Free Shipping on Most Orders

MP3 player question

rated by 0 users
Answered (Verified) This post has 1 verified answer | 5 Replies | 0 Followers

Not Ranked
4 Posts
Points 80
adeclue posted on Mon, Nov 2 2009 6:41 PM

In my past couple vehicles i've always had a aftermarket stereo that supported WMA so i've just put multiple albums on 1 cd. I've recently purchased a new vehicle and dont want to put in an aftermarket stereo. Only problem I have is that all my cds are in WMA format. So my idea was to get an MP3 player to put all my music on and then get a FM transmitter to play in my vehicle. Only problem i ran into is that the MP3 player i got doesnt support folders. Is there a MP3 player or other portable device out there that will allow me to put music folders on there in same format that i have on my computer? casue the one i currently have just lists all songs in consecutive order and if i go to albums i have 8 diffrent titles for one album. Just depended on how WMP labled the songs.

Any help would greatly be appreciated.

  • | Post Points: 20

Answered (Verified) Verified Answer

Top 10 Contributor
14,147 Posts
Points 224,190
Moderator
Reply
Answered (Verified) TigerHeli replied on Tue, Nov 3 2009 7:47 AM
Verified by J P

This is going to be difficult to answer without confusing you further, but here goes:

  • Your best bet would be adding an aftermarket stereo, unless you plan to use the MP3 player for something else as well?
  • Will the MP3 player play WMA files?  I didn't think most would.
  • If the factory stereo will play MP3 CD's, you can use programs like LAME and Foobar to transcode your files to MP3 and then burn to CD - there will be some quality loss, but not as much as using an FM transmitter with an MP3 player.  (Perhaps that is what you did already with WMP).
  • If you use an MP3 player with the current stereo and don't have an AUX connection in the car, you really want a WIRED, not WIRELESS FM transmitter that connects to the antenna line.
  • There are essentially three interface formats and two browsing methods that you need to be concerned about:
  • Interface formats (really these control how you get data on the MP3 player - although they would affect how it interfaces with an aftermarket stereo with USB input):
    • USB MSC - MASS Storage Class.  This essentially looks like a flash drive to the computer - drag and drop files from windows explorer.
    • USB MTP - Mass Transfer Protocol.  Essentially about the same, but you need a special driver on the PC to "see" the device, and you typically can only put music and image files (not docs or .exe's) on the MP3 player.
    • Some devices can be either MTP or MSC depending on what they are connected to - some of the same MP3 player might or might not do this depending on firmware.
    • A few devices use a proprietary interface and require you to use their software to transfer files to the device.  Creative does this if you want to use album art with the player.
  • Browsing methods - This is your biggest issue, but it isn't as big a problem as you are making it out to be:
    • A (very) few players allow you to select files by folder and file name.  (OTOH, many aftermarket stereos browse by file and folder when connected via USB and display ID3 tag info - so this might be an issue if using the MP3 player with an aftermarket car stereo).
    • Most players now are going to browse by ID3 tag name.  This is the issue you are having with the different titles for the same album.  This also means it doesn't matter what folder structure you use - as you could have all your files in a single folder and the player will use the ID3 album tag to determine the album structure for the files.  There are programs like Media Monkey, MP3Tag, MP3TagTools, etc., that will allow you to edit/change your file ID3 tags so they display properly.

Hope This Helps!!!

 

 

2002 Ford Focus Sony CDX-GT410u Sony XT-100HD HD Tuner Stock speakers, no amp, no subs

  • | Post Points: 40

All Replies

Top 10 Contributor
14,147 Posts
Points 224,190
Moderator
Reply
Answered (Verified) TigerHeli replied on Tue, Nov 3 2009 7:47 AM
Verified by J P

This is going to be difficult to answer without confusing you further, but here goes:

