For anyone out there still playing around with the original Xbox & Music Mixer, here's the reason why transferred MP3s show up as 0:00 in the music player.

 

The Music Mixer PC Tool uses the installed version of Windows Media Player to transcode MP3s to WMA. For reference, it carries out this action in a temporary folder at %TEMP%\Xbox Music Mixer Temporary Media\audio.

 

It seems that Windows Media Player 11 uses an updated version of the WMA codec which is incompatible with the original Xbox so the answer is to have, at most, Windows Media Player 10 installed.

 

This is a bit annoying if you like to work with the latest versions of software but seems to be the only answer.

 

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John

Slight addition to above, I noticed that even if you successfully transfer your audio into Music Mixer, if you convert them to Xbox soundtracks using the "Game" option, nothing shows up.

 

So it seems Windows Media Player 9 is the ONLY version of Media Player that works completely with the Music Mixer PC Tool, as noted in the system requirements & release notes :)

 

That does mean that if you want to have MP3s in your PC music collection, you will need a third party codec e.g. InterVideo or Cyberlink.

 

---

John

How would we use a third party codec for transfer of mp3s?

Has anyone with Windows Media Player 11 attempted to burn songs to a disc and load them on Xbox that way?  Does this still work?  I have a Christmas party every year and Music Mixer has been the best DJ ever with the on screen effects and cross fading.  I have Xbox 360 but streaming off the PC isnt as good and, their are no cross fade, and I just don't trust that hot running, loud P.O.S. to hold up for a entire night!

THey better fix thism but I know they will not.  Xbox 1 doesn't even exist to Microsoft any more!!!

 

The original Xbox can not regonize CD-Rs or CD-RWs, so you can not not transfer your songs by using a disk. But you don't need to if you have Music Mixer anyway, as it lets you transfer WMAs, MP3, and JPEG photos from your PC to your Xbox by using a system link or crossover cable.

 Doesn't anyone read the manual these days? 

 samnorr wrote:

The original Xbox can not regonize CD-Rs or CD-RWs, so you can not not transfer your songs by using a disk. But you don't need to if you have Music Mixer anyway, as it lets you transfer WMAs, MP3, and JPEG photos from your PC to your Xbox by using a system link or crossover cable.

 Doesn't anyone read the manual these days? 

Um, samnorr, there are more than a few of us that do read the instruction manual.
But the manual doens't clearly state wether it is recommended to have WMP9 or whether you need WMP9 in order to transfer .MP3 onto an Xbox.
And to my surpirse, I was able to get two, count 'em, two songs onto my Xbox with WMP11.
Unfortunately, they were in .WMA formt when I got them loaded on my hardrive, and when I tried to convert my .MP3s into WMA, that failed hard.
Ten to one, Microsoft doesn't even support WMP9 anymore.

 samnorr wrote:

The original Xbox can not regonize CD-Rs or CD-RWs, so you can not not transfer your songs by using a disk. But you don't need to if you have Music Mixer anyway, as it lets you transfer WMAs, MP3, and JPEG photos from your PC to your Xbox by using a system link or crossover cable.

 Doesn't anyone read the manual these days? 

Um, samnorr, there are more than a few of us that do read the instruction manual.
But the manual doens't clearly state wether it is recommended to have WMP9 or whether you need WMP9 in order to transfer .MP3 onto an Xbox.
And to my surpirse, I was able to get two, count 'em, two songs onto my Xbox with WMP11.
Unfortunately, they were in .WMA formt when I got them loaded on my hardrive, and when I tried to convert my .MP3s into WMA, that failed hard.
Ten to one, Microsoft doesn't even support WMP9 anymore.

I have WMP11 as well, but I have managed to put all my songs on my Xbox by converting them to WMA format first. It is very easy to do wtih the right software and does not take very long.

I use a program called Free Mp3 Wma Converter that is free to download on the internet. Just google it and it should come up. It was one of the only ones I could find that wasn't just a demo version.

 

 samnorr wrote:

The original Xbox can not regonize CD-Rs or CD-RWs, so you can not not transfer your songs by using a disk. But you don't need to if you have Music Mixer anyway, as it lets you transfer WMAs, MP3, and JPEG photos from your PC to your Xbox by using a system link or crossover cable.

 Doesn't anyone read the manual these days? 

Ok, I didn't read the manual, but I burn mp3's using mp11 and rip them to my box all the time-... still.  Mostly books on tape (I listen when I sleep- dont ask).  My xbox has read- count them- every single one of the discs that I have tried.  So manual be damned.  My old Box is still gettin it done. 
(now mind you, I didn't use music mixer during any of this)

extra info for whatever reason:
I've used sony and imation cd-r's
My xbox is a halo 2 edition
1984 book on tape is great :)

-Rharzn

 I just bought the music mixer at EB for cheap  $1.99. Thanks for the help on the 0:00 I could not figure it out till I got here. Thanks again....

I have done some research and have found that the original xbox CAN play recorderble CDs and DVDs, depending on what brand of disk drive it has in it. The four different brands that xboxs can come fitted with are Samsung, Thompson, Phillips or Hitachi/LG. Apparrantly the launch xboxs had Thompson drives, which are the least reliable and the least compatible with recorderble media. Most people think the Samsungs are the best, and they seem to be the most compatible.

I am unsure what drive my xbox has, but it was quite a late model purchased in April 2005, so it probably has a Samsung. I have played CD-RW, DVD-R, and DVD-RW formats on it with no problems. I have copied Mp3 files on to a disk and the xbox plays them just like any other CD. They also work fine through Music Mixer.

I have made copies of DVD movies on to both DVD-R and DVD-RW formats and my xbox plays them with no problems.

For more information you can view these forums:

   http://forum.teamxbox.com/archive/index.php/t-259453.html

   http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/2/113987.html

    http://www.pcuser.com.au/pcuser/hs2.nsf/lookup+1/8D3DDB5BE01F49A3CA256EA6002D2FE0

Good to know.  I had an original big black box from way back, I don't seem to remember any problems with that one either-  just for reference.  thanks for the additional info. -r