transferring music onto the Hard Drive

[dan123]

Ok...had my car 18 months now; today I revisited trying to put music on the hard drive which I last gave up on about a year ago.

I have ripped and burned a CD as WMA files.

When I put this CD in the Columbus I cannot see any copy functions, the CD does play.

I think (hope!) I'm just missing something really obvious...if any could post an idiots' guide I'd really appreciate it.

Dan

[oan17]

You can't copy to the hard drive from CD. If you copy the tracks to a SD card you can copy them from there.

Hope this helps

[dan123]

You can't copy to the hard drive from CD. If you copy the tracks to a SD card you can copy them from there.

Hope this helps

Oh Ok, I'm sure I'd read you could do this from a burned CD with WMA or MP3 (I know it can't be done from a shop bought CD) but that would explain why I'm not getting anywhere.

Dan

[Departed]

The manual states (my emboldening): "WMA audio data (Windows Media Audio) can also be replayed by the unit and stored on the hard disk (HDD) providing this has not been protected by the DRM procedure copyright (Digital Rights Management)." Rip to a CD as .mp3 files and you'll be OK.

Ray

[Supurbia]

Don't rip too high a bitrate either, for one it takes up valuable space, and two some units baulk at 320kbps, 160-190 is generally good enough, and VBR's sound like someone is fiddling about with the volume knob, DivX for music.

Edited 15 August, 2010 by Supurbia

[dan123]

Thanks for the tips, I've now ripped (at 192) and burned an album as MP3, again the disc plays but I cannot fathom any way of copying it over to the HDD....does anyone know exactly what buttons to press on the columbus?!....although I think I've exhausted every combination/menu!

Any advice greatly appreciated, and Ray, love the offended link...promise not to be!

Dan

Edited 15 August, 2010 by dan123

[Departed]

... I cannot fathom any way of copying it over to the HDD....does anyone know exactly what buttons to press on the columbus?!....although I think I've exhausted every combination/menu!

After inserting the disk and pressing the "Media" button, you should get a display of the CD. To the right of the title will be a small rectangular icon which, when touched, should give you the options of "Play," "Copy," or "Continue." Tap on the "Copy" option and it will ask if you want to "Drop the Folder Here." Tap OK and copying will begin. Turn the volume right down to speed up the process. After copying has completed, you'll find the contents now on the "HD" option in Media display. HTH

Ray

[SeanC]

Thanks for the tips, I've now ripped (at 192) and burned an album as MP3, again the disc plays but I cannot fathom any way of copying it over to the HDD....does anyone know exactly what buttons to press on the columbus?!....although I think I've exhausted every combination/menu!

Any advice greatly appreciated, and Ray, love the offended link...promise not to be!

Dan

I did the same to strip the encryption from the tracks - next step is to copy the MP3 tracks to an SD card and transfer them to

the unit using that card. EDIT - unless Ray's suggestion works...

Edited 15 August, 2010 by SeanC

[dan123]

After inserting the disk and pressing the "Media" button, you should get a display of the CD. To the right of the title will be a small rectangular icon which, when touched, should give you the options of "Play," "Copy," or "Continue." Tap on the "Copy" option and it will ask if you want to "Drop the Folder Here." Tap OK and copying will begin. Turn the volume right down to speed up the process. After copying has completed, you'll find the contents now on the "HD" option in Media display. HTH

Ray

OK,I insert the CD and press Media it starts playing, there is no display of the CD. If I choose selection and then the file button at the top of the screen i get a page entitled sources the play button has a green surround but does not change to copy or continue when pressed....think I'm going to give up for another 18 months.

Dan

[mannyo]

Sounds like you are playing a CD burnt as a standard audio CD rather than a data disk. The earlier post about not being able to copy from CD is incorrect, as long as the disk is in effect a data disc you can copy your music over. It really is a piece of cake, the disk just needs to be correct to start with.

Which software are you using to burn the disk?.

[dan123]

Sounds like you are playing a CD burnt as a standard audio CD rather than a data disk. The earlier post about not being able to copy from CD is incorrect, as long as the disk is in effect a data disc you can copy your music over. It really is a piece of cake, the disk just needs to be correct to start with.

Which software are you using to burn the disk?.

I'm using windows media player. I have set the bit rate to 192 and ripped as mp3....i then dragged that file from the library and burned a CD. So have I created an audio CD or a data disk?

I also have access to Nero.

I guess your right re the disk I'm making being to blame, not the columbus.

Dan

[cookdn]

I'm using windows media player. I have set the bit rate to 192 and ripped as mp3....i then dragged that file from the library and burned a CD. So have I created an audio CD or a data disk?

I also have access to Nero.

I guess your right re the disk I'm making being to blame, not the columbus.

Dan

Have you got an SD card you can use in place of burning a CD, maybe borrowed from a digital camera. That might simplify things.

Otherwise use Nero to burn a data-disc containing the MP3 files from your hard-drive. I guess Media player is trying to be too clever and burning an audio CD from your MP3 files. Apple iTunes will do the same.

Best regards

David

[mannyo]

I'm using windows media player. I have set the bit rate to 192 and ripped as mp3....i then dragged that file from the library and burned a CD. So have I created an audio CD or a data disk?

I also have access to Nero.

I guess your right re the disk I'm making being to blame, not the columbus.

Dan

Mediaplayer creates normal audio cds, use nero and create a data cd (not mp3) and drag/drop the files and burn using that.

[dan123]

Mediaplayer creates normal audio cds, use nero and create a data cd (not mp3) and drag/drop the files and burn using that.

OK thanks (to all who have replied), I will have a go tomorrow evening.

Dan

[dan123]

Thank you all for the help, I burned a data CD using Nero and it works.

Dan

[countryboy]

Thank you all for the help, I burned a data CD using Nero and it works.

Dan

Hi Dan,

There is no need to use Nero to copy a CD suitable for downloading onto your Columbus, you can use Windows Media Player(WMP) like you initially tried. I had exactly the same problem when I tried the first time. I was copying music to a CD as an audio file and the Columbus was recognizing it as such and not giving me copying options, like everyone is saying you must copy the music as a data disc.

To do this with WMP when you want to copy the music click not on the tab for "burn" but on the triangle immediately below it, a balloon will initially come up saying "click to access options" a drop down menu will appear when you click on the triangle, click on "Data CD or DVD" and the dot will appear next to it. In the box to the right where you drag music to, the top box will change from" Audio CD" and "insert a blank CD" to "Data disc" and "insert a writable disc" Providing you have not had the check box for "copy protect music" ticked when you initially ripped the music to your computer then you will have no problems burning a data disc and downloading it to your Columbus hard drive. As a bonus you can get an awful lot more music onto a disc using this method than as an audio CD, typically 3-4 albums instead of just 1. The other option is to get a cheap SD card and use the copy and paste facility in windows to copy the files onto the SD card directly from the computers hard drive and then onto your Columbus, be careful though what sort of card you get, Columbus systems with earlier firmware versions will only accept SD cards and not SDHC cards. I hope this helps you and anyone else in need of this information.

Ian

[Maxbert]

Just as a matter of interest, as well as something else to worry about while awaiting delivery early October, is there any upper limit to the size of the SD card which will be detected? I ordered a very flash (tee hee, a pun!) 64 GB SD card for my digital camera, so I should be able to copy all my music in one pass, unless the card's size makes it unreadable...?

Cheers,

Maxbert

[TopCat7]

32Gb if I remember the manual right