MP3 Restricted File

[pwbrady]

After much trial and error, I am currently using Pocket Tunes (on a Treo 600) synced with Windows Media Player 10. I've tried MP3 downloads from a number of sites including Music Match, Wal Mart Downloads, Real, etc. but none work in Pocket Tunes. I consistently get a "restricted format" message.

It seems that many on this forum are successfully using Pocket Tunes to play MP3's. Can you shed any light on how to deal with the restricted file format?

Many thanks.

Patrick

[Alli]

Take your mp3's which are restricted and make an audio cd.  Then take the audio cd and rip the tracks back to "unrestricted" mp3.  You'll be able to use these in pocket tunes.  This is how I use the tunes I buy from ITunes - it seems like overkill and takes a while, but it's worth it.

[cRunchy]

Take your mp3's which are restricted and make an audio cd.  Then take the audio cd and rip the tracks back to "unrestricted" mp3.  You'll be able to use these in pocket tunes.  This is how I use the tunes I buy from ITunes - it seems like overkill and takes a while, but it's worth it.

In MS Windows.. A different way and little known trick on 'some' audio cards \ drivers is to switch on 'stereo mixer' in audio properties \ recording.

Once done you can play any sound what-so-ever (even streamed) on your PC and record it with any other application at exactly the same moment... cutting out all that extra burning, loop back wires, etc.. etc...

For example I can play an MP3 using STP (system tray play) and record to MP3, Wav, Ogg or anything using 'Cool Edit Pro'... You can use any programs you like...

The whole process takes exactly the time it takes to listen to the sound \ mp3s.

Easy and simple and I could never figure out why people don't use this lossless method or worse why they go out and pay dollars for software that does exactly as I have just outlined.

Of course it does depend on your system, drivers and sound card... and you will have to do a practice run first to set the volume of 'stereo mixer' and the recording level to make sure they are neither to quiet or too loud...

Double click the tray volume icon and look in: Menu:\\Options\Properties\Recording... to see if stereo mixer is present.

You probably will have 'mic' selected so just select 'stereo mixer' and adjust volumes as you need. (You can leave the recording control open and adjust this live if you wish..)

cRunchy

[pwbrady]

Thank you very much. Both suggestions are much appreciated. I went the CD route, as I already had a ton of CD's created from Itunes. If only Palm and Itunes would work together, it would be a gold mine for them.

Regards,

Patrick

[azgatekeep]

Easy and simple and I could never figure out why people don't use this lossless method or worse why they go out and pay dollars for software that does exactly as I have just outlined.

This process is hardly "lossless" - .mp3 is, by definition, a "lossy" format; some audio data is discarded when the file is initially encoded and it is not re-created when the file is played. Re-encoding a .mp3 (or any other compressed audio file) will result in more data being tossed out, with a resultant loss in sound quality. For a device such as the Treo, this is probably acceptable and may not be noticeable on playback, but I certainly wouldn't choose this method to create a track I planned on listening to through a high-quality audio system.

[cRunchy]

This process is hardly "lossless" - .mp3 is, by definition, a "lossy" format; some audio data is discarded when the file is initially encoded and it is not re-created when the file is played. Re-encoding a .mp3 (or any other compressed audio file) will result in more data being tossed out, with a resultant loss in sound quality. For a device such as the Treo, this is probably acceptable and may not be noticeable on playback, but I certainly wouldn't choose this method to create a track I planned on listening to through a high-quality audio system.

I was talking about using the 'internal patch' method not the mp3 encoding... as opposed to encoding an mp3 to CD and then back again..

Of course after the point of re-encoding an MP3 it will become lossy by nature.. but I was not talking about that.. just the transference method...

It is as lossless as you can get on a computer when dealing with audio and without external wiring (feedback) or without an intermediate re-encoding (to CD then back to MP3) the data that is recieved via the internal patch (using the "stereo mixer") will have the least amount on interference and the least amount of loss.. I suspect the internal patch method transfers sound around the system in raw wave type format..