use iTunes, you don't have to use an iPod.

[The Ponzzz]

I'm not supporting it, just showing the article Alex is most likely referring to.

[CrystalTears]

I know, I was just answering Alex. :)

[Janarth]

I'm sorta with Alex. Damn Itunes, damn you! I'd still buy ipods, and I'd still use itunes because both products are the simplest and most efficient; that is, if there were no copy protection/bundling/proprietary format crap. Now that I understand what they've done, I'm tempted to go another route. For all Microsoft's woeful software writing, at least their stuff is widely supported :p I just spent a good amount of dough on a "media centre" that can't even play my music library (unless I sit down and load all my CDs again, which will suck...most of my music was actually on CDs).

[CrystalTears]

Okay wait, are we talking about music you downloaded or music you copied from CD's? The CD stuff should have been coded into MP3's anyway. The only ones in MP4 should be the ones you downloaded from iTunes. If you burned them all into MP4s, then.. well.. you a big dummy. :D

[mgoddess]

II'm tempted to go another route.

If you have the dough and don't want to re-rip all your music, AllOfMP3.com (http://www.allofmp3.com) rocketh mightily. They charge anywhere from $1 to $5 depending on the quality you want of the music (128k - 384k; MP3's, OGG's, WMA's, etc). They have a very large selection as well... I've been able to find nearly all the bands I love (Swedish goth/power metal, mostly), as well as bands that they've recommended based off of what I've already downloaded.

[Back]

If you have the dough and don't want to re-rip all your music, AllOfMP3.com (http://www.allofmp3.com) rocketh mightily. They charge anywhere from $1 to $5 depending on the quality you want of the music (128k - 384k; MP3's, OGG's, WMA's, etc). They have a very large selection as well... I've been able to find nearly all the bands I love (Swedish goth/power metal, mostly), as well as bands that they've recommended based off of what I've already downloaded.

-off-topic-

Heard of Drain?

[Janarth]

I didn't really understand what I was getting into when I chose the format Itunes imported to...but anyways, I've found the solution (allegedly) from another website. I was advised to change the encoder to mp3, them select all songs, right click and press convert. They warned me it could take a while. I will try when I get home.

[CrystalTears]

Ah good, yeah converting ones you ripped will work that way. Forgot about that. But it won't work for the downloaded iTunes stuff, just so you know.

[Back]

Ah good, yeah converting ones you ripped will work that way. Forgot about that. But it won't work for the downloaded iTunes stuff, just so you know.

In which case, burn an audio CD, then import that CD as mp3.

Full circle!

[CrystalTears]

In which case, burn an audio CD, then import that CD as mp3.

Full circle!
Absolutely. :)

[mgoddess]

-off-topic-
Heard of Drain?

-off-topic-
Haven't until now. So far they sound good!

[Augie]

<<Oh and I don't see how Apple can have an illegal monopoly when they aren't the sole distributor of music.>>

You can't get music from anywhere but iTunes if you want it to work correctly with an iPod.


* I claim no validity in the above statement, because I don't use iPods and would not know. But that's what the lawsuit is over.

All of the music I get from Limewire works fine on my ipod.

[CrystalTears]

It's the reverse. Music you get from iTunes you can only play on an iPod.