topic Betreff: RE: Sony NW-A45 Walkman Missing Artwork (help) in Portable Audio

RE: Sony NW-A45 Walkman Missing Artwork (help)

monsterjazzlicks — Fri, 03 Aug 2018 22:36:12 GMT

Hi folks,

I purchase a brand new Sony NW-A45 Walkman two weeks ago from Amazon.

I have tranferred my FLAC format music collection across (from my C-drive) but, as of yet, none of the artwork is being displayed, period.

I spent many many hours over the past 12 months compiling appropriate artworks for each CD but as I say, they are not showing. However, they do show on my PC (ie. foobar) and on my Amazon Fire tablet (ie. foobar again). I was assured - pre-purchase - that this Walkman device does in fact display all and any artworks.

Many thanks in advance for any kind help offered.

Paul (UK)

Betreff: RE: Sony NW-A45 Walkman Missing Artwork (help)

IamNic — Fri, 03 Aug 2018 23:00:40 GMT

Hello @monsterjazzlicks,

how did you transfer the files to your Walkman?

I use it to play my .flac files I bough on bandcamp.com and all of them show the thumbnail image (artwork).

- Nic

Betreff: RE: Sony NW-A45 Walkman Missing Artwork (help)

monsterjazzlicks — Sat, 04 Aug 2018 17:47:03 GMT

Hi IamNic,

Thanks a lot.

I formatted a brand new SD-card whilst it was inside the Sony Walkman device. Tech support were on the phone guiding me through the steps. Then I used a 3rd-party paid-for s/w called 'Beyond Compare' to transfer over the FLACs. These music files are not purchased; but rather I ripped my own (hard-copy) CD collection via my PC using another 3rd-party paid-for s/w called 'dBpa Illustrate'.

Therefore, I did not use Sony's propriety:

https://musiccenter.sony.net/en/downloads/

I was told that using this s/w is 'option', and that a simple drag&drop will work equally as well.

Much appreciated,

Paul

Betreff: RE: Sony NW-A45 Walkman Missing Artwork (help)

monsterjazzlicks — Mon, 06 Aug 2018 17:04:35 GMT

Hi,

I would be very grateful for some help with my above mentioned reply.

Many thanks,

Paul

Betreff: RE: Sony NW-A45 Walkman Missing Artwork (help)

IamNic — Mon, 06 Aug 2018 19:39:58 GMT

Hello @monsterjazzlicks,

I never used said software, yet I would like you to simply drag+drop the same files onto the SD-card while the player is connected and in USB-mode.

Do the artworks show up this way?

@Sonyvores can probably help you as well.

- Nic

Betreff: RE: Sony NW-A45 Walkman Missing Artwork (help)

monsterjazzlicks — Tue, 07 Aug 2018 00:15:18 GMT

Hi IamNic,

The device was connected to my PC via a USB lead when I performed the task using 'Beyond Compare' over the weekend; otherwise I would not have been able to transfer the files across in the first place!

Thanks,

Paul

Betreff: RE: Sony NW-A45 Walkman Missing Artwork (help)

monsterjazzlicks — Wed, 08 Aug 2018 18:31:23 GMT

Hi,

After waiting 5 days for my issue to be investigated, the solution just came back from Sony Higher Tech Support:

"Download, and use, Apple iTunes instead of Sony Music Centre!"

Just how LOW can Sony Customer Services let themselves, and their service, stoop?

Thanks,

Paul

Betreff: RE: Sony NW-A45 Walkman Missing Artwork (help)

IamNic — Wed, 08 Aug 2018 23:28:51 GMT

@monsterjazzlicks@ wrote:

The device was connected to my PC via a USB lead when I performed the task using 'Beyond Compare' over the weekend; otherwise I would not have been able to transfer the files across in the first place!

You misunderstood me - I am fully aware, that it is connected via USB, yet I asked you to not use any software to move the files to the players storage, yet simply drag+drop them (e.g. via Windows Explorer).

- Nic

Betreff: RE: Sony NW-A45 Walkman Missing Artwork (help)

monsterjazzlicks — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 22:41:52 GMT

IamNic,

OK, I was just explaining for the sake of clarity and to avoid any possible confusion which may arise.

You/we would have thought that transfering files to the Walkman via the Sony Music Centre s/w would work. I mean, that's specifically what the s/w has been DESIGNED for! Suggesting iTunes as an alternative is simply ludicrous!

I will test using your method of drag&drop ...

