Zune Boards - View Single Post - Is The Zune Holding Back? What Apple (And Probably Microsoft) Don't Want You To Know

Gow · 05-28-2007, 08:03 PM

You can sync AAC, exactly how you sync AAC on the iPod.

AAC is the codec, .AAC is just a file container.

AAC files encoded by iTunes result in files with the container format of .m4a (for audio), .m4v (for video), .m4p (Protected Audio).

The Zune cannot play the .m4p files due to the DRM restricting the playback. The .m4a files and .m4v (should have not tested this one) files plus the .mp4 files play fine in the Zune Player.

AAC files encoded into the .m4a container can be synced with the Zune.

I know this because (check my sig) I encoded all my audio files into Nero AAC @ q0.5. Results in ~175kpbs AAC file. There is nothing to unlock in regards to AAC except the video portion.

If you can unlock the video portion on the Zune device that would be nice but that requires messing with the firmware. Most hacked firmware get poor battery life compared to the stock firmware. Example, Rockbox.

In short, AAC audio works on the Zune Portable Player if that audio is in the .mp4 or .m4a container format. It will not recognize .AAC even if it is encoded by an AAC encoder.

It is also a common misconception that the .FORMAT is the format that it is encoded to. Until I was corrected I thought it was the same way. Like Ogg Vorbis, .ogg is just the cointainer, because supposedly it can be encoded to .flac as well.

05-28-2007, 08:03 PM	#11 (permalink)
Gow <none> Premium Member Administrator Expert Zuner Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Fort Wayne, IN, USA Posts: 2,886	You can sync AAC, exactly how you sync AAC on the iPod. AAC is the codec, .AAC is just a file container. AAC files encoded by iTunes result in files with the container format of .m4a (for audio), .m4v (for video), .m4p (Protected Audio). The Zune cannot play the .m4p files due to the DRM restricting the playback. The .m4a files and .m4v (should have not tested this one) files plus the .mp4 files play fine in the Zune Player. AAC files encoded into the .m4a container can be synced with the Zune. I know this because (check my sig) I encoded all my audio files into Nero AAC @ q0.5. Results in ~175kpbs AAC file. There is nothing to unlock in regards to AAC except the video portion. If you can unlock the video portion on the Zune device that would be nice but that requires messing with the firmware. Most hacked firmware get poor battery life compared to the stock firmware. Example, Rockbox. In short, AAC audio works on the Zune Portable Player if that audio is in the .mp4 or .m4a container format. It will not recognize .AAC even if it is encoded by an AAC encoder. It is also a common misconception that the .FORMAT is the format that it is encoded to. Until I was corrected I thought it was the same way. Like Ogg Vorbis, .ogg is just the cointainer, because supposedly it can be encoded to .flac as well. __________________ Last edited by Gow; 05-28-2007 at 08:12 PM.