Re: Setting VLC as the default player for MP3-files...

[erik burggraaf]

It did thwart me at every turn, and I stuck with it off and on for a  
good three months before dispairing.  Because of the way I manage my  
media, it just makes better sense to have seperate programs which do  
individual tasks in a much more streamlined and thurough way as  
opposed to having one program which does most of the tasks, but only  
with limitted functionality, and then, only when everything is  
dominated by the one program and set up just so.  I didn't use windows  
media player for example to do my ripping and burning under windows.   
I used a ripper and a burner, both of which were infinitely more  
powerful and versatile than windows media player, and I really think  
ITunes falls into that catagory.

As far as ITunes goes, the library is really it's greatest strength,  
and it's biggest weekness.  It can do all kinds of searches and sorts,  
generate playlists and smart play lists on the fly, let you rate and  
comment your files, give you easy access to the ITunes store, and do  
all kinds of great things.  But it doesn't like it if you move your  
files, or load with drives not mounted.  It won't play anything unless  
it's in a library.  That means you either have a major inconvenience  
of having your files duplicated and moved with all the time and hassel  
associated with it, Or you have a steep learning curve while you set  
your library up so that it works the way you want it.  Then you have  
to go through all kinds of hassel with playlists on top of the library  
to get almost anything done.  Now here is a question, purely a point  
of phylosophy.  Why is the ITunes library indispensible?  Why can you  
absolutely not do without the ITunes library?  If some one can answer  
me this, you will never hear me complain about this again, but be  
careful.  You may say that the ITunes library makes it easy to sync to  
your IPod, but does that count as an indispensible purpose for the  
library?  No.  Many people only want to listen on their computer.   
Some people use mp3 cd's, and while IPods could rightly be said to  
drive the mp3 player market, there are still creative, sandisk,  
archos, Iriver, Iaudio, and lots of other brands, many of which are  
simply copy and paste to transfer types.  Universally compadible, low  
maintanance, streamlined process.  One does need ITunes to sync to an  
IPod, but only because it is set up that way, which I see as a  
particular design flaw in IPods.  In any case, a library is non- 
essencial.

Same goes for the ITunes store.  One may buy from Emusic, or Amazon,  
or Mymusic.com, or the ITunes store, or all of them if they are  
hardcore, or none if they don't have a credit card, don't like DRM  
technologies, or just plain prefer to Buy cd's and rip them to the  
computer.  Having an ITunes library enhances the ITunes store, but  
does nothing for any other music purchasing experience, and is really  
non-essencial.

So if I can find out why one absolutely needs a library to play files,  
I'll stop hammering about it.  Otherwise it'll probably get right  
under my skin two or three times a year until ITunes finally gets too  
bulky and benighted for even it's most hardcore enthusiasts and  
collapses under it's own weight.

Best,

erik burggraaf

Certified Technician
Assistive Computing LTD Support and training
Sales department: 888-828-2445
Support and Training: 888-255-5194
Email: e...@erik-burggraaf.com

Website coming soon



On 16-Jan-09, at 3:10 AM, Scott Howell wrote:

Not to start the iTunes sucks thread, but gee Eric out of all the  
folks I know using iTunes, you seem to be the one with the most  
problems. I've been using it with absolute success and so stopped  
using Vlc. It's funny what works for some and not others.
Scott Howell
s.how...@verizon.net



On Jan 15, 2009, at 7:07 PM, David Truong wrote:

Hi Erik,

1000% agreed.  I don't even have that program on my mac.
-----Original Message-----
From: discuss-boun...@macvisionaries.com
[mailto:discuss-boun...@macvisionaries.com] On Behalf Of erik  
burggraaf
Sent: Friday, 16 January 2009 5:19 AM
To: General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS  
X by
theblind
Subject: Re: Setting VLC as the default player for MP3-files...

Hum, I just can't hear the word ITunes without breaking out in a  
sweat
and frothing at the mouth. Of course, my sighted family insists that
if I could see I'd like it a lot better, but then I lmao'ed at them
for over half an hour while two of my sighted siblings struggled in
vain to locate an audiobook that my brother imported into ITunes so  
he
could get it to the nanno he got for christmas.  And that's not even
getting into what happens when Itunes loads with network or external
drives not mounted, and what it does if you plug in more than one  
IPod
without custom libraries, or...

It's the most horrible piece of software I've ever used in my life  
and
the hell of it is, it's 100% accessible, lol.

Best,

erik burggraaf

Certified Technician
Assistive Computing LTD Support and training
Sales department: 888-828-2445
Support and Training: 888-255-5194
Email: e...@erik-burggraaf.com

Website coming soon



On 15-Jan-09, at 9:31 AM, David Poehlman wrote:

I love it that ITunes puts everything I open in the library.  The
neatest thing about it is that you cn have it not copy the files to
the itunes music folder so if you want, you can just delete the
entry.  I see no advantage of using any other player.  I doubt
anything but ITunes will read the ITunes library.

On Jan 15, 2009, at 5:41 PM, David Hole wrote:

Thanks so much.
That helped a lot...
It's irritating that iTunes adds everything one open into the
library. So now it will be better.
But another VLC-related question...Can one get VLC to read the
iTunes-library in the newest "stable" version of VLC?

Scott Chesworth skrev:
Hi David,
You can do this from within get info.  Hit command-I on an mp3  
file.
Interact with the scroll area if you're using Leopard (as far as I
recall this step wasn't necessary in tiger).  Use VO navigation,  
the
item chooser, or whatever method you prefer to find the open with
section.  If you've never modified your settings, this will  
probably
be set to iTunes.  Whatever the selection is currently, it'll be a
pop
up menu, so hit space on that and use your arrows to scroll up or
down
to VLC.  VO right a few times from there until you get to change  
all,
the OS will bring up a dialog confirming you really want to do  
that,
and once you confirm it you should be in business.
Hth, let us know if you run in to any issues.
Scott
On 1/15/09, David Hole <balubathebr...@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello guys
Can someone help me a bit here...
I'd like to set VLC as the default player for mp3-files.
I tried to use the context menu and click on the "always open with
this
application" or what it is in english. That don't work :(
Is ther other ways to get it work?
Regards david









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