Ask iLounge 8-23-07

Article

Ask iLounge offers readers the opportunity to get answers to their iPod-related questions from a member of the iLounge editorial team. We'll answer several questions here each week, and of course, you can always get help with more immediate concerns from the iLounge Discussion Forums. Submit your questions for consideration using our Ask iLounge Submit Form. We reserve the right to edit questions for grammar, spelling, and length.

The most asked question at iLounge.com:

How do I copy music from my iPod onto my computer?

Click here for the answer.

The second most asked question at iLounge.com:

How do I put DVDs on my iPod?

For converting DVDs, web video, TV shows and home movies to your iPod, iPhone or Apple TV, we have a three-part series outlining the best formats, settings, and various tools to use for converting all types of video content for use on these devices.

The Complete Guide to iPod, Apple TV and iPhone Video Formats

The Complete Guide to iPod, iPhone and Apple TV Video Conversion (Mac)

The Complete Guide to iPod, iPhone and Apple TV Video Conversion (Windows)

Top five questions most recently asked by iLounge readers:

Q: What are the best speakers to use with my iPod? (15, 76-79, and 90-92)

Q: What are the best headphones to use with my iPod? (10, 72-75, and 90-92)

Q: I really want to get a nice case for my iPod. Do you have any suggestions? (36-37, 54-67, and 90-92)

Q: How can I connect my iPod to my car stereo? (14, 32-35, 68-71, and 90-92)

Q: Are there any batteries that I can use to extend my iPod's battery life? (82-83 and 90-92)

A: Answers to these and many other questions can be found in two places. Our Free iPod Book 3.3 provides a complete report card to all of the iPod accessories we've reviewed as of summer 2007, as well as over 125 iTunes and iPod tips & tricks. Further, our new 2008 iPod & iPhone Buyers' Guide has accessory tutorials at the page numbers listed in parentheses above. These and other publications in our Library are free downloads, developed by the editors of iLounge!

And now, for this week's Ask iLounge column:

Each week we receive numerous inquiries asking the same very common questions such as “How Do I Copy Music From My iPod Back to My Computer? and “How Do I Put DVDs on my iPod video?”

Although we have had tutorials on these subjects for some time, over the past few days we’ve been updating and revising these tutorials to ensure that we have included all of the current tips and tricks and the various software tools that are available.

If you’re looking to copy content from your iPod back to your computer, including music, movies, and even games and photos, be sure to check out:

Copying Content from your iPod to your Computer - The Definitive Guide

For converting DVDs, web video, TV shows and home movies to your iPod, iPhone or Apple TV, we now have a three-part series outlining the best formats, settings, and various tools to use for converting all types of video content for use on these devices.

Part 1: The Complete Guide to iPod, Apple TV and iPhone Video Formats

Part 2: The Complete Guide to iPod, iPhone and Apple TV Video Conversion (Mac)

Part 3: The Complete Guide to iPod, iPhone and Apple TV Video Conversion (Windows)

Q: I have searched high and low for an answer to this rather vexing issue. On my 5G 80Gb video iPod, I have a variety of “music videos”, “TV Shows” etc, all of which I created from my own DVD collections. These were individually tagged in iTunes by changing the “Video Kind” (ie, Music Video, TV Show or Movie). However, I have discovered that the changed Video Kind tag info is NOT actually stored in the file on the PC. Can anyone help with this ?

- BK

A: Actually, this is a known issue with iTunes. Most of the tag information that you modify within a video track, including information such as Show Name, Episode ID, Season Number, and so forth does indeed get stored in the file. Unfortunately, however, for some reason the “Video Kind” tag does not get stored in this way when modified through iTunes itself.

The only solution to this at the present time, unfortunately, is to use a third-party tagging solution such as AtomicParsley or one of the products based on it to set the “Video Kind” tag. AtomicParsley edits the metadata within the actual M4V/MP4 files themselves, thus ensuring that these changes are reflected in the actual file tags, and not merely within the iTunes library.

To do this, you can simply grab a copy of AtomicParsley from http://atomicparsley.sourceforge.net/ and run it from the Windows command prompt. A command sequence similar to the following:

AtomicParsley My-TV-Show.m4v --stik "TV Show"

You can also set other metadata with AtomicParsley if you prefer, although most other changes made in iTunes will be reflected within the file tags themselves, so this is not strictly necessary unless you want to use AtomicParsley to tag your content before you import it into your iTunes library.

