MP3s skipping… anyway to set process priority?

[Deslock]

Is there a way to set process priority? Mp3s skip when I play some games at same time (in fact, some games are totally unplayable when listening to MP3s). I never had those problems with PalmOS (T665C has a dedicated DSP) though to be fair to PPC, it’s only a problem with FPU-intensive games (like 3D Star Fighter Pilot). Still, it would be nice if I could specify if I’d rather have MP3s skip or graphics stutter.

[seanturner]

No there isn't. Although, it is pretty impressive to be able to play an mp3 and play game considering they use the same processor.

It is also worth it to mention that the PPC has significantly more processor intensive games than the Palm does...

What PPC are you using? I know some like the iPaq 5400 series have their own dedicated graphics chip...

[Janak Parekh]

Try using PocketMVP (www.pocketmvp.com) or WithMP3 (http://www.citsoft.net/); WMP tends to be a bit processor-heavy for MP3's and prone to skipping a lot more. 8.5 might be better, but IIRC you have a 1910 so that's a moot point :(

--janak

[seanturner]

What is IIRC?

[Janak Parekh]

IIRC = If I Remember Correctly.

Some more:

AFAIK = As Far As I Know;
IMHO = In My Humble Opinion;
IMNSHO = In My Not So Humble Opinion;
ROTFL = Rolling On The Floor Laughing;

and my favorite, although I don't use it as much:

PMFJI = Pardon Me For Joining In

--janak

[seanturner]

Oh, lol. What is the significance of having a 1910 though?

[Janak Parekh]

Oh, lol. What is the significance of having a 1910 though?
The 1910 doesn't have WMP in ROM. Therefore, when you apply EUU3 you don't get the updated WMP. 1910 owners have been clamoring for 8.5 for a while, but HP hasn't released it yet, AFAIK.

(And now, we return you to "20 questions"... ;))

--janak

[rave]

If you really must know, WMP has two settings for process priority: one for foreground playback and one for background playback. These settings are stored in the registry. So you have to download any 3rd-party registry editor and edit as follows:

Look for this branch in the registry tree:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Media Player 8\Audio

Look for "Background Quality". Set it to "2" if you want high quality, "1" for low quality, and "0" to stop playback when WMP gets pushed into the background.

Disclaimer: Messing up with the registry can mess up your PPC if you don't take care. That's why MS didn't bundle a default registry editor with your PPC. This particular setting was not meant for the end-user. But hey, you had a question, and here's the answer. Do so at your own risk. :D

And I don't really think you'd like to play MP3's while playing games now that you have a PPC, since unlike in the Palm OS, most of the better PPC games have their own background music. :wink:

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The "dedicated" DSP in the early MP3 Clies was both an end-user advantage and a glaring proof of its platform's then-shortcomings. I see it as a piece of patchwork that the engineers did when their higher-ups demanded that they produce an MP3 PDA.

[Deslock]

Try using PocketMVP (www.pocketmvp.com) or WithMP3 (http://www.citsoft.net/); WMP tends to be a bit processor-heavy for MP3's and prone to skipping a lot more.
Yeah, WMP8 is crap; I deleted it a week after installing it and have only been using PocketMVP. I'll check out WithMP3 and see if that's any better (though PocketMVP seems pretty efficient, so I doubt it).