Nokia Audiobooks: what we need to hear - Page 4 - maemo.org

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	RogerS	2008-04-11 , 20:35
	Posts: 772 \| Thanked: 183 times \| Joined on Jul 2005 @ Montclair, NJ (NYC suburbs)	#31

Originally Posted by qwerty12

Hmm, now I'm confused.

Installing mplayer amr shouldn't have affected the media player as media player wouldn't work with just those libraries on it's own.

Well, that makes sense to me. I don't know why Media Player plays the AMR file (which I gave a .amr extension to) when I double-click the filename in File Manager.

But it does. :-)

Originally Posted by qwerty12

Well, I provided mplayer as that is the first thing I thought of. But when I saw the limitations, I decided to do it for the media player.

For your instinctive response and for tackling the issue a second time, I thank you.

Originally Posted by qwerty12

I would still recommend installing the media player amr support as it provides proper gstreamer support (the media player backend) and shows the amr files in the library.

I'm happy to follow your advice, but what you mean by "media player amr support" isn't clear to me.

I previously installed the libraries you pointed to (in /usr/lib) and the mplayer-amr files (made executable and put in /usr/bin).

The second download you reference:

http://rapidshare.com/files/106591605/amr.tar.gz.html

looks to be different from the file with the libraries so I'll follow your instructions. If you mean something different by "media player amr support" please advise me.

Originally Posted by qwerty12

So mediaplayer will be the default to open awb files. mplayer will only open amr from the command line, when you invoke it manually. media player is much better for awb files than mplayer.

Sounds good to me.

I'll report back whatever I learn.

Thanks again,

Roger

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	qwerty12	2008-04-11 , 20:45
	Posts: 4,274 \| Thanked: 5,358 times \| Joined on Sep 2007 @ Looking at y'all and sighing	#32

Well, that makes sense to me. I don't know why Media Player plays the AMR file (which I gave a .amr extension to) when I double-click the filename in File Manager.

But it does. :-)

Ah! I thought you were using the awb extension which the files of the nokia site come in.

For your instinctive response and for tackling the issue a second time, I thank you.

I'm happy to follow your advice, but what you mean by "media player amr support" isn't clear to me.

I mean the file of rapidshare

. Sorry for being confusing.

I previously installed the libraries you pointed to (in /usr/lib) and the mplayer-amr files (made executable and put in /usr/bin).

Sounds right

The second download you reference:

http://rapidshare.com/files/106591605/amr.tar.gz.html

looks to be different from the file with the libraries so I'll follow your instructions. If you mean something different by "media player amr support" please advise me.

That is the media player amr support as you said

If you install the "media player amr support" which is the file from rs., you should have no problems with awb files in the media player.
Best Regards and hope you get it fully working

btw my replies are slow to make as I am on tablet

Last edited by qwerty12; 2008-04-11 at 20:54.

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	qwerty12	2008-04-12 , 11:50
	Posts: 4,274 \| Thanked: 5,358 times \| Joined on Sep 2007 @ Looking at y'all and sighing	#33

@RogerS

I know what's wrong! Media Player already supports amr and awb out of the box! I just saw my testing files on a clean reflash. That means my package isn't needed, off to edit my post and sorry for doubting you, nokia.

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geneven	2008-04-12 , 22:38
Posts: 5,795 \| Thanked: 3,151 times \| Joined on Feb 2007 @ Agoura Hills Calif	#34

It has always seemed to me that Audible is vehemently anti-Linux. It also seemed to me after being their loyal customer for six years that they were one of the least responsive companies I have ever dealt with.

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JoeF	2008-04-13 , 01:37
Posts: 112 \| Thanked: 28 times \| Joined on Mar 2008 @ Victoria, BC	#35

I wonder what the future holds for Audible now that they have been bought by Amazon. They will probably change their format to something that will only play on a Kindle.

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	RogerS	2008-04-13 , 02:25
	Posts: 772 \| Thanked: 183 times \| Joined on Jul 2005 @ Montclair, NJ (NYC suburbs)	#36

Originally Posted by qwerty12

Ah! I thought you were using the awb extension which the files of the nokia site come in.

I guess I wasn't paying attention here. The file indeed came with a .awb extension and I left it that way when I shortened the rest of the name.

But I guess the big news is the responsiveness this issue showed:

Not only did you modify two programs immediately on learning of the request, but Nokia managed to implement the fix before I asked for it.

You couldn't ask for more than that, I think. :-)

Roger

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MstPrgmr	2008-04-13 , 17:56
Posts: 118 \| Thanked: 16 times \| Joined on Sep 2007	#37

Originally Posted by geneven

It has always seemed to me that Audible is vehemently anti-Linux. It also seemed to me after being their loyal customer for six years that they were one of the least responsive companies I have ever dealt with.

Audible .aa files are wrapped in DRM so they are not about to let it play on just any old handheld device, especially those that are linux based.

However, you can convert the Audible .aa files to .mp3 and listen at will. I don't like Audible's policies, but they truly have the best audiobook collection on the web.

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	RogerS	2008-04-14 , 16:25
	Posts: 772 \| Thanked: 183 times \| Joined on Jul 2005 @ Montclair, NJ (NYC suburbs)	#38

Originally Posted by MstPrgmr

Audible .aa files are wrapped in DRM so they are not about to let it play on just any old handheld device, especially those that are linux based.

OK, I'm with you this far.

I've written Audible about this and also asked Audible who at Nokia could be contacted about it.

Originally Posted by MstPrgmr

However, you can convert the Audible .aa files to .mp3 and listen at will. I don't like Audible's policies, but they truly have the best audiobook collection on the web.

I don't follow you here.

Are you saying Audible provides a way to convert .aa files to .mp3?

Or are you saying there are plenty of legal apps that will convert them?

Or are you saying it's easy to get ahold of some app that will convert .aa files, although the DMCA may come into play for U.S. residents?

As my prior remarks make clear, I've been operating under the assumption that I wouldn't be able to play my own Audible files except on an Audible-licensed mp3 player and moreover that such license actually provides the mp3 player with the .aa codec and doesn't actually make an mp3 file.

If you can correct any false part(s) of that assumption, I'd be grateful.

Thanks,

Roger

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MstPrgmr	2008-04-14 , 17:05
Posts: 118 \| Thanked: 16 times \| Joined on Sep 2007	#39

Originally Posted by RogerS

Are you saying Audible provides a way to convert .aa files to .mp3?

Or are you saying there are plenty of legal apps that will convert them?

Or are you saying it's easy to get ahold of some app that will convert .aa files, although the DMCA may come into play for U.S. residents?

Thanks,

Roger

There are apps that can convert .aa to .mp3, thus removing all the DRM, but depending on your residence they may or may not violate copyright or DMCA laws. Personally, I think it's pretty ridiculous that you are paying for those audiobooks, or anything with DRM, as if you are buying it, but you are only renting it. Just my two cents.

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JoeF	2008-04-14 , 17:45
Posts: 112 \| Thanked: 28 times \| Joined on Mar 2008 @ Victoria, BC	#40

Audible allows you to burn your files to CD. This removes the DRM. You can then do what you like with them. It is not necessary to burn them to actual physical cd's. Just set up virtual drives and burn to them. It is time consuming, but it works.