How can I get the Sandisk Media Converter?

MP3 players Sansa Fuze
1

Hi,
can someone give a direct link to download the Sandisk Media Converter please!

I can’t get the Sansa Updater working, it always replies with: “The installation failed - Please try again later”. I just don’t know how to get the Media Converter, I’ve searched for at least two hours now. I’ve seen that there was a downloadable exe-file for version “Build 4.236”. If there’s none for 4.256, I’d also gladly take this one.

I’m using a windows XP computer, anti-virus-software is switched off and I’m not using any firewall or proxy.

Thanks in advance,
padraic

2

see if this works http://forums.sandisk.com/sansa/board/message?board.id=smc&thread.id=1133&page=1

3

Thanks for your reply.

Which part of the thread you mean could be helpful? I think I already tried every hint written there at least twice the last days, without success.

The link posted on page 2 of the thread is dead (“File not found”): http://mp3support.sandisk.com/sansa/SMC

And as said, other tipps given there were already tried - switching of anti-virus software and firewall. Tried with Sansa Fuze connected and not connected. I have full admin rights on the computer.

Result: “The installation failed. Please try again later.”

All I need is a direct download for the Sansa Media Converter (SMC). I really can’t understand why there is none on the Sandisk website, it can’t be that complicated, can’t it?

Message Edited by padraic on 04-26-2010 09:23 AM

4

padraic wrote:

All I need is a direct download for the Sansa Media Converter (SMC). I really can’t understand why there is none on the Sandisk website, it can’t be that complicated, can’t it?

 

There isn’t one. SanDisk had to remove it so they could track downloads only through the Updater for royalty fee accuracy.

5

padraic wrote:
Thanks for your reply.

Which part of the thread you mean could be helpful? I think I already tried every hint written there at least twice the last days, without success.

The link posted on page 2 of the thread is dead (“File not found”): http://mp3support.sandisk.com/sansa/SMC

And as said, other tipps given there were already tried - switching of anti-virus software and firewall. Tried with Sansa Fuze connected and not connected. I have full admin rights on the computer.

Result: “The installation failed. Please try again later.”

All I need is a direct download for the Sansa Media Converter (SMC). I really can’t understand why there is none on the Sandisk website, it can’t be that complicated, can’t it?
Message Edited by padraic on 04-26-2010 09:23 AM

There is no direct download because Sandisk cant track them. So by putting it through the Updater they can count the downloads.

As an alternative try video4fuze its easier to get. I dont use it so I cant speak to its success but others swear by it. 

6

thanks for the idea with video4fuze, I already tried it yesterday though and it’s not working for me either…

I tried different file format, but it always replies with “An error has occured: local variable ‘OUTPUT’ referenced before assignment”

7

@tapeworm wrote:

@cc928715da2da8ed4af3 wrote:

All I need is a direct download for the Sansa Media Converter (SMC). I really can’t understand why there is none on the Sandisk website, it can’t be that complicated, can’t it?

 

There isn’t one. SanDisk had to remove it so they could track downloads only through the Updater for royalty fee accuracy.

Hmpf, no good news…
If can’t get it working the next few days I’ll send my Fuze back then and ask for a refund, I especially bought it because of the good feedback at Amazon as an easy to use, quality MP3 player…I wouldn’t call it easy to use if you have to spend hours of research on the net (without success so far) to get it playing videos.

8

padraic wrote:

@tapeworm wrote:

@cc928715da2da8ed4af3 wrote:

All I need is a direct download for the Sansa Media Converter (SMC). I really can’t understand why there is none on the Sandisk website, it can’t be that complicated, can’t it?

 

There isn’t one. SanDisk had to remove it so they could track downloads only through the Updater for royalty fee accuracy.

Hmpf, no good news…
If can’t get it working the next few days I’ll send my Fuze back then and ask for a refund, I especially bought it because of the good feedback at Amazon as an easy to use, quality MP3 player…I wouldn’t call it easy to use if you have to spend hours of research on the net (without success so far) to get it playing videos.

There are other programs that you can try. Rhapsody can do the conversion, and some other users have come up with some things. Try doing a Search of this forum for that.  

9

You can try Rhapsody and Tom Jensen’s fuzevidz.

http://forums.sandisk.com/sansa/board/message?board.id=sansafuse&thread.id=39242

The Fuze is a wonderful music player. No one in their right mind, even on Amazon, would say it is a convenient video player. That’s strictly an add-on.

However…you didn’t hear this from me…but…

http://rapidshare.com/files/316728424/smc-4.236.zip

Message Edited by whatchamacallit on 04-26-2010 07:27 PM

10

I tried to install the update software but can’t get it to run, it says no internet connection, even though I am typing on it at this moment!!

It will ■■■■ if I can’ convert movies, that’s why I went with the fuze instead of a differant model.

11

Here it is in a nutshell.  The Fuze understands avi and DivX very well.  The problem is that the video must be properly packaged for the Fuze’'s processor to handle the video.  The video must be of the correct size and frame rate, and the audio stream needs to be mp3.

Guess what!  The Sansa Media Converter can do this, usually in one step.  If it has issues, there are three alternative methods available that Sansa users have figured out, and are sharing here, so no worries!

First and foremost, let’s try the basic methods.  The Sansa Media Converter,  versions 4.236 and 4.256, will both work with the Fuze and e200 series players.  The latest official version is ONLY available by first installing the Sansa Updater- yes, Updater, not Media Converter.  This is a necessary step to keep the legal teams happy.  Trust me, I understand.  Look at the hoops that our European friends have to jump through (volume lilitations) to comply with the law.

