Several Questions about iTunes 4.5 functions

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Of course I'm wondering if some of this has been addressed as bug fixes in 4.6, but I couldn't find specifics on Apple, and lacking use for Airport Express, I'm reluctant to upgrade to some of the new "features" after what I've read. Sorry this is all one thread, but this way I only get one notification.



A] I hate the fact that I can add the same song to a playlist twice(+!). Is there a way to get it to ignore duplicates? If you tell me 4.6 cured that, I might switch for that alone!



B] I don't really notice much reduction in bit size if I convert my old MP3s to AAC. Any reason I should other than space saving?



C] I hate the fact that my genre pick list (not the Genre panel above, but the auto fill list in "Info") is growing my leaps and bounds with useless classifications. How can I edit back down the genre to just my basics (IE I don't need Electronica AND Elelectronic). I see this keeps building like a List function in FileMaker. Is there some way to strip it down (to just the classifications I'm actually using in the Library)? Doug's AS De-Genre only seem to deal with the Genre panel (genres actually in use).

edit: after digging in my XML file, I noticed some of this junk is coming from Radio Streams...



D] is 128bit really all that awful? Being the default, I loaded my entire CD collection in as such before realizing the option was there to go higher. Thinking about redoing the whole thing, then sticking my excess hardware and media in storage. Of course I'll keep a backup drive.



E] How come my iPod sees fit to change it's sort order at whim in the iTunes window, but I'm not allowed to? One day is by Song, then next by Date Added. Arg.

Edit: Ah! Change Library to new Sort need, switch to iPod List, Update, Sort order changes to what ever Lib had been. <whew>.



F] What's the fun of a beat per minute column if there is no way to fill it up automatically. Any magic out there?



G] Final rant: I figured out how to make my ipod shuffle ALL, but since that includes iTrip stations, it's really irritating. I tried removing genre, etc from files I never want to "play", hoping it would ignore files with no criteria filled in when told to shuffle from "genre", etc. Any Ideas?

Edit: Playing with using "My Top Rating", as my main shuffle. Of course if I do decide to redo my CDs to a higher bit, I may have to figure out how to massage that XML file, or jump out the window.



Many thanks!

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 4
    k squaredk squared Posts: 608member
    For C): Command-I on a song or group of songs and you can change the genre.
  • Reply 2 of 4
    Quote:

    Originally posted by k squared

    For C): Command-I on a song or group of songs and you can change the genre.



    At this point I want to hack iTunes. I miss ResEdit. I read you can't change Apple's prebuilt list. So even tho I changed all the streams (in my playlist of saved radio stations) to simple genres like "Rock", I'll never get rid of "Children's Music" et al.

    At least I no longer have to look at

    "80's METAL GLAM HAIR ROCK"

    which was what Pirate Radio had their Genre set at!
  • Reply 3 of 4
    Quote:

    Originally posted by notaclone

    B] I don't really notice much reduction in bit size if I convert my old MP3s to AAC. Any reason I should other than space saving?





    There is no reason, including space saving, to convert MP3s to AAC. You'll end up with something that is certainly worse quality and possibly takes up more space than the MP3 you started with.



    If you are ripping CDs from this point onward then you'll probably get equivalent sound quality at a 1/3 less bitrate/file size (or alternatively better quality at the same bitrate) if you use AAC rather than MP3.
  • Reply 4 of 4
    Quote:

    Originally posted by notaclone

    Final rant: I figured out how to make my ipod shuffle ALL, but since that includes iTrip stations, it's really irritating. I tried removing genre, etc from files I never want to "play", hoping it would ignore files with no criteria filled in when told to shuffle from "genre", etc. Any Ideas?





    I have iTrip stations, silent tracks, audiobooks etc. that I don't want to play, so I created a playlist called 'allmusic' (I wanted something beginning with 'a' so it would sort to the top) and then excluded anything with the artist 'Griffin Technology' AND Genre 'audibook' AND etc.
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