AAC (M4A) files on PPC?

[adbosch]

Does anyone know if there is a Windows Mobile solution for playing my iPod files?

[Jereboam]

I wish.

I've looked for one, with no success.

If you find one let me know...

J'bm

[Nikhil]

Search Google for "Hymn Project" and download the Windows version. It's a command line-based tool. If you're using XP, just navigate in Command Prompt to the folder where you unzipped Hym.exe (if you need help, drop me an email at [email protected]). Once you're in the right folder where hymn.exe is located in Command Prompt, type hymn.exe, hit space, and then drag and drop the iTunes file from Windows Explorer (the files are located in My Music). Hit enter and within a second, you will have an AAC file sans encryption in the same folder as the original. Now, download dbPowerAmp (www.dbpoweramp.com), the MP3 codec, and the AAC/MP4 codec. Once installed, right click on the decrypted AAC file and hit Convert to, select MP3 (or if you prefer, WMA or OGG, whose codecs must be installed). Choose a location, bitrate, and hit convert.

It sounds like a tedious process but it's not...quality is better than when the AAC file is burned onto CD and then re-ripped.

[surur]

To simplify that process a bit further, just make hymn one of the tasks and file associations available under the right-click menu.

Go to Explorer > Tools > Folder options > Files types

Select M4P from the list

Click on the Advanced tab

click on New

Type in UnProtect n the space that says action.

In the space that says Application to perform action, type in "C:\Windows\hymn.exe" "%L" with the quotes, and click on use DDE check box

Then drop the hymn.exe file in your windows directory, and bob's your uncle.

This is a quick way of unprotecting your itunes music.

Choose a song in iTunes, choose Show file from the iTunes right click menu. It will open the folder. Right click on the song and choose unprotect.

Then add the song back to itunes and itunes will itself be able to convert it to MP3's.


Still a bit convoluted, but a bit easier than the command line way.

Surur

[Jereboam]

Good general tips guys, thanks, but what I'm looking for (at least me) is an actual player for the Pocket PC platform. I am not transcoding (horrible quality, by the way, to do that) or reripping almost 30 gigabytes of AAC files. I only have a few iTunes-bought protected files anyway, about ten tracks in all, the rest of my tunes I have carefully ripped, retagged and added album art to. My own personal CDs by the way, zero file sharing here. If for no other reason that I don't trust anyone else to rip and tag with the same care I do.

With Nero supporting AAC I am surprised nobody has created a Pocket PC player yet...oh well...I would have a go if I had a clue.

J'bm

[surur]

There is some software called Platform4 player from phillips (currently abandonware) that can play unprotected aac's.

It is however really old and not really user friendly. I hope someday some-one will make a better aac player for the pocketpc, and I expect it will happen in the next 6 months.

Found a link here (http://www.tuttoericsson.com/software/varie/mp4/mp4.htm)

Patch found on this page (http://www.rarewares.org/mp4.html)

Surur

[Jereboam]

Thanks...I had seen that one now that you mentioned it but as you rightly said, it's abandonware, and for that reason I didn't give it a go.

Here's hoping for the next six months then...

J'bm

[Janak Parekh]

Good general tips guys, thanks, but what I'm looking for (at least me) is an actual player for the Pocket PC platform.
As of now... no, there isn't. :( Maybe we should write Conduits or PocketMind. If the Winamp folks can do it with a 15kb DLL on the desktop, why couldn't they? :P

--janak

[surur]

Yes. I will buy the next player that does aac. It doesn't have to do fairplay, as hymn seems to take care of that with no problem. With aac being an open standard, I dont see why they have not done so already.

Surur

[Janak Parekh]

Yes. I will buy the next player that does aac. It doesn't have to do fairplay, as hymn seems to take care of that with no problem. With aac being an open standard, I dont see why they have not done so already.
Same here. I'm 99.999% sure we won't see Fairplay implemented, seeing as how Apple hasn't licensed it anywhere, but Hymn is fantastic. :) My only guess is licensing fees or a lack of requests.

--janak

[surur]

From reading around, the license fee is apparently $15000 lump sum plus $1 per implementation.

So at $5 per codec (as much extra as I would pay), they would have to sell 3750 just to break even. I wonder what the various mp3 players for the pocketpc run in volume of sales, enough to justify doing it.

Surur

[Janak Parekh]

Hmm. What does Winamp do, then? It has integrated AAC decoding and encoding. Has AOL just footed the bill for free?

--janak

[Jereboam]

Well, the open source Foobar plays AAC files as well, and I don't think they paid the license fee...someone know anything about that?

J'bm

[Jereboam]

Re Conduits, from these very forums...

JohnJohn,

We're currently investigating AAC support for a future release. What would you primarily use AAC playback for? Note that AAC files bought through the Apple iTunes store have their own DRM layer (FairPlay, produced by Apple), which has not been licensed by Apple to any third parties at this time. AAC/MP4 playback would simply let you play those AAC files you have created yourself (through ripping CD's, etc).

Would you be open to a separate AAC package to Pocket Player, bought extra? AAC carries with it its own set of licensing fees.

P.S. Pocket Player 2.5 does support codec plugins, so do expect to see some plugins and an SDK available soon. First on the list is a MOD plugin.


Thanks!

Also, found iPlay (http://iplay.40th.com/) which mentions AAC playback...anyone ever tried it?

J'bm

[Janak Parekh]

Re Conduits, from these very forums...
Good catch!

Also, found iPlay (http://iplay.40th.com/) which mentions AAC playback...anyone ever tried it?
No kidding, it's still alive and it does indeed have it! I used to use it heavily a few years ago. It's quite powerful, although the UI is very spartan and programmer-like and the program's a bit expensive, and... well... check out the website to see what I mean. ;) The software is solid, FWIW, although v2 (the last version I had) did not have AAC support.

--janak

[jlp]

I couldn't find a price for iPlay (which is at version 4.6 BTW)!!

All I could find was an update price.

[Janak Parekh]

I couldn't find a price for iPlay (which is at version 4.6 BTW)!!
You have to download the trial and read the file inside it.

--janak

[jlp]

I did but it's not inside all the text files I could read.

If you know it just tell it :!:

[Janak Parekh]

I don't know. :( The prices change over time, and I haven't used iPlay in years.

--janak