Conversion issues for sync

Get answers about syncing MediaMonkey 4 with iPods and other devices.

Moderator: Gurus

Jon EP
Posts: 41
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:57 am

Conversion issues for sync

Post by Jon EP »

Hi, just upgraded to MM4, and am having problems with some files which can not be converted during ipod synchronization. I get the following message:

File ____ cannot be decoded. It is possibly due to DRM restrictions.

These are files that previously caused no problem, although I recreated my conversion filters when I upgraded to MM4 and wonder if that is the issue.

To synch with my ipod, I use filters to have MM4 convert large VBR files into CBR mp3s. The filter at issue seems to be the one that converts any file with a bitrate greater than 256 kbps to an MP3 with the following characteristics:

Channels: Stereo
CBR: 320
Encoding quality: 2- high quality

In most cases, most of the other tracks on the given album are all encoding nicely and are converted and synchronized to the iPod. I can't make heads or tails out of why some files wont encode -- it's not the highest vbr file on a given album, although generally the vbr is high and the file size is large. All the files so far are WMA.

Thanks,
Jon
Lowlander
Posts: 58955
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm

Re: Conversion issues for sync

Post by Lowlander »

WMA files could have DRM restrictions (http://www.mediamonkey.com/support/inde ... icleid=117), but it is strange that MediaMonkey 3 wouldn't have had issues with them.

I'd suggest that you first try a manual conversion of one of the failed WMA to MP3 conversions. If that fails too you might want to send the file and a conversion failure debug log to: http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=69 If it doesn't fail a debug log of sync conversion failure would be useful.
Jon EP
Posts: 41
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:57 am

Re: Conversion issues for sync

Post by Jon EP »

Hi Lowlander, thanks for your help.

It's definitely not DRM -- I'm quite sure about that (some are recordings by friends).

Also, doing a manual conversion is no problem. So strange.
Lowlander
Posts: 58955
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm

Re: Conversion issues for sync

Post by Lowlander »

I think that MediaMonkey gives the DRM warning when it encounters a hickup converting the files. This is neither DRM related and often on next try not reproducible. So for now you'll need to run the debug until you capture another instance of this error and send the log to support.
Jon EP
Posts: 41
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:57 am

Re: Conversion issues for sync

Post by Jon EP »

Regarding using the debug version:

I installed it to a separate directory on my external drive (my MM4 normal version is portable, too). I made copies of MM.DB and MediaMonkey.ini and stuck them in the same place. Then ran the debug version. I started the sync process, but when it analyzed the iPod, it found 6040 files (that is all the files) that were "not on the sync list". However, these are in fact all the tracks that have successfully synced, and I'm reluctant to go ahead and delete them and then re-load them on there ....
Lowlander
Posts: 58955
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 5:53 pm

Re: Conversion issues for sync

Post by Lowlander »

You can start with an AutoSync which should skip the files already on the iPod (if you AutoSynced them). With a bit of luck the error will occur.
Jon EP
Posts: 41
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:57 am

Re: Conversion issues for sync

Post by Jon EP »

Thanks, yes, that was what I did... auto synced them originally, butthe debug version thinks they're different files, not part of the same playlist I'm trying to sync ( but they are ) .
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