Hi folks. A couple of further questions re the SD slot.

I'm off to pick up my VRS on Saturday and have a nice 500 mile return journey to test it in

So some tunes would go down well, thus:

- What size of SD card are we talking about (there are several from micro to 'dinner plate' )

- IS the SD slot a standard fit or is it an option?

- Does the software recognise WMA files or is it just MP3?

thanks in advance,

Chris

Normal sd (not mini or micro) upto 32gb like this one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00422F8XQ/ref=oss_product

Standard on the Bolero head unit

I think it does wma as well (but not aac)

Hi folks. A couple of further questions re the SD slot.

I'm off to pick up my VRS on Saturday and have a nice 500 mile return journey to test it in

So some tunes would go down well, thus:

- What size of SD card are we talking about (there are several from micro to 'dinner plate' )

- IS the SD slot a standard fit or is it an option?

- Does the software recognise WMA files or is it just MP3?

thanks in advance,

Chris

Hi Chris

The answers i can help you with are:

1. Standard size SD or SDHC card. The ubit will read cards of upto 32gb capacity, but there is some inconsistency in weather it will read a full card or not. Mine wouldn't see previous posts.

2. Standard fit.

It certainly reads MP3, but i don't know about WMA as i am a mac user, so they have no use to me. sorry.

Good luck and enjoy.

DK

Have tried to use some of the file converters but dont seem to being having much luck!!...after an hour of trying i have these probs and questions:

Can i not copy my entire itunes folder to the file converter? And how do i know which tunes have protection which makes them unable to be converted?

Ive tried copying my itunes songs from inside my itunes library with itunes open but it says that some songs cannot be done!!

When i go in through my music on windows i have to open itunes folder then open each folder one at a time and click and drag to the converter!!..is there a quicker way as i have about 200 folders!!

When the converter software says its done it says that they are now in the input folder!!does that mean it has just converted them to mp3 and stuck them back in itunes?...how then do i get them to the SD card?

Sorry for all the questions but am a bit dim when it comes to this and just wish developers would create stuff for idiots like me!!

Cheers

Kit

- Does the software recognise WMA files or is it just MP3?

Yes, it recognises WMA. I alaways use these as they take up less space.

Can i not copy my entire itunes folder to the file converter? And how do i know which tunes have protection which makes them unable to be converted? - Use iTunes, I believe it is easier.

Ive tried copying my itunes songs from inside my itunes library with itunes open but it says that some songs cannot be done!! - The songs that cannot be done are the ones with protection on them.

When i go in through my music on windows i have to open itunes folder then open each folder one at a time and click and drag to the converter!!..is there a quicker way as i have about 200 folders!! - Again i can only speak of Mac's but the process is similar on a PC.

- Go to Preferences, General tab and click on import settings and change to MP3 Encoder, OK that.

- Then go to the Advanced tab and I would choose another folder or create a new folder in iTunes Media Folder Location.

- Then OK all of that and close the window.

- Next hi-light all the tracks you want to covert.

- Then go to Advanced on the title bar and click on Create MP3

When the converter software says its done it says that they are now in the input folder!!does that mean it has just converted them to mp3 and stuck them back in itunes?- Yes. You will now have duplicate tracks in your itunes folder. ...how then do i get them to the SD card? - Separating them in the folders and dragging them into new folders and then dragging them on to the SD card. If you create a separate folder and change the location you will find them easier to find later.

Sorry for all the questions but am a bit dim when it comes to this and just wish developers would create stuff for idiots like me!! - Hopefully this will answer your questions.

Once in my new folder I then named each folder by artist and followed by album name i.e. Adele - 21, making it easy to search in the car. Try to limit having a folder called Adele and in there a folder called 19 and another called 21. The more complex the folder structure the longer it takes to read.

One last thing do not forget to change your folder location back in itunes and the format back to AAC or what ever it was you were using unless you want to continue using MP3 in the new location.

I hope this helps.

DK.

DK...Thanks for all that info Il give it another bash later...after ive done my vat return!!...the joys!!

