Just checkin': will Ipod Nano play any/all mp3's?

[Hanafuda]

Don't start a war over what's the best mp3 player .... my in-laws (who are japanese) are offering to buy my son an 8GB Nano for Christmas, and all he has to do is write back "OK" and it's a done deal. But before he does that, we need to know ... will the Nano play all the "unprotected" mp3's we've got, or will it only cooperate with Itunes? I know its a noob question, but I'm old and never needed to know.

THx for any help.

 

[lagman]

It will play ANY MP3, but you "need" to use Itunes to transfer them.
-You can use a alternative program-


Anyway, I suggest using AAC format, same quality less size = MORE MUSIC

 

[shadowboy]

Drag'ndrop all the unprotected mp3s to itunes and convert them to AAC filetype and they'll work without a hitch.
MP3s work too, but AAC is a smaller file size.

 

[Deleted User]

It will play any mp3s, not only protected ones. Although I don't own an iPod nano I can't think of Apple removing support for them. I've got an iPod photo 20GB and it played everything I threw at it fine (CBR/VBR etc.)! I never used a protected MP3 file with it.

Tunes bought from the iTunes store use another format, though (I believe it was .aac or something).

*damnit, you guys are fast these days!*

 

[Hanafuda]

thanks guys then its a go. Daddy's gonna be mighty jealous.

 

[Psyfira]

Slightly off-topic and Just a thought: most other brand (non-iPod) MP3 players can't play aac files. So if you're going to convert all of his music to aac I'd keep the original files in MP3 format archived on a disc somewhere, just in case they're needed for a different player in the future.

 

[Hanafuda]

Slightly off-topic and Just a thought: most other brand (non-iPod) MP3 players can't play aac files. So if you're going to convert all of his music to aac I'd keep the original files in MP3 format archived on a disc somewhere, just in case they're needed for a different player in the future.

I'm a noob at the mp3 player biz, but I aint that much of a noobie!

thx for the advice tho.

 

[Moneo]

Drag'ndrop all the unprotected mp3s to itunes and convert them to AAC filetype and they'll work without a hitch.
MP3s work too, but AAC is a smaller file size.

File size actually depends on the bitrate, so "AAC is a smaller file size" NOT.

And transcoding between lossy formats such as mp3 and aac results in lower quality compared to encoding from a lossless source (such as a cd) directly to the target format.

 

[Hanafuda]

Drag'ndrop all the unprotected mp3s to itunes and convert them to AAC filetype and they'll work without a hitch.
MP3s work too, but AAC is a smaller file size.

File size actually depends on the bitrate, so "AAC is a smaller file size" NOT.

And transcoding between lossy formats such as mp3 and aac results in lower quality compared to encoding from a lossless source (such as a cd) directly to the target format.

that's actually good to know. most of our stuff, especially my kid's, is mp3. But I've been trying to get FLAC whenever possible, so its good to know its a direct conversion.

 

[kingeightsix]

a one word answer to your question - YES.

that is all.

 

[adgloride]

It will play all mp3s. iTunes sucks though, I would recommend getting anapod. I use it all the time and its a lot easier to use than iTunes.

 

[shadowboy]

File size actually depends on the bitrate, so "AAC is a smaller file size" NOT.

And transcoding between lossy formats such as mp3 and aac results in lower quality compared to encoding from a lossless source (such as a cd) directly to the target format.

good to know, looks like the dude in the applestore lied to me.
Meh.

 

[Hitto]

Replacing the iPod firmware with rockbox allows you to bypass the whole "need to convert to AAC" business, IIRC.

I don't know if loading rockbox is possible on a nano, though. Google it and you won't have to install iTunes and other spyware on your system, you'll be glad you did!

 

[Psyfira]

I'm a noob at the mp3 player biz, but I aint that much of a noobie!Â

Shit, sorry that really is obvious isn't it? That's what I get for posting at ridiculous-o-clock in the morning.

(And look at the time, I'm doing it again! Oh noes!

)

 

[ridgecity]

you don't need AAC and don't convert anything new cds to that. MP3 is here to stay and AAC is Apple's format and offers less compatibility with other things like car stereos and boomboxes. Any Mp3 will do and itunes is good but might slow down a bit after 15,000 songs and it's easy to use, don't mess with the ipod firmware it's not necessary. itunes allows you to listen to your music over wifi which is another good thing. My sisters know how to use it and they are not computer geeks...

