Jump to content

Someone out there.... finally realised

Rate this topic


sfbp

Recommended Posts

............what we've all been saying (and doing) for years. Sad that Sony didn't become the people's choice. Only themselves to blame for that, and some badly-designed "tests" which happened to favour MP3.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/Better+audio+quality+could+next+consumer+demand/9651386/story.html

Does this ring any bells for y'all?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

When I started this thread, I did not realise that:

a. the integration of ATRAC into VLC and ffmpeg is complete or almost complete (VLC doesn't work with HiMD formats due to some screw-up but I am certain it will).

b. Windows 7 (and 8?) still work perfectly with Sony .oma files for playback with Windows Media Player (or in fact any player!).

In addition, VLC (when it finally works) being able to play ATRAC means that Android devices will be able to play all our music too. They already can play LP2 and LP4.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have heard of something called a PONO which could play flac. I think sony should re-issue with ability to play the hi-res formats now out there as well as legacy formats. Is now the right time?

The latest Sony Network Walkman series will play FLAC in addition to WAV (including 24 bit files) and DSD audio.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you give me the exact model number I might try......

Thanks

Stephen

Hi Stephen - not sure if this one was directed at me, but the ones I meant were these: http://www.sony.jp/walkman/lineup/f_series/ and of course the ZX1. I have NW-F887 and use either FLAC or Atrac3+ 352k on most of my albums. Pretty happy with it so far - especially when paired with the XBA-H3 headphones which I got from Amazon Italy here

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Holy *() that's a lot of money for headphones.

I am intrigued by the DLNA capabilities myself, so ordered one (the 32GB version), much to my surprise, through Amazon US.

I haven't really used the DLNA although it did pair nicely through NFC with a bluetooth speaker we have in the kitchen (just touch the 2 devices together). Did you manage to get an Atrac capable version via Amazon US then? If so, good catch. I got mine through PriceJapan who I have used for quite a few things over the years..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh my!!!!!!!!

Someone has been listening. Too bad this model isn't for sale in (not-Japan). Amazon USA has it, and so does the Sony UK store (however nothing about ATRAC mentioned there!).

For the first time ever I was able to drag-and-drop ATRAC on a USB device (the 26G or so of available memory on the NW-F886) and play it more or less instantly. AAL, even. LP4, LP2, Hi-SP, WAV (and of course MP3, flac and the rest).

Some headaches until I found the English Language setting, but after that no problem whatsoever. It's Android 4.1.1 (early Jellybean) and so that makes it tres tres simple to use, especially with all the apps you may have downloaded and paid for already on the Android store. No need for any Japanese-language applications to load the music on. Drag-and-Drop (using Windows file folder management) does it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seems like I'm talking to myself today..... I remember trying to figure out how to set the non-Japan version of NWZ-S754 (for me this unit's predecessor) to play ATRAC. At the time I figured out that the key to doing this was in the capability_00.xml file.

Here are the relevant lines in the present (Japan) xml file. I wonder whether pasting these into the right spot in the other unit will wake it up to ATRAC, seeing as the Japanese versions of that model also were known to play ATRAC?