Paul

Betreff: RE: Sony NW-A45 Walkman Missing Artwork (help)

monsterjazzlicks — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 13:40:21 GMT

IamNic,

I tried out your suggestion a couple of times last night. Out of nearly 500 x albums, still, not one of them displays the artwork.

Thanks.

Betreff: RE: Sony NW-A45 Walkman Missing Artwork (help)

IamNic — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 17:08:09 GMT

Hello @monsterjazzlicks,

thanks for testing it.

This makes me think, that the covers aren't correctly embedded in the files.

There is a software called mp3-Tag, which let's you add covers to mp3 and FLAC files.

Maybe give this a shot.

- Nic

Betreff: RE: Sony NW-A45 Walkman Missing Artwork (help)

monsterjazzlicks — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 19:09:53 GMT

Hi Nic,

The artwork for my FLACs is a 'folder' type file (rather than 'embedded').

I may, or may not, have mentioned that the artwork does not even dispay within the 'Sony Music Center' s/w!

Cheers,

Paul

Betreff: RE: Sony NW-A45 Walkman Missing Artwork (help)

IamNic — Sat, 11 Aug 2018 14:11:21 GMT

Hello @monsterjazzlicks,

would you mind trying to embedd them then?

Here is the download link for the freeware "mp3tag".

- Nic

Betreff: RE: Sony NW-A45 Walkman Missing Artwork (help)

monsterjazzlicks — Sat, 11 Aug 2018 19:03:18 GMT

Hi Nic,

OK, I will try 'embedded'.

I will need to have a look at 'mp3tag'.

Cheers,

Paul

Betreff: RE: Sony NW-A45 Walkman Missing Artwork (help)

monsterjazzlicks — Sat, 11 Aug 2018 20:30:14 GMT

Nic,

I d/l 'mp3tag' thanks; but I decided to use 'Illustrate' Edit_ID-Tag instead,

I also bypassed the useless 'Sony Music Center' s/w.

I have managed to get the Walkman to display the front-cover artwork for one CD now! Do you know, Sony Tech Support have spent 3 WEEKS looking into this, and they are still totally clueless!

Paul

Betreff: RE: Sony NW-A45 Walkman Missing Artwork (help)

IamNic — Sun, 12 Aug 2018 17:17:43 GMT

Hello @monsterjazzlicks,

glad to hear it now works

@monsterjazzlicks@ wrote:

Do you know, Sony Tech Support have spent 3 WEEKS looking into this, and they are still totally clueless!

Would you mind sending me a case-ID via PM so I can forward your feedback to the support?

- Nic

Betreff: RE: Sony NW-A45 Walkman Missing Artwork (help)

monsterjazzlicks — Sun, 12 Aug 2018 18:44:50 GMT

Cheers Nic,

The thing is, now I know that the Walkman does not read 'folder.jpg' artwork', ie. it needs to be 'embedded. But I am looking into whether or not the latter needs to be 'progressive' or 'baseline'.

customersupport.EN@eu.sony.com [case:17281954][email:334648945].

I have had to report 2 members of Sony Support to their superior, for various reasons. The Manager who is dealing with this is called Ahmed. Because of the truly extensive time I have spent calling their office each ocassions, I demanded something towards these costs (because promised callbacks were repeatedly not honoured). I was awarded a small amount of monies towards these calls and the hours wasted.

As I have said before Nic, it has become quite evident that Sony Tech staff simply just recite from the user-guide, rather than offering any specialist insight or experience. Had I have realised this beforehand, then I would have definitely purchased a device from a different company.

I spent almost 350GBP last month on Sony products and so, in light of this, the way in which this company treats it's customers is shockingly appalling. I also wanted to put the whole matter in writing and send it to a Sony office (I would have assumed there would be one here in the UK, if not in Europe); but I was adamantly told that "nowhere in the entire world does such an office exists to which customers my write in providing feedback on their experience with Sony products or staff." I find this statement quite astonishing and flimsy at best.

Cheers,

Paul

Betreff: RE: Sony NW-A45 Walkman Missing Artwork (help)

Sonyvores — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 12:39:29 GMT

Sony walkman only support baseline jpeg for cover art.

Betreff: RE: Sony NW-A45 Walkman Missing Artwork (help)

monsterjazzlicks — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 13:30:52 GMT

Hi Sonyvores,

Thanks a lot.

I searched high and low in the manual last week but I could not find confirmation of this?

Paul

Betreff: RE: Sony NW-A45 Walkman Missing Artwork (help)

chri55 — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 07:03:32 GMT

This issue is really annoying, if the Sony walkman only supports baseline jpegs for cover art then why does Music Center when asked to get artwork, allows none baseline jpegs to be written to the files?