Will let you know how i get on...

Cheers

kit

Edit: just noticed I've been beaten to it- that's what happens when you start replying and then get distracted by some work

Anyway, my answers seem to differ a bit from the other reply so I'll leave them up- hopefully one or the other (or a combination of the two!) will help you.

Have tried to use some of the file converters but dont seem to being having much luck!!...after an hour of trying i have these probs and questions:

Not sure which converter you are using, but based on using the 'free m4a to mp3 converter' I've tried to answer a few of your queries.

And how do i know which tunes have protection which makes them unable to be converted?

As far as I know it's only songs you have downloaded though iTunes which are protected. I may be wrong on that but every single one of the songs I have in my iTunes has been imported through good old fashioned CD's and I haven't had a problem with protection on any of them.

Can i not copy my entire itunes folder to the file converter?

No, I think the way it works is just to look for m4a files and convert them to mp3. A folder is not a m4a file so will be ignored I assume.

Ive tried copying my itunes songs from inside my itunes library with itunes open but it says that some songs cannot be done!!

When i go in through my music on windows i have to open itunes folder then open each folder one at a time and click and drag to the converter!!..is there a quicker way as i have about 200 folders!!

Don't have iTunes open when you do it. In the converter I used you click on 'add files' navigate to the iTunes folder and then into each artists folder and select each song you want to copy. Obvioulsy 'ctrl+A' to select all stops you having to click on each song individually.

But yes, it is slightly long-winded.

In my experience it was best to select four or five albums worth and let it convert that and then go back and select more.

When the converter software says its done it says that they are now in the input folder!!does that mean it has just converted them to mp3 and stuck them back in itunes?...how then do i get them to the SD card?

Again, the converter I used has two options on the main screen- one is to put the mp3 versions back in the original folder (which would then be a pain in the rear to fish them out in amongst the m4a versions). The other is to place them in a folder you specify.

In my case I made a new folder called 'car music' and once I'd finished converting all the files they were all in this folder so I just copied the entire contents of this folder to the SD card.

Hope this helps a bit.

Stevo...thanks for some more info Between you and DK am sure il get it done today...

Thanks kit

Thanks to everyone who helped me with this Got the hang of it now but its a long ol' slow job but its getting there!!

Cheers

Kit

All this discussion around using (sh)iTunes, makes me very glad that I can avoid using this piece of complicated software.

Surely the original music files are stored either on your machine or located on an external drive that you can access

The simple solution is to plug the SD card into your machine, & check that your machine sees it as a drive letter.

Goto the folder that contains the original MP3 file or album & drag it to the SD card drive.

When you have copied all the music you want , eject card from machine & use in the car.

What could be easier ?? ( sod messing around with a database of music, that requires lots of fiddling just to get a simple mp3 onto an external device )

All this discussion around using (sh)iTunes, makes me very glad that I can avoid using this piece of complicated software.

Surely the original music files are stored either on your machine or located on an external drive that you can access

The simple solution is to plug the SD card into your machine, & check that your machine sees it as a drive letter.

Goto the folder that contains the original MP3 file or album & drag it to the SD card drive.

When you have copied all the music you want , eject card from machine & use in the car.

What could be easier ?? ( sod messing around with a database of music, that requires lots of fiddling just to get a simple mp3 onto an external device )

If you've set iTunes up to import CDs as MP3 then this works fine, however, most music downloaded from iTunes is in protected aac format and has to be converted first....

Most of my iTunes collection (from when I had the iphone) is in MP3 format as I sat there for days ripping CDs when I first got the phone so I can drag and drop, it didn't take long to convert the few albums I'd bought from the iTunes store but if you don't change the default settings and then rip a CD it's in a format that the Columbus/Bolero can't read...

All the ones that i put on itunes from cd's are in mp3 so i have just clicked and dragged but i have loads of stuff through itunes downloads that are mp4 and thus needs converting....the sotware that i have been using " free ma4 to mp3 converter" that was recommended by stevo wont recognise itunes mp4 encrypted so have had to to use another bit of software i got from a mate but it wont convert all the album details just the song name!!...So anyway i have most of the albums on the card but still have to do compilation ones yet!!

