Confusing MP3 playback problem - very frustrating

[greg32]

Hey all,
relevant system specs:
ABIT IC7-MAX3 board, realmagic xcard, windows xp, a number of different media playback programs, mainly common popular ones.
this is the story. GB-PVR plays only some of my mp3's, and some it does not. Orriginally I thought this might be a problem with gb-pvr and the xcard sound out (all sound from gb-pvr goes through my xcard and to my amp). But, I realised the problem was bigger when I tried other programs. The xcard xmedia software also has problems. The same files that don't play in gb-pvr don't play in xmedia. Xmedia also sends sound through it's digital jack to the amp.
But then, I open up a problem file in Power DVD, which plays sound to the m/board analogue jack, which is plugged to another sound system. Powere DVD, which does nothing with the xcard, also could not play the song.
Zoomplayer (a really good media player), also can not play the problem files, and it sends sound to the mother board jack.
Media Player and itunes have no problem with any of the songs. Both output to the motherboard jack.

BUT, then I played around a bit. Xmedia (xcard), and Zoom Player (m/board) and Power DVD (m/board), all start playing the song if I move the slider bar. Once I move the slider bar, I can then return to the start of the song, and it plays all the way, until it gets to the next problem song. All my mp3's have been ripped with lame, and the program cdex. Now, from a single album, out of 10 songs, all ripped from same cd, with same program, at the same time, five play no problems in all mentioned programs above, but 5 don't.
Also, once the slider has been moved, each respective software plays to the correct sound device (i.e. xcard/mboard).
Funny, MP and iTunes no probs at all. GB-PVR, PowerDVD, Zoomplayer and Xmedia, of which two play to the xcard, and two to the mboard, all have problems until the slider bar is moved.

Then, I re-encoded one album which was giving me problems (50 % played only) through razorlame 1.1.5.1342. Using the same encoder as they were orriginally done in, at the same quality settings, just a different lame frontend, they now all playback in all programs, GB-PVR included, does not matter if the sound is going to xcard, or mboard.

To confuse you even more, I had no such problems on a previous operating system, on a different m/board (asus p4c800 deluxe). All files played back everywhere. I don't think this problem is related to the board though.

What could it be??? Please help me problem solve this, because I can't afford to re-encode all 10000+ songs I have because of this.
Please ask for any info you may need, and if you want me to send you two mp3's from the same artist/album/rip one working and one not, I am happy to.

Cheers Greg

[jeffcora]

Hi Greg,

Sounds like an issue I had (have). (http://gbpvr.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?a...t=486;st=0). I ripped all my CD's using CDEX and LAME, now some don't play through GBPVR, and sub identified other programmes that won't play it. Yet they work fine on MP, on the MVP etc. I found it was always the same tracks that would have the problem no matter how many times I ripped them. I also ripped the same track at different bit rates, and some would play, some won't.

Anyway, I don't think you'll find an easy answer to this

Rob

[colin]

This may not be useful but you may want to download and run gspot to determine the codecs being used when playing good mp3's and bad ones and what program is using which codec?

Colin.

[greg32]

Hey guys, thanks for your interest.

colin cool program. I compared problem files, with files that give me no problems, as well as the album I re-ripped in razorlame. Gspot shows up absolutely no difference between all these files. They use the same filters and codecs, same bitrate.........
The only other difference is that:
razor lame is using lame ver 3.96.1
cdex uses ver 3.92.
I don't think this could be the problem though.

Hey jeffcora, yes, sounds like we have the same problem. But, it is a shame you have not come to a solution yet. This is very strange!!!

Funny that re-encoding them fixes the problem. I used GB-PVR before though, on the same files, and had no problem at all. So I am not convinced. But, if I don't come up with a solution, I may have to re-encode them all over again. What a pain in the ass!!

Cheers Greg

[tkgafs]

I have had similar problems with mp3s and the only common thing I found was that they were quite high [320 ] variable bit rate files which seemed to cause the problem.

I now use a free music format converter called dbpoweramp to batch reconvert these problem files down to max 256 variable bit mp3s and they play fine after that

tkgafs

[Guest]

So the 320 bit rates aren't working right? I have had some mp3's of mine break-up while playing, and another caused the MVP to reboot. I thought it was my wireless network card acting up. About half of my mp3's I burned at 320 using either CDex or iTunes. That will bite if I have to recode them. I already have to re-code about 1/4 of my music as they are in mp4 format for my iPod and nothing else recognizes them. The rest are 256 kpbs mp3.

[tkgafs]

Quote[/b] (Guest @ Oct. 13 2004,00:41)]So the 320 bit rates aren't working right? I have had some mp3's of mine break-up while playing, and another caused the MVP to reboot. I thought it was my wireless network card acting up. About half of my mp3's I burned at 320 using either CDex or iTunes. That will bite if I have to recode them. I already have to re-code about 1/4 of my music as they are in mp4 format for my iPod and nothing else recognizes them. The rest are 256 kpbs mp3.

I cant say that it was conclusivly 320 bit rate files which failed but it did seem to be the most common feature of the failing files

I strongly suggest you look at DB Power Amp Music Converter as it will batch convert your files from just about anything to anything so you can easily point it at a folder of mp4 files and ask it to convert these to mp3 or wma or ogg etc etc

it is much easier than ripping them again from the original CD

If you are ripping from CD I have found the best ripper to be Exact Audio Copy Whilst it is not the fastest ripper it is the most accurate

it also needs the Lame Encoder to convert to mp3

If you wish to batch edit mp3 tags try Eags On or for something much more powerful and complicated try The Godfather

The following software Mp3-Library is also useful for arranging, cataloging and general searching large mp3 collections

All the above tools are free downloads by the way

hope this helps