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AcWxRadar
Last reply · posted in FTA Receiver / Equipment Support
Hi y'all,

Anyone tried to FTP or TelNet an audio CD to your AZBox HDD and have success?

I have been able to do this with *.ts video viles to the MOVIE folder, but I cannot seem to get simple audio tracks (from a CD) to work.

If you have been succesful in this endeavor, please let me know what hoops you had to jump through to make it happen.

Thank you,

RADAR
6 Replies · 2229 views
B.J.
Hi y'all,

Anyone tried to FTP or TelNet an audio CD to your AZBox HDD and have success?

I have been able to do this with *.ts video viles to the MOVIE folder, but I cannot seem to get simple audio tracks (from a CD) to work.

If you have been succesful in this endeavor, please let me know what hoops you had to jump through to make it happen.

Thank you,

RADAR

Probably not quite what you want, but as an experiment, I just took an audio CD, and ripped a track to a .wav file using dbPowerAmp converter.
Then I FTP'd that .wav file over to one of the USB drives on the Azbox, and it plays fine. I think you're problem is probably that the actual files aren't showing up properly in the FTP program. Ie you may have to use a rip program to convert them first. That program I use will also convert to mp3 formats too. We've used it to convert all of our CDs to .mp3s, and have them on the computer so we can stream them to several different devices including the Azbox.

I also can stream them to my Roku, which is kind of neat, because I can also stream a directory of .jpg pictures too, and it will display the pictures one by one, while playing a .mp3 music file or directory full of files. Not sure if the Azbox will do both music and pictures like that.

I think that dbPowerAmp program will also save the whole CD to disk, in the same format it's found on the CD, but I've never tried that. That might be more of what you're trying to do.... I'm not sure.
AcWxRadar
Probably not quite what you want, but as an experiment, I just took an audio CD, and ripped a track to a .wav file using dbPowerAmp converter.
Then I FTP'd that .wav file over to one of the USB drives on the Azbox, and it plays fine. I think you're problem is probably that the actual files aren't showing up properly in the FTP program. Ie you may have to use a rip program to convert them first. That program I use will also convert to mp3 formats too. We've used it to convert all of our CDs to .mp3s, and have them on the computer so we can stream them to several different devices including the Azbox.

I also can stream them to my Roku, which is kind of neat, because I can also stream a directory of .jpg pictures too, and it will display the pictures one by one, while playing a .mp3 music file or directory full of files. Not sure if the Azbox will do both music and pictures like that.

I think that dbPowerAmp program will also save the whole CD to disk, in the same format it's found on the CD, but I've never tried that. That might be more of what you're trying to do.... I'm not sure.

B.J.

Aha! I am hoping you are right on this. It sounds correct now that I think about it. When I transferred the files, they showed up as *.cda files and won't play. Although I can see that they are there in the file manager utility of the AZBox, the box doesn't seem to know what to do with them. Converting them to *.wav files or mp3 files might just be the answer for me. Thanks for the input, I hope it works.

Now on to the dbPoweramp program, is that freeware? Obviously I can find that out for myself by searching, but for others who read this thread it would be a helpful piece of information. Also, is there any other software that you know of that will convert these audio files other than dbPoweramp?

Thanks B.J.

RADAR
DiscoLoveGrapes
dbpoweramp isn't freeware, but you can convert to WAV and numerous other formats for free -- but MP3 is limited.

Other options are numerous, including Format Factory, BonkEnc, and of course, ITunes. All are free and not crippleware.
AcWxRadar
Probably not quite what you want, but as an experiment, I just took an audio CD, and ripped a track to a .wav file using dbPowerAmp converter.
Then I FTP'd that .wav file over to one of the USB drives on the Azbox, and it plays fine. I think you're problem is probably that the actual files aren't showing up properly in the FTP program. Ie you may have to use a rip program to convert them first. That program I use will also convert to mp3 formats too. We've used it to convert all of our CDs to .mp3s, and have them on the computer so we can stream them to several different devices including the Azbox.

I also can stream them to my Roku, which is kind of neat, because I can also stream a directory of .jpg pictures too, and it will display the pictures one by one, while playing a .mp3 music file or directory full of files. Not sure if the Azbox will do both music and pictures like that.

I think that dbPowerAmp program will also save the whole CD to disk, in the same format it's found on the CD, but I've never tried that. That might be more of what you're trying to do.... I'm not sure.

B.J.

I finally got the time to try out dbPowerAmp. I used their "fully functional" freeware trial version.

I converted John Denver's Greatest Hits CD (volume 2) to *.wav and to *.mp3 formats. I started out with just one track using *.wav and then the same track using *.mp3. Both worked really great! However, converting to *.mp3 saves a huge amount of time! Especially when downloading to the AZBox, the *.mp3 files transfer with lightning fast speed.

