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D4 2014 - Supported audio formats for USB drives
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artiom
 


Member Since: 14 Jul 2019
Location: Gloucestershire
Posts: 26

2014 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Auto Corris GreyDiscovery 4
D4 2014 - Supported audio formats for USB drives

Hi all,

I have a LR Discovery 4 2014 HSE (with Meridian sound, I think). It has an USB port in the upper glove box where I can plug an USB drive to play music off it. The user manual states that it supports MP3, AAC and WMA audio formats.

I noticed that some MP3 songs from my collection don't play - the audio unit just skips them stating "file format error" (or something similar). I've spent an entire evening running in/from the car and trying different transcoding settings - like different constant/variable bitrate, frequency, etc, but could not find an exact format that would play _all_ the songs - some of they are playing, others - are not. I've got the same results with AAC.

Next, I tried WMA - and bingo! all songs were playing... or so I thought - I noticed that the music in WMA format has a way worse sound quality, despite I tried the highest quality supported by the format.

Question(s): does anyone know what is the highest quality audio format supported (with exact settings) that can be played from USB drive? Are there any other options to get a good quality sound?

Maybe some audio player/phone connected via AUX and playing FLAC would sound better?

Thank you in advance!
  
Post #20886531st Oct 2019 2:51 pm
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DG
Site Moderator 


Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50978

Wales 

You need to put mp3's into folders on the usb itself ISTR
 21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021  
Post #20886591st Oct 2019 3:12 pm
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Hardware
 


Member Since: 28 Jun 2016
Location: Hiding under the M60
Posts: 13024

United Kingdom 2011 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 XS Auto Sumatra BlackDiscovery 4

from experience (2011 XS though) it's a black art. wma will play but seems to have a file size limit.

mp3 seems bit-rate sensitive.

sometimes, just adding a file it won't play renders the whole usb-stick unusable, other times it's just the file you add.

I added some files last week and it suddenly started playing stuff I'd forgotten was already on there as well as the new stuff.
  
Post #20886641st Oct 2019 3:29 pm
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Ceekay
 


Member Since: 17 May 2009
Location: Bury
Posts: 2089

United Kingdom 2016 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Lux Auto Waitomo GreyDiscovery 4

Im still having the same problem but with films. No one so far has been able to confirm which format it is happy with. Some play, some dont, some play the opening titles then fail.
Im thinking trial and error like you but first will have to download the same film in many formats and cannot see that happening any time soon.

Good luck though Thumbs Up
 D4 HSE Lux MY16 Club Waitomo
D3 HSE MY06 missing her still… 
 
Post #20886741st Oct 2019 3:56 pm
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artiom
 


Member Since: 14 Jul 2019
Location: Gloucestershire
Posts: 26

2014 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Auto Corris GreyDiscovery 4

Quote:
it's a black art

It is indeed.

Looks like it is also picky about the filesystem - it orders the files by creation date instead of name.
  
Post #20886751st Oct 2019 3:57 pm
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Hardware
 


Member Since: 28 Jun 2016
Location: Hiding under the M60
Posts: 13024

United Kingdom 2011 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 XS Auto Sumatra BlackDiscovery 4

not sure about that sorting.

on mine it's alphabetical BUT I don't let my PCs rename files to include track numbers. Depending on what you are using to play the files, the track numbers are used whether you see them or not, but i hate Windows adding them into the file names.

all is still ok on the PC but when the files are then in the car, the disco doesn't know the order to play them ... so concept albums go to Censored as files play in name order.
  
Post #20887141st Oct 2019 4:59 pm
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B16 KJR
 


Member Since: 10 Jul 2006
Location: Rosyth, Fife
Posts: 3005

Scotland 

Ceekay wrote:
Im still having the same problem but with films. No one so far has been able to confirm which format it is happy with. Some play, some dont, some play the opening titles then fail.
Im thinking trial and error like you but first will have to download the same film in many formats and cannot see that happening any time soon.

Good luck though Thumbs Up


I run my x264 or Xvid films through DivX converter and they all play fine at a max size of 720 x 400 Thumbs Up
  
Post #20889882nd Oct 2019 1:26 pm
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1967jester
 


Member Since: 05 May 2010
Location: Usually in the North East though I have been known to travel
Posts: 4484

England 2015 Discovery 4 3.0 TDV6 HSE Lux Auto Fuji WhiteDiscovery 4

Worthwhile deleting any album art you may have on there. Mine been much better since I did. It is however a tad erratic still.
 Paul.

06 Java Black HSE - gone
12 Baltic Blue HSE - gone
15 Fuji HSE Lux
Club Biscuits, mmmm nice!
Traxide/Luna hybrid & Yellow top
Some Prospeed bits
+ some other stuff
Club N.E.R.D.s. 
 
Post #20890412nd Oct 2019 3:59 pm
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john hall
 


Member Since: 19 Nov 2006
Location: Cheshire
Posts: 41

United Kingdom 2013 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Auto Corris GreyDiscovery 4

I just use Spotify £15 month for the family ,plays through the Bluetooth connection or USB in the centre arm rest on my 2013 HSE ,absolutely perfect and a truly unlimited amount of choice and the reproduction is amazing
  
Post #20890812nd Oct 2019 6:17 pm
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Ceekay
 


Member Since: 17 May 2009
Location: Bury
Posts: 2089

United Kingdom 2016 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Lux Auto Waitomo GreyDiscovery 4

B16 KJR wrote:
Ceekay wrote:
Im still having the same problem but with films. No one so far has been able to confirm which format it is happy with. Some play, some dont, some play the opening titles then fail.
Im thinking trial and error like you but first will have to download the same film in many formats and cannot see that happening any time soon.

Good luck though Thumbs Up


I run my x264 or Xvid films through DivX converter and they all play fine at a max size of 720 x 400 Thumbs Up


Thumbs Up
 D4 HSE Lux MY16 Club Waitomo
D3 HSE MY06 missing her still… 
 
Post #20892323rd Oct 2019 10:40 am
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artiom
 


Member Since: 14 Jul 2019
Location: Gloucestershire
Posts: 26

2014 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Auto Corris GreyDiscovery 4

TL;DR: if some MP3 files don't play - try to re-encode them using another codec. "LAME v3.100" did the trick for me.

Finally I've got some time to experiment and found that the MP3 format can be encoded differently - different codecs can produce different results, even when using same settings.

Previously I was using a program called "Format Factory" - not sure exactly which MP3 codec it uses, but the results were not playable in the car. I then checked the used codecs (where available) and bitrate settings and found that the vast majority of MP3s encoded using the "LAME" codec will play fine.

I downloaded another app "Audacity" and re-exported all unplayable songs one-by-one using highest quality with variable bit rate and now all songs are playing fine. Looks like not all MP3s are equal and my D4's infotaiment system is picky about what codec is used.
  
Post #20968461st Nov 2019 4:08 pm
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