Re: Some MP4 AAC files

I finally managed to get MP4 files from both the PsyTel encoder and
QuickTimePro to play on my WinniePod.  I never did manage to get FAAC
encoded files to play.  Frankly, I'm not hearing a great deal of difference
between high quality VBR mp3s and the AAC files, but I'm going to have to do
some more serious listening before I make up my mind.  The smaller file
sizes with AACs are nice, but at this point, I don't feel compelled to
re-rip my music collection.  But it seems like the ball is rolling now and I
imagine that we'll see better and more fully functional AAC encoding and
tagging tools before year's end.

What do other folks think about this?

------------------------------------------------------------------

For those who have yet to experiment with AAC files, and who want to give it
a try, these are the hoops I jumped through to get it to work:

The secret to getting the PsyTel files to play was to use the
aacenc_mpeg4.exe encoder that Richard linked us to:
http://kotrtim.tripod.com/aacenc_mpeg-4.zip and the mp4UI.exe utility from:
http://www.mediacruiser.de/mp4UI/files/mp4UI.exe

A couple of helpful hints: you don't necessarily have to trash your music
collection on your iPod to experiment with AAC files.  This is what I did:

Preliminary: Find a suitable WAV file for comparison tests (I extracted one
from a clean, new CD using EAC.)  Name the file 01 - WAV.wav.  Make an MP3
encoded file from the WAV using LAME and name it 02 - LAME.mp3.  Don't add
any tags.  Copy that file to two new files: 03 - PsyTel.mp3 and 04 -
QuickTimePro.mp3.

Now I encoded 01 - WAV.wav to an AAC with aacenc_mpeg4.exe and make an MP4
out if it with mp4UI.exe.  Renamed the file to 2003.m4a.

Then I dragged 01 - WAV.wav onto the title bar of QuickTimePro and
"exported" the file via "Movie to MPEG-4", setting the Options to Audio: 160
kbits/second and Output Sample Rate to 44.11 kHz.  Renamed the exported file
to 2004.m4a.

Next, using Explorer to browse the iPod,

1). Made a backup copy of iTunesDB and the contents of the F00 directory.
2). Deleted my iTunesDB file from the iPod and configured EphPod to write
files only to the F00 dir.
3). Transferred the 4 test files to the iPod via EphPod: 01 - WAV.wav, 02 -
LAME.mp3, 03 - PsyTel.mp3 and 04 - QuickTimePro.mp3.  Used Ephpod to Edit
the iTunesDB tag entries for the files with info like: AAC Test Genera, AAC
Test Artist, AAC Comparison Album, etc.  Saved iTunesDB (via Ephpod) to the
iPod.
4). Created a F20 folder and moved the contents of F00 to it.  Deleted the
PsyTel and QuickTimePro .mp3 files.  Copied the AAC m4a files to F20.
5). Copied my backup of my original F00 .mp3 files back to F00 on the iPod.
5). Edited the iTunesDB file with a hex editor to now reference the files in
F20 and fixed up the extensions for the .m4a files.
6). Saved a copy of the new iTunesDB off the iPod so that I could repeat the
tests in the future.
6). Disconnected the iPod and tested...it WORKS!!

Now, all you have to do to get your music collection back to copy your
original iTunesDB over the test iTunesDB and delete the F20 directory.

So...after that little exercise, I think I'm ready to enjoy native AAC
support from Ephpod.  Over to you, Joe.




-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of Phil
Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2003 4:09 PM
To: [email protected]; Hamish.O'[email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: [ephpod] Re: Some MP4 AAC files



> Similarly, I encoded a wav to aac using psytel v2.15 (which is supposed to
> be higher audio quality than faac) using the -normal switch, multiplexed
to
> mp4 using mp4ui, overwrote an mp3 on the ipod with the mp4 file, changed
> the name to xxxx.m4a on the ipod, edited the iTunesDB with a hex editor to
> change xxxx.mp3 to xxxx,m4a and the file plays on the ipod.  I posted
links
> to this version of psytel encoder and mp4ui in an earlier email.

I feel stupid I can't get it to work.  I've used the psytel encoder to make
several aac files (-internet, -streaming, -normal, -extreme).  But after
that, I don't understand the process of making it an mp4.  How exactly do I
do it with mp4ui?  I tried it but it didn't work.  I can get files made by
Nero and Hamish's files to play on the ipod though.  Is it a problem with
the encoding (but Richard, you got Psytel to work) or the mp4 creation?
Please help.


------------------------------------------------------
ephPod Mailing List
FAQ and HomePage http://www.ephpod.com
mailto:[email protected] to susbcribe
mailto:[email protected] to unsusbcribe
mailto:[email protected] the mailing-list itself









------------------------------------------------------
ephPod Mailing List 
FAQ and HomePage http://www.ephpod.com 
mailto:[email protected] to susbcribe 
mailto:[email protected] to unsusbcribe 
mailto:[email protected] the mailing-list itself