Note that this change can be done for content already in your iTunes library as well, and can be done in conjunction with changes made through iTunes itself. Note that any changes made to the underlying file tags through AtomicParsley or a similar tool will not be reflected in your iTunes database until you select the track from within iTunes in order to force it to re-read these tags.

As an added bonus, AtomicParsley will allow you to add other tags that are not normally editable through the iTunes interface, such as original air date and rating information, among others.

More information on tagging videos within iTunes and using third-party tools can be found in our article, The Complete Guide to Managing iTunes Videos.

Q: My husband replaced the hard drive in my laptop. However, even though I have songs that I purchased from iTunes in the library of the laptop, there are 55 songs that won’t transfer to my iPod. iTunes says that these items are not authorized to play on my computer. I’ve authorized the laptop but these 55 songs still won’t transfer. I’ve erased and reset my iPod to factory standards and even made sure I’ve enabled my disk use. Any suggestions?

- Cheri

A: You may want to confirm that these songs were purchased with the same iTunes account that you normally use. If you have used different iTunes Store accounts in the past, then each account with which you have purchased music must be authorized separately. You can have multiple accounts authorized on the same computer, and can authorize each one using the Store, Authorize Computer menu item from within iTunes, or by simply trying to play the purchased content (which will normally prompt iTunes to request your authorization credentials if your computer is not already authorized).

Note as well that if you have audiobooks that were purchased from Audible.com, this requires a separate authorization process from your normal iTunes Store authorization.

You can determine which iTunes Store account was used to purchase a given track by selecting that track and choosing File, Get Info. The Summary tab will indicate the name of the iTunes Store account and date of purchase:

You can confirm that your computer is authorized for these tracks by attempting to play one of the tracks that will not transfer to your iPod. If the track requires authorization in order to play, you should be prompted to enter your authorization credentials. If the track does in fact play, this means that your computer is authorized for that particular iTunes Store account, and the track should transfer to your iPod without any problems.

Note as well that any given iPod can only support up to five (5) different iTunes Store accounts, so if you have loaded music from other computers that are authorized for different iTunes Store accounts, this may affect your ability to add music if you’ve reached this limit. Restoring the iPod normally resets this limit however.

If you’ve confirmed all of the above and your tracks are still not transferring to your iPod, you can try DEauthorizing and REauthorizing your computer via the iTunes Store menu. If this still does not help, you may want to contact iTunes Store Customer Service for more assistance.

Q: Could I download iChat to iTunes then download it to my iPhone?

- Kevin

A: Unfortunately, no. There are presently no native iChat or other IM applications for the iPhone, and despite the iPhone running “OS X” it does not at this time support ”Mac OS X” applications, as the user interface design is completely different.

In the interim, there are several good web-based chat applications available for the iPhone that work through the Safari web browser. A couple of recommended possibilities include Meebo (more information can be found in our Backstage Review) or JiveTalk. A number of other possible chat applications and other web-based apps for the iPhone can be found in our iPhone Software catalog.

Q: I am an aerobics instructor and I would like to use my iPod to import my professional CD’s without having breaks between the tracks. Is there a way to do that?

- Gail

A: Using iTunes 7 or later with a fifth-generation iPod with the latest firmware, or a second-generation iPod nano, CDs that already have no gaps between the tracks will import and play gaplessly without any additional effort required. Note, however, that this only applies to CDs that are already gapless in their original format. CDs that have not been mastered to play back gaplessly will still play on the iPod with a small gap between the tracks.

Further, even gapless albums will play with small gaps between the tracks when played in “Shuffle” mode on the iPod, or mixed into a playlist in non-track order.

The issue in this case is that CDs that are not originally mastered for gapless playback often have a small amount of silence embedded in the tracks themselves (ie, as part of the audio stream), and iTunes cannot really do anything to remove this silence if it forms part of the actual audio track.

One possible workaround that may help with some CDs, depending on the nature of the source material, is to rip them using the “Join CD Tracks” feature of iTunes, which will take all contiguous tracks from a CD and combine them into a single large MP3 file. This was discussed in our July 12th Ask iLounge column. Alternatively, if you already have a set of existing MP3 files that you would like to join in a different order into a single track, there are several tools already available that can do this for you. A Google search for “MP3 join” should turn up several possibilities.

