On Tue, Jan 27, 2009 at 5:55 PM, stuart wrote: > >> This is incorrect. Music ripped with iTunes can be played back using >> any other application that can decode that file type. You can point >> SqueezeCenter at your AAC/MP3 library and never tell it iTunes is in >> any way involved and they will play fine (tracks you've ripped >> yourself or iTunes Plus tracks, that is). iTunes integration with >> SqueezeCenter has to do with SqueezeCenter reading your iTunes library >> information for info about your music. iTunes is not invoked in any >> way to facilitate the actual playback. > > Ok, but what about all those "bought" files? I thought, and maybe I'm > wrong here, that the SC / iTunes feature was created to allow playing > back of the bought (i.e. DRM encoded) music.
Nope. SC will not play back a DRM-encumbered AAC file from the iTunes store. Other appliances like the Sonos or Roku players have the same limitation. In fact, as far as I know the only hardware players that will play protected AAC files are the Airport Express and Apple TV/ >>> If you rip with iTunes will you be able to easily support other music >>> appliances like sony walkman phones, gramin GPSs, ... ect with out >>> re-ripping your CD collection? >> >> Yes, if your other device can play MP3, AAC, AIFF, WAV, or Apple >> Lossless then you would be able to play back files ripped with iTunes >> on those devices. > > Again, I'm betting most iTunes users rip mindlessly to AAC. Further, > I'm betting AAC files don't play back on the above music appliances. > Walkman phones have played back AAC since 2005. (cf. http://www.macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/4998/ ). AAC is also supported on Blackberry phones, Palm devices (including phones), Nokia phones, and others. From some brief research, it looks like Garmin GPS-only units will only play MP3 files. The Garmin nuvifone plays AAC, as do many car stereo units with Garmin GPS integrated such as Alpine, Kenwood, etc. I'm no codec evangelist, but I do think it's worth pointing out that AAC is not some marginal codec that nobody supports. There are plenty of software and hardware products that will play the files. Hell, even the Zune will play AAC files. If you have a whole library of *non-DRM* AAC files in your iTunes and you decide the iPod isn't for you, you can easily take those files with you to, for example, a Zune, a Creative Zen, a Sandisk Sansa View, any number of Cowon players, or an Archos (although it looks like you have to buy a plugin to make it work on the Archos. Blech), so you're in no way locked into Apple hardware. > > Say, would you be able to solve my biggest iTunes problem? I create m3u > files when I rip my CD collections. This works well on the many music > clients I use including SqueezeCenter. But iTunes always creates double > entries because of these files. I understand if the paths match and are > absolute this may not happen. But I routinely mount my collection on > different computers at different locations. Therefore I'm not willing > to forsake the powerful advantage of relative paths just to satisfy > iTunes. Besides, windows does not handle absolute paths well as the > user has little control over the mounting point (i.e. the windows drive > letter). Is there an iTunes setting such that it will ignore or > properly use the m3u files? I don't have a great answer for this as I too find that iTunes has pretty crummy support for external playlists. I guess the simplest option would be to not use the "Add file to library" or "Add folder to library" functions within iTunes, but instead right click at the top of your library and select Search. Then search for *.mp3 and wait for all the results to come up. Then ctrl-A to select all and drag them all into the iTunes library, That'll let you import only your MP3 files a none of your playlists. -Steve _______________________________________________ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
