.WA3 File Support

[Unregistered]

Well, .WA3 files don't exist - yet.

I downloaded the atrac3.acm thing from a link that I found on another thread. I installed it into my system and then converted a .WAV file at 132kbs using Goldwave.

The sound quality is amazing.

I know that this is a redundant format which creates ATRAC WAV files instead of true ATRAC .OMA or .OMG files but I am incredibly impressed.

I like it so much that I want to use it for archiving my CD collection on my PC.

HOWEVER... I want a way to differentiate between regular WAV files and ATRAC WAV files.

I stupidly thought that I could do the following:

01) Convert the a WAV file into an ATRAC WAV file;
02) Go into Windows' File Manager and rename the file extension to .WA3;
03) Double-click the file so that the Windows "Open With" dialogue appeared and choose Winamp.

Well - it didn't work. Why???

If I rename an image's file extension, say from .GIF to .TXT so that I can hotlink the image from a free webspace provider, my browser will recognise it being an image and not a text file - see the example below...



Right click the image and in the properties, you'll see that the file extension is .TXT...

Why can't I do the same with an audio file?

[ChristinaS]

Re: .WA3 File Support

Well, .WA3 files don't exist - yet.

I downloaded the atrac3.acm thing from a link that I found on another thread. I installed it into my system and then converted a .WAV file at 132kbs using Goldwave.

The sound quality is amazing.

I know that this is a redundant format which creates ATRAC WAV files instead of true ATRAC .OMA or .OMG files but I am incredibly impressed.

I like it so much that I want to use it for archiving my CD collection on my PC.

HOWEVER... I want a way to differentiate between regular WAV files and ATRAC WAV files.

I stupidly thought that I could do the following:

01) Convert the a WAV file into an ATRAC WAV file;
02) Go into Windows' File Manager and rename the file extension to .WA3;
03) Double-click the file so that the Windows "Open With" dialogue appeared and choose Winamp.

Well - it didn't work. Why???

If I rename an image's file extension, say from .GIF to .TXT so that I can hotlink the image from a free webspace provider, my browser will recognise it being an image and not a text file - see the example below...



Right click the image and in the properties, you'll see that the file extension is .TXT...

Why can't I do the same with an audio file?

Actually you can - but appareantly only if you use Windows Media Player. I just verified this using a wav file which I renmed to wa3 and selected Windows Media Player to play it. This doesn't work with Real Player or Quicktime Player nor even with the dBpowerAMP player because they don't recognize it as basically being a wav file. I suppose Windows Media Player checks the contents of the file first and then decides if it knows what it is or not.

[COLOR=Red]NOTE to Spoon: Could the dBpowerAMP player be made as smart as WMP in recognizing the type of file it is regardless of extension? or is that something that's already available and I missed it? I did try to go through the Configuration step and make other file associations but didn't find a way to add more to the list. Am I blind?[/COLOR]

[Unregistered]

Re: .WA3 File Support

I tried opening the file with Windows Media Player and it isn't working. Its asking me to install a driver that supports this kind of file.

Did you rename a regular WAV file or an ATRAC WAV file?

[ChristinaS]

Re: .WA3 File Support

I tried opening the file with Windows Media Player and it isn't working. Its asking me to install a driver that supports this kind of file.

Did you rename a regular WAV file or an ATRAC WAV file?

Indeed, it was a regular wav file.

But then WMP must not even play ATRAC WAV files? Why on earth would they have the same extension? Google time I guess.

[Unregistered]

Re: .WA3 File Support

Indeed, it was a regular wav file.

But then WMP must not even play ATRAC WAV files? Why on earth would they have the same extension? Google time I guess.

Winamp definitely plays the ATRAC WAV file when I leave the file extension as .WAV.