Note that how successful the results of this process are will depend on the source files and whether they have any extra silence embedded in the tracks themselves.

Q: Can I connect my home computer to the internet via my iPhone?

- Tracy

A: Unfortunately, no. The ability to do this is often referred to as “tethering” and is not a feature that is presently supported on the iPhone.

While it’s impossible to say with any certainty whether this is a feature that Apple would ever add in the future, it does seem unlikely, as the very nature of AT&T’s “unlimited” iPhone plan would preclude allowing the use of the data features in ways that might involve high volumes of data usage, such as tethering to a home computer or laptop.

Q: I bought and downloaded an album from the iTunes Store. When I try to burn the albums to a CD, they are locked in an MPEG-4 file format. When I downloaded the music, I made sure it was setup in the preferences menu to download my music as an WAV. How do I change the format so that I can listen to it from the cd in my car?

- Jodi

A: Firstly it’s important to understand that tracks purchased from the iTunes Store are always downloaded in an MPEG-4/AAC format, regardless of your settings in your iTunes preferences. The iTunes “Import” settings only affect the format used when you import, or “rip” a CD into your iTunes library yourself or convert an existing file that is already in your library.

For burning a CD, there are two basic types of CD you may wish to burn: either a normal audio CD or an MP3 CD. Which you prefer will depend upon the capabilities of your car CD player and where else you may want to listen to these CDs.

iTunes purchased tracks can only be burned to an audio CD, which is the standard format supported by all CD players. This will only allow you to hold approximately 70 minutes of music on a single CD, but will play in any CD player.

To burn an audio CD from within iTunes, simply select “Audio CD” under iTunes’ burning preferneces (Edit, Preferences, Advanced, Burning):

Once you’ve selected the format in your preferences, you can simply build a playlist of the tracks you would like to burn, and then burn them as you normally would.

On the other hand, as the name implies, an “MP3 CD” is comprised of MP3 files burned onto a CD as a data disc (in a similar way to copying any file to a recordable CD). Since the format for an MP3 CD consists of MP3 files, and iTunes Store purchases are in a protected MPEG-4/AAC format, it is not possible to burn these to an MP3 CD, since they cannot be converted to MP3 due to the digital rights management restrictions.

The one exception to this is the newer “iTunes Plus” tracks that are now available from certain artists on the iTunes Store. These tracks are still in an MPEG-4/AAC format, and will not burn to an MP3 CD natively, but as they are not protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM) they can be converted manually to an MP3 format from within iTunes, and then the resulting (converted) MP3 files can be burned to an MP3 CD in the same way as any other MP3 file.

To convert existing tracks to an MP3 format, ensure that your “Import” preference is set to “MP3” within your iTunes preferences:

You can then select the tracks in your iTunes library that you would like to convert, and choose Convert Selection to MP3 from the iTunes Advanced menu. iTunes will convert the selected tracks to an MP3 format, creating new copies of these tracks in the process, and you can then add these resulting new tracks to a playlist and burn it to an MP3 CD. To actually burn an MP3 CD, simply ensure that you select “MP3 CD” in your iTunes “Burning” preferences tab:

You can then select a playlist of MP3 tracks and burn them to an MP3 CD. Note that any tracks in your playlist that are not in the MP3 format will simply be excluded from the resulting MP3 CD, regardless of whether these are DRM protected tracks or not.

Submit A News Tip

Email A Friend

Ask iLounge Archives:

5-9-08: About iPod battery life and charging, Using Apple FM Radio remote on older iPod models, Scan and Fix dialog using iPod on Windows Vista, Preserving iTunes metadata when reinstalling Windows, Importing multiple tracks into iTunes, About iTunes and ID3 tags

5-2-08: Transferring digital camera movies to iPod, Reordering and shuffling playlists, Transferring playlists between iTunes libraries, Importing audiobooks, Correcting tags on CD import, Burning CDs with longer gaps

4-25-08: Finding Duplicates in iTunes, Setting files to open in iTunes automatically, Resetting authorizations, 1G iPod nano and voice recording, Syncing a library larger than your iPod capacity, Grouping multi-disc albums

4-17-08: Ripping CDs to external hard drive, Zeppelin speakers and USB port, Bluetooth stereo on iPhone, Converting TV shows to iPod, Audio recording on iPod touch, Wireless security on iPod touch

4-10-08: Transferring LPs to iTunes, Movie Rentals and 5G iPod, New iPod models on older Macs, Maintaining Playback Position on iPod, Importing CDs on multiple computers

See the rest of the Archives...

