Hacking an iPod to play Windows formats.

[HBN]

Can this be done? If so, how? Cuz nearly my entire library is Windows-formated (WMA), and iTunes fails to re-format them.

Ya know, seeing as Windows owns Apple now, I'd expect a little cross-compatibility. I guess not. So...

Hacking time. Can it be done, and How do I do it?

[nitro2k01]

Ya know, seeing as Windows owns Apple now...

lolwut?

Anyway, you can install iPodlinux which will probably play unprotected wma files. But the file you have is probably DRM'd. One way is to find some software which can transcode the files into mp3. (Not iTunes)
Another option is to simply download the files from any pirate site. If you paid for them, you shuldn't feel guilty.
And you ripped them from CD... WMP per default DRM-locks your files to your computer per default. (Can be turned off) That could explain why the files won't work.

[HBN]

Ya know, seeing as Windows owns Apple now...

lolwut?

Anyway, you can install iPodlinux which will probably play unprotected wma files. But the file you have is probably DRM'd. One way is to find some software which can transcode the files into mp3. (Not iTunes)
Another option is to simply download the files from any pirate site. If you paid for them, you shuldn't feel guilty.
And you ripped them from CD... WMP per default DRM-locks your files to your computer per default. (Can be turned off) That could explain why the files won't work.

Microsoft owns Apple. Happened...two years ago. Didn't you get the memo?

Anyway, I'll look into that, thanks.

Any other options?

[bicostp]

1. Windows is a product, not a company.
2. Microsoft does not own Apple. Even if it does own any of their stock, Microsoft isn't the majority shareholder. Get those ca. 1995 rumors out of your head, man!
3. Microsoft <s>is</s> WAS trying to buy Yahoo, not Apple.
4. It will be MUCH easier (and far more sensible) to convert your media files or rip your CDs again than re-write the iPod's OS.

You can go through the effort of ripping your discs again with Media Player (which CAN rip to MP3; look in the options menu) or iTunes (also to MP3).

Or, you could re-compress your WMA files into MP3s and make them sound bloody awful!
http://mediacoder.sourceforge.net

Why did you rip to WMA of all things? Why not go all out with the wacky formats and rip to Ogg?

WMP per default DRM-locks your files to your computer per default. (Can be turned off) That could explain why the files won't work.

Maybe 11 does, but the good versions (9 and 10) don't. All of our MP3s were ripped with MP 10 and 11, and all the files work on all our computers and devices with no problem.

edit: Better? : P

[Jongamer]

[img]
3. Microsoft is trying to buy Yahoo, not Apple.

Microsoft just gave up trying to acquire them, cause yahoo was being a female of the dog species and wanted too much money.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... eheadlines

[vskid]

Install rockbox on the ipod if its supported. (google it)

[Jongamer]

[img]
3. Microsoft is trying to buy Yahoo, not Apple.

Microsoft just gave up trying to acquire them, cause yahoo was being a female of the dog species and wanted too much money.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... eheadlines

[HBN]

Install rockbox on the ipod if its supported. (google it)

Gen 5. It should work. The problem I have, is I saw a video on YouTube of the Rockbox interface. It doesn't look very easy to use.

The only good thing about the iPod being Apple is the incredibly easy interface.

I don't see any screenshots of an iPod using Rockbox on the website (rockbox.org), so I can't tell if I saw an obsolete version or not. Any ideas?

Thanks for the help so far. Greatly appreciated.

[bicostp]

Why are you solving your problem the hard way?

My "make them sound bloody awful" comment was a bit of an exaggeration. The music files will sound fine after transcoding them to MP3, just use 192 k/sec or higher (preferably VBR) for the export settings.

Drop all your files onto MediaCoder, set the export settings, and click Start. That's all you have to do; the rest is automated.

http://mediacoder.sourceforge.net

Set iTunes and Media Player to use MP3 instead of their own formats for future rips.

[HBN]

Why are you solving your problem the hard way?

Two reasons:

1) I can.
2) In theory: The harder it is, the more you learn.

Set iTunes and Media Player to use MP3 instead of their own formats for future rips.

I wasn't aware they could do this. Thanks for letting me know. Its reset.

[bicostp]

1) I can.
2) In theory: The harder it is, the more you learn.

Just convert your music to MP3s.

iPod Linux's support for WMA is (like seemingly everything else in that project) apparently pre-beta, if it even can play them at all. Same deal with Rockbox; they sort of have a codec together but it's buggy and unstable, and there's all of 10 people who care about it.

Nobody cares about WMA. Convert your music to MP3. You don't even have to do any of the work with a decent automated tool!

[HBN]

I have a third reason: I'm sick and tired of not being able to play ALL formats. This is classic corporate BS, and I'm not gonna take it anymore.

Eff the Man, dude!

[vskid]

I have a third reason: I'm sick and tired of not being able to play ALL formats. This is classic corporate BS, and I'm not gonna take it anymore.

Eff the Man, dude!

Why waste your life "effing the man", when you can go along with it and its ten times easier...

[Sparkfist]

MP3 is for the most part a free and open format. There are more audio players that support it then say WMA or AAC. So just convert your music over to MP3, be happy you're not using a cooperate format and carry on with your life.

[HBN]

I have a third reason: I'm sick and tired of not being able to play ALL formats. This is classic corporate BS, and I'm not gonna take it anymore.

Eff the Man, dude!

Why waste your life "effing the man", when you can go along with it and its ten times easier...

Thats why. Easy doesn't work, or last.

Its the non-conformists that make this planet livable.

Think about it. All the great minds in history have been non-conformists. Even the ones of this century. Linux exists because somebody didn't conform to how big business (Microsoft) wants us to.

This whole website exists because somebody had the insane idea to make portables out of console systems. Somebody didn't conform to the norm.

Thank you, Benjamin Heckendorn. For sticking it to the Man.