MP3 preview question...

[JustOneOldMan]

Hi,

Did a lot of searching here before I registered to ask this question, if I missed the answer I apologize in advance.

Just got XYplorer today and like it a lot. Have it all configured just the way I like to work, but have one problem. I work with audio files a lot and was most interested in the Preview function, so that was the first thing I looked at. The Preview seems to work perfectly with most audio formats, but it doesn't seem to play MP3 files. When I click on an MP3, the status bar in the Preview window goes directly to the right end. All stats and time show correctly, but it's like the player jumps directly to the end of the file. I've tried it with MP3's at 192k, 128k, and just about everything else. Does the same with all of them. WAV, OGG, and everything plays fine.

Windows Vista 32

Is there something I missed in the Configuration? Thanks for any help on this...

[Muroph]

the first thing you have to do is check your codecs.
something similar happens to me with aac files (wich, btw, are not supported by default in xy).
sometimes, when i right click the seek bar in the info panel, the song jumps back to the begining.
i'm sure this is caused by my aac codec, since it doesn't happen with other 2 (less stable) aac codecs i have.

i think that if this was caused by some setting, all previewed formats would be affected.

[JustOneOldMan]

Thanks for the reply, Muroph. Are you saying the XYplorer requires its own codecs?

[admin]

Thanks for the reply, Muroph. Are you saying the XYplorer requires its own codecs?

No, XY uses system wide codecs. The rule is: If Windows Media Player can play it, then XY can play it, too. I can assure you that XY plays mp3s fine, generally. If yours do not work, then it's either the codec and/or you use a rare/special type of mp3s (?). But the latter should not affect the playing, but rather the information (length, etc) I display.

Welcome!
Don

[j_c_hallgren]

Thanks for the reply, Muroph. Are you saying the XYplorer requires its own codecs?

I've used "Gspot Info Appl" before with these type of problems...see http://gspot.headbands.com/ and it's guide for new users:
http://gspot.headbands.com/v26x/quick_start.html

[JustOneOldMan]

Thanks again for the replies. Here's what I have. I can play any of the MP3's with Windows Media Player, VCL Player, Quicktime, Irfanview (w/plugins), and others. I can mix down MP3's at any sample rate, bit depth, and bit rate with Propellerhead's Reason, Sony's Acid Pro, FL Studio, Audacity, or any of my other DAW software and they all play in any of the above programs. I can also reload the mixed down MP3's into any of the DAW software to any track and they play. I can't find anything else they don't play on. The image below is what I see in Preview when I click on a file. It's just one example, I've tried all sample rates, bit depths, and bit rates with the same result. I've also tried MP3's ripped from CD and downloaded from the net. Information is always correct, but the play status bar jumps directly to the end and the file won't play.

http://www.twotrackmusic.com/ttmtransferz/XYplorer.jpg

I have at least 7 players on my system, and 5 DAW programs, and XYplorer is the only program that won't play any of the MP3's. All other supported formats play fine in XYplorer. There is nothing special about the MP3's, and if it's a codec issue it's something I've never seen before.

Anyway, thought I'd ask. Thanks again...

[admin]

Thanks again for the replies. Here's what I have. I can play any of the MP3's with Windows Media Player, VCL Player, Quicktime, Irfanview (w/plugins), and others. I can mix down MP3's at any sample rate, bit depth, and bit rate with Propellerhead's Reason, Sony's Acid Pro, FL Studio, Audacity, or any of my other DAW software and they all play in any of the above programs. I can also reload the mixed down MP3's into any of the DAW software to any track and they play. I can't find anything else they don't play on. The image below is what I see in Preview when I click on a file. It's just one example, I've tried all sample rates, bit depths, and bit rates with the same result. I've also tried MP3's ripped from CD and downloaded from the net. Information is always correct, but the play status bar jumps directly to the end and the file won't play.

http://www.twotrackmusic.com/ttmtransferz/XYplorer.jpg

I have at least 7 players on my system, and 5 DAW programs, and XYplorer is the only program that won't play any of the MP3's. All other supported formats play fine in XYplorer. There is nothing special about the MP3's, and if it's a codec issue it's something I've never seen before.

