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Brad · Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:56 am Post subject: MP3 Players

The other day I had the fun of replacing my Mother-in-law's crashed hard drive and reloading the operating system and all software. Instead of just sitting there staring at the screen like a big dope, I got out my iPod and enjoyed a few shows of "Frank Merriwel".

What a great way to pass the time. An mp3 player filled with your favorite OTR shows makes any kind of wating so much more fun.

How many times a day do you find yourself waiting somewhere? Doctor appt., standing in a long line at the post office, sitting in your car waiting for someone, riding in an airplane or on a long drive.

You can fit thousands of shows on some of these players. The smaller ones still hold at least a hundred or more.

Some of the smaller players are so cheap now they're easy to afford. Wal-Mart, Amazon or a bunch of other places sell them.

I really enjoy mine a lot. Does anyone else here use one for their OTR shows?

Brad
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hangman3364 · Joined: 06 Dec 2007 Posts: 74

Almost exclusively.

I bought the MS Zune last year and love it. I took all the video off to load more OTR on it. I bought the docking station to listen to it in my bedroom and will probably get a new car stero so it can plug into it. (The FM transmitter is okay but not my first choice)

I have put whole runs of shows on it but try to keep a sampling of different shows so I have something to listen to, depending on my mood.

My iPod friends hate my Zune because of the compatiability issues with iTunes, which I agree with, but since I'm using it for OTR mostly , it's really not an issue for me.

shirleypearl · Joined: 12 Nov 2007 Posts: 195

I bought an mp3 player last week. I always have listened to OTR on a cd player or the computer or a dvd player. I was thinking I was doing a ridiculous thing buying an mp3 player, but the one I got has a slot for an sd card. I can just about have an unlimited number of shows stored within the palm of my hand. I have loaded it up with shows and it is so small I can listen whenever I want to, wherever I want to. I don't have to drag an mp3 player out to the car with me with a number of cds. I just have a tiny listtle player. Now my husband wants to get one. They seem to be a very convenient way to listen.

Shirley

Brad · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:32 pm Post subject:

Mike Hobart · Joined: 23 Oct 2007 Posts: 217 Location: Australia

I bought a pair of headphones this month which are unique in my experience because they have the MP3 player built in. Wow!

Simply plug it into your computer with the USB lead and it charges the lithium batteries. Via the same lead you can download up to 2 GB of MP3 files to the headphones.

Now all I need is the time to listen....
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tuned in from down under

clbwv · Joined: 28 Jan 2008 Posts: 5

I found this topic just today! I have been wondering about mp3 players and looked at Walmart and had no idea what I was looking for or at! Anyone have any suggestions on the kind or brand and inexpensive? If so, could you send a link to show me, especially from Walmart.com? My birthday (April 9) money is burning a hole in my pocket, lol! Wink

Brad · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 10:48 am Post subject:

clbwv · Joined: 28 Jan 2008 Posts: 5

Thanks, Brad! Appreciate the advice, I will definitely check it out!
Carolyn

Kevin · Joined: 28 Nov 2007 Posts: 42 Location: Ohio

Howdy All

Need some help in purchasing an good MP3 player, I have been reading this thread and I guess sticking with an Ipod would be a safe bet. Just wanted to see if anyone heard anything about the next generation MP3 players.
Any information would be great, as I know nothing at all about MP3 players. scratch

Thanks Kevin

human · Joined: 20 Nov 2007 Posts: 233

I've got an older 60 GB Creative Zen Nomad Xtra. It's a bit on the bulky side, but it's pretty solidly built. Unlike most other players, it uses a cell phone type battery that's user replaceable. The hard (a standard 2.5-inch laptop version) drive is also easily replaced if you're handy with a jeweler's screwdriver. The user interface isn't as refined as the iPod's, but it's fairly straightforward.

shuffleotrfan · Joined: 17 Jan 2009 Posts: 14 Location: West Covina, CA

I have been using a 2nd gen iPod Shuffle for almost 3 yrs now. I load it up with OTR using Win XP or Ubuntu linux (depending on my mood) via drag-and-drop. It holds about 60 hrs of OTR (at 32kbs). I use a python script (rebuild_db -- google "python ipod shuffle") to enter the .mp3 files into the iPod internal database (playlist?).

I DO NOT use iTunes, which is a disaster for OTR IMHO. I scrapped the default iPod earbuds in favor of a $15 pair of Koss In-Ear phones.

The sound quality is fine for OTR and 256kbs .mp3, but, unfortunately, it does not support .flac (open-source lossless format).

The size is great for shirt pocket use, and is tiny enough that I can carry it anywhere, anytime, for use when I might have to wait.

Brad · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:16 am Post subject: Re: 2nd gen iPod Shuffle for OTR

shuffleotrfan · Joined: 17 Jan 2009 Posts: 14 Location: West Covina, CA

Thanks again Brad for a great site.

Right now I am listening to "Molle Mystery Theater."

The advantage to using rebuild_db python script is how easy it makes managing the OTR content on my iPod Shuffle. As I get near the end of the shows I've loaded up, I simply delete the shows I've listenend to (from the Shuffle, NOT from my HD), use drag_and_drop to load up new shows, then run rebuild_db. Since rebuild_db sorts the playlist in folder/filename sequence, I simply name (or rename) the folders on the shuffle to control the order in which the new content is played.

I am thinking of writing a python script on my PC to allow me to load content by selecting shows from various series in sequence so that I can easly get shows from a mixture of series, rather than all shows from a given series at one time, while still presenting the shows within a series in sequence.