4-3-08: Using several iPods on one computer, Renaming imported CD tracks, iM7 and iPod nano, Burning different CD types, Purchasing from iTunes while travelling, Importing CDs on MacBook Air, Sending photos from iPhone

3-28-08: iPod capacity and bit-rates, International iTunes Gift Cards, iPhone charging accessories, Moving iTunes purchases to another computer, iPod touch and third-party tools, iPod videos play only audio

3-21-08: Basic DVD conversion, 5G iPod and subtitles, Slideshows on iPod touch, Using the Voice Memo function, iPod classic TV output quality, iPod Dock Connector extender cables

3-14-08: About Skip Count, iPhone alarm clocks, 5G firmware updates, Cleaning up after a library move, Syncing new playlists to iPod nano, Authorization of multiple iTunes Store accounts

3-7-08: Transferring MP3 files to new iTunes library, iPhone ringtones on Windows, Wired remotes for iPod classic, Sharing iTunes with multiple users on one PC, iTunes library and Time Capsule, Chargers for 3G iPods

2-29-08: Finding iPhone Backups, Contact Display on iPhone, Automatic vs manual iPod management, iTunes CD burning restrictions, iTunes movie rental expiry on iPods, Downloading podcasts to iPhone

2-22-08: Upgrading your iPhone, Recovering data from corrupted iPod, Recreating default playlists, Syncing iPod Games from more than one computer, Problems playing purchased TV shows on iPod, Output settings when playing movies from iPod to TV

2-15-08: Setting up an AirTunes network, Shuffling music, Playing podcasts sequentially, Firewire support on modern iPods, Recovering Mac-formatted iPods on Windows, Recovering iTunes library from a virus

2-7-08: Transferring music from iPod touch, Voice recorders for 2007 iPods, Cover Flow on 5G iPod, Renaming your iPod, iTunes and iLife, Organizing music transferred from the iPod

1-31-08: Apple TV AirTunes Support, iPod Games on 5G and classic, Keeping videos only on iPod, Syncing iPod using checked songs, Charging with Universal Dock, International iPod and iTunes Store use

1-18-08: Macworld Expo 2008 Special Edition: Questions about the new iTunes Movie Rentals and Apple TV features, including Time Capsule and the Apple TV, Renting HD Movies from iTunes, Transferring rented movies to and from the iPod, Fifth-generation iPods and movie rental support, AirTunes support on Apple TV Take Two.

1-10-08: TV output quality, iPod windows driver installation errors, Connecting iPod to portable DVD player, Syncing games, iPhone charger compatibility, Reformatting iPod for Mac

1-3-08: 2007 iPod models and speakers, Video resolution vs bit-rate, Preventing auto-deletion of podcasts, Videos with no sound, Using iTunes Store when travelling abroad, Transferring videos to iPod, Importing Audiobooks

12-27-07: Your First iPod, Differences between iPod models, Accessory compatibility, Converting DVDs for iPod, New iPods and older computers, Earphone Recommendations, Troubleshooting iPod Problems

12-21-07: Other space on iPod, Search feature on iPod touch, Adding third-party ringtones to iPhone, iPod suddenly shows no content, TV Dock compatibility, Artists appearing more than once on iPod

12-14-07: New iPods - Buy now or wait? Transfer music from an old iPod, Convert MP3 to Lossless, Listening to videos and battery life, Bluetooth headphones for iPod nano, Universal Dock and line-out volume

12-7-07: Using Compilations settings, Re-syncing iPod after hard drive replacement, Locating iTunes Plus tracks, New iPod firmware - video output and iPod Hi-Fi support, Mac-formatted iPods, Cover Flow on iPod, iPhone screen goes blank when on a call

11-29-07: Photo resolution on the iPhone, Obtaining video content for the iPod touch, Restoring older iPod models, Sharing iTunes library on a single computer, Transferring iTunes via external hard drive, Auto-deleting played podcasts

11-22-07: Syncing games to iPod, Removing album artwork, Replacing files in iTunes library, Limiting volume on iPod, Preventing iPod sync when connecting with iTunes, Skipping audiobooks when shuffling songs

