HU won't play song

[85_Ranger4x4]

Off my USB.

Drive has worked fine, I deleted the playlist that has been on it since 2012 and updated it with just one song at the moment for a video I am working on. It just says "No Song"

It is an Alpine HU from around 2011. My circa 2007 Pioneer HU in my F-150 plays it fine. Song is a MP4. Any ideas?

 

[Curious Hound]

I have an Alpine unit in another car that does that sometimes. It will show folder and track numbers but no title and won't play. If I turn the car off and on a couple times it starts working again.

Frustrating.

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[Skirbykat]

Dumb question, maybe, but HU is mp4 compatible, right?
As well, said track isn't copy protected or anything , is it? I have found most reliable to use an iPod instead of usb for mp4 format.

Those questions aside, I've had HUs in the past that have always done similar things. I agree, very frustrating that technology never perfects, just changes before it's had a chance!

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[85_Ranger4x4]

I didn't look in the book if it is MP4 compatible (I wondered about that after I checked to see what the song file was this morning) but it is a higher end HU than the older one in my F-150 that plays it.

 

[Skirbykat]

I didn't look in the book if it is MP4 compatible (I wondered about that after I checked to see what the song file was this morning) but it is a higher end HU than the older one in my F-150 that plays it.

Higher end (or dollar for that matter) doesn't mean compatibility is broader ALL the time. Do check your owners manual to see if it does, it'll save you plenty of time trying to figure it out.

Again, I have had compatibility issues with mp4 in the past. Maybe try another mp4 file you may have to see if consistent. If not, you may have to convert.

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[85_Ranger4x4]

I looked in the book, it says it will play MP3 or AAC files. No mention of an MP4 one way or the other.

It is over my head but in trying to look up to see when MP4 came out I see Apple has their own thing, MP4A. I bought the song on Itunes, I wonder if that has something to do with it.

Easy enough to convert to an MP3 once I looked it up. I will try it again tonight.

Since I just need the display to display the song title I thought I would be crafty and change the name of the aux input to the song title for the video. I know I can on my old Pioneer. Nope, Alpine has a couple set names you can choose from but you can't do your own custom name.

 

[55trucker]

What is the flash drive formatted to?

did you by any chance format to NTFS? the head unit will only *see* FAT32.

My 5 yr old Alpine CD-123 head unit will not play MP4's.

 

[Curious Hound]

Mine is model CDE-121. I just looked in the manual and see that it only plays MP3, WMA and AAC file formats. I'll have to look at my thumb drive and see if any of the song files are MP4. That could easily be my problem. I think if the drive format was wrong, that would affect all playback. I only have occasional trouble. My brother-in-law made the playlist for me. He stuffed a 16GB drive as full as he could get it.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

It is Fat32. I checked that already.

It has been working great for years. The bad part is if it doesn't play a song out of a playlist of several hundred songs you don't really catch it.

It is something like a CDE-124XM or something like that. It is a 124 for sure and came with the antennae and receiver for Sirius.

 

[55trucker]

so to the best of your knowledge the drive & what's on it plays with no issues on your pc?

are you sure that the file is 16bit/44khz or 48khz?....... if an mp3 must be 320 or less bit depth

http://support.alpine-usa.com/products/documents/OM_CDE-122_23_24SXM_EN.pdf

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

MP3 version worked great tonight.

MP4 version worked great in my older Pioneer.

Still don't get how that works but whatever.

 

[55trucker]

The Pioneer head unit plays MP4's but the Alpine will not.

A business preference where Apple based products are concerned,

 

[Curious Hound]

I just checked my drive and verified that all my files are MP3. So I'll just call it a "random glitch in an antiquated stereo system" and go on with life. It doesn't happen every day. In fact, it has only happened during really cold temperatures - less than 20 degrees F. Maybe that has something to do with it. Although that doesn't make sense to me. There are no moving mechanical parts to reading a thumb drive. I have a Sirius XM tuner dock that I want to install in that car anyway. So that would go to the Line in Jack and I wouldn't need to read the thumb drive anymore. I already have the Satellite tuner in my Ranger. That stereo has an issue with the removable face losing connection during heavy vibrations, ie; off-road driving. Then I can't use any of its controls until I fiddle with it and get it electrically re-connected to the head unit.

If it isn't one thing, it's a dozen others.

 

[Skirbykat]

I'm willing to bet if you used an iPod (plugged into USB port) instead of a flash drive, it would play everything you put on it - assuming HU supports iPod control.

I've always had trouble with mp4 and m4a formats, even with Pioneer (certain tracks here and there) without the iPod. Go with mp3 with best bit rate possible and nearly all devices will recognize it.

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[85_Ranger4x4]

I'm willing to bet if you used an iPod (plugged into USB port) instead of a flash drive, it would play everything you put on it - assuming HU supports iPod control

The odds of me buying an IPod are slim to none.

The thing sits most of the time, it is basically canned music for when there is nothing on the radio. I hadn't even updated it since 2014. And I like that there is no wires.