Re: [ARSCLIST] Multi format DVD/CD/SACD, etc Player

[Tom Fine <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

One thing to keep in mind is that all of the players I've used have different schemes for playing 
MP3 and JPEG from data discs. It's usually klunky and menu-driven, so you need a TV or vid monitor 
to get it going (obviously you need this anyway for JPEG viewing). Some machines do better at 
recognizing dense menu trees than others and most have limits on how many files can be in a 
directory (ie if you have 10000 MP3 in the root directory of a CDR, many players have trouble with 
that. Finally -- and this has gotten better in some recent players -- some have trouble finding and 
grabbing such small streams of data and are thus very sensitive to dust and fingerprints on CDRs. 
Audio CDR's are different because it's a constant stream of data, as the machine is set up to do, 
and there's CD error correction built in, and overall less dense data-pack, at least that's my 
guess.

My Tascam CDRW-900 CD recorder can play MP3-laden CDR's. It is OK with multi layers of menus and the 
like.

One big tip with MP3 discs for any of these players -- if you do not want the tunes played 
alphabetically by filename, you have to number them as to what sequence you want. So if you make a 
"mix tape" CDR, make sure to add 0001-, 0002-, etc to the front of the file names in the sequence 
you want. PITA factor is huge. Bottom line, for listening to MP3's, it's much easier to just plug 
your iPod into the stereo!

-- Tom Fine

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Richter" <mrichter@xxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, December 29, 2006 1:29 AM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Multi format DVD/CD/SACD, etc Player


> Steven C. Barr(x) wrote:
>
> > Well, I was under the impression that the original poster wanted to
> > know how to play a "burnt" DVD-R (or +R, etc.) which contained a
> > large number of .mp3 sound files. Since this isn't a commercial
> > audio/video DVD, it wouldn't start playing the "movie" (or audio
> > in this case) as soon as inserted...the unit would know the disc
> > contained data...but presumably not of what sort. However, IF the
> > unit was a computer digital drive, and IF there existed an association
> > for files with that extension...would it not use that application
> > to open and play the .mp3 sound files?
> >
> > And do stand-alone DVD players (which often advertise "mp3 compatibility")
> > recognize and play those files once they had realized it wasn't a
> > regular audio/video DVD disc...?
>
> As I have understood the question throughout this thread (and all its knots), it was whether a 
> unit with the identified broad capabilities was available. My answer was "yes" (except for SACD, 
> about which I have no knowledge) with a specific example.
>
> Standalone players with MP3 capability offer just that, providing through their software 
> capabilities akin to those of a portable player or far more or somewhat less. Similarly, many will 
> show still images in JPEG and sometimes other formats, usually with substantial slide-show 
> capability, again supplied in software within the unit. They may also show video from AVI with or 
> without DivX codec and in at least one case from MPG.
>
> Other capabilities are at the whim of the manufacturer.
>
> Mike
> --
> mrichter@xxxxxxx
> http://www.mrichter.com/