Converting the entire disc (12 tracks) to *.mp3 required 3.5 minutes. FTP'ing it to the AZBox required less than 30 seconds, actually much less than that. I think about 2-3 seconds per song.

When I converted the entire disc (at one shot) I created a folder with the name of the album as the destination folder within my PC. Although I tried to create such a folder within the AZBox, it wouldn't allow me to move the individual tracks into that folder, so I had to do that before I transferred them to the AZBox. This was not any trouble and was actually quite easy.

The problem I see here now is that although the information is on the original disc regarding the song title, it does not appear after converting it. Each track's title is displayed simply as "TRACK1", "TRACK2", "TRACK3", etc. I was able to rename the tracks afterwards so that I can see the name of the song, but I wish I could find a better method. I just noticed, after renaming the files with their song titles, they are ordered alphabetically, instead of by track number.

Also, the very end of each song is cut short by a few seconds, so the song doesn't fade out, it just stops abruptly. Not a huge deal, but a little odd as it doesn't sound right.

Overall, it works. I just need to solve some issues.

RADAR
B.J.
My wife is the one who did all our CDs, but I'm pretty sure that there is an option for it to go onto the internet and download all the CD and song info, because when we play them on either our Roku, or on my wife's little audio gadget, or even on our Sirius receiver, the CD name, performer name, and song name are all displayed. I wasn't sure if the Azbox would do the same, but I just tried it, and when it plays a song, it shows CD artist title and genre I think the track was left blank, but since it had the title, I think that replaces track.
I think if that program can't access the internet, then it just leaves the song info blank. But again, I'm not real positive, because my wife did all the CD--> MP3 conversions.
Perhaps on your CD the songs overlap tracks somehow, because I've never noticed it cutting off the end of songs, but I'll ask my wife if she's noticed that.
I can't remember if we're using the free version of that program or if we paid to upgrade it, but it's worked perfectly for what we do. Really makes accessing many hundreds of CDs easy. We have them all on one hard drive, and move them to thumbdrives or those little memory cards, or just play them over the network. I'm not sure if the Azbox can detect one of those UP&P servers or whatever they call them, but we have a shareware server on the computer which has some extra features with respect to displaying and playing songs, if you don't want to just play one CD at a time.
Jim S.
The reason you have to convert CDs to another format is because unlike a DVD, a CD doesn't actually HAVE a filesystem on it. The .cda files are actually pseudo-files produced by Windows so you can browse a CD like any other disk.
Scott Greczkowski
Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU! Cutting Edge
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club
Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!

So let the game continue!

The last song was added by Bobby who posted...

One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters

CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!

Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game

Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.

Example:

Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow

Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio

Another example:

Ride the Lightning -- Metallica

Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne


Get it?


An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
68528 Replies · 2672751 views
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sdfntx
See You in September - The Happenings
long_time_Dish
You Look Like You Love Me - Ella Langley
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dishstaller
See Me Feel Me - The Who
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long_time_Dish
Take It Easy On Me - Little River Band
H
TAKE IT As It Comes-The Doors
SuperDish_Fan23
Last reply · posted in DISH Network Support Forum
Why are ViP922s So rare? like its crazy how ebay has none, i checked everywhere, also, i got a ViP222k now, which is actually activated!
2 Replies · 39 views
dishdude
They didn't sell many, they were pricey and not out long. Quickly got replaced by the Hopper.
T
They were high-end specialty, somewhat buggy and the 612/622/722 just overwhelmed it in popularity.
Former member 208119
Last reply · posted in SiriusXM Satellite Radio
My year was almost up and we got the new bill for a year of service for $ 360.00 insane sat radio is becoming like cable!!! i logged into my acct and hopped onto chat and told the rep that i wanted to cancel. she understood my concern and went quiet for a few minutes. i figured that she was canceling my service. she comes back and said that she seen that i have been a sub since 07 and then offers me the same package for a year for 120.00 with taxes and fee's!!! i grabbed it. after almost having a stroke :biggrin
237 Replies · 11002 views
B
What i noticed with my last renewal XM is now billing me $4.99 monthly instead of one time yearly payment.
Jimbo
What i noticed with my last renewal XM is now billing me $.99 monthly instead of one time yearly payment.
Did you accidentally get on the wrong plan ?
I still do the once a year plans.
B
Did you accidentally get on the wrong plan ?
I still do the once a year plans.
I have to think maybe more people dont keep track of the monthly XM bill. Every time i renew i put a reminder on my calendar week before its time to renew. My wife told me the other day not to renew her and then i told her you are not going to be able to listen to XM at home. Then she changed her mind...!!
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TRG
TRG
I have to think maybe more people dont keep track of the monthly XM bill. Every time i renew i put a reminder on my calendar week before its time to renew. My wife told me the other day not to renew her and then i told her you are not going to be able to listen to XM at home. Then she changed her mind...!!
I get an e-mail every month reminding me that X amount will be charged to my credit card. If I see it go up I get on chat or pick up the phone. But I also remember that my year is up in December.
B
I get an e-mail every month reminding me that X amount will be charged to my credit card. If I see it go up I get on chat or pick up the phone. But I also remember that my year is up in December.
yea i don't understand WHY, like you I get a notice each month. Mine is also up in December.
Jimbo
yea i don't understand WHY, like you I get a notice each month. Mine is also up in December.
You get an email every month to let you know they are billing you for the next month.
Foxbat
Mrs. Foxbat reminded me it's that time of the year to do the Cancel Tango💃🏽