11-16-07: iTunes and Vista, iPod classic video output (revisited), Transferring iTunes from PC to Mac, Organizing Music Videos in iTunes, Using newer iPods with older OS X versions, Sorting photos on iPod

11-9-07: Editing calendar on iPod touch, Multiple iTunes libraries on one computer, Creating an iTunes Store account without a credit card, Burning CDs with track names, iPod/iPhone remote control, iPhone TV output from Safari

11-2-07: TV Docks for new iPod models, Calculate song file sizes, iPhone backup and restore, Sync selected content with iPhone, Universal Dock compatibility, Managing podcast synchronization

10-26-07: iTunes Plus, Play Slideshow on iPod nano, Activate TV out on new iPods, Recover Mac iPod in Windows, Add descriptions to TV shows, iTunes not opening when iPhone is connected

10-18-07: iPod and Windows Autoplay, Reinstalling iTunes, Manually Managing Videos, iPod charging accessories, iPod touch power and sleep modes, Resyncing recovered iPod content

10-11-07: Managing a class set of iPods, New firmware and older iPods, Windows ME support, Sorting artists by last name, 3G iPod car audio compatibility, Resetting iPod language

10-5-07: iTunes WiFi Store, Videos with no sound, Managing video content manually, Tagging TV Shows, Renaming iPod, Flash support on iPhone, Removing multiple artwork images, iPhone and multi-recipient SMS, US/UK iPod compatibility, Photo storage on iPod touch

9-27-07: iPod classic audio quality, New iPod models: features and accessory compatibility, Transferring music from iPod 5G to classic, iPod nano voice recording, Storing multiple bitrates in iTunes

9-7-07: Special Edition on the new iPod lineup - users most common questions answered about the new iPod lineup and new iTunes release, including accessory compatibility and new software features.

8-30-07: Playing single tracks, iPhone sleep timer, Deleting iPod content, TV shows do not appear on iPod, Manually sorting playlists, Fitting content onto audio CDs, Car line-out solutions

8-23-07: Set Video Kind within files, Authorization and iPod transfer, Chat Clients for iPhone, Importing CDs for gapless playback, Tethering iPhone, Burning Purchased Tracks

8-16-07: Managing podcasts, Bookmarking audiobooks, No artwork in Cover Flow, Storing iTunes content on two hard drives, Sleeping with an iPod, ROKR sunglasses and iPhone, Selling an iPod

8-9-07: Playing Podcast episodes in sequence, Recording radio in iTunes, New iPod with songs already on it, Authorized Computers, Sync iPod with a new computer, Transferring a Windows iPod to a MacBook

8-2-07: Syncing the iPhone to more than one computer, Transferring iTunes music to the Blackberry, Continuous video playback on the iPod, Problems editing track info in iTunes, Transferring content from iPhone to computer, Video playback from the iPhone, Sending MMS messages from the iPhone

7-26-07: Transferring photos from iPhone, Using iPhone speaker and dock, Song volume adjustments in iTunes, Transfer from a Mac-formatted iPod in Windows Vista, iTunes Other category and TV show syncing, Printing track lists from iTunes

7-19-07: Importing MP3 CDs, Using two iPods on one computer, Showing current track in Windows Messenger, iPod nano accessory compatibility, Keeping content only on the iPod, Transferring between two iTunes libraries

7-12-07: Sorting in iTunes 7.3, Joining CD tracks, Selecting TV Shows for sync, Recovering photos from iPod, Tagging multiple video tracks, iPhone activation requirements

7-5-07: Managing your iPod content with Smart Playlists, External hard drives and iTunes, Problems getting CD info from CDDB, Grouping by Album Artist, Using iPod as a removable hard drive

6-28-07: Manual mode and preventing auto-sync, Transferring iTunes library, Burning, ripping and sound check, Saving your place in multi-track audiobooks, Renaming your iPod, Resolving lost iPod content, Drivers and Software for 4G iPods

6-21-07: Smart Playlists for Podcasts, Incorrect track info when importing CDs, Deauthorizing computers revisited, Problems transferring purchased tracks, Transferring photos from iPod to computer, Deleting On-The-Go playlists, Songs not appearing under Artist name

6-14-07: Problems syncing re-ripped MP3s in iTunes 7.2, Grouping albums with multiple artists, Radio tuners for older iPod models, Managing Podcasts, Using an iPod on Mac and Windows, Selecting items for synchronization, iTunes not showing full iPod capacity

