RockBox, is it worth installing?

Prototypjack · #1 (**permalink**) February 19th, 2006, 03:06 PM

Hello,
Now I've read a lot Threads 'bout RockBox, but I still don't want to install it, because I've some bad remembers with Software in Beta-Status.
Well,
There's one big question I have: Can I get rid of RB when I don't like it?

Nah, probably you just have to tell me 1 thing that absolutely catches my eye. Like a SERIOUS reason for using RB. Nothing like, playing games or something like that.

I think I want to explore the world of the rockbox but I have the fear of screwing up my player

Proto

**Sanitarium** · #2 (**permalink**) February 19th, 2006, 03:16 PM

Yes, you can uninstall it.

You want a really good reason???

Gapless
More audio codec support
On the fly playlists.......

Lots more.............
-San

Nick114 · #3 (**permalink**) February 19th, 2006, 03:17 PM

I had the same hesitations 24 hours ago, but thanks to the help of Ipood I switched to Rockbox and its great. Not perfect yet, but worth having all the same.

Iommi · #4 (**permalink**) February 19th, 2006, 03:22 PM

For me it was the possibilty to record in .wav that made me install it last week. Have not tried that yet though.

MrHiggy · #5 (**permalink**) February 19th, 2006, 04:58 PM

I bought a h120 a while ago and, after some reservations, made the plunge and installed Rockbox. After that I only ever used the iRiver firmware for recording, which Rockbox didn't have good support for back then.

When I got my h340 a couple of days ago the first thing I did was install Rockbox. In fact, I haven't even explored the iRiver firmware at all.

Answer is yes, you can uninstall rockbox. The simple way would be to simply delete the .rockbox folder and the rockbox.iriver file from the root of your player. From then on it will boot into the iRiver firmware everytime. To completely remove it, you should download the firmware from the iRiver site and flash your player again.

Why you'd want to do that is beyond me.

DD · #6 (**permalink**) February 20th, 2006, 03:34 AM

MrHiggy you should really use the iriver firmware for an hour or so otherwise you won't appreciate how much of an improvement Rockbox is! It's also worth booting into the iriver firmware once in a while for video anyway, but hopefully one day video will come to Rockbox too

.

Teknomancer · #7 (**permalink**) February 20th, 2006, 03:36 AM

yes and Rockbox will have 15 fps video ... if i remember right.

blatherskite · #8 (**permalink**) February 20th, 2006, 03:37 AM

YES !!!

the original firmware is rubbish in comparison. The main feature for me personally is the gapless playback

OverTheRainbow · #9 (**permalink**) February 20th, 2006, 04:24 AM

I actually yelled YES! when i saw this thread

Go for it, RB can't brick your player, you can boot into the iRiver anytime so it's perfectly safe.

Plus, you'll love it. OTF playlists have changed my life

DD · #10 (**permalink**) February 20th, 2006, 04:26 AM

Well it can brick your player, but it won't. Just don't annoy it, try not to shout at it, and give it a little pat on the head once in a while. Good boy, there, go fetch!

Membrillo · #11 (**permalink**) February 20th, 2006, 04:33 AM

Membrillo shakes his head watching DrippyDonut throw his H3xx, tempting it to retrieve a stick for him.

Prototypjack · #12 (**permalink**) February 20th, 2006, 07:58 AM

OMG!
I did it and it rocks!
Yes!
Thank you guys
Proto

Sorry 'bout the bad word. I think I was just too excited and it come over me. It'll never happen again!

Teknomancer · #13 (**permalink**) February 20th, 2006, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prototypjack

OMG!
I did it and it [profanity deleted] rocks!
Yes!
Thank you guys
Proto

Great ... welcome aboard the rockbox rox team!

R-power · #14 (**permalink**) February 20th, 2006, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sanitarium

Yes, you can uninstall it.

You want a really good reason???

Gapless
More audio codec support
On the fly playlists.......

Lots more.............
-San

---------------
i had no doubt in installing rockbox.
a lot of feature more, and the happiness to "work" with your player, beyond uploading songs and files.

A feature that i cannot able to find is "RECORDING FROM RADIO".
this is possible with original one.
Can i do also with rockbox ?

ivo

Teknomancer · #15 (**permalink**) February 20th, 2006, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by R-power

---------------
i had no doubt in installing rockbox.
a lot of feature more, and the happiness to "work" with your player, beyond uploading songs and files.

A feature that i cannot able to find is "RECORDING FROM RADIO".
this is possible with original one.
Can i do also with rockbox ?

ivo

Record from radio works with Rockbox (I AM TOLD) ... you must set the source as Line In when in Radio mode... I must test this myself. But it records as WAV ... So I'm not going to bother to try and waste harddisk space.

adamk · #16 (**permalink**) February 20th, 2006, 08:39 AM

I asked about Rockbox late last summer and, despite assurances, I only summed up the courage to install it last week. At first I wasn't sure but, once I figured out how to customize it, I'm deliriously happy with it. Being a techno idiot, all I can tell you is I love the way it boots up almost immediately (as opposed to the two or three minutes I was waiting for the iRiver software to load) and the gapless playback is lurrrrrvely. I've got the Marquee style display and, although I'm thoroughly confused about playlists (my WinAmp playlist doesn't show up...my MediaMonkey one, which didn't under iRiver, does under Rockbox) I think Rockbox is the best thing since...well, since the iRiver.

I'd like to take this opportunity to be totally ingratiating and thank everyone who's brought this to fruitition and for providing idiot-proof installation instructions. Now I've done it, I've no idea why I was so scared!

flying sheep · #17 (**permalink**) February 20th, 2006, 08:50 AM

the reason for me was quite funny:
i have read of all the features and so on (h300 optimized was started by needleboy some days ago) but i thought: it's that ugly and i have to change and it's complicated and...
you know what i mean.
but then i got some .wav files ripped from a game i have and i didn't want to recode them.
i thought: since the original firmware can't play them, why not rockbox?
and they worked!
(i've started the original firmware twice since that)

Glueeater · #18 (**permalink**) February 20th, 2006, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teknomancer

yes and Rockbox will have 15 fps video ... if i remember right.

You just made that up...

DD · #19 (**permalink**) February 20th, 2006, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flying sheep

but then i got some .wav files ripped from a game i have and i didn't want to recode them.
i thought: since the original firmware can't play them, why not rockbox?
and they worked!

I'm sure WAV playback was added to the iriver firmware as of 1.28, but don't use that as a reason to stop using Rockbox! Are you liking it now anyway? It's not really that ugly once you get a nice WPS and backdrop

Prototypjack · #20 (**permalink**) February 20th, 2006, 06:02 PM

I'm _totally_ into it. I simple love it!

The greatest features, for me, are the gapless playback and Flac support. Simply Great!

Proto

anzo · #21 (**permalink**) February 20th, 2006, 06:32 PM

why not
it won't hurt yr player :P
well it does eat much battery than original firmware
but the functionatlity is great

Saidas · #22 (**permalink**) February 20th, 2006, 06:50 PM

I have 40 gigs of WMA files that can't be re-ripped to any other codec. Am I stuck with iRiver? Thanks

digitalb0y · #23 (**permalink**) February 20th, 2006, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saidas

I have 40 gigs of WMA files that can't be re-ripped to any other codec. Am I stuck with iRiver? Thanks

Well, they *could* be re-encoded (there's tons of software for doing exactly this), but you might increase the loss of audio quality. The short answer is that rockbox is unlikely to support WMA in the near future. Flac files sound so much nicer though, and you have so many other file types to choose from with rockbox... but if you insist on WMA, you have to use iriver FW for now.

C