The A.I. agent appears to be better than in the past. It got to the acceptable price quicker than previous years, no human operator involved. $5/mo and I still have over $50 in SiriusXM credit from my FordPartner benefits.
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Peter Parker
Supporting Founder Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in DISH Network Support Forum
No idea what improvements might be involved.
19 Replies · 817 views
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bookworm370
Has anyone noticed an FF stutter with 713? I used to be able to hit FF a few times and skip smoothly. After 713 (maybe 712), when I skip forward, there is a definite stutter for as many times as I have pressed FF.

Can anyone check on this and report back? Recorded programs and then press skip forward a few times to see if it's smooth? Normally, it just jumps to the right place after the skips.
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N
I'm getting fabulous picture on Ch. 148 4k, but zero audio with H713. This is with a recorded show (Notre Dame game). Anyone else have this? Audio is fine on every other channel.
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R
Has anyone noticed an FF stutter with 713? I used to be able to hit FF a few times and skip smoothly. After 713 (maybe 712), when I skip forward, there is a definite stutter for as many times as I have pressed FF.

Can anyone check on this and report back? Recorded programs and then press skip forward a few times to see if it's smooth? Normally, it just jumps to the right place after the skips.
My wife mentioned that her remote is acting strange this morning. She hit FF and it went to 15x FF.
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Bobby
I'm getting fabulous picture on Ch. 148 4k, but zero audio with H713. This is with a recorded show (Notre Dame game). Anyone else have this? Audio is fine on every other channel.
This has been an ongoing issue. A fix is coming, probably in the next software version.
Foxbat
Wife bought me a t-shirt that has "have you tried turning it off and on again?"
Here's the one I need:
1792365258110.webp
dishstaller
Here's the one I need:
Just ordered one....that's great.
dfergie
Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU!
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club
Stumbled across this ... http://www.gaspricewatch.com/USGas_ZipSearch.asp
I found no local prices, although it did show stations at my location...
Added these to this post...
USA National Gas Temperature Map
State By State Gasoline Taxes
Gas Buddy

Ethanol Free Stations

5552 Replies · 460637 views
Bobby
Regular$5.999​
Premium$6.399​
Diesel$7.999​
at Costco, Rohnert Park.​
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harshness
I wonder if California is getting into the Winter formula.
dishstaller
Regular$5.999​
Premium$6.399​
Odd that out there, Prem is only 40 cents higher. Here it's a full dollar more.

Last night it was about $4.17 gas, $6,19 diesel.
harshness
Odd that out there, Prem is only 40 cents higher. Here it's a full dollar more.
On the West Coast, a 40-cent differential is common. It used to be 30 cents before the prices rose above $3.

A "full dollar more" sounds like it may be boat gas (non-alcoholic), which is a whole different discussion.
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Foxbat
Here in Indiana, the difference between Regular and Premium is usually a dollar, but some charge even more:
1792374072446.webp
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dishstaller
A "full dollar more" sounds like it may be boat gas (non-alcoholic),
Both non-ethanol and prem run about the same....buck more. When we were up in TN it was a buck more up there as well.
jokeworm
Last reply · posted in What's Cooking?
Ok, I'm bored .... actually - to be more precise - I'm bored of eating the same rotation of 9 or 10 meals that are currently my "go-to" meals. My wife works the long hours - I work from home as and when i feel like it ... which means i generally do most of the cooking ... and so by default - i also make out the shopping list ...

We cook at home 5 or even 6 nights a week - but we always seem to fall back on the same old tried and tested "quick and easy but tastes ok" meals. Week in week out.