6-7-07: Using two iPods with the same library, Converting to AAC to Apple Lossless, Corrupt iPod errors, Sound Check and Crossfade, Exporting from iMovie to iPod and Apple TV formats, Copying from DVR to the iPod

5-31-07: iTunes Plus DRM-free music, Using iTunes songs in Windows Movie Maker, Storing notes on the iPod, Restoring the iPod, Synchronizing Watched TV Shows, Adding music from a second library, Viewing iPod menus on a TV screen

5-24-07: Storing artwork on an external hard drive, Nike+iPod kit and treadmills, Setting up a new iPod with an existing library, Using the iPod as an alarm clock, iTunes fails to transfer all tracks to the iPod, Syncing selected items to iPod, Identifying iPod models

5-17-07: Converting e-books for iPod, Problems Syncing Selected Playlists, Normalizing volume between tracks, iTunes truncating long filenames, Sorting tracks properly within albums, Pausing and remember playback position on the iPod

5-11-07: Video conversion: iPod vs Apple TV format, Automatically adding music to iTunes, Finding iPod-compatible music online, Organizing tracks on the iPod, Bluetooth speaker accessories, iHome speakers

5-3-07: Tagging content for your Apple TV, Organizing your Music Videos, Duplicate copies of your iTunes library files, Using the Universal Dock line-out, Problems restoring your iPod, Power adapter compatibility, Unlocking your iPod's volume limit

4-27-07: Transferring purchased content between iTunes accounts, FireWire/USB connections, External batteries, Problems turning off iPod, Sharing iPods on the same computer, Sorting tracks when importing CDs

4-19-07: iPod widescreen mode, Transcoding lossy formats, Locating missing music files, Assigning artwork to multiple tracks, Transferring iTunes purchases, Playing single tracks

4-12-07: Converting DVDs to iPod, Resetting Screen Lock, Moving an iTunes library to a new computer, Deleting songs manually from an iPod, Compatibility with overseas accessories, Finding accessories for the 5G iPod, Speakers for charging a 3G iPod

4-5-07: Playing iPod through iTunes, Preventing Apple Remote from controlling Universal Dock, Resetting iTunes authorizations, Transferring podcasts from a secondary computer, Finding music by composer tags, Sorting tracks on the iPod Shuffle

3-29-07: iPod photo transfer performance and accessories, Sorting photos on iPod, Syncing music and contacts from two different computers, iTunes video storage and formats, Converting AAC to MP3, Burning MP3 CDs

3-22-07: Album artwork and Other storage on the iPod, Storage size of iPod Games, Multiple iPods on the same computer, Etymotic Earjacks, Charging iPod while recording audio, Syncing TV Shows to iPod, Properly Tagging Albums

3-16-07: Converting Windows-formatted iPods for Mac use, Importing Calendar and Contacts from Outlook, Moving iTunes content to another hard drive, Recovering Playlists from iPod, Recording Lectures, Calculating iPod Storage

3-10-07: Understanding the new sort fields in iTunes 7.1, Smart playlists and rating preference, RSS feeds for new iTunes content, Checkboxes and synchronizing music to small iPods

2-22-07: Hiding the iTunes Store from view, Restoring iTunes' "Recently Played" smart playlist, Restoring an iPod's missing free space, Using third-party A/V cables, Apple TV and Wi-Fi network protocols, Authorizing iPod games

2-1-07: Windows Vista iTunes issues, Music Video organization in iTunes, Removing songs from Shuffle play, Sorting albums by year

1-17-07: iPhone Questions, Apple TV Stereo Connections, Car Stereos with USB ports, Now Playing screen on TV, Locating playlists a song belongs to, Playing podcasts sequentially

12-29-06: Charging iPod video with old AC adapter, Identifying iPod generations, Preventing iTunes from accessing the store, Accessing and playing video with DLO HomeDock Deluxe, Nike+iPod Sport Kit compatibility

12-14-06: Searching the comment field in iTunes, Buying an aux-in cable for the car, Making a recent top 25 playlist, Multiple genres per song, Radio Charts in iTunes

12-9-06: Gifting specific items from the iTunes Store, Linking to photos from the iPod's Notes feature, Properly listening to iPod music in loud places, Using Mac-formatted iPods with an XBOX 360

