Itunes Listed in Menu, not playing

[javierruizleon]

I have my itunes library listed in the music folder but when I select the song nothing happens.

[litzdog911]

What format are your music files? The HR20 cannot play Apple format or any DRM protected files.

[iacas]

What format are your music files? The HR20 cannot play Apple format or any DRM protected files.

Just to be clear, there's no such thing as "Apple format." Perhaps you meant AAC, which is an open standard. iTunes can encode songs in AAC (as well as WAV, MP3, and a few other formats, including Apple Lossless, which may have also been what you meant).

And of course the iTunes DRM-protected files are AAC with DRM...

[laxcoach]

From what I read the Apple AAC uses some custom DRM routines. I haven't read the AAC spec, so I assumed it was a way to package DRM'ed content, but that you specified the DRM format and key info in the packaging. If so, it is an Apple format as in WMP would never be able to decode it.

[iacas]

From what I read the Apple AAC uses some custom DRM routines. I haven't read the AAC spec, so I assumed it was a way to package DRM'ed content, but that you specified the DRM format and key info in the packaging. If so, it is an Apple format as in WMP would never be able to decode it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Audio_Coding

The two are unrelated, except that Apple uses AAC files for its DRM-ed music.

AAC is simply "Advanced Audio Coding." It is an open standard and lots of software can both read and write AAC files. iTunes can import your music from a CD as an AAC file (without DRM) on both Macs and Windows just as it can import to MP3, WAV, etc.

Apple could have DRMed MP3 files, but they chose not to because AAC offers better sound at similar compression rates as MP3.

There's no such thing as "Apple AAC." AAC is just an audio coding (compression) format, just like MPEG-1 Layer III (MP3). Nothing more. Apple adds DRM in a wrapper layer.

So no, it is not an "Apple format." However, it is not WMP or MP3, either. It is its own (open) format.

[litzdog911]

Thanks for the clarification. The HR20 can't play any DRM'ed files, including Apple's.

[Earl Bonovich]

Jav... let me guess you are using Twonky.

There are "two" pieces to the equation...
One is a "folder listing" segment that is sent to the unit, then the actual file playback.

Twonky is sending your HR20 a file tree... but then when the HR20 asks for compatible files in that directory when you get there, it gets an empty list.

[HofstraJet]

Therefore, since my entire iTunes library was ripped into AAC, I cannot listen to any of them through the HR20.

Is that correct?

Does Nero or any other program help this problem or do I have to convert anything I want to hear through the HR20 to mp3? (I am using Nero MediaHome on my iTunes PC since I cannot get WMP11 to work for the life of me on that box - on another PC, WMP11 works perfectly - not sure what the conflict is on the iTunes PC, but Nero works so it really doesn't matter)

[Earl Bonovich]

Therefore, since my entire iTunes library was ripped into AAC, I cannot listen to any of them through the HR20.

Is that correct?

Does Nero or any other program help this problem or do I have to convert anything I want to hear through the HR20 to mp3? (I am using Nero MediaHome on my iTunes PC since I cannot get WMP11 to work for the life of me on that box - on another PC, WMP11 works perfectly - not sure what the conflict is on the iTunes PC, but Nero works so it really doesn't matter)


Yes... that is correct... the HR20 can not play AAC formated files...
Actually... It can't even play native MP3.... what it does play is a LPCM format.

ViiV, WMP11, Twonky, and some other media servers, convert MP3 files to LPCM format..

I don't know of any media server out there that will take an AAC format, and convert/provide it in the compatible LPCM format.

[bonscott87]

*Always* rip your CDs to MP3 if you want to make sure you can play them on any player made. It may not be the best format to encode in but it's the most universal. FYI that iTunes does nothing for universal play by default, only for itself.

[carlsbad_bolt_fan]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Audio_Coding


Apple could have DRMed MP3 files, but they chose not to because AAC offers better sound at similar compression rates as MP3.



Not to throw this thread completely off topic but...

Better sound? That's highly debateable.

Having done comparisons between AAC and MP3 files ripped using Audiograbber with the LAME plug-in, AAC can't hold a candle to MP3 especially at rates higher than 160.

True, Apple could have chosen to use DRMed MP3 files. But Apple is all about keeping things Apple. Using DRMed AAC assured them of that.