 

[FAST6191]

I am going to be the polar opposite of ridgecity.
MP3 quality sucks, sure you can pump up the bitrate and ply some serious postprocessing but why bother when you have better standards available to you that will do the job better from the outset.
AAC is not apple proprietary format (although they sure have stuck their tent in the AAC camp) but one defined by the MPEGLA and a few others (same people responsible for MPEG4 ASP which is what divx and xvid fall under, for the record MPEG4 specs define AAC too). I personally use AAC now on all my encodes unless the situation demands otherwise (hardware player, for someone with a low spec computer, old container required....) and FLAC for my audio.
AAC FAQ (other audio standards immediately above and below):
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&t...8300#post424070
You may want an encoder for AAC, I suggest neros as it is small, free, covers all profiles and probably the best quality AAC encoder available: http://www.nero.com/nerodigital/eng/Nero_Digital_Audio.html
I normally use one of the GUI programs like megui, Belight, BeHappy or one of the many others if I can not be bothered to encode manually (nero's encoder wants PCM wave input and the guis can do it for me).
The only thing to take care of is not using certain profiles if you use a stock iPod as I hear some do not work, I am afraid you will have to consult docs here as I do not care for ipods.
If you can (apparently 2nd gen nanos are not supported) I would go with a custom firmware like rockbox: http://www.rockbox.org/
Main reason for my suggestion look at what it supports: http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main...#Current_status

 

[ridgecity]

I understand your opinion and agree on many of your points. But they just want to know if an ipod can play mp3, So i guess they might have to take a few weekends to come to grips with bitrates and specs. They need a simple solution that might work for the next 5-10 years and keep it simple while working on a older pc...

I personally use APE for classical music and cds I really like or really old records that I can't get on a cd format. Anything normal like rock or pop music doesn't deserve 15x the hard drive space. DIVX is what I use for video since it's also the easiest to really use to its fullest. mostly all other format require tons of time and really nitpick your hardware to work any good (I mean encoding by that!) decoding is fast and great quality also.

There are tons of better ways to store music in lower size and better quality but the mp3 has taken over for a decade even being old tech, but it's easy, it work good enough for everyone and it's free. MPEG4 is great for video, for music is not necessary unless you wanna get those 12 SACD surround sound available right now which only 2 are any good (5.1 Peter Gabriel sounds the same with just 2 speakers).

I guess I rather go for the easy method which may not be highest quality for stoarage purposes:
1.get your cd
2.convert to mp3 320k using itunes which I believe only dogs can tell the difference for a actual cd.
3.connect the ipod and download the songs you want
4.of you go.

Whatever you choose to use is great for your son. just don't download music since that's illegal. 8GB fits you a lot of music, probably about 600 high quality songs, which is a lot for a one time listening. I carry mostly about 40 at most on my ipod everyday and don't fill the thing with everything---

 

[mthrnite]

While I respectfully bow to FAST6191's knowledge and obvious class, I'd have to go with ridgecity's point of view in this instance.

The iPod is a glorified walkman, and I'd treat it like one. If the kid's got a bunch of mp3's it'll play 'em just fine. Ripping to MP3 is quick and easy and if he ever gets a little iRiver cheapo to listen to while he's cutting grass, they'll work on that too, without conversion.

I've got a mac and the good version of iTunes, so I can't say firsthand whether he should stick with that or try an alternative. I've got friends with the pc version though, and they don't complain about it too much, so it's probably good enough.

The iPod is a nice little box, with a good, easy interface. I'm sure he'll love it.

...and thumps up to his grandparents, awful nice of them!

 

[Moneo]

MP3 quality sucks
Well, personally, I'd say, yes and no 8)

On one hand, yes, mp3 it's horribly outdated and limited in the kind of tricks it can do. On the other hand, the latest version of LAME has been tweaked to death, and produces excellent results even at lower bitrates. It came to me as a bit of a shock when I realized I couldn't distinguish between the original and a 128-ish kbps mp3 on 'regular' music 8)

Here are the results of a multiformat test of several lossy codecs at 128 kbps: http://www.maresweb.de/listening-tests/mf-128-1/results.htm

As you can see, LAME is actually tied with iTunes' aac encoder.
QUOTEYou may want an encoder for AAC, I suggest neros as it is small, free, covers all profiles and probably the best quality AAC encoder available

Sadly, for the ipod nero's encoder may not be the best option. First, ipods (with stock firmware) have been reported to have problems with vbr aac files, so you may have to fiddle with the settings to make it work in cbr (and I'm not even sure if the quality is going to be on par with the itunes' encoder in that case). Second, the latest update to iTunes and iPod firmware makes gapless playback possible on the latest generation of Nanos, but files encoded by Nero don't seem to be compatible atm.

 

[Hanafuda]

The iPod is a nice little box, with a good, easy interface. I'm sure he'll love it.

...and thumps up to his grandparents, awful nice of them!

this is pretty much what the thread was about. He's 14, he wants to rock. It's not like he's getting a pair of Duevel Jupiters.

As for the grandparents, yeah the boy's lucky to have them. He's got cousins in Japan who get little crap from them all the time, so when they get something for their grandson in America, its usually pretty nice. They've gotten the wife and I some nice stuff before too. Take for instance, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX1, an 8.4gigapixel digicam smaller than a pack of cigs. And there's the Sony digital camcorder, which was bleeding edge 6 years ago when they got it for us. I also have a set of Honda motor company wristwatches (jewelry/executive level) that my father in-law won as a prize in a hot air ballooning competition. They're not rich, just old enough to have some real disposable income.