Windows Media Centre and MP3 files

[Pommier]

Our computer runs on XP and it's in French. I've downloaded lots of music from CDs onto the computer which is on the Windows Media Centre, but although I can see an option to make CDs, I can't see anything about converting music to MP3.

Is that possible using Media Centre? If it is, how do I do it?

Many thanks for any help.

[Danny]

if you mean windows media player, then there are a host of options to burn music to disc. Click on little arrow next to burn and then options and more options for lots of choices.

Also when you rip (copy) from CDs, there are many options for what kind of file and what quality to choose - click on the arrow next to rip and then format

Maybe you could use a different audio player/burner - many other free programs here on this page for example.

Danny

[Maricopa]

[quote user="cheryla"]Our computer runs on XP and it's in French.[/quote]

As it is French Windows Media Player, on the assumption that everything is layed out in the same order, but in French, then the tabs in English are:

Now Playing, Library, Rip, Burn, Sync, Media Guide.

To copy Music to an MP3 player you use Sync.

Hope this helps[:D]

[Pommier]

I think Media Centre must be different to Media Player!

When I click onto an album the only choices I have are 'lire', 'ajouter à la file d'attente', 'créer un CD/DVD', 'modifier les informations' or 'supprimer'.

Modifier les informations is just to change the name or genre.

I think I'll have to look for another programme, as it doesn't seem as if Media Centre has many functions!

[NormanH]

I use CDex to convert files to MP3

It's freeware

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

Windows Media Centre is an os in its own right I think.

I use Meedio on an xp system, seems to work much better.

[pachapapa]

As Norman says the easiest is to use CDex and convert your CDs directly to MP3 Lame.

Be careful with Software which uses MP3 Fraunhofer this is normally not free or has a limited 30 day use period.

OK your situation is that you have already got wma format files on your HD using Windows Media Player which cannot be used to reconvert to MP3.

Accordingly go to

http://mediacoder.sourceforge.net/mirrors.htm?file=MediaCoderAE-0.6.2.4222.exe

and download and install the Audio Version of Media Coder.

The link is for the normal x86 32 bit version

if you have a 64 bit PC then a different file is required.

The Audio Version will be simpler for you to manage than the full Video-Audio Version.

This software is VERY USEFUL for recording ONLY the audio part of a Music Concert on a DVD.

The software is SourceForge so non commercial and free.

Additional info link for Audio Edition

http://mediacoder.sourceforge.net/audio/

[Rjpfrancais]

[quote user="LyndaandRichard"]Windows Media Centre is an os in its own right I think.

I use Meedio on an xp system, seems to work much better.
[/quote]

No Media Centre is really just a front end (a kind of shop window) to Media Player. So if the original poster can't do what she wants in MC then if she pokes around the menus she will find that Windows Media Player is in there somewhere as well. Its called 'Lecteur Windows Media' under French XP.

I can understand though why you might think its a separate OS because the Windows XP Media Centre Addition was initially touted as something quite different than ordinary XP but in essence it's just XP with the Media Centre application added in.

Incidentally, Vista Home Premium comes with MC, there's no separate none MC addition. I use it in a cheap dedicated Media Centre PC (that's just a PC that's usually comes in a smaller format to fit in with other HiFi type components and which sports a TV tuner card and which can be controlled by a remote, but they can be used as ordinary PCs just as easily). I bought mine to replace our old HiFi so we didn't have piles of dusty CDs lying around everywhere. It works really well, although there's probably other similar software around that would do just as well or better, but since it does what I want very impressively, I am not inclined to invest anytime investigating other options.

 

 

[pachapapa]

Media Coder transcoder utilisation tips.

If you have any problems with transcoding to MP3, just give a shout. Not sure what file extension you got with Windows Media Player but presume WMA.

The Graphical User Interface looks a bit fearsome at first, at first the Simple display is best.

At the following link

http://www.tutoriels-animes.com/convertir-une-video-rm-rmvb-en-avi.html

there is a useful Wink animated routine which freezes after each step,before you click the button to continue the animated tutorial. Good luck;

[pachapapa]

[quote user="cheryla"]

Our computer runs on XP and it's in French. I've downloaded lots of music from CDs onto the computer which is on the Windows Media Centre, but although I can see an option to make CDs, I can't see anything about converting music to MP3.