[HofstraJet]

I always thought the advantage of AAC was smaller file size at comparable bit rates.

[bonscott87]

I always thought the advantage of AAC was smaller file size at comparable bit rates.

It might be but if you can't play them on all players then it's useless (to me). Car stereos for example can play MP3s from CD, not AAC or OGG files.

Thus I ripped my 400 CD collection to 192 kps MP3. I could care less about file size, hard drive space is cheap. I can still fit 500 or so songs on a single CD and they all fit on my Creative Zen. And again, MP3 is the "universal" digital music format that will play in or on just about anything. Thus why I don't really care about other formats that are better then MP3. Yea, they are better but they aren't as portable.

[bwaldron]

It might be but if you can't play them on all players then it's useless (to me). Car stereos for example can play MP3s from CD, not AAC or OGG files.

Thus I ripped my 400 CD collection to 192 kps MP3. I could care less about file size, hard drive space is cheap. I can still fit 500 or so songs on a single CD and they all fit on my Creative Zen. And again, MP3 is the "universal" digital music format that will play in or on just about anything. Thus why I don't really care about other formats that are better then MP3. Yea, they are better but they aren't as portable.

I agree, MP3 remains the best format for universal compatibility. My entire collection of 2000+ CDs is encoded with LAME using its "extreme" VBR setting. This produces files that--even when played on a quality stereo system--in almost all cases are indistinguishable from the original uncompressed audio, as demonstrated in many blind listening tests. (I do have a backup of each in FLAC format in case I ever want to encode them differently in the future.)

Plus, at 49 my hearing isn't what it used to be at the highest frequencies, anyway ;)

I do use a Squeezebox for networked audio, rather than the HR20...and it will access a number of other audio formats should I desire.

[carlsbad_bolt_fan]

I always thought the advantage of AAC was smaller file size at comparable bit rates.

Smaller file size...yes. Comparable sound quality? Nope.

I will give you that 128k AAC does sound a little better than 128k MP3 using LAME.

But I think 128k anything sounds lousy.

[likegadgets]

I have a large library of my own CD's in iTunes on the ACC format.
(Not purchased or downloaded from Apple).

Is there a way to batch conver them from ACC to any format that the HR20 will play (not on the fly - but a permanent conversion)?

Thanks

[Rob55]

I have a large library of my own CD's in iTunes on the ACC format.
(Not purchased or downloaded from Apple).

Is there a way to batch conver them from ACC to any format that the HR20 will play (not on the fly - but a permanent conversion)?

ThanksHow large is large? Yes, you could blow up your computer by selecting your entire library, right clicking on the highlighted files and then selecting "convert selection to MP3" (assuming that you changed your encoding preferences to MP-3 first). iTunes will then proceed to convert you entire library to Mp-3 form, duplicating your entire collection. I've never done this for more than a 100 or so files (I converted some 320k stuff to 256k AAC) so i can't comment on how it might work with a 1000 files for example.

[machavez00]

EyeConnect (Mac) streams non DRM AAC(MP4) just fine. I ripped a CD to check. I have one iTunes+ song and it plays as well

[likegadgets]

Thanks Rob55 - great tip.

macavez00 - I have a PC but will check EyeConnect (Mac) and see if there is an equivalent PC version

[bonscott87]

EyeConnect (Mac) streams non DRM AAC(MP4) just fine. I ripped a CD to check. I have one iTunes+ song and it plays as well

Still doesn't help since the HR20 doesn't stream AAC files (DRM'd or not).

Always rip to MP3, it's still the universal format.

[bmerrow]

Let me add that the HR20 also accesses and plays WMA just fine, others using MP3 confirm it plays MP3 fine as well. WMA lossless works, as do the lossy versions of WMA.

I am not trying to enter any debate about one format being better than another, just noting that if you have ripped CDs to WMA or MP3 or have downloaded music in either of these formats, that they both work just fine with WMP11 and your networked HR20.

[greenwave]

Won't an Apple TV device solve all these problems?

[bonscott87]

Friends don't let friends use iTunes. :D

[judson_west]

Tversity for the PC will transcode AAC to MP3 in real time for the HR20 to play. This is what I do.