PocketMusic 1.5 Released -- With Optional WMA Support

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pocketmind.com/news.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.pocketmind.com/news.htm</a><br /><br /></div>I've heard endless requests on the forums for a WMA playback solution on the Pocket PC other than Windows Media Player, but there hasn't been any answer - until now. PocketMind's PocketMusic Feature Pack now supports WMA files. Very cool!

[danmanmayer]

Well it looks like i will finally get to try out new music software. I can't stand how WMP doesn't have a back option while listening to music with shuffle on. How hard is it to store a single number that lets you go back... ahhhh. I still have to say i have been using WMA over MP3 just becuase i can fit so much more music on. So this sounds like a great solution anyone tried the software out yet?

[Clint Checketts]

:D Great job PocketMinds for listening. I recall when you posted, asking for feedback in improving PocketMusic a while back. You took the responses very well and have improved it admirably. Keep up the good work.

[MonolithicDawgX]

Just loaded it and then tried to run it and it locks me up. I hate it when you have to go troubleshoot in this day and age!!! :evil:

[carphead]

I brought this software a few weeks ago via IPAQChoice. It's really cool and means that I now don't have to carry a dedicated hardware MP3 player. :)

Love it!

[Chris Spera]

Honestly, the only reason why I use WMP and WMA's is really one reason and one reason alone:

WMP is supplied in ROM and its native format is WMA.

I've noticed that WMP has trouble decoding some MP3's, and I'm not entirely sure why. Given that, I've taken to converting everything to WMA and using WMP.

&lt;RANT>While WMP is nice and all, I'd really like to see some sort of equalizer support and a better speaker for the 5400. The speaker that's included with it SUCKS! I was so disappointed in it. The speakers on the 38/3900's rocked comparatively. &lt;/RANT>

&lt;Slightly Off Topic>It would also be nice to have support for visualizations in WMP, too. It seems frivilous, I know; but the screen just sits there and stares at you... I'd like to see visualizations when AC power is connected. at least that way things can be slightly entertaining while my iPAQ's sit in my RoadWriter... &lt;/Slightly Off Topic>

Its doubtful that I will install or use this because I don't want to give up RAM in my 5455 for an application that I already have a solution for...


Christopher Spera

[Janak Parekh]

Its doubtful that I will install or use this because I don't want to give up RAM in my 5455 for an application that I already have a solution for...
But it's not a solution, is it, if it's missing all the features you want? ;) Most of these music players aren't that big, and a number of them are completely free.

--janak

[Chris Spera]

But it's not a solution, is it, if it's missing all the features you want? ;) Most of these music players aren't that big, and a number of them are completely free. --janak

Since WMP plays some mp3's, and I can use Blaze Media Pro to convert to WMA's, this isn't a problem.

Because PPC Techs haven't finalized a solution for a 5400 RAM upgrade yet, I don't want to install ANYTHING to RAM unless I have to, no matter how small the app is; and I really don't want to install any sort of music player to a storage card. I think it would want to really live in RAM.

So while you're right, I've got a work around that doesn't bother me too much. :)

[spursdude]

Third-party WMA support is definitely a great step for the PPC. Too bad it's not free... does Microsoft charge some sort of licensing fee for WMA support?

[Janak Parekh]

Third-party WMA support is definitely a great step for the PPC. Too bad it's not free... does Microsoft charge some sort of licensing fee for WMA support?
I'm pretty sure Microsoft's decoder and/or WMA format isn't free -- just like the MP3 format isn't. That's part of the reason Ogg was created, and it's also possible that's why it's never made it into PocketMVP, WinamPAQ, or GSPlayer.

--janak

[Jason Dunn]

Third-party WMA support is definitely a great step for the PPC. Too bad it's not free... does Microsoft charge some sort of licensing fee for WMA support?

But even if the support was free, the time needed to code it into the app and whatnot isn't free...so I'm not surprised to see them charging for it. Everybody has heating bills. :D

[ctmagnus]

I've noticed that WMP has trouble decoding some MP3's, and I'm not entirely sure why.

Bitrate? Higher bitrates will be skippy, if not omitted from the playlist entirely. But I assume you already knew that.

Encoding? I recommend MP3-Library (http://www.jumpingcholla.com/jce_trapper.htm) for checking files for quality (among other things) because it finds goofy files as soon as you open the folder containing those files, in the program. I had been listening to a few songs for several years before I knew they had missing frames!

[Jason Dunn]

I've noticed that WMP has trouble decoding some MP3's, and I'm not entirely sure why.

In 90% of cases, it's because cheap encoders use junk headers that WMP can't figure out. WMP on the desktop is much more forgiving...transcoding to WMA fixes this problem as you've noticed. :D

[spursdude]

But even if the support was free, the time needed to code it into the app and whatnot isn't free...so I'm not surprised to see them charging for it. Everybody has heating bills. :D
Heh. Yeah, I know that, Jason. :D I was just wondering why there were quite a few freeware MP3 players for the Pocket PC but no third-party freeware WMA players for the Pocket PC.

As much as I love freeware, I definitely understand why people actually charge for their products. :)

[slothdog]

The first player that can give me gapless ogg playback and decent playlist management (play all the songs in a directory in alphabetical order *and* random play everything in a directory and its subdirectories) will be the one that gets my money.

[juni]

Bougth it yesterday - it simply is the best player for the pocket pc. I especially like the skin support and the equalizer. Maybe I should try my hand at skinning it? :)

[Janak Parekh]

In 90% of cases, it's because cheap encoders use junk headers that WMP can't figure out. WMP on the desktop is much more forgiving...transcoding to WMA fixes this problem as you've noticed. :D
It's also that MS seems to have ceased putting effort in making the MP3 decoder in WMP better. In my experience over multiple Pocket PC generations, WMP4 (the one bundled with PPC2000) was by far the best at handling MP3s, scarily enough. WMP8 still has issues with VBR MP3s, I believe, even those encoded by high-quality encoders like Xing.

That's why I'm such a fan of the third-party players. :)

--janak

[andrewlwood]

I downloaded it - looks lovely, but I can't get it to play my wma files. It just whizzes through them without making a sound.

I paid for the upgrade, because I use WMA files - don't have the inclination to mess about with converters etc, and WMA at 128kbps sounds good enough to my ears - but I can't get this to work on my 5450.

Anybody else had a problem? I've emailed support, but I can't wait for a response :)

[Kangaroo]

I downloaded it - looks lovely, but I can't get it to play my wma files. It just whizzes through them without making a sound.

Anybody else had a problem? I've emailed support, but I can't wait for a response :)

I have the same problem. It doesn't play any of my WMA files but plays the MP3 okay.

Strange!!

Kenny

[jeffrey]

I wish Winamp would just make a Pocket PC product. :roll:

[Jason Dunn]

I wish Winamp would just make a Pocket PC product. :roll:

Me too! I've asked them a few times, but no one has ever responded to any of my email messages, even when I use my "weighty" titles. :roll: :lol:

[ctmagnus]

In the meantime, there's always WinamPaq (http://www.projecteam.org/phpwiki/index.php/WinamPAQ) 'cept its been at version .93 for a while (in my books at least) and it doesn't play too nicely with some of the skins I threw at it.

[carphead]

I contacted PocketMind and WMA is a upgrade! It's only a $1 purchase but it's still a upgrade.

[andrewlwood]

No, wma support is included in the feature pack which is $19.95

If you're having problems, re-download and install it - they've fixed the issue with the feature pack not playing wma files.

Good service! I even got a private message from them out of this forum. Thank you Ann Braun!

Now all we need is for the WMA files to support the visualisations and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE the equalizer.