My adventures with Marv's .m4a files!

[n/a5]

As some of you may have noticed (an indeed a few even commented on it last night on the HUB) I have been away for awhile. I have been away cause hey it is summer and I would rather sit outside and smoke a cigar rather than in front of a screen. I have though also been tied up with work, the World cup and the fact that I don't like to post for the sake of posting. During this time I had a unique adventure...listening to marv's WLIR archived shows. Some of it is in .mp3 format but the real gems are .m4a. I hate iTunes almost as much as Laurie Anderson so I refuse to load that shit on my PC. Since I never download .m4a I never had the need to seek out an encoder to convert the files. I simply avoid .m4a or .mp4 like the French avoid deodorant! With Marv's .m4a gems I just couldn't resist. I asked the IT guys at work but they only gave me some LINUX based encoder that when it runs in Windows it does so under a DOS prompt. What's the deal with LINUX anyway? Why the fuck can't people just use WINDOWS like the rest of the world? I know all about how LINUX kicks ass but I am tired of you guys complaining when shit doesn't run on LINUX or having something that runs on LINUX not run on WINDOWS. Not to mention how every manual you get with hardware or software has to pander to LINUX users with a whole section. Bad enough that I have a hard time finding the English section....when I find it I have to weed through the list to find the WINDOWS XP section buried deep. People who use LINUX also tend to use FIREFOX, NETSCAPE, and OPEN OFFICE! They generally feel superior because they are part of an exclusive club of people who are smarter than the rest of us. I am not even going to get started on APPLE users. I digress.....so I am trolling around the internet looking for a WINDOWS based system. I come across a little website called www.videohelp.com that has a tools section. I plug in .mp4 to .mp3 in the search field and here pops up a program called Media Encoder:

http://www.videohelp.com/tools?toolsear ... List+tools


This is a shareware program that converts any video, audio or still image from any format into another. It even converts files so that your cell phone or PDA can handle it. I popped in Marv's files and within 20 minutes all his .m4a's were converted. Sound quality was the same but the .mp3 files were a bit larger...to be expected since the compression rates are different. But they weren't that significant.

So because of Marv's insistence on having and using iTunes (I bet he is a closet LINUX user as well[:D]) I found this excellent little program.

NOTICE: I know there will be some tech heads out there who will invariably post that (a) they have a better program; (b) they knew about this before me and even posted it on here 3 years ago; (c) tell me how I could have done this with some already existing software that comes bundled with the OS; (d) explain how .m4a or .mp4 is better than .mp3 or .wav. (e) go on about the virtues of APPLE; (f) tell me how I am having a bad day cause I used a little humor in this posting that some moron will mistaken for being real. I really don't give a shit! I posted this for people like me who never had the need to convert files but may want to do so without the hassle of being talked down to by some audiophile or IT guy that never leaves the house save for going to the PC show or CD convention.

[Frau_Blucher]

You sure have gone out of your way with a whole lotta words just to post a link to a program. Sounds almost like you do give a shit. Odd, especially since a) there's better programs out there, b) we've known about this for a long time, 3) you could have done this easily with bundled iTunes, d) you did this just to get to a codec that's inferior to what you started with, e) Macs have this capability built-in, and f) um, are you sure you don't give a shit...'cause it sounds like you give a shit. [:o)]

[2Nu]

^^^Um...Yep[:D]^^^

<IMG SRC="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/richp62/Icons%20Avatars/inot.gif">
"Talking With People That Agree With You Is Like Jogging In A Cul-de-sac" - Bill Moyers

[n/a5]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Blir[/i]
<br>You sure have gone out of your way with a whole lotta words just to post a link to a program. Sounds almost like you do give a shit. Odd, especially since a) there's better programs out there, b) we've known about this for a long time, 3) you could have done this easily with bundled iTunes, d) you did this just to get to a codec that's inferior to what you started with, e) Macs have this capability built-in, and f) um, are you sure you don't give a shit...'cause it sounds like you give a shit. [:o)]
[/quote]

Dude....I give a shit about the program I don't give a shit about people like you responding the way you responded. That is the difference. See I said I don't give a shit if you come back with all those scenarios and better ways to do things. I do give a shit about sharing one (out of many) programs that may or may not be the best out there but it worked for me.

