Can't get chapter breaks to work on Ipod Classic

[Phumaguy]

Hello to you all,

I'm trying to get chapter breaks into my audiobook files which I would like to play on my Ipod Classic (80GB).

Somehow, even after reviewing all information that is out there about getting chapterized audiobook files it still doesn't work on my ipod.

The produced files (with SSA) do work in Quicktime, I do get a selection menu for the different chapters over there.

But once I transfer this file to the Ipod, the chapter breaks don't show up.

I've read that the files needed to be AAC files so they would work with the Ipod. I tried to convert the files with FAAC, Mp4box and iTunes (going very slow). None of the processed files do work on the Ipod (audio and artwork does work but no chapters).

Then I tried the "ssa -pn wotw *.m4b" command to see how the pod file needs to be. After the pod file was created by SSA. I put it back into SSA (without editing it) and it got me 1 file back which also does work in Quicktime (with chapters) and is also playable on my Ipod but again....without any chapter markings.

I'm using Ubuntu Linux and am running the Windows programs (SSA, iTunes, Quicktime) using an emulator (Virtualbox).

Could anybody please help me out with my problem? Any examples, what programs to use (on Linux if possible) to get the chapter markings show up on my Ipod?

[jmclain]

I'm trying to get chapter breaks into my audiobook files which I would like to play on my Ipod Classic (80GB).

I think that the first thing you need to do is find someone with a later model iPod and see if the file works there. There was no "chapterizing" on the earliest iPods and I don't know if Apple updated the firmware to support it. BTW I don't know what really constitutes an iPod "Classic" - I have a black iPod 60GB that's two or three years old and it shows chapters just find; it is the iPod I originally developed SSA against.

I've read that the files needed to be AAC files

Yes, the audio must be AAC. Note that QuickTime can playback almost anything (in any combination) so it is not a good platform for testing.

-jr-

[Phumaguy]

Hey jmclain,

I do have a "new age" ipod. It is one with the new firmware and new interface (including cover flow), the model name is only IPOD Classic. I have tried to update the firmware using iTunes to 1.1.3 (I found that was the newest firmware version) but it couldn't find that update so I now have software version 1.1.2. I suspect that this software version also supports the chapterized audiobooks.

I think that the problem might be laying in one of the two things (or maybe even both).
* Because I'm using Ubuntu Linux, I used some different tools for the conversion of the original MP3 files to mp4/m4a/aac.
* Also because of my OS, I use GTKPOD to transfer the final file to my Ipod. Although I think it only does transfer the file it might modify it in some way (????) so that it won't show the chapters.

I also tried the NeroAacEnc utility which works on Windows and Linux to convert the MP3 file to MP4 (MP3 -> WAV (Sound converter) -> MP4 (NeroAacEnc) -> M4B (SSA) -> Transfer to Ipod (GTKPPOD))

If I delete the Jpg/Video stream using MP4Box the M4B file won't be playable anymore in Quicktime/iTunes but will play on the Ipod (without chapters).

If I convert the M4B file to AAC using iTunes, the Chapter information is lost.
If I convert the MP3 file to AAC using iTunes and then add the Chapter information (using SSA) it will play but no chapter information on my Ipod.

What other things can I try here? I tried different ways to convert the MP3 file to AAC / M4B but somewhere it still isn't going right.

I'm going to transfer the final file (M4B) to my Ipod using iTunes, who knows if that will enable the chapterized audiobook on my Ipod.


Question:
Does anybody can explain me the correct order on how to process a MP3 file to a working chapterized audiobook file? (Which has been tested), and which tools were used.

Thank you!

[lordnor]

IIRC, ipod classic is the model between fifth gen and the ipod touch. It is availible in two models, 80 and 160 GB. I have a 160 and my audiobooks work just fine. I don't have it with me here, so I can't check the firmware revision, but when I got it out of the box, audiobooks worked without updating the firmware. I suspect that it is something to do with your virtual environment or the gtkpod software. I have used gtkpod in the past, but never to transfer audiobooks.

[Phumaguy]

Hey guys,

I figured out this problem some time ago.

The problem was indeed GTKpod.

GTKPod is a software program for managing your Ipod under Linux.
I used it because iTunes is so hard to use under Linux and GTKpod works natively.

But GTKPod doesn't support the transfer of audiobooks to the Ipod.
When I transfered the same audiobook file (created with ssa) using iTunes the chapter markings did showed up on my ipod.

I've read on the internet that the new version of GTKPod will support chapters but after I compiled that version for linux it screwed up my Ipod and not even with having the chapter breaks :-/

Conclusion for me is that GTKPod isn't ready yet for transfering audiobooks yet. You have to use iTunes!

I don't know about Mac so consider this post only for Linux users.