Hello.

I have a computer which will be running WMP10 exclusivly. All functions such as ripping, playback, etc. will be done by WMP10.

I don't want to rip to the WMA format (for various reasons) which leads me to my question: How is the MP3 encoder that ships with WMP10? I see it's only CBR (was thinking about using the 192kbps CBR option), but that's really all i know about it.

Now my second question: Is it possible to replace the MP3 encoder that ships with WMP10 with another encoder? for example a LAME dll or something? If so, how?

wmp10 ships with the fhg mp3 acm codec (l3codecp.acm) .. I don't know which version..

i haven't tried this.. but it might work... rename l3codecp.acm to l3codecp.acm.off and put a copy of lameacm.acm in its place, renamed to l3codecp.acm

it might work, it might not, i don't know

note: i don't or will ever have wmp10, so if my info is a bit off, please correct me

edit: can't spell

WMP10 does not use the .acm file, it uses a Directshow filter. (.ax).
The included version is one from 2004 (when WMP10 was released), newer than the .acm filter.

Some more info in this thread : http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....=26956&hl=wmp10

I believe the codec does support VBR, but the Media player frontend does not.

Since the lame codec is .acm, and it looks like media player does not use them, i don't see a way to replace it.

Thanks for the replies. Well, according to the post [JAZ] linked to the FhG codec shouldnt be that bad. So i've decided to rip with that codec at 256kbps, which hopefully should be good enough.

I just re-read that thread.. and I couldn't find where it says that its a directshow encoder (ax file)... to my knowledge l3codecx.ax is just a decoder.. l3codecp.acm is the professional encoder (and decodes too)

Man... did I smoke something? You're completely right. I remember that one had to change something to use the WMP10 codec with other ACM programs, because it wasn't avaiable at first.

This post of that thread collaborates this :
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....ndpost&p=239449

well.. the correct way to to install l3codecp.acm is to edit the registry and add the string msacm.l3acm = l3codecp.acm , as mentioned in the other thread...

but wmp10 does not use the registry for it, it goes directly to the file itself (because they didn't want other applications to use it), so putting a renamed lameacm.acm in its place may work.. I am curious to know if it does.

FYI, I tested the new l3codecp.acm against the one from radium.. I think I prefer radium as it doesn't have the 16khz lowpass at 128kbps

16kHz is a reasonable lowpass for 128kbps, Lame does this also, what's wrong with it?

um.... nothing is wrong with it, it's just my preference

I may do some additional testing of it at 160 & 192kbps just to see where the lowpass is set.. curiosity is a curse

On an related note, what does WMP10's mp3 encoder use by default? CBR?

Yes. And you are not able to use anything else than CBR (atleast from within WMP10).

l3codecp.acm(wmp's mp3 encoder) ONLY supports CBR

I don't know where the vbr rumor came from... but I am 99.9% sure its only cbr.