Get it here:

iTunes 4.6 for Mac & Windows

While iTunes has a new version with 4.6, the latest version of QuickTime is still 6.5.1. Since QuickTime provides the codec support for iTunes, the AAC encoder is exactly the same as it was with iTunes 4.5, and is still encumbered with the same ringing problem as iTunes 4.5.

word on the street is that it won't play hymn-ed songs.

Ah, so that's what "it also includes a number of other minor enhancements" means

I can confirm that this is true. You get a message saying your computer is not authorized to play the song and there is no way to authorize it. Hopefully you kept your protected versions around.

hm did you actually do any comparisons or do you only think that the encoder is unchanged because qt has not been updated (till now)?

I can confirm it uses the same version of QuickTimeMPEG4Authoring.qtx as iTunes 4.5: 6.5.1.17

So, yes, it will have the same quality as iTunes 4.5. Recommended version for AAC encoding is still 4.2.

I've encoded many, many files with 4.2 AND 4.5 and noticed no difference in quality between the two nor the ringing problem. Is this just on a particular sample?

You need good hearing above 16kHz to detect the hearing. It only (?) affects these frequencies.

Open the M4A file in a hex editor. Search for "geID". Change it to "xxID". Try it now.

It's looking for some specific atom in the container. Change that atom name, it won't find it, problem solved.

Seems like the only new thing are AirTunes support, and two minor fixes.

Yeah, AirTunes support, and other minor enhancements, some of which include:

• Fix for occasional crashing while accessing some radio streams
• Broken music sharing with very large music libraries

I'm sure there are also other minor internal modifications which aren't advertised (like the non-playing of Hymn'ed tunes)

Is it possible to complain about the new encoder in versions 4.5+? Is there an email address for such complaints?

If we start a mass email campaign, would it be possible for it to be fixed. I am still wondering when they will release a proper VBR version of the encoder, giving users more control over making a more precise file size/quality trade off.

still on 4.2 here
edit: but I only open iTunes when playing songs to convert to a FLAC file or occasionally just to listen. The near unusable overly GUI interface makes that second event rare though.

if Apple had VBR options with a Compaact! type interface then it would rank much higher in my personal opinon for the encoder at least.

Apple iTunes Feedback

thx

I think they have done this deliberate, as having too many encoding options results in novice users making files that sounds terrible. (For instance an mp3 i downloaded from kazaa had these settings: 48.000khz, stereo, 128kbps )
By having one setting they can perfectly tune that for optimal quality. (this is just my 2¢ of course)



I think Apple would have prioritized this higher if it was confirmed in a bigger listening test and gotten some media attention. No-one I talked to except the ones that frequent this board are even aware of it...

It should still be possible to provide a clean user interface allowing the choice between size or quality:
http://gabriel.mp3-tech.org/lame/lame_ui_example.png

Yeah, obviously Apple stresses ease of use often above functionality.

However surely there could be some "advanced settings" button which you could press to enter a VBR mode. The point is Apple have just released a lossless codec, which to me suggests they want to appeal to "power" users. Well in the lossy realm, VBR is the best mode if you are interested in making the best quality/bitrate trade off. Personally I would've preferred if they went to VBR AAC before their lossless codec.

Can anyone else recall reading that some audio for one of the Lord of the Rings films was transported in AIFF format using an iPod? I read it somewhere.

Anyway, I sent an email using that iTunes support address if more do maybe they will impliment it soon.

I say, I still find clips encoded with Itune 4.5 at 128kbps sounded bad.. It seems like the encoder is starved of bits and as a results the hihats sounded distorted.. I wondered if it is possible for me to post problematic sample clips of Itune here or it is useless since Itune has somekind of copy right mechanism embedded in the M4A file header?

Yes, hihats & cymbals are without doubt one of the hardest sounds to faithfully reproduce (although i find AAC does a better job than mp3)..

The .m4a files have no copy-right mechanism in them (as opposed to .m4p) so you can post away

Can you minimize this version to ONLY the system tray? Previous versions stay in the taskbar as well.

I looked for that feature in the preferences, not there in 4.6. I requested this feature on Apple's iTunes Feedback page so hopefully we'll see it in the future.

Still not there? Darn. It just seems such the obvious option to me. What beats me is why they have the option to place it in the system tray, and then it still stays in the taskbar. At first I thought it was buggy or something, because as far as options go, right now that one is pointless.

Because the method to remove it from the taskbar, once there, is difficult to do. And if you don't do it at the right time, it can even hang xp.

you can take a look here.

maybe that is what you're lookin for.

Thanks a lot! I'll try that out.

Can someone help me? I use iTunes to make AAC's. Unfortunetly, I had already downloaded, installed, and ran iTunes ver. 4.6 a few times before I had read this thread and learned about the downsides of the codec update in it. I just uninstalled ver. 4.6 and deleted the "Apple Computer" folders that were located in the "Documents and Settings" folder. I then re-downloaded and installed ver. 4.2 but when I attempt to run it I get this message... "The iTunes Music Library file cannot be read because it was created by a newer version of iTunes."

Anyone know where that file is and if simply deleting it will make it so I can use iTunes 4.2 again?

C:\Documents and Settings\<your user name>\My Documents\My Music\iTunes\



Most likely, yes.

Thanks. That worked.

I had forgoten about that folder since I don't use it as the location of my library.