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Cannot add files to itunes!!!

by pd7333 Sep 13, 2014 10:41PM PDT

Hi

im running windows 8.1 and cannot add anything to itunes. Im trying to add some mp4's. My itunes is up to date, but whenever i try to import anything either by menu - add file to library or drag and drop, nothing appears. Im aware of the issue people had with file appearing in their home videos but mine do not. itunes doe not even look like its trying to import it, there is no activity in the top bar of itunes.

please help!

Discussion is locked

8 Posts
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Did you try MP3s?
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Sep 13, 2014 11:22PM PDT

MP4, being a container could be trouble. I know folk today don't want to know about containers and encoding but when this happens, you get to learn about it. As that bit is on the web, I don't duplicate that but for now let's try a normal MP3 audio track.
Bob

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mp3 works
by pd7333 Sep 13, 2014 11:47PM PDT

hi - ok so an mp3 uploads fine.........

although the file type is mp4 i downloaded it a yify??????

how do i go about getting these vids on itunes?

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Nice to know the basics work.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Sep 13, 2014 11:56PM PDT

Your title and first sentence had me worrying it would be a disaster.

OK, it's another encoding discussion. Try HANDBRAKE to convert these to say an iPad format/encoding.
That is a free app and well discussed so I'll stop here.
Bob

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(NT) ill try now - thanks
by pd7333 Sep 13, 2014 11:59PM PDT
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Handbrake ?
by pd7333 Sep 14, 2014 1:03AM PDT

bob

handbrake is VERY slow. its been running for nearly an hour and only converted 0.44%.

any alternatives or fixes?

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Speed depends on many factors.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Sep 14, 2014 1:07AM PDT

So let's skip forward a bit. I can't guess where this MP4 came from but many folk learn about encoding this way. Some think iTunes should support all encodings but that ship and discussion has sailed. We know iTunes seems to be OK as the MP3 did work. Now you have to feed it compatible encodings. That's it?
Bob

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ummmm
by pd7333 Sep 14, 2014 1:15AM PDT

Sorry mate, im not up to speed with all these encodings. i get that i need to convert my current mp4 file to a better encoded one, its just handbrake seems to take forever, and i mean forever, at this rate im looking at 5 days to convert 1 file!

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It could be this one file.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Sep 14, 2014 1:25AM PDT

Again, this is often how folk learn about video encoding, containers and app compatibility. Sometimes folk will think another app will convert faster. That's another well done discussion but my findings has been that conversion speed with Handbrake as well as ffmpeg are about as fast as any other convertor. The only folk that claim theirs is faster are peddling they own titles (they are spammers) and the truth is that changing conversion titles might get you 10% at most faster.

I did not broach the area of GPU transcoders.

Why not ask the MP4's maker/supplier for a format ready for iTunes?
Bob

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