Need advice about converting of WMA files

[Igor]

I need your advice about converting of WMA files.

We just realized code which will automatically detects those protected WMA files and show warning and recommendation how to convert these WMA files.

Please couldn't you correct this text and add info about coverters from WMA to MP3 (and is there free converters?)

Test.wma is protected and it will not play on another PCs. Please convert this protected WMA file into MP3.

I hope it will help to solve this the most frequent asked question

[ccmanz]

Will this warning only be while making the slideshow?

or will it also tell a user a show is not playing because of the protected .wma, after the exe is created.

cc

[Igor]

Of course, this message will appear only when author of slide-show add new protected .wma file in the Music tab (Project options).

[Guest guru]

An excellent idea, Igor!

As far as I know, there is no freeware able to convert .wma to .mp3. The most interesting (and the cheapest) shareware I know is the new Tunebite, which allows to convert protected files (.wma, .mp4, Atrac) into free mp3. Price: $11.99, 9.99 euro.

[ccmanz]

I don’t think you need to tell someone how to convert the file.

Programs change all the time. I think just letting them know

what file type will work best for them. Then they can do a little

research and find what will work.

My example of the text would look something like this:

"The audio selected is a protected file and may not play on other PC’s

You may want to select a different audio format to insure your audio will

play on a friend’s or customer’s PC. (mp3 and ogg* are our preferred choice)"

* Added by guru

[Kurt S]

Does anyone know of a converter from wma to mp3,wave, etc that doesn't use the re-record method like Tunbyte does. it would be nice to keep the audio as clean as possible without having to run it through the soundcard.

[Guest guru]

Kurt, all converters must re-record, but not " through the soundcard". Since all compression systems (mp3, wma, ogg...) use a different algorithm, the CPU (not the soundcard!) must convert them before to wav, then to the new format. A certain loss of data is unavoidable. Only the lossless audio compression formats (like Monkey's Audio) allow to keep the original quality.

[Kurt S]

all converters must re-record

Not true. Most will convert to a raw pcm format then convert to the new format. This is not recording. And I do understand that converting from one format to another is going to cause further loss in fidelity due to compression artifacts.

However, Truebyte does use the soundcard (it even says so on their site that you need a full duplex soundcard and It re-records analogue audio signals) and this is going to add more distortion. Even the best pro soundcards are not 100 percent distortion free.

[Guest guru]

Dear Kurt

1) I don't agree. Wav or Raw PCM, it's a lossless format. This is not recording? It's a question of terms...

2) Here you are absolutely right. What is worst, Tunebite "re-records analogue audio signals" (home page of the site). This means not only a double format conversion, but even a double D/A and A/D conversion. As you say, even a professional soundcard introduces many distortion types this way.

So I think the best software to convert .wma file in other formats is the good old "Swiss knife" dBpowerAMP Music Converter (the v11 has just been released).

[Kurt S]

1. I think we are both saying the same thing in a different way. Convertors usually convert from a lossy format into a pcm (non-lossy) then convert into the other lossy format. IE. MP3 to pcm to WMA. The transferance from mp3 to wave is ok as the sound quality won't (or shouldn't) degrade at this stage but then going to the other lossy format does degrade the sound further. This isn't usually considered recording. Recording is a term usually used in the analog sence like what Truebyte does.

So anyway, we are essentially on the same page .

And Tunebyte is missleading. They say on their page "

Q: Will the quality of the piece of music be lost?

A: The audible quality of the piece of music will not be lost."

This is very missleading. Granted it won't be lost but it will be degraded. As we both know going from D/A then A/D and going through analog preamps is going to add noise.

So back to my original question, Does anyone know of a WMA convertor that does not convert by doing an analog recording but does work with protected files? DbPoweramp will convert WMA's as long as they aren't protected.

[Guest guru]

So you are looking for a sort of audio "AnyDVD", which bypasses any protection?... Sincerely, I don't know this kind of software. I think the best solution is to keep away from WMA...

[Kurt S]

I think the best solution is to keep away from WMA

I absolutly agree and try to avoid them like the plague but unfortunatly that isn't always an option.

[paula davies]

I got around the problem of converting WMA files (which I downloaded without realising they were not MP3) by using Jukebox to record the files to a CD which I could play in my car. Then I put the CD back in the computer and used Jukebox to rip the music into the computer as MP3 files.