12-1-06: iTunes visualizers, Programs stored on iPod, Converting music en masse, Charging second-generation iPod shuffle, Adding chapter markers to videos

11-23-06: iPod deals, Continuously playing videos on iPod, Getting replacement iPod manuals, Finding size and playtime of a group of tracks, Fixing podcasts that reset iPod

11-16-06: Extracting audio from videos, Transferring albums to iPod easily, Using iTunes Store gift cards, Dealing with a scratched iPod backing, Recovering contacts from iPod

11-10-06: Volume limit on iPod shuffle, Preserving On-The-Go playlists between syncs, Storing Audiobooks in proper iTunes library, Apple Lossless on iPod shuffle

11-3-06: iTunes Store displayed in foreign language, All tracks begin where they were last stopped, Converting tracks to mono in iTunes, iPod wakes up and plays tunes on its own, Greatest Hits album won't show on iPod

10-26-06: Loading TiVo/DVR TV Shows on iPod, Accessing iTunes music with a Media Center PC, Leaving an iPod in the car, iPod Hi-Fi remote control, Tagging tracks just added to the library

10-20-06: Disc capacity & song quality tradeoff, iPod sleep behavior explained, Ordering albums by year on iPod, Using an iPod while charging via USB, Restoring a deleted playlist in iTunes

10-12-06: Displaying singles in iPod's Artists menu, Party Shuffle not advancing tracks, Two+ iPods on one computer - revisited, Finding songs not in any playlist, Returning to beginning of iPod shuffle playlist

10-5-06: Only one song plays at a time in iTunes, Playing interactive booklets, Resetting iPod's language, Shuffle anywhere on iPod, Isolating MP3 songs from AAC

9-28-06: Suppressing 'Explicit' tags in iTunes Library, Restoring the 'Purchased' playlist, Differentiating 5G 30GB models, Album Artist on iPod, Just for You in iTunes 7

9-21-06: Splitting "hidden" tracks from other songs, Multiple iTunes libraries, Movie trailers in the iTunes Store, iTunes-fetched artwork on iPod, Isolating Music Videos from songs in iTunes

9-13-06: iTunes 7 issues: Preserving library upon upgrade, Authorizing games for iPod, Audio severely distorted with static, Album artwork retrieval problems, Enhanced podcasts menu

9-7-06: Reverting to former iPod software updaters, iPod crashes and loses library, iPod not storing advertised song capacity, Cleaning out one's iTunes Library safely, Deleting Album Artwork en masse

8-30-06: Unchecked songs in smart playlist, Connecting iPod to car Aux-In jack, Deleting songs from iTunes, Filling iPods completely, Playing only one song in iTunes

8-25-06: Quickly erasing duplicate songs, Replacing iPod's front panel, Excluding videos from playlists, Using albums in smart playlists, Album art missing from iPod

8-17-06: Tags disappearing on play, Third party headphones on iPod, eAAC and eAAC+ codecs, Creating random batches of songs with smart playlists, Transferring iTunes Music Store tracks

8-9-06: Size of Smart Playlists, Changing an iPod's file system format, Backing up iTMS video purchases, iPod not automatically disconnecting, iPod shuffling problems

8-2-06: Airport Express not working under "Multiple Speakers", Tuning radio remote in 0.1 increments, Ordering albums properly, Video podcasts on older iPods, Multiple album artwork files per track on iPod

7-27-06: Exclamation marks near playlists, Artist column on far left of library?, Songs in multiple playlists, No options in for iPod slideshow music, Song numbering in iTunes' Library

7-20-06: Speaker icon next to currently-playing song, Sound lost in one headphone channel, Finding songs not in any playlist, iPod mini shuffling by album, Removing contacts and calendars from iPod

7-13-06: Maximizing battery life, Slideshows from an iPod nano, Trouble with iPod's volume meter, Powering two devices from one car power port, Smart playlists and sort order

7-6-06: Custom EQ on iPod, Viewing large text files on iPod, Buying an iPod from overseas, Finding iPod setup files online, Lossless vs. Lossy audio files

6-28-06: Unlocking an iPod, Creating a list of albums in iTunes, Restoring missing menu items on iPod, Converting video to iPod, Increasing the iPod's volume

6-21-06: Preserving select podcasts, Locating tracks in playlists, Automatically ejecting iPod after transfer, Microphone for iPod mini, Tracks missing when browsing via "Artist"

