I'm someone who's stuck on Winamp 2.95. For reasons I won't go into detail about, I simply don't like Winamp 5 (although I've spent many hours trying).

I know that the FLAC Frontend installers after version 1.1.2 no longer come with integrated FLAC plugins, but I still never had a problem playing FLAC files on Winamp 2 until I installed version 1.2.1 (the latest FLAC version).

Additionally, this problem only occurs on 24-bit files. Usually a few seconds into playing them I get this error:

Errors while processing frame
(FLAC__FILE_DECODER_SEEKABLE_STREAM-DECODER_ERROR).


I've tried everything trying to fix the problem — uninstalling/reinstalling various versions of FLAC and Winamp and tweaking settings, but in the end version 1.2.1 causes problems for the 24-bit files. Please note that FLAC version 1.2.0 (which is almost the same) doesn't cause these problems. However, I'd simply like
to stay current with FLAC, and I'm also afraid this problem might be present in future releases.

I don't know if it's a bug in Winamp, or if it's something to do in the latest FLAC coding? I really don't understand why it only occurs in the 24-bit domain, and only on the very latest version.

If anyone has any tips, or suggestions on what I could do, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I hate to sound like an @$$, but here's a suggestion; upgrade your free software to it newest free version. Free software is not engineered to work flawlessly for 4+ years. If you're running WinME or earlier see: http://www.winampheaven.net/old.php?major=5 and get 5.35 or earlier

I've already tried this. Yes, these files play on Winamp 5. But like I said, I just can't stand this version no matter how hard I try. I'm not a stubborn person about upgrading (if the program truly is an upgrade)... As you can see, I'd very much like to stay current with FLAC but I've run into an obstacle here.

I'm seriously wondering if anyone (including the FLAC developers) was aware of this problem from version 1.2.0 > 1.2.1 since it ONLY involves 24-bit files.

I'm running XP Service Pack 2, by the way.

I'm using 5.35 and have it configured with the exact same look and feel of 2.xx, skin and all.

I think native gapless playback was the reason I switched, but maybe something else. I don't remember because it's been so long and I've never had a reason to ever look back.

There was a problem (I think) with v1.2.1 - to do with 24 bit files.

here, I think

Yeah this is what I do at work....I really can't work out what the difference is between this and genuinely old version 2....other than there being less bugs and it actually being maintained software.

i also have recently switched back to winamp 2.95, i think it is by far the best winamp version yet.

yes, i tried many of the winamp 5.x versions, around 10 or so different versions, and none were as good as 2.95 in my opinion.

i know of many others who still use winamp 2 as well.

newer isn't always better.

i can't believe so many people even after the OP's request still replied off topic about winamp 5.

I don't think that matches the problem he described. if I have it right, he's saying existing 24-bit flac files that played with the 1.2.0 plugin from the flac installer don't play with the plugin from the the 1.2.1 plugin from the flac installer.

...if that 's right, I don't know what's causing it because the old winamp plugin code has not changed for a while, and no difference between 1.2.0 and 1.2.1

Well, I finally switched over to Winamp 5.35. Third time's a charm, I guess. You really can get it to look/behave exactly like 2.95 if you work hard at it. Just comb through each and every option, use some trial and error, perhaps use an old skin, and there you have it.

True, the native gapless playback is a huge plus. Also, the EQ works with 24-bit files, which wasn't the case on versions 2.xx. I've also found a few other small advantages.

But let me clarify a few things about my initial problem. It was simply playing 24-bit FLAC 1.2.1 files in Winamp 2.95. 24-bit files encoded with FLAC 1.2.0 (the version from a couple months before) worked just fine. I tried many things, using different programs to encode, did lots of uninstalling/reinstalling, and the problem persisted.

And this leads me to my most recent discovery, that the popular track splitting program CD Wave (latest version 1.96.1) is having some severe issues with 24-bit FLAC files encoded with version 1.2.1. The program basically just locks up, giving a read access error. If you use an uncompressed WAV file, the problem goes away. So for now I'll just have to go with that.

CD Wave's current FLAC library is 1.1.4, so I think the problem is related to the one I was having with Winamp 2.95.

In conclusion, there's definitely something different about these 24-bit version 1.2.1 files, but I guess nobody really knows what it is just yet.

maybe because I stopped including in_flac.dll in the installer once winamp started shipping theirs, and you were using an old one with winamp 2.95. you would have had to get the newer one from here: http://downloads.sourceforge.net/flac/flac-1.2.1-win.zip

not many in_flac.dll versions play nice with winamp 2.95

it took me a while to find one that worked!

the one i found to work is this one:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~trevor.weeden/in_flac.dll

winamp2 FLAC plugin v1.0beta6a
by Josh Coalson and X-Fixer

compiled on May 6 2003
uses libFLAC 1.1.0

works fine for all of my flac files, including current 1.2.1b encodes. but i don't use 24 bit files, so can't test for that sorry.

I had already tried that with the last in_flac.dll, but it doesn't work. It just instantly freezes up.

It's not really a pressing issue for me anymore, as I have recently converted to Winamp 5. But like I said above, the problem still exists on at least one other program (most current version).

Again, this problem is only with 24-bit files.