Posting this request for enhancement (RFE) here instead of simply an email to Dave to forewarn other new users of iGain.

Note to Dave: I'm using the most recent version of iGain available as of yesterday.

Okay, the problem is that when iGain Syncs with iTunes, it includes video files rather than looking for the tags that indicate a video file and filtering out video files. This is a problem for several reasons:

1. Some users have reported that video files whose gain was adjusted by iGain/AACGain play back with no sound on some devices (certain iPods, iTV, etc.)

2. AACGain will recognize some of these video files (depending on how they were encoded) as video files and display an error message to that effect. This is good in that iGain doesn't attempt to analyze or adjust volume on the video file (preventing problem #1 above), but bad in that it stops progress on a large batch of files, such as when you first use iGain to normalize your large iTunes library.

3. AACGain will *not* recognize some video files as videos (depending on how they were encoded), and will cheerfully analyze and adjust gain on the file, which can lead to problem #1.

Therefore, it would be best if iGain could intelligently filter out all video files so that AACGain cannot get near them.

An example of one video encoding method that produces video files that iTunes recognizes as video files, but which AACGain does not recognize as video files would be the product PQDVD. I use PQDVD to rip short segments of instructional DVDs to small iTunes video clips that I can play back while I'm at my (music) keyboard. After creating the clips and importing them into iTunes I usually go in and use Get Info to change them from being considered a "movie" by iTunes and instead tag them up as TV shows so that I can group different clips together in a way that iTunes and iPods will treat as episodes of a virtual TV show. These clips seem to be considered by AACGain as music files and it will analyze them and adjust volume on them.

Is it possible to modify the iGain code to recognize all music videos, TV shows, and movies when syncing to iTunes and accordingly filtering them out of the iGain file list? Otherwise, you have to manually babysit iGain to ensure it doesn't apply gain to video files.

I developed iGain as a labor of love when I was between jobs, but I don't have any time to devote to it now. So someone other than myself would be making these changes.

Since iGain can operate on a playlist basis, I would suggest setting up playlists that exclude the video and other files that you don't want iGain to process.

Dave

Thanks Dave. I for one *really* appreciate your labor of love. Before iPods and iTunes came along I was quite happy with my MP3Gained library of MP3s. The features and usefulness of iPods are compelling, however, so despite no longer having a normalized song library I made the switch nearly 5 years ago, and have gritted my teeth ever since. I know you developed AACGain and iGain nearly a year ago (or more) but I had stopped looking and hoping for such a tool before that. It's only by happy accident that I found your stuff recently.

As for the video issue, ya that's one solution and it's workable. Perhaps if you have time to at least crack open the CHM file and add a short warning/tip to this effect somewhere? I only bring it up because I've seen reports that some video files will stop working correctly if AACGain is used on them.