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ipod classic concerns: itunes alternatives & file compatability

ZombieRitual

ZombieRitual

Member
Title pretty much says it all. I've had a Creative Zen Vision M for over 3 years now and the 30gig capacity is wearing a bit thin, as is the size and battery life to a lesser extent. As the Zune 120 was discontinued a year ago and I didn't have the money at the time to purchase one and I'm not in favor of going secondhand for a Zune, it seems my only option for a large capacity mp3 player with good battery life is an ipod classic. I have considered the Zune HD 64gig but it's over $300 and is basically just double the capacity of my Zen. (A $400 ipod touch 64gig is out of the question.) I'd consider paying $300-something for a 128gig Zune HD, but I don't know when or if that will actually released.

As such, I'm thinking about going with a refurbished ipod classic since they're $210, 160 gig capacity, and have the same warranty as a brand new one (unless I was mislead). I have two reservations however: itunes and file compatibility. I would like to know if I can transfer music to an ipod without using itunes, and what audio and video files an ipod will play. I'd prefer to drag and drop, seeing as how I'm using an 8 year old install of Winamp and use drag and drop on my Zen. But if I can use an open source or some other free third party program to transfer music to an ipod that would eliminate my first hang up on purchasing an ipod.

I also recall apple being quite picky on what it'll play. I don't download music through itunes and while I know an ipod will play my drm free mp3's, I wonder about video file compatibility. What I read on apple's website seemed vague. It plays mp4 and mov files, but will it work with avi's and mkv's?

I do appreciate the advice, I know apple makes some solid products but my two concerns regarding itunes and file compatibility are what have kept me from seriously considering an ipod classic till now.
 
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Not positive, but I believe there are other programs you can use to sync up your iPod's music. Not sure about a solution that works with the iPod Classic though. I did a quick Google search and the first couple hits weren't compatible with the iPod Classic.

As for file types, it won't play avi or mkv's. It only supports mp4 and mov files. It also will only play audio encoded in mp3 or aac.
 
I'v used YAMIPOD on Windows

To play video files just run them through Handbreak and they will be good to go
Honestly I don't have a problem with iTunes. If it hasn't failed you before I would give it a shot 😉
 
I don't know why everyone has such a hardon against iTunes. It's as good as any other media player out there even if it's a little short in the codec department.

The iPod will play all mainstream audio formats. MP3, AAC, Audible, AIFF, WAV, and Apple Lossless. What it won't play is WMA and open source codecs. For video, it supports H.264 up to 1.5mbps in a either MP4 or MOV containers. I haven't noticed my iPhone being picky with supported formats. Only my PS3 does that. 😛

Unfortunately, HDD players are all but dead. Most MP3 players today top out at 32gb though some have SD card support to expand that to 64gb.
 
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