[appar111]

I tried one of the IRiver IHP-120's this weekend. The sound and battery life were great, as was the build quality and accessories. I had a couple complaints though.

First, the fact that it states its Mac compatible, and yet I could not use the DataBase function because the program used to create it is only for use on Windows based machines. So I thought, I'll just use the filetree setup-- not much different than using a Mac or PC file tree system, right? Well, I would select an Artist, then select one of the file folders of their albums, then selected a particular song in that folder, and every single time, it would scan in that entire album folder's contents before playing the track I selected. AND it never even played the track I selected (i.e. track 4, for example). It would scan through every track in that folder, then start playing track one. It wouldn't be so frustrating if it didn't take 1-2 seconds per song when scanning through the songs of a particular folder.

Am I missing something here? I find it hard to believe that no one on the boards has mention the fact that for a typical 12 song album, it takes about 20 seconds to scan through all the songs in that folder, and then it doesn't even play the track I selected originally! That is extremely frustrating when you're working with 20 GB worth of songs. Shuffle function seems to eliminate this-- songs can skip around from folder to folder without scanning in that entire folder's contents. But sometimes I want to listen to a few songs on an alubm, then go to a different album, and the 20-some seconds it takes every time a new album folder is selected is just too frustrating. I guess I figure that if I pay almost $400 total for something, I shouldn't have to wait half a minute every time I switch albums. And this shouldn't have anything to do with using a pc or mac, as the problems is in accessing the files on the unit, not uploading the files TO the unit (that part is actually drag & drop, and very easy).

I made sure that the DB function wasn't selected on the IRiver-- thinking that if that was the case, it might explain why it was taking so long to scan through a folder's contents.

So is this just inherent in the IHP-120-- normal access time for it in the filetree mode?

thanks!

 

[AdNauseam]

I've never experienced the behaviour you described. It usually takes around half a second for a song to start playing if I select it from the browser.


I've tried messing around with the settings, but I can't duplicate what you are describing. Try resetting the ihp's configuration from the general menu.

 

[appar111]

I ended up doing that, and still it sits and reads the entire album folder's contents before playing anything, and even then, it always defaults to playing the first song in the folder, and NOT the one I selected originally. Once it reads an album folder, it doesn't re-read it when I select another track in that folder, but if I go out to a different album, then come back to the first one, it re-reads all over again!

Oh well, I ended up with a 256MB flash based player and I think it will be much easier for me, less expensive, less parts to go wrong (i.e. no hard drive) and for gym and running, I can always get a 256 or 512MB card to bump it up...

 

[DLP]

Quote:

Originally Posted by appar111 I ended up doing that, and still it sits and reads the entire album folder's contents before playing anything, and even then, it always defaults to playing the first song in the folder, and NOT the one I selected originally. Once it reads an album folder, it doesn't re-read it when I select another track in that folder, but if I go out to a different album, then come back to the first one, it re-reads all over again! Oh well, I ended up with a 256MB flash based player and I think it will be much easier for me, less expensive, less parts to go wrong (i.e. no hard drive) and for gym and running, I can always get a 256 or 512MB card to bump it up...

When you have this, you have duplicates of all those files, right? I had this problem with some of my MP3s. You have to change the file attributes (a Mac OS thing), otherwise it creates small header files for each song so it can read it. I don't know why, it seems like an MP3 is an MP3, but not for this thing. Anywho, a program like MP3 Rage can change the file attributes for you for a whole group of files, you just need to know what the new attributes are you want to change it to.

 

[appar111]

hmmm, I always thought that if it was an mp3 then it was an mp3. That would explain the time-lag-- it's reading each little subfolder in a given folder.

If I changed the file attribute, would it change the way these files are accessed in iTunes? I don't want to fix one thing, only to complicate another.

Either way, I ended up with a flash-based player, so the point is moot, I suppose-- but thanks for explaining what was going on!

appar111

 

[DLP]

Nope, iTunes reads an MP3 as an MP3, as it should be. It's whatever is in the firmware of the iHP that does it. Actually, what I always did with mine that were like that was most of them were identified as Quicktime files, and using MP3 Rage, I changed them to be identified as iTunes files so the file attributes were hook and mpg3. Also make sure they all have .mp3 on the file name. It's a weird annoyance, but with MP3 Rage, it's a very quick fix. I figure posting this is good in case anyone else finds this problem and does a search.

 

[appar111]

hmmm, none of my files were identified as quicktime files. they all have .mp3 at the end of them. They're all identified as iTunes files because they were all ripped using iTunes. And yet I still have the problem-- reads the whole darn album folder before playing any tracks in that folder, and even then, it just starts playing the first track in the folder... And its not just on some files-- it's on EVERY album folder by every artist. Oh well....

 

[chazas]

I don't have an iHP, but I used to have an Archos, which uses file folder structure too.

Maybe I'm missing something, but if you want your albums to play in album order and you're not accessing them from the database, wouldn't you have to name them starting with the track number? I know that's what you had to do with the Archos.

 

[Megaman]

To be honest, I have the IHP-140, and I don't know what are talking about

 

[appar111]

Do you use a Mac or a pc?

Let's put it this way, in filetree mode, when you select an artist folder, then one of their album folders, and then a particular song in that folder, does it scan through everything in that album folder before playing anything, or does it just start playing?

Perhaps if you use mac and didn't have this problem, then there was something wrong with the IHP I had...

 

[Sweet Spot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by appar111 Do you use a Mac or a pc? Let's put it this way, in filetree mode, when you select an artist folder, then one of their album folders, and then a particular song in that folder, does it scan through everything in that album folder before playing anything, or does it just start playing? Perhaps if you use mac and didn't have this problem, then there was something wrong with the IHP I had...

Sounds like one of those fishy conversion things to me. Perhaps something in the tags that (I'm assuming that your files are created with iTunes ?) is causing the IHP to execute extra reading instructions upon playback ? I have never actually heard of this particular problem before, and I myself have NEVER experienced it. I ONLY use file tree mode, (though DB accesses the files just as quickly upon the play prompt) and when doing said actions as you described, playback is instantanious. No scanning involved at all. Furthermore, when a song is finished playing and the counter reaches 00:00, the next song starts immediately, hardly even a quarter second delay in between unless your Mp3 has added silence.

You shouldn't have given up so easily. The problem was definitely rectifiable. Too late now though.

 

[appar111]

Well, I'm assuming its a conversion thing too. All my files are created in iTunes, and I can't use the DB function on the Iriver anyway, since the database can only be created on a PC, not a Mac.

There may be some fix that's pretty easy, but right now it's probably best that I took it back and went flash-based anyway, as most of my use this summer will be while running and in the gym, where I won't need 20GB of space and flash is much more durable than a hard drive in those active situations.

But now that I know, I'll still keep the IHP-120 in my sights, especially since IRiver just dropped the price on it to $329-- which means in the next few months it will probably drop below the Best Buy current price (which is $329). So if it hits $299 or below I'll have to reevaluate.

But for now, I realized that I don't need NEAR as much music with me at a given time as I thought I did. Heck, 256MB works great for me right now-- maybe another 256 or 512 and I'll be happy for a LONG time...

 

[AndyH]

Quote:

Originally Posted by appar111 But now that I know, I'll still keep the IHP-120 in my sights, especially since IRiver just dropped the price on it to $329-- which means in the next few months it will probably drop below the Best Buy current price (which is $329). So if it hits $299 or below I'll have to reevaluate.

Time to start reevaluating

Courtesy of austonia
Quote:

compuplus.com iRiver iHP-120 $284

 

[appar111]

D'oh! I'll pretend I didn't see that!