            <Audio>
                <Format>
                    <Extension>oma</Extension>
                    <MIME-Type>audio/x-sony-oma;codec="00"</MIME-Type>
                </Format>
                <AudioCapability>
                    <Channel>2</Channel>
                    <SamplingRate>44100</SamplingRate>
                    <MaxBitrate>132000</MaxBitrate>
                </AudioCapability>
            </Audio>
            <Audio>
                <Format>
                    <Extension>oma</Extension>
                    <MIME-Type>audio/x-sony-oma;codec="01"</MIME-Type>
                </Format>
                <AudioCapability>
                    <Channel>2</Channel>
                    <SamplingRate>44100</SamplingRate>
                    <MaxBitrate>352000</MaxBitrate>
                </AudioCapability>
            </Audio>
            <Audio>
                <Format>
                    <Extension>oma</Extension>
                    <MIME-Type>audio/x-sony-oma;codec="02"</MIME-Type>
                </Format>
            </Audio>
            <Audio>
                <Format>
                    <Extension>oma</Extension>
                    <MIME-Type>audio/x-sony-oma;codec="03"</MIME-Type>
                </Format>
            </Audio>
            <Audio>
                <Format>
                    <Extension>oma</Extension>
                    <MIME-Type>audio/x-sony-oma;codec="04"</MIME-Type>
                </Format>
                <AudioCapability>
                    <Channel>1</Channel>
                    <Channel>2</Channel>
                    <SamplingRate>8000</SamplingRate>
                    <SamplingRate>11025</SamplingRate>
                    <SamplingRate>12000</SamplingRate>
                    <SamplingRate>16000</SamplingRate>
                    <SamplingRate>22050</SamplingRate>
                    <SamplingRate>24000</SamplingRate>
                    <SamplingRate>32000</SamplingRate>
                    <SamplingRate>44100</SamplingRate>
                    <SamplingRate>48000</SamplingRate>
                    <QuantizationBit>16</QuantizationBit>
                </AudioCapability>
            </Audio>
            <Audio>
                <Format>
                    <Extension>oma</Extension>
                    <MIME-Type>audio/x-sony-oma;codec="05"</MIME-Type>
                </Format>
                <AudioCapability>
                    <Channel>1</Channel>
                    <Channel>2</Channel>
                    <SamplingRate>44100</SamplingRate>
                </AudioCapability>
            </Audio>
            <Audio>
                <Format>
                    <Extension>oma</Extension>
                    <MIME-Type>audio/x-sony-oma;codec="20"</MIME-Type>
                </Format>
                <AudioCapability>
                    <Channel>2</Channel>
                    <SamplingRate>44100</SamplingRate>
                </AudioCapability>
            </Audio>
            <Audio>
                <Format>
                    <Extension>oma</Extension>
                    <MIME-Type>audio/x-sony-oma;codec="21"</MIME-Type>
                </Format>
                <AudioCapability>
                    <Channel>2</Channel>
                    <SamplingRate>44100</SamplingRate>
                </AudioCapability>
            </Audio>
            <Audio>
                <Format>
                    <Extension>oma</Extension>
                    <MIME-Type>audio/x-sony-oma;codec="22"</MIME-Type>
                </Format>
                <AudioCapability>
                    <Channel>2</Channel>
                    <SamplingRate>44100</SamplingRate>
                </AudioCapability>
            </Audio>
Or am I merely dreaming?

For what it's worth, that file is read-only. So either one has to do a setup where that (modified) file gets loaded onto the device from a windows cab/tar/zip file, or one has to effectively root the device.

Sony could have given us ATRAC playback years ago, I'll be bound.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice Stephen, but do we then we really just become another iPhad junkie with a better codec?  ;-)

 

I was looking at those units on Amazon last night and they look very sweet, the price is not too bad considering everything they can do and now you have to mention streaming via Bluetooth in the car.  I'll be in trouble with my wife if one shows up on the door step ... :-)

 

I was thinking of a project to root my Android phone (previous gen HTC One) and run ffmpeg with some player front end so drag and drop ATRAC playback could be possible.  One glaring difference, Sony has always taken audio quality into consideration as in anlogue output.  I suspect the HTC would not compare via headphone output jack, perhaps via Bluetooth it would make no difference as there are limitations for bandwidth in that medium as well ...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Ooohhh something else I just discovered. I laid out for the (overpriced) dock, the BCR-NWH10 (it will set you back between 100 and 150 bucks/euros/whatevers). Got fed up with the insertion mechanism for the WMPORT which is on all walkmen now. The unexpected payoff is that there is a two position switch on the dock:

- in position A, ("PC") it communicates seamlessly as USB both for charging and copying or SonicStage-ing

- in position B ("Digital out") there is another USB which can be taken out to any old $10 USB-to-optical converted with excellent results (sure, Sony wants you to buy their "DAC" but if I only convert to TOSLink why do I care that much?) and now I can play from the dock into my stereo without any software at all.

The A position works on the Android Walkmen (NW-F88x, ZX1 etc) as well as the NW-S75x series. (note, not the non-Japan NWZ- series). The B position only works with the Android Walkmen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...