I thought error checking FIXED errors, not caused them.
March 4, 2010 12:42 PM Subscribe
I'm utterly baffled...why does iTunes import long CDs with errors every time I turn ON error correction, but with error correction off it works fine?
I am a "better safe than sorry" kind of guy and so every computer I have had iTunes on, I turn on the "Error correction" feature (which means I go into preferences and put that check in the box...I'm assuming checked means on and unchecked means off, but I could be dumb....).
I noticed when ripping audiobooks, where most of my CDs are in excess of 70 minutes, that errors in the files would occur starting at about 55 minutes and get progressively worse.
This happened to me on four different computers, three running Windows XP and one running Mac OSX, and on different versions of iTunes but always the most recent version available at the time.
It frustrated me but I didn't think much of it, wondering if the large WMAs created might be the problem (I join tracks on audiobooks).
Then I started ripping my audio CD collection and, again, noticed that some tracks skipped even though error correction was turned on. And again, these were later tracks on long CDs (I can specifically cite Eminem's Relapse CD, which runs over 76 minutes, as a CD where the last 3 tracks, about 15 minutes, would skip).
I did a lot of tests on this trying to get them to rip, but as I want all my songs in Apple Lossless my only other options were to rip to WAV and have iTunes convert (which did work successfully using a different program).
But I did some further tests and decided to try iTunes with error checking OFF and, go figure, the CD ripped correctly the first time. Thinking it a fluke, I re-ripped the CD. No problems listening to the track. I've now ripped MANY audio book CDs (all over 70 minutes) and not one skip with error checking OFF but tons of skips with error checking ON.
Can someone explain to me what the heck is going on???
I'm currently running iTunes 9.0.3.15 and still seeing this behavior.
I am a "better safe than sorry" kind of guy and so every computer I have had iTunes on, I turn on the "Error correction" feature (which means I go into preferences and put that check in the box...I'm assuming checked means on and unchecked means off, but I could be dumb....).
I noticed when ripping audiobooks, where most of my CDs are in excess of 70 minutes, that errors in the files would occur starting at about 55 minutes and get progressively worse.
This happened to me on four different computers, three running Windows XP and one running Mac OSX, and on different versions of iTunes but always the most recent version available at the time.
It frustrated me but I didn't think much of it, wondering if the large WMAs created might be the problem (I join tracks on audiobooks).
Then I started ripping my audio CD collection and, again, noticed that some tracks skipped even though error correction was turned on. And again, these were later tracks on long CDs (I can specifically cite Eminem's Relapse CD, which runs over 76 minutes, as a CD where the last 3 tracks, about 15 minutes, would skip).
I did a lot of tests on this trying to get them to rip, but as I want all my songs in Apple Lossless my only other options were to rip to WAV and have iTunes convert (which did work successfully using a different program).
But I did some further tests and decided to try iTunes with error checking OFF and, go figure, the CD ripped correctly the first time. Thinking it a fluke, I re-ripped the CD. No problems listening to the track. I've now ripped MANY audio book CDs (all over 70 minutes) and not one skip with error checking OFF but tons of skips with error checking ON.
Can someone explain to me what the heck is going on???
I'm currently running iTunes 9.0.3.15 and still seeing this behavior.
Error correction was useful back when CD and optical drive quality standards were quite bad. I haven't had to use error correction of any kind in years. I'm not excusing iTunes but I don't know what you expect to get out of this askme except: don't use iTunes' error correction.
posted by chairface at 1:04 PM on March 4, 2010
posted by chairface at 1:04 PM on March 4, 2010
Seconding what scruss said. I've had great success ripping horribly damaged and pock-marked CDs with the cdparanoia engine, which XLD uses. I don't have an answer for you re: iTunes, but at least there are alternatives for those stubborn discs.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 1:13 PM on March 4, 2010
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 1:13 PM on March 4, 2010
Response by poster: Chairface: I'm wanting to see if there's something I'm missing... things along those lines might be inaudible file inaccuracies that error correction would fix, or corroboration of my story from other iTunes users, or a technical explanation for why this might be happening (I'm a computer programmer and am endlessly curious about such things).
I know that my CDs sound OK ripped like this so I'm not really looking for a "what do I do" but a "why does this do this".
posted by arniec at 1:34 PM on March 4, 2010
I know that my CDs sound OK ripped like this so I'm not really looking for a "what do I do" but a "why does this do this".
posted by arniec at 1:34 PM on March 4, 2010
I don't *know* why it happens, but I suspect that it has something to do with iTunes being really bloaty and resource-intensive by default, and you're telling it to do even more.
Just don't use error correction. I don't, and I've never encountered an error, even with this old box I'm running.
posted by Sys Rq at 1:34 PM on March 4, 2010
Just don't use error correction. I don't, and I've never encountered an error, even with this old box I'm running.
posted by Sys Rq at 1:34 PM on March 4, 2010
(Of course, it could be something silly like they mixed up the ON and OFF.)
posted by Sys Rq at 1:39 PM on March 4, 2010
posted by Sys Rq at 1:39 PM on March 4, 2010
Nthing just don't use iTunes. The error checking is crap, and the encoder is crap. cdparanoia+LAME, that XLD link from scruss seems promising.
posted by ish__ at 3:34 PM on March 4, 2010
posted by ish__ at 3:34 PM on March 4, 2010
Best answer: I'm not really looking for a "what do I do" but a "why does this do this"
Given that iTunes is closed-source commercial software, you're unlikely ever to get a satisfactory answer to this question. Closest you're likely to get is "iTunes is buggy".
Open-source rippers based on cdparanoia, or the closed-source but highly regarded freeware EAC, are your best options.
posted by flabdablet at 6:22 PM on March 4, 2010
Given that iTunes is closed-source commercial software, you're unlikely ever to get a satisfactory answer to this question. Closest you're likely to get is "iTunes is buggy".
Open-source rippers based on cdparanoia, or the closed-source but highly regarded freeware EAC, are your best options.
posted by flabdablet at 6:22 PM on March 4, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by scruss at 12:47 PM on March 4, 2010 [3 favorites]