  • Your best bet would be adding an aftermarket stereo, unless you plan to use the MP3 player for something else as well?
  • Will the MP3 player play WMA files?  I didn't think most would.
  • If the factory stereo will play MP3 CD's, you can use programs like LAME and Foobar to transcode your files to MP3 and then burn to CD - there will be some quality loss, but not as much as using an FM transmitter with an MP3 player.  (Perhaps that is what you did already with WMP).
  • If you use an MP3 player with the current stereo and don't have an AUX connection in the car, you really want a WIRED, not WIRELESS FM transmitter that connects to the antenna line.
  • There are essentially three interface formats and two browsing methods that you need to be concerned about:
  • Interface formats (really these control how you get data on the MP3 player - although they would affect how it interfaces with an aftermarket stereo with USB input):
    • USB MSC - MASS Storage Class.  This essentially looks like a flash drive to the computer - drag and drop files from windows explorer.
    • USB MTP - Mass Transfer Protocol.  Essentially about the same, but you need a special driver on the PC to "see" the device, and you typically can only put music and image files (not docs or .exe's) on the MP3 player.
    • Some devices can be either MTP or MSC depending on what they are connected to - some of the same MP3 player might or might not do this depending on firmware.
    • A few devices use a proprietary interface and require you to use their software to transfer files to the device.  Creative does this if you want to use album art with the player.
  • Browsing methods - This is your biggest issue, but it isn't as big a problem as you are making it out to be:
    • A (very) few players allow you to select files by folder and file name.  (OTOH, many aftermarket stereos browse by file and folder when connected via USB and display ID3 tag info - so this might be an issue if using the MP3 player with an aftermarket car stereo).
    • Most players now are going to browse by ID3 tag name.  This is the issue you are having with the different titles for the same album.  This also means it doesn't matter what folder structure you use - as you could have all your files in a single folder and the player will use the ID3 album tag to determine the album structure for the files.  There are programs like Media Monkey, MP3Tag, MP3TagTools, etc., that will allow you to edit/change your file ID3 tags so they display properly.

Hope This Helps!!!

 

 

2002 Ford Focus Sony CDX-GT410u Sony XT-100HD HD Tuner Stock speakers, no amp, no subs

  • | Post Points: 40
Not Ranked
4 Posts
Points 80
Reply
adeclue replied on Tue, Nov 3 2009 7:56 PM

Yes it does. I'll try the softwared to change the ID3 tags. As long as I can get all the songs for an album tagged the same way to where the MP3 player will recognize that as an album, then that will work for what I want to do. 

I do have another question you recomended getting a hardwired connector for the MP3 player instead of a FM transmitter. Where can i find these?  And do they just connect to the anneae jack as it goes into your stereo?  Cause all i have found have been the wireless ones that plug into cigarette lighter. 

Thanx

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 10 Contributor
14,147 Posts
Points 224,190
Moderator
Reply
TigerHeli replied on Wed, Nov 4 2009 7:50 AM

What MP3 player are you working with?

Wired FM modulator is here.  Basically, it goes in-between the antenna and the radio - I think it needs a power connection as well.

Again - if you are planning to use the MP3 player as a portable source anyway - this isn't a bad solution.

If you aren't, by the time you buy the MP3 player and $50 for the FM Modulator, you probably would have been money ahead to buy a $120-ish USB capable HU and a $15 flash drive.

Hope This Helps!!!

2002 Ford Focus Sony CDX-GT410u Sony XT-100HD HD Tuner Stock speakers, no amp, no subs

  • | Post Points: 20
Not Ranked
4 Posts
Points 80
Reply
adeclue replied on Wed, Nov 4 2009 8:09 AM

I got an ipod touch for my B-day. I'll price both out. But the the newer head units would allow you to just have a Flash drive and i'd be able to browse the songs the way i'd like? or would I still have to change the id3 tags?

 

Thanx

  • | Post Points: 20
Top 10 Contributor
14,147 Posts
Points 224,190
Moderator
Reply
TigerHeli replied on Wed, Nov 4 2009 8:47 AM

Unfortunately, I am not that familiar with the iPod touch.  Nice player but I went with a Creative Mozaic b/c of the built-in speaker and FM tuner and lower cost.

Your best bet in your case is likely a head unit that supports the iPod touch and then you could browse the files the same way they are on the touch - but I think you might have to modify the tags for that to work well (either on the HU or the Touch).

Your other option is the USB-capable HU and a flash drive or even just an MP3-capable HU (which you might have) and a CD-R.  Now there are two browsing methods for HU's (sorry this gets confusing):

  • Older units like my Sony browse by folder - so you select "Album 001", "Album 002", "Album 003", and then "Track 001", "Track 002", Track 003" on the unit.  You DO NOT actually see the file or folder names - but you can view the ID3 tag info, and it will keep all files in the folder you put them in in the same album.  (i.e. if I had a track from "Wish You Were Here" and a track from "Dark Side of the Moon" in the same folder - it would say they were both tracks on "Album 000", but the Album ID3 tag would have "Wish You Were Here" or "Dark Side of the Moon" after the song was selected.
  • Newer units do browse by ID3 tag - so I could put all the files in one folder and select them by ID3 album name or Artist Name, but I would have to make sure the tagging was correct for all files - i.e. "Jon Bon Jovi", "Bon Jovi" and "Bon  Jovi" (2 spaces) would be viewed as different artists.
  • A few units will display file/folder names and let you browse by either method, but I can't think of them off-hand.

Hope This Helps!!!

2002 Ford Focus Sony CDX-GT410u Sony XT-100HD HD Tuner Stock speakers, no amp, no subs

  • | Post Points: 10
Page 1 of 1 (6 items) | RSS