Is that possible using Media Centre? If it is, how do I do it?

Many thanks for any help.

[/quote]

In a word not directly as MS Windows uses a competing codec; similar situation with Apple PCs.

The easiest method is to encode your CDs directly into MP3 LAME using CDex, a free and widely used software.

Alternatively your existing audio files can be transcoded using software such as Media Coder; this is however not so simple.

[Pommier]

Thanks for the help. We've also got Real Player on the computer which does have the ability to change music to MP3 so perhaps it's best to use that.

 

[AnOther]

Forget WMP and Real Player, an insidious piece of software BTW - Google 'Real Player Malware'

Use Audiograbber which is free and very capable. Apart from anything else it is tiny, about 2.5mb all told including the LAME encoder which you need and just copy into the Audiograbber folder.

[img]http://www.audiograbber.com-us.net/images/mainwindow.gif[/img]

[Théière]

[quote user="cheryla"]

Thanks for the help. We've also got Real Player on the computer which does have the ability to change music to MP3 so perhaps it's best to use that.

[/quote]

You can use media player, had the same question myself a few months back.

When you select rip music there is a drop down box that allows you to select the output file type ie, cd, mp3, etc. Choose the MP3 type and away you go.

Papachapa said exactly what my lerned nephew said, fortunately his father the IBM teckie instructed me differently

[AnOther]

Still a poor substitute for Audiograbber [;-)]

[Théière]

How did you get the screen dump passed the mods, naughty boy

and its spelt bollix these days [;-)]

[pachapapa]

[quote user="teapot"][quote user="cheryla"]Thanks for the help. We've also got Real Player on the computer which does have the ability to change music to MP3 so perhaps it's best to use that.[/quote]You can use media player, had the same question myself a few months back.

When you select rip music there is a drop down box that allows you to select the output file type ie, cd, mp3, etc. Choose the MP3 type and away you go.

Papachapa said exactly what my lerned nephew said, fortunately his father the IBM teckie instructed me differently[/quote]

PPP wrote

OK your situation is that you have already got wma format files on your HD using Windows Media Player which cannot be used to reconvert to MP3.

Assumption being that OP had ripped CD in to default Windows Media Player 11 default format, ie WMA; IF the OP had configured the WMP 11 to rip into MP3 format it can be similarly assumed that the question of conversion to MP3 would NOT have arisen.

A Windows Media Player 11 player can be configured to record in 4 different flavours of WMA as well as MP3 and no loss WAV. Indeed my own player is configured for MP3.

I accordingly totally agree with the paternal IBM chappie and would also like to add a tactful word to describe your nephew. Smiley.

PS Trivia question

In which version of Windows Media Player was the MP3 format option introduced?

Oh! Audiograbber does not have VBR only CBR.

Oh!Oh! MP3 recordings with Windows Media Player are real krapp.

[AnOther]

[quote user="pachapapa"]Oh! Audiograbber does not have VBR only CBR.[/quote]Sorry, not so. The screen shots on the site are old but Audiograbber with the latest LAME encoder DOES support VBR.

[IMG]http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p123/biskitboyo/audiograbber.jpg[/IMG]

VBR is of marginal benefit anyway but more importantly is still not universally supported by all MP3 players so CBR is the safe bet.

MP3 ripping was first available natively in WMP around v6 or 7 I think but prior to that a hack was available to enable it if necessary.

[Théière]

 pachapapa

We call my learned nephew so because he is currently studying law at Uni.

My opinion is all highly compressed (mp3) formats are rubbish in terms of quality. They are however convenient.

[AnOther]

No argument there teapot [;-)]

Personally though I'd far rather have a player full of a few thousand MP3 tracks than be limited to 1/10th of that in non compressed wav. files.

Quality is moot for portable devices anyway because, by and large, listening conditions will negate the higher quality of uncompressed music, or even CD's proper.

[Théière]

Agreed Ernie, and after too many Radio Caroline Roadshows and others I am sure the lug'oles ain't what they used to be.[:)]