"You sure have gone out of your way with a whole lotta words just to post a link to a program." - I don't see where this agression towards me comes from so I will put it down to you having a bad day.

[MARV]

[quote]Originally posted by Nero Lance
[br]So because of Marv's insistence on having and using iTunes (I bet he is a closet LINUX user as well[:D])[/quote]

Man, I would'nt touch Linux with a ten foot pole. If it is'nt a Mac OS, I don't want it [:D] Seriously, I need an OS that's just.....better.

http://www.apple.com/getamac/

I simply do not understand why people insist on using a computer that's slow, that crashes, that's not user friendly, not intuitive, uneasy to upgrade or install software on. You want to talk about bloated? Look at all the crap that comes with any PC. What loathsome and cumbersome interfaces. I can't even look at the packaging all this barely tepid, pedestrian garbage comes in. And as far as the mp3 format goes, it's a larger file with poorer sound quality compared to an AAC or mp4.

But people, don't get me wrong.....I don't really give a shit [}:)] [:D] [;)]

By the way Nero, I genuinely am glad that you're enjoying (and were able to convert) my WLIR / WDRE material. Like I said last night, I have more for you to listen to.

<a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/cetaceans/index.cfm">I dig whales.</a>

[n/a5]

I am laughing because all you guys are getting your panties in a twist over me using some humor. I am poking fun...I said so in my post. I said someone will mistaken this for being real.

CLASSIC!

[Frau_Blucher]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Nero Lance[/i]
<br>"You sure have gone out of your way with a whole lotta words just to post a link to a program." - I don't see where this agression towards me comes from so I will put it down to you having a bad day.
[/quote]
" [:o)] " ...the clown icon...did you see the clown icon? I'm clowning 'cause...I'm just a clown. Get it? No? Okay, sorry, I know, you care too much. My bad.

This place has got no tolerance for a little piss anymore.

[MARV]

LOL, we're laughing at your predictable responses as well, Nero [:D] Did you see that? It's a "laughing icon". Here, let me demonstrate: [:D] [:D] [:D] [:D] [:D] I used it in my first reply. I also used a smarmy winkie [:0] I mean, a winking smiley face like this: [;)] We use it on the net to show that we're joking, sharing an inside joke or not being serious. Just going along with the precedent that you set. Get it? [;)]

<a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/cetaceans/index.cfm">I dig whales.</a>

[n/a5]

Marv I got your icons. Blir's comments seemed more malicous but ok he explained it. Although I am not into golden showers [8D]!

Now that we got the elite Apple users club [:D][:D][:D] (I am poking fun.) out of the way bring on all the replies about how Laurie Anderson is awesome....bring it on!

[tiger_mn]

I think people should really take a course or do some reading on file transferring before they comment on it - it's a very deep and thought-provoking subject that shouldn't be taken lightly. [:o)]

[Frau_Blucher]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Nero Lance[/i]
<br>...bring on all the replies about how Laurie Anderson is awesome....bring it on!
[/quote]
Don't even joke about that shit. That is HEINOUS! [:(!]

[MARV]

[quote][i]Originally posted by tiger_mn[/i]
<br>I think people should really take a course or do some reading on file transferring before they comment on it - it's a very deep and thought-provoking subject that shouldn't be taken lightly. [:o)][/quote]

Or.....they could just get a Mac [:o)]
Or at least iTunes. It [i]IS[/i] available for Windows [}:)] [:p]

<a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/cetaceans/index.cfm">I dig whales.</a>

[Bitter Almonds]

Posting in legendary thread[}:)]

[obs]

Yep, that's why I just stick with MP3s. Compatible to all, while still sounding transparent to the original CD (that is, if you're not using Itunes to rip/encode [:)]).

[MARV]

[quote][i]Originally posted by obs[/i]
<br>Yep, that's why I just stick with MP3s. Compatible to all, while still sounding transparent to the original CD (that is, if you're not using Itunes to rip/encode [:)]).
[/quote]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding this obs, but do you really think iTunes rips mp3s differently than any other encoder? That it encodes "worse" than others?

<a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/cetaceans/index.cfm">I dig whales.</a>