Anyway, thought I'd ask. Thanks again...

Puuuh... all looks perfecto! I really wonder what's happening with XY... no idea currently . You mind sending me one of your mp3s by email? Just in case...

[JustOneOldMan]

No problem, if you can PM me your email add I'll get you one.

Another thing I noticed playing around with it. If I have it set to Play Once and hit the space bar, you can see it rewind and then immediately jump back to the end, again and again. If I set it to Play Again it looks like it's loading about 50ms or so and then resetting to zero, but so fast you can barely see it.

Since no one else is having the problem I assume it's something different about my system configuration, but I have this particular system set up specifically for music and audio and haven't come across this before.

When I get your PM I'll get you a file. Thanks...


Edit: Nevermind, I'll just PM you a link to one...

[admin]

Idea: Display settings!? Intuition tells me that the progressbar is confused about its own size. So, what funny screen or screen settings do you have?

Well, you said all other audio formats work well... so my intuition might have failed this time...

[admin]

Does anybody else have this problem?

[PeterH]

For test I just "previewed" some mp3: they played fine.

[JustOneOldMan]

Just an update. I tried it on my office computer at work and it played everything fine, including MP3's.

I've tried it on 3 of my home computers. A Dell XPS 420 with a Core 2 Quad processor, Windows Vista Premium SP1, WMP 11, and all updates. An e-Machine with a P4 3.2GHz, Windows XP SP3, WMP 11, and all updates. A home built P4 3.2GHz, Windows XP SP2, WMP 9, and all updates. Can't get an MP3 to play on any of them. Same thing happens as described above.

As I mentioned earlier, if no one else is having the problem it appears to be something local here, but I can't find any common factor that would give me any idea what it might be. I've disabled my anti-virus, shut down most running processes, the only thing I haven't tried is safe mode. I'll try that later.

When I tried the office computer I just downloaded the trial and checked it. I'll try re-downloading the program and reinstall it. Just can't think of anything else...


Edit: I uninstalled, downloaded another copy, installed, same thing. I tried both the Install Package download and the No-Install Package download. Same thing.

[admin]

Just an update. I tried it on my office computer at work and it played everything fine, including MP3's.

I've tried it on 3 of my home computers. A Dell XPS 420 with a Core 2 Quad processor, Windows Vista Premium SP1, WMP 11, and all updates. An e-Machine with a P4 3.2GHz, Windows XP SP3, WMP 11, and all updates. A home built P4 3.2GHz, Windows XP SP2, WMP 9, and all updates. Can't get an MP3 to play on any of them. Same thing happens as described above.

As I mentioned earlier, if no one else is having the problem it appears to be something local here, but I can't find any common factor that would give me any idea what it might be. I've disabled my anti-virus, shut down most running processes, the only thing I haven't tried is safe mode. I'll try that later.

When I tried the office computer I just downloaded the trial and checked it. I'll try re-downloading the program and reinstall it. Just can't think of anything else...

It's a thrilling mystery. I'm so hot for the solution, I'm almost ready to pay a detective!

[TheQwerty]

Well I have a few MP3 that play fine in WMP and Foobar2000, but give me a Cannot Decode message in XY. They also don't work in Beyond Compare, for that matter.

I'll try experimenting some more.

[TheQwerty]

Well my problem comes about from the version of the ID3 tags - I have my collection tagged using ID3v2.4.

If I use MP3Tag to remove the tags or convert them to ID3v1 or ID3v2.3, XY (and Beyond Compare) can play the files just fine.
If I convert them back to ID3v2.4, I get Cannot Decode.

Slightly off topic, but why isn't MP3 listed in Previewed Formats?