Kit

Well that other bit of software didnt work after all!! :( It says its converted it to mp3 and after you have clicked and dragged it to the SD card it still says it mp3 but when you choose that song off the card in the car it just starts playing the first song from the next album!!...Am presuming its the encryption on the itunes!!

K:)

Raglits

You have just pointed out another reason for not using itunes store to buy music - protected aac.

Why do these companies have to do this thing around tying people to their products or make it difficult to use different hardware,I personally find it restrictive, and virtually monopolistic. It frustrates the heck out of me.

First iTunes does not tie you to them, it is the downloading of tracks before a certain date that means you cannot transfer it. iTunes is a library of music which has the option of downloading, but also stores 'ripped' cd's for any useThe 'locked' tracks are not only an iTunes issue as it was on other downloadable music when downloading began. It was there to protect the artist and record company not itunes. You know those poor artists that make very little money for their products.

With reference to Kit. If you have these 'locked' files, i believe what ever you use you will not be able to listen to them on anything else than the registered player that they were downloaded to. Therefore you'll have to give up. I thought you wanted to convert. Sorry if i have misled you.

First iTunes does not tie you to them, it is the downloading of tracks before a certain date that means you cannot transfer it. iTunes is a library of music which has the option of downloading, but also stores 'ripped' cd's for any useThe 'locked' tracks are not only an iTunes issue as it was on other downloadable music when downloading began. It was there to protect the artist and record company not itunes. You know those poor artists that make very little money for their products.

With reference to Kit. If you have these 'locked' files, i believe what ever you use you will not be able to listen to them on anything else than the registered player that they were downloaded to. Therefore you'll have to give up. I thought you wanted to convert. Sorry if i have misled you.

My understanding is that to get arround the protection you need to physically burn a cd with the album, then re-rip to iTunes. Not tried it myself though

Another wee update....a mate has recommended m4p-mp3.com ...this does the trick to convert protected itunes m4p tracks to mp3 Its on a 14 day trial and is best if you only run this programme by itself with nothing running in background...so far this morning ive done 2 albums that i bought through itunes and they are now playing well off the SD card in the car

K:)

Excellent stuff mate- It'll be worth the hassle in the end

Another wee update....a mate has recommended m4p-mp3.com ...this does the trick to convert protected itunes m4p tracks to mp3 Its on a 14 day trial and is best if you only run this programme by itself with nothing running in background...so far this morning ive done 2 albums that i bought through itunes and they are now playing well off the SD card in the car

K:)

Might be worth looking at this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GoiilZsvTA

checked out that vid on youtube...further update!!...the other software i was recommended, the trial version only converts the first three minutes!!...full version in 25 notes!!

Have trawled over the tinterweb and no matter what any posts say you cannot burn a protected M4P itunes file to a disk and re import it as mp3!!...as soon as you try and do it you get an error message saying you cant!!

Looks like il have to full the full version of the M4P-MP3.com software and do it that way!!...what a load of pants!!

K:)

Further developments!!...the mini SD card i bought keeps giving a card error so had to buy a new SD card, the guy in the shop said bring old one back and il sort it for you but i cant find the reciept!!...went to transfer the tracks to the new card and low and behold my new card reader (only used it a handful of times) wont work!!....so all in all so far its cost me two sd cards..40 notes and two card readers 20 notes!! and hours of time!!...i shouldve stuck to using the ipod thru the aux!!!

K :(

I have discovered a 32gb SDHC card at home and will try that with my Bolero HU later this week.

I am using a 16gb micro Sd card in an adapter no problems, much prefer it than the iPod aux method.

I added 18gb of music to my SD card last night, it works in the Bolero but it is quite slow when moving from one folder to another. When first inserted it took over a minute to process the card. I'm told the Bolero is running the most recent firmware.

well so far ive no problems with this new SD card but the other was ok for about 10 days before it started give the card error message!!

K