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Topic: Looking for the best media player for podcasts/books/music? (Read 9149 times) previous topic - next topic
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Looking for the best media player for podcasts/books/music?

I'm a newbie and just purchased my 1st MP3 (?) player, an Insignia Pilot 8GB.  I'm struggling with using iTunes for podcasts and Windows Media Player (I hate it!) for music.  I know iTunes doesn't let you transfer directly to a non-ipod, but it is great for searching for and downloading podcasts.  One gets a good description of the podcast and searching is wonderful.

Windows Media Player is almost useless for podcasts or at least I haven't figured it out yet.  I also just plain don't understand what it is doing and never have.  The whole "Library" thing messes me up.

I also gets audiobooks from my local library using Overdrive.

Granted I'm still trying to figure out how to use the Insignia Pilot, but basically I just want to drag files or folders to the Insignia and have them PLAY IN ORDER.  (Seems like I have to create a "playlist" in WMP?)

I also am burning my CD's and converting MP3's using a trial version of Easy CD-DA which I also find confusing.  (Which .wav format should I be using to burn a CD - .wav(standard), .wav (dual channel L/R), .wav (ACM Codecs), .wv (wavPack), or something else?)

Does anyone know of a good software program that is easy to use, combines the greatness of iTunes for podcasts, but lets you use something other than an ipod, and can convert, play, burn, rip, and transfer to my Insignia/CD's.  I don't mind purchasing one as long as I can try it first. 

I can't believe Windows Media Player won't let me add a folder for Podcasts and Books so I can sort them out from my music.

I don't even have a cell phone yet, so please explain acronyms - THANKS!!!

Looking for the best media player for podcasts/books/music?

Reply #1 –
I use Exact Audio Copy (EAC) for ripping CDs, with the LAME mp3 encoder.  It's free, but not precisely a no-brainer to use.  However, it is one of the most accurate rippers around.  Try DBPoweramp (which isn't free), but it can be more automatic.  Both of these will use the Accuraterip database to confirm the quality of your CD rips.  (There's also a program called CUETOOLS that can compare existing wav or lossless rips with the Accuraterip database, and it seems to do a more thorough job of finding matches.)

For transferring music to my MP3 players I just use Windows Explorer to copy or move files.  I suppose it isn't ideal for playing music, but generally I just select stuff and right-click "enqueue in Winamp or Foobar" if I'm listening on the 'puter.

Podcasts, I leech 'em with something called "Juice" (formerly known as Ipodder) to get new ones automatically, or use "Down Them All" (Firefox plug-in) to leech them from web sites.

I nearly installed iTunes, but when I saw the size of the download and that they wanted my credit card info just to download some free mixes, I put it in the same category as unprotected sex, heroin, and crystal.  Just say no.

Looking for the best media player for podcasts/books/music?

Reply #2 –
Quote from: BassBinDevil on
I use Exact Audio Copy (EAC) for ripping CDs, with the LAME mp3 encoder.  It's free, but not precisely a no-brainer to use.  However, it is one of the most accurate rippers around.  Try DBPoweramp (which isn't free), but it can be more automatic.  Both of these will use the Accuraterip database to confirm the quality of your CD rips.  (There's also a program called CUETOOLS that can compare existing wav or lossless rips with the Accuraterip database, and it seems to do a more thorough job of finding matches.)

For transferring music to my MP3 players I just use Windows Explorer to copy or move files.  I suppose it isn't ideal for playing music, but generally I just select stuff and right-click "enqueue in Winamp or Foobar" if I'm listening on the 'puter.

Podcasts, I leech 'em with something called "Juice" (formerly known as Ipodder) to get new ones automatically, or use "Down Them All" (Firefox plug-in) to leech them from web sites.

I nearly installed iTunes, but when I saw the size of the download and that they wanted my credit card info just to download some free mixes, I put it in the same category as unprotected sex, heroin, and crystal.  Just say no.



I looked at Juice's screenshots and it does not look nearly as good as iTunes which makes searching for podcasts so very easy.  It also doesn't list as much info ("description") about each individual podcast.  ITunes does take a while to load, but I must say I love the interface and it's so easy to use.  If they would just sell something to allow transferring to a non-ipod MP3 player, I'd be in heaven!

I'm still reading about CUE sheets, though I not sure that's why some cd's I burned came out as one track, since they weren't "live" recordings.  Need to study this one more.