Re: Three Bugs w/ Xbox Media Center Extender

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From: Dan Perkin (DanPerkin_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 03/15/05 

Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2005 06:43:04 -0800

Todd:
 
I tried what you said w/ the permissions. There was no security tab, which
is what threw me off before. I realized there might be something on the
system which prevented that, so I looked in control panel and found where I
was using "Use Simple File Sharing (Recommended)" in Folder Options, View,
and unchecked that. Only then did this security tab appear. Anyway, it
didn't work. I put the images in the folders, added MCRD users to
permissions, changed folder to use that image, and booted up Xbox
etc...nothing.

Previously what I had done is put the images in the Shared Documents folder
knowing that the Xbox SHOULD be able to use them, customize album folders to
use images out of those OTHER folders in shared documents, etc...but as you
know that didn't work. I shouldn't have to do any of this w/ Simple File
Sharing anyway, which I am reactivating.

Todd, I encourage you to burn a CD with some of your favorite songs, rip it
as an album (then should have no cover) and see if you can't do anything to
make the Xbox Media Center Extender come up w/ your custom album cover. I'd
be surprised if you could :-)

As I stated before, all of these images show up correctly in Media Center on
my Media Edition PC when I look in the Music section....it's just on the
Media Extender where I'm having problems.

Some data on the VBR problems:

Here is one in WMA Lossless Best Quality..

It is an example of WMA Lossless where it tries to play but no sound comes
out of the speakers (at all) attached to the TV that the Xbox Media Center
Extender is attached to.

"My Name is Jonas" by Weezer.
24.5 meg
Protected No
Duration 3:24
Bit Rate 1063 kbps
Audio Sample Size 16 bit
Channels 2 (Stereo)
Audio Sample Rate 44khz

Here is one in WMA VBR Best Quality where it played but kept stopping at 35
seconds. Later I re-ripped and it didn't stop in the same place. I have
other songs however that would do the same thing (Ray of Light by Madonna,
and a few more). If I ripped 10 CDs in VBR I guarantee I'd eventually run
into a song where it did this...played up to a certain point, got an error,
and then tried to replay the song.

"Stuck on You" by Lionel Richie.
10.1 meg
Protected No
Duration 3:11
Bit Rate 455 kbps
Audio Sample Size 16 bit
Channels 2 (Stereo)
Audio Sample Rate 44khz

I'm now up to 98 ripped CDs in WMA w/ no VBR and none of them so far have
had any problems w/o VBR. It was a total disaster when I ripped in
Lossless, and very annoying when I ripped in normal VBR.

Thanks again for your assistance,

-Dan

"Todd Bowra [MSFT]" wrote:

