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Topic: Invalid box/atom header error with downloaded podcast (.m4a) (Read 3465 times) previous topic - next topic
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Invalid box/atom header error with downloaded podcast (.m4a)

First off, just want to say foobar2000 is THE best media player I've found and I love it! :-) Keep up the great work!

Also, yes, I did a search about this issue, and did come across a previous post from back in 2009. Unfortunately, there wasn't much of a resolution other than a work-around by extracting the audio from the .m4a file.

Note: I'm using foobar2000 1.1.5.

Anyways, honestly, the error hasn't been really a huge problem, it just snuck up recently on the new podcast update from Matt Darey's Nocturnal Sunshine (#145). (Link: http://nocturnalsunshine.net/podcast/nocturnal_sunshine.xml) The only other podcast release of his that I get the same error on is the first podcast as well. So, like I said, not really a huge issue. I've redownloaded the podcast a few times, thinking maybe it was just a corrupted download (I use Podcatcher for the most part as well), but ruled that out.

The only other thing I can think of is either A) whatever software they're using, it's encrypting the podcast info for some reason (iTunes, it plays fine. VLC also plays fine, and I think that's because VLC just says "eff it" and goes and finds the audio data.) or B) they don't know how to adhere to the Atom standards (if there are any, don't know too much about it.) I'm leaning more towards A because I'm unable to edit the tags in MP3Tag.

Just to be thorough, I'll paste the exact error from foobar2000 below:
Code: [Select]
Unable to open item for playback (Unsupported format or corrupted file (invalid box/atom header)):
"C:\Users\Dave\Music\Podcasts\Matt Darey - Nocturnal Sunshine\Matt_Darey_-_Nocturnal_Sunshine_Podcast_145.m4a"

Unable to open item for playback (Unsupported format or corrupted file (invalid box/atom header)):
"C:\Users\Dave\Music\Podcasts\Matt Darey - Nocturnal Sunshine\Matt_Darey_-_Nocturnal_Sunshine_Podcast_01.m4a"

Both files are downloadable from the link I posted above.

If there's any information you need that I may have left out, let me know. Thanks!

Invalid box/atom header error with downloaded podcast (.m4a)

Reply #1 –
First, for all followers, of course the link above is meant without the bracket.
I had a look into the XML source and could not see any (structural) difference between the #1, #145 and any other.
The grammar seems the same, and i've not stumbled upon any special characters used only in #1 or #145.

Interestingly, i have a similar problem here, same reason, i guess:
The podcast of zero inch contains old casts in MP3 along new ones in m4a.
Any m4a won't playback, resulting in the very same error message.
When i download the m4a and drag it into foo_bar, it's played back just fine.
Of course, any suggestions welcome.

Invalid box/atom header error with downloaded podcast (.m4a)

Reply #2 –
Oops... sorry about including that parenthesis at the end there. Totally forgot about this thread, but I did come across something. I have a laptop I use to play my music, and recently, I decided I wanted to switch to Linux. Of course, I quickly learned that foobar2000 is Windows only, and there is nothing that comes close as far as the options available for Linux. So, having been forced to use the media player that comes with the Ubuntu installation, I quickly learned there are slide shows embedded in those podcasts. (That's how long I've been using foobar2000 and refuse to touch any other media player. :-) )

My guess is, since there is zero video support in foobar2000, I assume that when foobar detects a media file with accompanying video, it ignores all the video data (and accompanying meta-data?), and this is where things kinda go weird.

Also, Beta 1.1.6 removes any files from the playlist that would cause the above error. This helps get rid of those error boxes from popping up. Hopefully an actual fix allowing these weird podcasts to play like they're supposed to will come around.

Invalid box/atom header error with downloaded podcast (.m4a)

Reply #3 –
I've recently downloaded a podcast (Greg Downey - Global Code) and I get the same error when trying to play in foobar. I can get the file to play fine in Windows Media Player.

Is there any utility to fix or do something to the file so foobar will play it?
 

Invalid box/atom header error with downloaded podcast (.m4a)

Reply #4 –
extract the audio and put it inside a new .m4a container. mp4box with yamb should be able to do this.

edit: i googled the podcast and this is what it contains:



i guess foobar doesn't like the non-audio stuff.