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W7+iTunes M4P transported to Xbox through MCE

 
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WanMan




Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 10273



PostLink    Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 11:44 am    Post subject: W7+iTunes M4P transported to Xbox through MCE Reply with quote


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Morning All,

All of my wife's CD's were ripped to her Windows 7 desktop using Apple iTunes software. She has this music synced with her iPad and iPod Nano. On Friday, I was playing around on the Xbox 360 and noticed the Media Center functionality and gave it a try.

I launched Media Center on her W7 desktop, and used the code to proved access between the Xbox and PC via the Media Center Extender. Media Center built a database of the music and pictures it found on the W7 desktop. All seemed cool and eventually I was sitting in the HT giving it a try.

The interface seems a bit slow in response, but it seemed to work. I called it a day and repeated the effort last night for a demonstration for the wife. The first thing I noticed during the repeat effort was I had to allow MC to rebuild a database of the music and pictures.

With the wife at my side, she noticed that several of the CD folders were missing some tracks. I do not know why and this was a problem that still bewilders me. I then wondered about a more simple solution of simple getting the iTunes ripped tracks into another form, stored on an external hard drive, and interfaced directly with the Xbox 360.

Unfortunately, I have no experience converting iTunes protect content (M4P) to either WMA or generic MP3 formats. Anyone care to recommend something that can do this? Also, is there a way moving forward to get iTunes to not use its protect format when ripping CD's?

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ecrabb
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Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 15909
Location: Utah

TV/Projector: JVC RS40, Epson 5010


PostLink    Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 3:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wan,

iTunes does not rip CDs to m4p... Encrypted m4p files came exclusively from the iTunes store, and only several years ago - before Jobs was finally able to convince the labels to let them sell DRM-free (like they were already letting Amazon, Walmart and others do!). All store downloads are now standard m4a files, as is the default target rip format in iTunes for ripping CDs - because it's superior to mp3.

If you are referring to the m4a files, those aren't protected or otherwise proprietary - they're standard AAC files. Any modern player, including the 360 and PS3 should be able to play them just fine. All the AAC m4a files I've ripped in iTunes play perfectly on the PS3. I don't know how they work on the 360 because I don't use that low-tech noisy POS. Wink

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WanMan




Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 10273



PostLink    Posted: Tue May 10, 2011 8:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Let me go look again. I may be wrong. All the music on the desktop was from physical disks being ripped within iTunes. BTW, thanks for the reply ... T minus 11 and counting. Smile
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WanMan




Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 10273



PostLink    Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 12:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ok, to let anyone else know, the tracks are indeed m4a (MPEG-4 Part 14 container). I reformatted the thumb drive for FAT32, created a root folder called MUSIC, and added ARTIST>ALBUM>TRACK.m4a. While plugged into either the PS3 Slim or Xbox 360, I can see the folder structure and tracks and can play them just fine.

However, I cannot find the Copy function (if it exists) to copy the folder structure and tracks to the Xbox 360. On the PS3 Slim, I cannot Copy from the thumb drive, but I can from any of the FOLDER levels. Unfortunately, no matter how I do this on the PS3 Slim the PS3 operating system creates a single folder and drops in the ~900 tracks into it. The ARTIST and ALBUM folders are not present (zero organization).

I do not know if this is because I need to update the PS3. I purchased this Slim within a month or two of initial release and it has never been on a network and has had no updated that I can remember applying. The Xbox 360 has always been on the network and has always had updates applied in a timely manner.

I guess I could just leave the thumb drive plugged in, but that seems rather silly and makes 120/250GB hard drives useless to me.

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WanMan




Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 10273



PostLink    Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 2:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ok, officially you cannot copy music to the Xbox unless it is through the CD in optical drive. Bummer. Also, I think I understand I have to put USB into slot on PS3, do a View All (from Triangle) select folders and then Copy Multiple. I have not tried this yet and then realized how cheap external, 2.5" hard drives were.

For $45 I can get 250GB and it is USB powered. The same product can be had from Amazon, too.

This is enough space to not restrict the effort to music only. I'll see if I can find this in retail and give it a try.

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