cannot decode mp3 files

[Daniel0312]

I never used XY to manage my music files, so maybe there's something I'm not doing right.
When trying to preview in the info panel, I get a "cannot decode" message on a blank info panel for a lot of files.
My files are basic mp3 files that play correctly in any player I tried.
I tried a fresh instance with the same result.
Any idea ?

[admin]

Hm. Email one of them to support.

[Daniel0312]

I'm sending you 2 files as there seem to be another issue : some mp3 are showing a thumbnail and "previewed as thumbnail" and don't play (thumbnails don't have player controls) ...

[admin]

Thanks. As expected both play perfectly fine here.

But of course not if you add mp3 to Configuration | Preview | Previewed Formats | Categories | Preview as thumbnail. XY does what you tell it to do.

[Daniel0312]

Well... not sure what you mean, the files are MP3 audio files.

Regarding the "cannot decode" issue :
In the info panel, I select the preview tab. Without changing any configuration setting from the default XY settings (fresh instance), some files play an audio preview, some show "cannot decode".

20240811_183227.png

Regarding the "previewed as thumbnail" issue :
In the info panel, I select the preview tab. Without changing any configuration setting from the default XY settings, most files play an audio preview, some show the following info panel :

20240811_142001.png

Code: Select all

Configuration | Preview | Previewed Formats | Categories | Preview as thumbnail

couldn't find this option : the only Preview as thumbnail I found is in the Preview section, seems to be about Video preview and is Unchecked.

Hope you can help because I don't see what I did but use this feature "out of the box".

[admin]

Look:

[Daniel0312]

Thanks for your information.
I'm sorry to say mp3 wasn't in the preview as thumbnail, it's in the Audio files category only (as it should be in a fresh instance).

[admin]

In that case your MP3 preview handler fails with these files and "Preview as Thumbnail" is a fallback.

(it works with K-Lite Codec Pack Basic Version 10.9.5)

[Daniel0312]

OK, thanks, it makes sense.
I have a question though :
I tried

Code: Select all

text get("previewhandler");

Not so surprisingly the result is "No preview handler found for mp3 files."

20240811_203756.png

Why are some (most) files previewed ?

[admin]

Good question. There must be subtle internal differences between different MP3 files. The format has evolved over many years. You seem to be using Windows 7, and since you do not have a preview handler, the preview is handled by the Windows 7 quartz.dll, which is probably older than some newer MP3 formats.

[Daniel0312]

I'll have to try Win10...
I don't know your preview internal working but I "solved" the problem by rewriting every tag in all my files...
It could be a problem with how you (or windows) way of "parsing" the file.
Anyway, problem solved
Thank you for your attention.

[admin]

I don't know your preview internal working but I "solved" the problem by rewriting every tag in all my files...

How did you do that?

[Daniel0312]

I've got a software called Tag&Rename. It's possible to get a "branch view"
Applied a dummy change to every file. Done and very fast.

[admin]

Well, I assume that this software will reformat the MP3 when saving changes, and perhaps silently correct unusual formats.