Even dBpowerAMP's pop-up tips recognise the ATRAC WAV file as being ATRAC3 encoded, but as soon as I change the file extension to .WA3, it doesn't. :(

[Unregistered]

Re: .WA3 File Support

I've since realised that it's something to do with the registry. I have no idea how to duplicate a .WAV file's registry keys and add them to my .WA3 format's registry keys.

You might even have to apply to Microsoft to ask if you can use the file extension. Maybe I'm getting confused. I dunno.

[ChristinaS]

Re: .WA3 File Support

I've since realised that it's something to do with the registry. I have no idea how to duplicate a .WAV file's registry keys and add them to my .WA3 format's registry keys.

You might even have to apply to Microsoft to ask if you can use the file extension. Maybe I'm getting confused. I dunno.

Ok, I was referring to WMP = Windows Media Player and not Winamp, which, while very similar, is not the same.

Do you have the latest version of WMP? If not, you should get it.

Without having such a file to test hypotheses with, it's rather difficult to draw a conclusion.

[DeX]

Re: .WA3 File Support

hehe... read the thread, an i did the atrac3.wav stuff.... it work on winamp if you download the liquid audio plugin for winamp... go to winamp.com and see for your self.. i'm into the atrac3 buisness for a long time and sincerely fook atrac3. use mp3 lame VBR from 48 to 128 kbps, 24kz ( the human ear hears from 20-20000Hz, so even 22050 is enought).... plus that mp3 filez have ide3 tag, wavs do not, and the portable player will NOT play atrac3 wav filez... but it will play mp3, think about that. transform your musik to mp3 vbr... it's the best yet....

[ChristinaS]

Re: .WA3 File Support

hehe... read the thread, an i did the atrac3.wav stuff.... it work on winamp if you download the liquid audio plugin for winamp... go to winamp.com and see for your self.. i'm into the atrac3 buisness for a long time and sincerely fook atrac3. use mp3 lame VBR from 48 to 128 kbps, 24kz ( the human ear hears from 20-20000Hz, so even 22050 is enought).... plus that mp3 filez have ide3 tag, wavs do not, and the portable player will NOT play atrac3 wav filez... but it will play mp3, think about that. transform your musik to mp3 vbr... it's the best yet....

Sorry, DeX, I've no idea what you are exactly talking about here and how it ties in with the discussion :smile2:

[DeX]

Re: .WA3 File Support

Sorry, DeX, I've no idea what you are exactly talking about here and how it ties in with the discussion :smile2:

well... i'm trying to tell the man that there is no point in converting to atrac3 because that format took less scores @ 132kbps than mp3 @128kbps.
about the file name extension ... windows media player tests the header of the file thus knowing what tipe it is regardless of the extension.
winamp doesn't do that neither dbPoweramp..this could be done... and it ain't very hard to modify dbpoweramp.... it's quite a simple mp3 player, no hard algorithm's or long screens of asemblers.....
Ah, and i was trying to tell him that if you use VBR you can reduce a lot of the file size. and the best thing is that the mp3 player will play mp3VBR but it wown't play atrac3.wav or .omg or .atp or .oma or.....any freakin extension except mp3 and codified atrac3, atrac3plus filez..... that was my point... :rolleyes:

[Spoon]

Re: .WA3 File Support

Well in a recent listening test Atrac 3 came out worse than Mp3, Ogg, WMA, AAC - it was the worst.

It is best not to try to open formats with wrong extensions, you just increase the number of crashes.

[DeX]

Re: .WA3 File Support

well, yes but i still have to say that artac3plus represents a major improvment from atrac3.... atrac3+ @64kbps is quite a good quality format...
but anyway... spoon, can you take a look at dmc because it does not convert mp3-->atrac3.wav....... but goldwave works....

[Spoon]

Re: .WA3 File Support

I think there is something special you have to do with that atrac codec.

[DeX]

Re: .WA3 File Support

spoon what do you mean by "special"????

[Spoon]

Re: .WA3 File Support

I believe there is a hacked version that allows it to work with any program (as opposed to just sonys program).