iTunes Music?

[sqaccord]

I just started downloading music from iTunes. The first couple of songs downloaded in a MPG4 format. Is there a player that can handle this format or do I need to convert it? If so...how?

[Jason Dunn]

Unfortunately, there's no Pocket PC player that can play back DRM-protected AAC files. Apple designed iTunes to ONLY work with iPods, nothing else.

[Kati Compton]

You can burn the songs to CD and then re-rip in the format of your choice. You will lose a little quality, though. So don't do it recursively (re-burn the ripped songs, re-rip). But one level deep shouldn't be too bad.

[dean_shan]

You can burn the songs to CD and then re-rip in the format of your choice. You will lose a little quality, though. So don't do it recursively (re-burn the ripped songs, re-rip). But one level deep shouldn't be too bad.

No it's not, I can't tell the difference.

[sqaccord]

Thanks!

[Elad Yakobowicz]

Have a look at the Hymn Project:

*** URL removed by moderator KC - see note that follows in separate post, please.

It is a program in beta designed to strip the AAC protection from the file so that you can then use a program, such as GX::Transcoder, to convert to MP3 and play the songs on other hardware.

Obviously this should be used only if you actually purchased the music, but question the legality of your actions anyway.

[Kati Compton]

Just in case, we don't allow the posting of actual URLs for programs that strip any sort of file protection. You can post *about* the program, you can say the name, and the users can search for it. We're not trying to be mean, not trying to censor what many consider to be "fair use", but we do need to be careful.

PS - if you transcode you get the same loss of quality as burning to CD then re-ripping. Though, you save a CDR. ;)

[Elad Yakobowicz]

Just in case, we don't allow the posting of actual URLs for programs that strip any sort of file protection. You can post *about* the program, you can say the name, and the users can search for it. We're not trying to be mean, not trying to censor what many consider to be "fair use", but we do need to be careful.

PS - if you transcode you get the same loss of quality as burning to CD then re-ripping. Though, you save a CDR. ;)

Sorry about that Kati, I had a feeling it might be inappropriate. Apologies again.

[Kati Compton]

No problem. ;)

[Jason Dunn]

PS - if you transcode you get the same loss of quality as burning to CD then re-ripping. Though, you save a CDR. ;)

I've often wondered that. Let's say you take a 256 kbps MP3 then decompress it to a WAV file and burn it. Then you re-rip the CD track as a 256 kbps MP3 using the same codec as was done in the first rip - will it be identical to the first audio file? Do the codecs work exactly the same each time? I've always wondered about this but have no way of testing it since I can't open up a DRM-encrypted file to analyze the waveform. I've often wondered if the waveform would change going from the compressed audio format to the WAV on a CD...