PODBOOK INFO FOR MAC OS X LION USERS

[bessyboo.livejournal.com]

So, apparently there is some sort of incompatibility between podbooks compiled with the Windows MP3 to iPod Audiobook Converter program and Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. The files download with an extra ".mp4" extension after the ".m4b", and Finder identifies them as MPEG4 movies.

Unfortunately, unless the makers of the software release an update to fix this (and since the software hasn't been updated since 2008, I'm kind of guessing they won't), or Apple releases an OS X Lion update which fixes it on their end, it will cause all of your podbooks to open in Quicktime by default. Oh noes!

Luckily for you guys, between cybel and myself, we've got workarounds for everyone!

WORKAROUND FOR OS X LION PODBOOK LISTENERS

ETA3: The FIRST thing to try is changing the file extension manually in Finder, by double-clicking on the filename, selecting the ".mp4" bit and deleting it, so it just says ".m4b". This should totally fix the problem. However, if your Finder hangs--which it may, it may not--continue onto the next step.

Control-click on one of the affected files and select "Get Info". Use this menu to set iTunes as the default program for these type of MP4 files. Once they are actually opened in iTunes, they should play just fine.

Please note that this WILL cause all of your MP4 movies to open in iTunes by default. ETA: If you don't want this to happen, in the "Get Info" menu, you can choose to just open that particular file with iTunes, but do note that you will have to do that with EVERY file like that.

ETA2: Although apparently, this may cause the files to behave like MP3s--look for them in the "Music" section of iTunes. You'll have to go into the "Options" tab and manually select "Audiobook" under type and check the "Remember playback position" box to get it to function like a 'book again, like you would with any MP3.

(Thanks to cybel for this info!)

WORKAROUND FOR WINDOWS OS PODBOOK COMPILERS

Use Chapter and Verse instead. eosrose has a lovely tutorial on how to use it here. It's a bit fiddlier than the MP3 to Audiobook converter--there's at least one extra step involved (and about three, the way I do it), and it takes more than three times as long to load on my computer, but it gives you a lot more control over the podbook creation. I use this program for all of my podbooks that have chapters.

MOREOVER, the podbooks compiled with Chapter & Verse should work as expected in OS X 10.7 Lion.


Hope that gives everyone any info they should need! If you have any questions on this issue, feel free to ask here.

Comments

[cybel]

One correction: in Get Info, you can choose to open just the individual file in iTunes, or to open all such files in iTunes. Best to choose whichever setting makes most sense to you!

[bessyboo.livejournal.com]

Edited that in, thanks!

[celtic-forest.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this info!
My n00b is showing, but is there something like MP3 to iPod Audiobook Converter for macs?

[cybel]

Do you mean software for Mac users to compile podbooks with?

I use AudiobookBuilder by splasm.software. It costs $10 and is the best, easiest converter available anywhere! All (nearly 1500 now!) of my podbooks have been compiled using it!

[weimar27.livejournal.com]

Have you found that it has compatibility issues with lion. I use the same program.

[cybel]

No, I haven't had a blip with the latest build.

[weimar27.livejournal.com]

good to know.

[cybel]

One annoying Lion thing is that the artwork doesn't show in the Finder; this is Lion, not ABB, though. A similar problem arose early on with Snow Leopard, and Apple eventually fixed it with an update.

No artwork problems in iTunes, though, so it's not really hard to live with for now.

[weimar27.livejournal.com]

Cool. I'm going to upgrade in a few weeks.

[cybel]

I'm enjoying Lion, but then I've always been an early adapter and have been troubleshooting my Macs since the '80s. It does make some big changes, and there are lots of issues with software and such.

Rosetta is no longer around, so no classic apps will work; this might or might not affect you. Some external hard drives have issues and don't work at the moment, so you should check that out so you'll be sure to have a good backup you can boot from/revert to if you have major problems.

There's a Lion compatibility wiki here that will give you an idea, though it's not 100% up-to-date and accurate. I've been using it as a starting point, then going to individual developer sites for the latest news; sometimes just googling 'app+Lion OS' is easiest.

[celtic-forest.livejournal.com]

Thanks! That's what I'm looking for. Haven't downloaded it yet, though.
:)

[bessyboo.livejournal.com]

You'll have to ask cybel--she's the one running Mac, I'm on Windows >.>

[cybel]

Answered!

[podfic-lover.livejournal.com]

Thank You kindly for the information and the software links!

[cybel]

My pleasure! The more people making podbooks the better!

[cybel]

Okay, now I'm totally confused. I just downloaded the podbook version with cover art of paraka's #krisallenpinkranger from here. It dl'd as a .m4b.mp4 as expected, but on opening it in iTunes I couldn't find it in Books.

After searching, I found it in the Music folder instead. In Get Info it shows as an MPEG-4 video file as before, encoded with FAAC 1.26.1. The media kind under Options shows as Music. In the iTunes music folder the imported file shows as 1-01 #krisallenpinkranger.mp4

So, somehow it lost all its m4b attributes. What the hell?

The only way to get it to act like a 'book is to stay in Options and manually change the media type to audiobook and click on the 'remember playback position' as you would with an mp3. Not ideal, and it's only acting like a podbook; it isn't really one. :-(

Wait, wait! This time when I manually changed the file in the finder to 1-01 #krisallenpinkranger.m4b, it did not freeze the finder like it was doing the other day, and it opened properly in Books! Success!

[bessyboo.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. That's a much more serious problem than I thought. I was under the impression that it still acted like a 'book once you got it into iTunes. Hm.

Well. In that case, here are my thoughts:

1) Let us hope that Apple releases an update soonish that fixes whatever coding quirk is causing this!
2) If they DON'T, and more people start upgrading to Lion and it becomes a significant issue,
3) I'll start what I am herby dubbing "PLAN C: Project Recompile", which is exactly what it sounds like. (I really hope it doesn't come to this, but if it DOES, I'll do my best!)

Does that sound like a plan?

(I will edit this thread into the post as soon as I get home to an actual computer.)



AAAAAND now I just saw your ETA XD I'll leave this post up, but there are gonna be some edits when I get home >.> (and also I will UL and send you the updated #krisallenpinkranger 'book)

[cybel]

Ah, new OSes. Such fun! Never a dull moment.

Part of the problem is that Apple insists on dumping outdated protocols and technologies with each new OS. Rude of them to want things to be new and improved all the time, wot? Hard to keep living in the past with that kind of attitude to contend with!

[bessyboo.livejournal.com]

Oh, Mac. You and your NEW-FANGLED WAYS! I remember when Microsoft released Vista and dumped a bunch of old code, and for the first time, I COULDN'T PLAY TWO OF MY COMPUTER GAMES FROM 1996! *GASP* Be more like Microsoft, Apple. < / sarcasm >

(In all seriousness, though, I will say that Windows' ancient code-hoarding ways *does* generally prevent small, bizarre incompatibilities like this whole thing.)

[cybel]

One correction: you don't change the tag to just .m4b in Get Info. Instead double click on the file name in the Finder, move your cursor to the end of the the final .mp4 tag, and delete it there. You will be asked if you really want to do this, which, of course, you do. :-)

[bessyboo.livejournal.com]

Whooops, fixed, thank you XD