Why the hurdles?  Simple, video and audio compression codecs involve a virtual minefield of royalties and other legal niceties.  The Sansa Media Converter is provided free of charge (included in the package), but the number of copies must be tracked to comply with agreements, naturally.  SanDisk could give you a “golden ticket”, or a license key with each device, but this method has been decided upon for now, as it requires a valid Sansa to be plugged in, whick verifies you’re a customer.

Download the Sansa Updater here. (Note, after you’re done, you can uninstall the Updater via the Programs > SanDisk > Updater > Uninstall selection.)  Install the Updater, then plug in your Fuze.

The Fuze shouid state “connected” on its display.  If there’s an update available for your device (if it has an earlier firmware), the updater should open automatically.  If it does not, go to Start > Programs > SanDisk > Sansa Updater and open the Updater.

It will search for updates for a few moments, then you’ll get a series of choices.  Check the box next to the Sansa Media Converter, our raison d’etre for today, and I’d recommend the handy User Guide as well, as it’s a great reference (Programs > SanDisk > User Guide).

The Sansa Media Converter application should then download to your computer.  Remember, Internet Explorer may have pop-ups blocked, so keep an eye out for the warning tab, and temporarily allow pop-ups.

Let me know if you are successful, and then we can venture into the alternative methods (all of them also work).

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

12

whatchamacallit wrote:

 

However…you didn’t hear this from me…but…

 

http://rapidshare.com/files/316728424/ smc-4.236.zip

This is the older SMC version and not compatible with the Fuze. What you’re looking for is the 4.256 version. I haven’t seen it posted anywhere for download, but you’re free to hunt around for it.

13

whatchamacallit wrote:

 

However…you didn’t hear this from me…but…

 

http://rapidshare.com/files/316728424/ smc-4.236.zip

This is the older SMC version and if I recall it’s not entirely compatible with the Fuze (but I could be wrong on this; it’s been quite a while). What you’re looking for is the 4.256 version. I haven’t seen it posted anywhere for download, but you’re free to hunt around for it.

14

mcostas wrote:

I tried to install the update software but can’t get it to run, it says no internet connection, even though I am typing on it at this moment!!

 

Try checking your AV or firewall. Sometimes that blocks it from connecting with the SanDisk server.

16

SpacePatroller wrote:

 

Also after the update, on the main menue. some things with SR on them. Wuzzup with that?

 

The latest firmware allows playing of the new SanDisk S lot R adio cards. If you don’t have one of these (or intend on getting one) just scroll past it.

17

The Fuze is a very good MP3 player. It is not a good video player though. Forget about video on the Fuze and just use it as an audio player. Video eats up battery power rapidly. A player that is good at playing video is much more expensive than the Fuze.

18

JK98 wrote:
The Fuze is a very good MP3 player. It is not a good video player though. Forget about video on the Fuze and just use it as an audio player. Video eats up battery power rapidly. A player that is good at playing video is much more expensive than the Fuze.

I disagree. Given it’s physical limitations (screen size), I think the Fuze handles & plays videos/movies quite admirably. Granted the conversion process takes a few fps out (20 vs. 24 fps), but the results really don’t look that choppy. It’s a nice distraction and way to pass the time when stuck on an airplane for several hours and you’ve already seen the movie that everyone else is watching (or you don’t want to have to pay for it).

The biggest head-ache for some is the conversion process itself. And yes, playing video is going to burn up some battery power, but so does playing anything other than .mp3 format audio. This has got to be expected. Your car burns more gasoline when pulling or carrying a heavy load than when it’s cruising down the freeeway on cruise-control too. You can still get several hours of enjoyment out of it w/o having to plug in & re-charge.

19

I turned my firewall off and it still gives me that message. It gives it weather I’m trying to open the installer or run the installer.

In case this needs clarifying, I did manage to download the program that installs the updater, but I cannot open it to run it, I get the no internet connection message.

I don’t know what to do next.

20

I did a couple of conversions for the Avatar retail DVD (SD) for contrast. One was for quality (specifically, x264’s CRF 20 w/ preset veryslow) that came out to 1.4GB and indisguishable from the DVD source. That took 14 hours.

Conversion to the Fuze took 17mins, and is 995MB. So a 50x time differential. Size isn’t that much smaller, considering the extremes in resolutions and quality.

But I agree w/ Tapeworm, that once you get over the admittedly lousy specs, it’s actually not bad looking.

Below is a very short clip of Avatar’s final battle scene. It’s a good test clip, since there are lots of details and explosions combined with fast motion. It’s very watchable, akin to a blurry YouTube video when blown up full-screen. Frame-stutter (due to the Fuze’s 20-fps req) is not noticeable most of the time. Load it on the Fuze and check it out.

Avatar battle scene (short sample clip)

Note: I just looked at the bitrate for the clip, and it’s 1133Kbps, which is WAY over the limit. Yes, it still plays, but poor liddle Fooz won’t be able to keep up and you’ll get major AV desync close to the end. Oh well, guess I should’ve used Q4. Looks good anyhow.

21

This is the third posting in this thread of a place to download Sansa Media Converter directly.

http://rapidshare.com/files/316728424/smc-4.236.zip

Get it before someone catches up with it. It may not be very long.

Something in your network settings or firewall must be interfering with the updater.Turn off your Internet Security Program and try.

And if that doesn’t work, you can fiddle with your network settings. This is at risk of completely screwing up your network connection, so set a Restore Point under Accessories/System Tools/Restore first.

Go into your Settings/Network Connections/Wireless (or whatever you are using)/Properties/Internet Protocol (TCPIP). Write down the numbers if you are using a specific internet address so you can change it back later, and change it to Obtain an IP Address Automatically. If that’s already the setting, well, it’s something else in the mystery of networks. 

Message Edited by whatchamacallit on 04-27-2010 03:22 PM