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Mce2005 & Flac?

466 Views 4 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Allnight4, Mar 6, 2005

skriefal

Discussion Starter · Feb 25, 2005

Okay... I've spent a few hours researching this, and still have been unable to find a solution. Time to ask here! Is there any way to get Media Center 2005 -- or even Media Player -- to allow FLAC files (or other open files types -- i.e. OGG Vorbis) to the library?

I have a large collection of FLAC files on my server that are currently streamed to two systems in my house via Slim Devices Squeezeboxes, and would like to make these same files available to an MCE2005 box that I'm setting up.

I've found two DirectShow-based FLAC decoders (Illiminable and CoreFLAC). With the Illiminable decoder installed I can add the FLAC files to the library in Media Player, but it won't play them back. With the CoreFLAC decoder installed I can play back individual files via Media Player's File-->Open option, but it won't add any of the files to the library. Media Center doesn't seem to want to add the files to its library with either of the decoders installed.

Converting these files to lossless WMA is not an option, as I do not wish to get rid of the Linux server that hosts my Slimserver install (along with other tasks, of course).

Is there any hope to get these files working in Media Center 2005?

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E39

· #2 · Feb 25, 2005

While this won't help much, I've somehow managed to get them into my library, however none of the tags made it so I've got about 1000 songs in the unknown category.

If someone knows of a way to get them in there, I'd love to know too.

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phelmers

· #3 · Feb 25, 2005

skriefal:

One option you could use on the Linux side is the Flac-Samba File Extension Mapping VFS Module located here . This allows for on-the-fly server-side conversion of flac files to .wav format. It was originally written for the Audiotron which can't play flac files.

Another suggestion is to try asking at the HydrogenAudio message boards.

- Peter

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skriefal

Discussion Starter · #4 · Feb 25, 2005

Ah... I'd forgotten about the VFS mapping module. Thanks for mentioning that. I'll almost certainly try that if I'm unable to force MCE2005 to natively support FLAC.

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Allnight4

· #5 · Mar 6, 2005

I'd love to hear if you are able to get the VFS mapping module to work. Using version 1.1 requires samba 2.1.12 or so, and the v3 one worked (after some effort) with samba 3.0. However, neither WinAmp nor MediaPlayer would work, as they check the wav file's size, and then only play that much, bonking out when the bytes have been read, even though there is much more data to be read from the wav file being handed down.

I was considering doing something stupid like making fstat return twice or three times the size of the .flac, since (for me anyway) it gets about 50% compression rates.

Please let me know if you have better luck! I sent email to the original author, and to the guy that ported the v3 stuff, neither answered.

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