Can't playback .mp3 files on fuse

  I work at a Radio Shack franchise store and own a 8G fuse and have sold quite a few of them. I had a customer who purchased one to download audio books. He can see the folder on his Fuse but can’t find any files in it when he selects it although they show up when he views it on his computer as well as play back(or at least that’s how he explained it to me on the phone). I told him I’d look into it and this place looks like my best bet.

  Save me from having to sell him the gigaware pos mp3 player if he want’s to exchange the Fuse it if he can’t get it to do what he bought it for.

   

Message Edited by axsor on 06-25-2010 08:53 PM

axsor wrote:
  I work at a Radio Shack franchise store and own a 8G fuse and have sold quite a few of them. I had a customer who purchased one to download audio books. He can see the folder on his Fuse but can’t find any files in it although they show up when he views it on his computer. I told him I’d look into it and this place looks like my best bet.

Sounds like they either have bad or wrong format ID3 tags. That’s how the Fuze finds them and where it gets the ‘track’ information to display both in the lists and whille the file is playing.

Sounds like they either have bad or wrong format ID3 tags. That’s how the Fuze finds them and where it gets the ‘track’ information to display both in the lists and whille the file is playing.

It all depends upon the source files.  If they are mp3 , there isn’t a DRM issue, but the embedded ID3 tags are what the Fuze uses to locate the files.  From most sources, the ID3 data should be part of the file.

A utility like MP3Tag can help in this regard, allowing the user to edit or add correct metadata to the mp3 file.  The sansa locates the book files based upon their ID3 data.  If the genre of the book is audiobook, the file can be found under Music > Audiobooks.  The files are separated from music files, making the music listening experience more consistent (imagine using “shuffle” and going from music to “War and Peace Chapter 3”.

If the books are from the local library, they may be from NetLibrary or Overdrive.  These files are DRM encrypted, in wma format.  Transfer involves setting the device to MTP mode under USB settings, to allow transfer of protected media.  For Overdrive books, you must use the Overdrive Media Console application.

If the files are indeed mp3, you can locate them manually via Folder mode and their filename.  Music > Folders > Internal Memory (or External with a card) > MTP or MSC > folder in Music, Audiobooks…

microsansa