6-15-06: Backing up Smart Playlists, Using 4-pin Firewire ports, Viewing hidden data in iTunes, Recording direct to iPod from cassette, Synchronizing a folder of files between computers using iPod

6-7-06: Browsing albums by Genre, Fixing "Library Locked" message in Mac iTunes, Using generic AV cables for iPod TV display, Finding a simple iPod mount for the car, Transferring iTunes Library to a new Mac

5-31-06: Converting WMV video clips to iPod, Party Shuffle on iPod, Burning an MP3 CD from WAV files, Best iPod for running?, Identifying unknown track information

5-25-06: Independent left & right volume controls, Serial numbers on iPod installation?, Dealing with two-disc albums, iPod shuffle headphone jack problems, and the latest new iPod rumors

5-18-06: Organizing Compilations on iPod, Using the iPod's Notes features, Transferring large amounts of photos via iPod Camera Connector, Removing extra Album Art images from songs, Resolving discrepancies between iPod and iTunes smart playlists

5-11-06: Creating a simple, kid-friendly iPod interface, burning multiple playlists at once, viewing iPod photos on an Xbox 360, including multiple genres in one smart playlist

5-4-06: Videos not displaying on iPod, Using the iPod's power adapter overseas, Creating a "Most Played this Month" playlist, Editing iTunes-created playlists on the iPod

4-28-06: iLounge Week in Review podcasts, Creating iPod videos, Made For iPod, New and unpublicized additions to the iLounge site, Publicizing your company to the iLounge community

4-20-06: Shuffling podcasts, extracting files from iTunes, transferring Music Store downloads, battery life and high-bitrate formats, preventing repeated songs while shuffling

4-13-06: Protecting the iPod's Dock Connector, On-TV iPod menu navigation revisited, Contacts and calendars from PC to iPod, Dealing with the 5 iTunes account per iPod limit

4-6-06: Converting MIDI files for iPod, Purchasing iTunes tracks from another country, Unexpected track transfers on sync, Selling an iPod: with or without music, iPod prematurely advances track.

3-30-06: Disable CDDB track information, viewing more iTunes data on the screen at once, locating replacement iPod parts for self-repair, deleting genres from iTunes' pull-down menu

3-23-06: Browsing Composer-tagged classical music on the iPod, Cleaning iTunes' Source list with Folders and sorting, Setting the poster frame for a video file, Queueing TV episode conversion in HandBrake

3-16-06: Half-star ratings in iTunes, Importing photos from iPod Camera Connector, iTunes Videos on other devices, Preventing unchecked videos from syncing, playing a CD while importing

3-9-06: The easiest iPod for audiobooks, removing photos from iPod, determining iTunes library statistics, setting a specific song as an alarm

3-2-06: Removing intro/outro material from songs, Organizing Compilations in iTunes & iPod, Determining what playlists a song belongs to, Printing jewel case inserts from iTunes playlists.

Shop in the loungeStore for iPod + iPhone Accessories.

Next: The Complete Guide to Rebuilding or Cleaning Your iTunes Library

Previous: Is iPod's cool melting, or are grand plans afoot? [updated]

Comments

1

Hi, i recently picked up a 60 gig video ipod from a friend. for the first two weeks it was working all fine and dandy, but just today when i was listening to some tracks...the left speaker on my headphones went out, as first i thought maybe the headphones finally died. but when i tried my GF’s pair in which she bought yesterday...still no sound on the left side. so then i plugged in my pair and started to fiddle with it, when i pushed the jack at a certain angle (and kept my finger pressed so it would stay at that angle), i would get sound to them again, but as soon as i moved my finger, bam the sound on the left speaker is gone again. the only way i can get full sound is if i plug the jack in halfway… i really don’t want to have to buy a new Ipod. Any ideas please? D:

Posted by Strider Jaiku on August 29, 2007 at 6:55 AM (PDT)

If you have a comment, news tip, advertising inquiry, or coverage request, a question about iPods or accessories, or if you sell or market iPod products or services, read iLounge's Comments + Questions policies before posting, and fully identify yourself if you do. We will delete comments containing advertising, astroturfing, trolling, personal attacks, offensive language, or other objectionable content, then ban and/or publicly identify violators.

Recent Reviews

Recent Articles

loungeStore: iPod Accessories & more...

iLounge

Article