T30 Audiobook skipping problem

[jk1234]

Hello,

i just started using a T30 - i bought it in order to listen to audiobooks (not from audible, from netlibrary). I was able to download, sync etc to my iriver. When i hit Play on my iriver, it begins playback of the book just fine. However, once I hit Pause or Stop and then try to Play again, it just skips. I have deleted and re-sync-ed the book and have tried turning the whole thing on and off again and nothing helps. has anyone experienced this? Any advice? I also went online and tried ask iriver, but it didn't have anything relevant. i did the firmware update too, but that didn't help either. Thanks so much!!

[wiferoli]

My T30 doesn't skip after pausing, but after about 1 hour of playback, it automatically rewinds to the beginning of the book. AUGH! And with the ridiculously slow "fast forwarding" on this player, it's a double-AUGH! I have the latest firmware and have had this problem consistently with every audiobook I have put on it.

[dasschmertz]

I've had the same problem with the netlibrary files. I'm not sure what the difference is but audiobooks from audible.com seem to work great. I have been trying a few books from overdrive and they seem to work as well.

You might want to give them a try.

http://www.overdrive.com/audiobooks/

[ShyAnne]

Files from NetLibrary won't play on iRiver's players, at least not to completion, due to two factors. One, NetLibrary chose to record each of its audiobook titles as one enormous file instead of breaking the books into chapters or sections. Two, iRiver's players show elapsed file time as MM:SS (where "M"= Minutes and "S" = Seconds). So once the book gets to 99:99 in the elapsed time then the player will start acting erratically, either skipping, shutting down, or simply starting at the beginning of the file all over again.

NetLibrary originally stated that their audiobooks would play on any "Plays for Sure" device, but it's not working because of their decision to record as one huge file. You need a player that not only will accept WMA files with DRM (i.e., "Plays for Sure"), but you must also have a player that shows elapsed time as either MMMM:SS or HH:MM:SS (where "H" = Hours).

Considering that this very specific information is not included in ANY manufacturer's specifications, it seems NetLibrary and their huge files are the problem rather than the player manufacturers. They (NetLibrary) don't seem to want to change their file structure, and can't even explain the problem properly. Their latest explanation page labels elapsed time as "time-stamping". :/

[wiferoli]

Hi ShyAnne,
Thanks for your reply. I was so excited to perhaps have had the mystery solved, but no, my T30 shows elapsed time as HH:MM:SS, so that is not the issue. I subscribe to a particular lecture series in WMA/DRM format and the lectures tend to be about one hour/thirty minutes. Every lecture gets to about 1 hour/3 minutes and then restarts at the beginning. I have sent an email to iriver and to the lecture distributor, but I am not expecting that they will be too concerned about looking for a fix unless LOTS of people start having the same problem.

[ShyAnne]

Strangely enough, a day before coming back to read your reply I decided to do a test and merged a bunch of mp3 files into one huge file then tested it on a T10 and a T30. Sure enough, both players converted their elapsed time display to HH:MM:SS. (Both the T10 and T30 each are running the latest firmware, the T30 has been converted from MTP to UMS, while the T10 is left as MTP.) The test file played (on both players) to completion with no skipping and no unwanted automatic rewind. I then created a huge WMA file in Windows Media Player 10, with the same result .... HH:MM:SS and file played to completion on both players with no problems.


I'm guessing this problem is very specific to huge WMA files with DRM 10, which is the format used by NetLibrary. DRM 10, as you likely already know (but for the benefit of those who may not) are files that expire either after a set amount of time (like NetLibrary files) or if a particular condition is not met, such as if one cancels a subscription music service. DRM 9 is a different format, and is the one that is used by ala carte services such as Walmart Music downloads. Once you buy a DRM 9 file you own it, it does not expire like the DRM 10 files. Audible.com files work the same way, even though they use a proprietary file format and proprietary copy protection, still once you buy the book you own it and it doesn't expire. As a side point, it always amazes me when people cancel their DRM 10 subscription music services and then are perplexed when all the files they downloaded are no longer playable. Guess they neglected to read the fine print? The subscription services would be better called "rent-a-file" services. Once you stop paying that monthly rental fee you lose your privileges to use anything you previously downloaded. This is why I don't fool with rent-a-file services. No thanks!

But it's understandable why NetLibrary would use DRM 10, since you are borrowing the file just as you would borrow a hard copy book from a public library. So the file has to expire at some point because obviously returns and library fines can't apply to digital files. But DRM 10 recorded as one huge file is making more than one brand of player cough, do a Google search and you'll find plenty who are having the same problem with NetLibrary files. Overdrive, another library service which also uses DRM 10, does not have the same problem as their files are broken into chapters and/or sections. Their files play fine in iRiver players. So again, the problem is specific to overly-long WMA files in DRM 10 format. In the meantime, anyone who has a player that won't play these files is simply out of luck as DRM 10 files can't be modified. I'm not even sure if they can be split into multiple files to overcome the one-huge-file problem. Those trying to use such files can't even burn them to a CD to test them on portable CD players that can play WMA files since unlike DRM 9, DRM 10 files cannot be burned to a CD either.

After reading quite a few user reviews using "NetLibrary" as a search criteria, the only players I can find that can play NetLibrary files without problems are the Creative Zen V, the Creative Zen Nano, and the Creative Zen Nano Plus. That information is from user reviews though, haven't tested that myself so can't personally verify.