> The super-high-bit-rate WMA (vs. WMA Lossless) issue you report is
> definitely intriguing; the fact that some files work and others display
> issues (and that it's not consistent) makes it harder to isolate what
> exactly is going on. Could you also copy-paste the file properties (from
> within WMP) for a problematic WMA Lossless file?
>
> I haven't used chmod in years... brings back memory of the old days :-)
> File permissions are a lot more graphical/point and click in Windows:
> 1) right click the file/directory that you want to change the permissions of
> and select Properties
> 2) select the Security tab
> 3) Click Add...
> 4) In the text box, type "MCRD users" (without the quotes); click OK
> 5) Verify that the Read & Execute and Read boxes are checked (this is the
> default); click OK
>
> If the music and jpegs are in the Shared Documents folder, everything should
> work fine. I'm not sure I follow the steps you followed though - did you
> put a shortcut in the music folder to the jpeg itself?
>
> Regarding your questions about my setup - Windows Media Player found album
> art for almost all of my music; I didn't bother with custom album art for
> the couple albums that were left because there weren't very many of them.
> As a general rule, all of the album art that shows up in Media Center should
> show up on the Xbox as well - outside of the permissions of the user account
> for the Xbox, there's no difference in how the two find/display album art.
>
> --
> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
>
>
> "Dan Perkin" <DanPerkin@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:2C99455D-2739-4FF3-A35C-3AFE151244C3@microsoft.com...
> > Todd,
> >
> > First, thank you for the response.
> >
> > Second, yes, the problematic WMA Lossless and WMA VBR files play fine in
> > Windows Media Player. For example, I ripped Stuck on You by Lionel
> Richie
> > in WMA 192 kbps (best quality) and it worked fine. However, previously
> > when I ripped it in WMA VBR 240-355 kbps (best quality) it always hung up
> 35
> > seconds in (just before his voice kicks in again) and gives the error
> message
> > indicating I had to reset. In fact, I just deleted the working WMA 192
> kbps
> > and reripped w/ WMA VBR. This time however it doesn't fail at 35 seconds
> > (groan). If another user hadn't made a post complaining of the exact
> same
> > thing, I'd think it was a fluke...but I also had another song doing the
> same
> > thing (Ray of Light, a few minutes in)..and I haven't seen this when I
> don't
> > rip in VBR (I ripped 88 of my CDs today, and so far all are fine w/ no
> > VBR...previously it seemed like at least one song on each CD would fail
> when
> > working with VBR).
> >
> > Here are the properties of the working "Stuck on You"...I'd imagine the
> > failing one would have been the same though, no?
> >
> > Title: Stuck on You
> > Duration: 0:03:11
> > Bit Rate: 455 kbps
> > Audio Sample Size: 16 bit
> > Channels: 2 (Stereo)
> > Audio Sample rate: 44 kHz
> >
> >
> >
> > Third, I'm afraid I don't know how to change the file permissions for a
> > given JPEG. I right click on it and I go through everything available
> but I
> > don't see any MCRD Users or any place where I can change
> permissions...there
> > is stuff about sharing folders etc, but nothing like with unix where I can
> > chmod something. I didn't want to give up there - so I put the JPEGs
> into
> > the Shared Documents folder for all users on computer, and then I changed
> the
> > Music folder to use the JPEG in the Shared Document folder, knowing the
> MCX
> > likely had access to the Shared Documents at least, as all users do,
> right?
> > Anyway, it didn't work...and it shouldn't be this hard. Do you have an
> > Xbox Media Extender? How do you have it so your custom albums (or at
> least
> > those that AMG can't supply automatically) show images?
> >
> > If you have any more ideas I'd love to try them. I really want the album
> > thing to work...the VBR thing would be nice, but doesn't irk me as much
> ;)
> > I thought that failures (i.e. your media extender needs to be reset)
> would
> > automatically send themselves to MS so you could see what is failing? I
> > could have sworn I clicked a box authorizing that.
> >
> > Thanks again,
> >
> > -Dan
> >
> > "Todd Bowra [MSFT]" wrote:
> >
> > > Couple of comments/questions:
> > > - Do the problematic WMA Lossless files play fine in Windows Media
> Player?
> > > Also, please check the file properties listed for a problematic file in
> > > Windows Media Player (right click the file in the playlist and select
> > > Properties) and post everything listed next to "audio codec"
> (sample-rate,
> > > bit-rate, codec, etc.)
> > > - On the album art issue - I wonder whether this could be a file
> > > permissions issue; please try checking the properties on one of the jpg
> > > files that doesn't show up on MCX and make sure that "MCRD users" has
> read
> > > permissions to it
> > >
> > > --
> > > This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
> rights.
> > >
> > >
> > > "Dan Perkin" <DanPerkin@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > > news:559B5844-FE88-495B-8C77-0B790E396168@microsoft.com...
> > > > Oops, by "MP3s ripped with WMA
> > > > Variable Bit Rate in Media Player 10" I of course meant "WMA music
> files
> > > > ripped w/ WMA Variable Bit Rate in Media Player 10" :-)
> > > >
> > > > -Dan
> > > >
> > > > "Dan Perkin" wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > To start things out, here is my environment:
> > > > > I've got a Dell PC w/ Windows Media Center Edition 2005 w/ all
> latest
> > > > > patches attached to a Linksys WRT54GS Wireless-G router. That then
> > > passes
> > > > > data to my Microsoft Xbox Wireless-G adapter which then plugs into
> my
> > > Xbox,
> > > > > which is running Media Center Extender w/ the latest patch
> (downloaded
> > > off of
> > > > > Xbox live).
> > > > >
> > > > > First bug is similar to one I've already seen posted. MP3s ripped
> with
> > > WMA
> > > > > Variable Bit Rate in Media Player 10 (with highest quality selected)
> > > suddenly
> > > > > stop playing on Xbox Media Center Extender, and I get error saying
> that
> > > I
> > > > > need to reset my Media Extender. Then song resets and resumes
> playing
> > > > > automatically. This only happens for certain songs, and always
> happens
> > > in
> > > > > the same spot (for example at the 35 second mark for Lionel Richie's
> > > "Stuck
> > > > > on You" and about 4 Minutes in for Madonna's "Ray of Light".
> This
> > > > > doesn't happen for every song, some are fine.
> > > > >
> > > > > Second bug involves MS's WMA Lossless format, which I started with
> (but
> > > 50%
> > > > > of the songs were bad). Certain songs that are over 950 or so kbps
> > > play,
> > > > > but no sounds plays. Songs in lossless under 950 kbps or so play
> > > > > fine...ripped exact same way but song had less instruments or
> something
> > > & so
> > > > > it was smaller.
> > > > >
> > > > > Third bug (which really, really irks me) involves custom album
> covers
> > > for
> > > > > albums that don't find the info when you rip from a CD (I have
> several
> > > > > european imports that it doesn't find). For example, 111x111 jpeg
> > > called
> > > > > Clubfood.jpg that I put into my Clubfood directory. It
> automatically
> > > sees it
> > > > > as the thumbnail in the My Music dir, and when I open Media Center
> on my
> > > PC,
> > > > > it displays that image as the album cover properly and everything.
> > > However
> > > > > when I do add music on the Xbox Media Center Extender it doesn't
> find
> > > the
> > > > > images and instead leaves them blank. I can even remove the Media
> > > Extender
> > > > > and add it from scratch with setup disk and it still finds nothing.
> > > > >
> > > > > I am very confident that the third would be easy for MS to fix if
> they'd
> > > > > just test it. The first and second might be a little harder to
> track
> > > down
> > > > > (however as I said I noticed somebody else posted on the first bug
> > > yesterday
> > > > > or today). The second might just be my Linksys router.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
>
>

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