Pot Roast - mash and Peas.
Spaghetti
Chicken Pasta in cheese sauce.
Curry & rice
(these are some of mine)

Now it's not that I'm not adventurous in the kitchen ... I'll try anything once or twice ... but we all do it. Unless your name is Martha Stewart or Rachel Ray .. we all eventually fall back on our 8-10 favorite "meals"

So i thought - if we shared some of our own go-to meals with each other ... we might be able to add a few "new" ones to our own arsenal of meals.

So again - I ask you ...

What's for dinner tonight ?

Please give me something new to add to my rotation ... its our weekly shop tomorrow - so i want to pull together a few idea's and try and eat a meal each day next week that I've never had before .. or at least something that is not on my current "go-to" meal plan.

What meal do you always seem to fall back on in your house ? Maybe its something that I've never tried or not had in a while. I need inspiration !! I've got a blank shopping list in front of me - and nothing sounds good .. HELP !
4332 Replies · 331180 views
TRG
TRG
Beef and vegetable stew with buttermilk biscuits. Water.
It seemed appropriate on an unusually cold and wet evening in New Mexico.
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Bobby
Chili Cheesebugers, Tater Tots.
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TRG
TRG
I made shrimp parmesan with spaghetti and a salad.
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S
venison lasagna
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dishstaller
Smoked some salmon on the grill while enjoying some Blue Moon beer. Kinda cool tonight so I fired up the heaters. Here in FL, we fire up heaters once the temps get below 60 :cool As for the salmon, I seared them first, then flipped them off to the side not over the coals and brushed on some lemon pepper marinade followed by some salmon seasoning. Threw some hickory chips on the coals and then closed the vents to about 10% airflow. Yum.
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osu1991
Pub Member / Supporter
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club

The number-one US state for EV growth, according to the June 22 Yardi report?
Oklahoma.


:eek


It has no ZEV mandates and "minimal" incentives, Yardi says, but also has cheap electricity, high multi-car household rates (so, for example, a non-Lightning Ford F-150 pulls their trailers), and a consumer base willing to switch.
112 Replies · 905 views
navychop
Servant's problem.
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meStevo

Never realized that Tesla is losing to BYD at manufacturing too, which IMO is Tesla's biggest accomplishment and area of innovation. Nice writeup about the state of play and how we got here though. I have no faith that we're moving any productive direction though sadly, most changes and efforts feel reactionary rather than rooted in making use of the time being bought by tariffs, with few exceptions.

So: how are the cars so cheap, and what is being cut to get there? The best public accounting comes from the Rhodium Group, which compared BYD, Geely, and Leapmotor against Tesla's Chinese operation, a fair comparison because it removes labor costs and shipping from the equation entirely. Their estimate is that BYD builds a car for about $4,700 less than Tesla builds a Model 3 in Shanghai, roughly 15 percent of the Model 3's price. The breakdown is the interesting part. Direct government grants account for about $292 per vehicle, which is 5 percent of the gap. The biggest single factor is vertical integration: BYD makes about 80 percent of its top-tier components in-house, against 37 percent for Tesla, and that eliminates roughly $2,369 per vehicle in supplier markups. Lower overhead, meaning cheaper engineering talent and administrative cost spread across enormous volume, accounts for another $1,719. And BYD pays its suppliers on 155-day terms, against Tesla's 60, which is worth about $214 per car in float. When people say the Chinese advantage is subsidies, the per-vehicle number says otherwise. When people say it is slave wages, the Tesla Shanghai comparison says otherwise too. The advantage is mostly that BYD decided, twenty years ago, to make its own batteries, its own motors, its own power electronics, and its own semiconductors, and Western automakers decided the opposite.​
harshness
The EV company to watch out for is SAIC. They seem likely to take over Government Motors at some point.

GM originally struck a JV deal with SAIC to gain access to China. Now SAIC has taken China back with the substantial library of technology GM shared and they're looking to export to Mexico, South America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.
osu1991
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TWiT Tech Podcast Network
· posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network
0 Replies · 29 views
Ham Radio 2.0
· posted in Ham Radio 2.0
0 Replies · 21 views
Ramy
Supporting Founder
Last reply · posted in The Sports Section
Really excited for this season with Kentucky having a new coach and some really exciting recruits. Probably won't last long, but here's hoping this season is great.
148 Replies · 1762 views
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Foxbat
They ought to have fun with this… :devilish
osu1991
They ought to have fun with this… :devilish
Was thinking same thing. It should be a good week for sec shorts and roll call
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R
A lot of upsets yesterday, but my LSU Tigers won.
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Foxbat
Best fan sign I saw during the ND-BYU game: "Bear ate your Lucky Charms!" (Bear being the Cougars' QB). I was going to suggest, "Have you or your team been involved in a Carr crash?"
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