HydrogenAudio

Lossless Audio Compression => Lossless / Other Codecs => Topic started by: Rontox on 2009-07-19 12:32:29

Title: Question regarding Apple Lossless (ALAC) on iPod Classic?
Post by: Rontox on 2009-07-19 12:32:29
I am planning to get an iPod Classic soon, and I also plan to use Apple Lossless on the device for some artists/albums. However, I have been hearing about problems like tracks skipping, and the device going crazy if the files are not encoded in iTunes.

I have been encoding my files in dbPoweramp. Should I re-encode these in iTunes (using the 'Create Apple Lossless version' option) even though it is creating the same file? (lossless so no quality loss whatsoever)

Also, what should I do regarding skipping? Should the aforementioned creation of Apple Lossless files in iTunes instead of dbPoweramp stop it from skipping or not? Also, has new firmware been released to fix all of this so that I don't have to worry about it?

I don't want to buy the iPod and then have to worry about the tracks skipping or messing up the device just because it is Apple Lossless. I already know about the battery life reduction, but since I am also going to be using a lot of lossy as well (HQ lossy) I figured that it wouldn't be significant enough to warrant encoding absolutely everything in lossy for the sake of saving a few hours of battery life.

All help appreciated.
Title: Question regarding Apple Lossless (ALAC) on iPod Classic?
Post by: jhart71 on 2009-07-19 13:25:00
The cache on the iPod Classic is 64mb.  Keep in mind that you are always playing music from the cache, not from the HD itself, so if your song runs over 64mb, the HD has to spin up again and the cache is "reloaded".  So, it could skip or at the very least have a lag.

64mb Lossless files are not uncommon either.

One thing to remember is that not only battery life, but also HD life, will suffer.
Title: Question regarding Apple Lossless (ALAC) on iPod Classic?
Post by: ShowsOn on 2009-07-19 13:38:19
Just use MP3 instead. Use 320 Kbps LAME if you are that worried about quality. I've never heard my iPod classic skip once. I have the old 160 GB model that they don't make anymore.
Title: Question regarding Apple Lossless (ALAC) on iPod Classic?
Post by: rpp3po on 2009-07-19 14:43:46
The only problems I have heard of were due to incomplete reverse engineering of the ALAC codec. This should all be pretty much solved by now in the case of dbpoweramp. The original Apple encoders never produced any problem.
Title: Question regarding Apple Lossless (ALAC) on iPod Classic?
Post by: greynol on 2009-07-19 18:52:29
Just use MP3 instead.

We had that (EDIT: useless) discussion (http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=72928) a month ago.

Frankly, I don't understand the need to start a new thread for this one. 
Title: Question regarding Apple Lossless (ALAC) on iPod Classic?
Post by: Rontox on 2009-07-20 14:42:30
Just use MP3 instead.

We had that (EDIT: useless) discussion (http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=72928) a month ago.

Frankly, I don't understand the need to start a new thread for this one. 


I asked the question regarding whether or not the ALAC tracks will skip or not, and not whether I'm going to use them, because as you've already established, I am. I just want to know if I will encounter any problems using ALAC, that's all.
Title: Question regarding Apple Lossless (ALAC) on iPod Classic?
Post by: greynol on 2009-07-20 17:11:46
It was a simple-enough question that could have been asked in that discussion instead of starting a new one, that's all.

Thread closed.