I've recently been trying to get coverart working for my MP3 files in the car audio player (Hilux 2019). While I've been able to get most working by opening in MP3tag, removing the current coverart, saving and then re-adding from new coverart from Discogs (using the Tag Sources>Covera Art>Discogs Artist _ Album). And then also using Extract cover to folder.jpg.
This is the ONLY way I can get the coverart to show up in the car player. If I add coverart by image (right click cover>Add Cover>Select image) it generally doesn't show up in the car (even using Extract cover to folder.jpg). But the cover will show up in MP3Tag and many other audio apps.
So I guess my question is - What is the difference in the way MP3tag handles embedding images from online to offline cover art? Why does the online insert work vs offline? I'm pretty sure either method used to work on older MP3tag previous versions. Most cover art I generally use is 500x500 or 600x600, so I don't think it's a resolution issue.
I would assume that 1 method should be enough: either the player still needs folder.jpg - then it usually does not show the embedded cover or the other way round.
What you could check: does this really only apply to new files?
If you have a file that does not show the cover in the car - could you make a copy of it and then modify the copy so that it displays the cover in the car and see what the differences are?
and then please make another copy of the original file without displayed cover and check it with the recommended file checkers and see if there are any problems.
Maybe the issue is that some images use encoding that the player cannot handle.
Maybe the question should be "What is the difference in the way the car audio player handles embedded images, depending on their encoding.
That was my initial thoughts but this player is very fussy.
No it's happening to old files also that I've previously updated (years ago)
I've done some investigating with a few versions.
It doesn't seem to like PNG...only JPG
Cover was set to "other". I removed the PNG cover, replaced with a dropped in JPG and set to Front. That displays correctly. As does loading from discogs. But they also both had a "folder.jpg". I'll remove that and try again tomorrow.
I opened it in MP3 Diags and said something about there's a cover frame but not attached. When I had a look at the tag IDs in the original file (MP3 Diags) - ID3v2.3 had an image attached, but ID3v1 did not (this was the PNG art). The 2nd and 3rd copy with JPG didn't come up with any errors.
BTW - MP3 Diags is NOT and easy piece of software to use . That's one I'd have to sit down and go through how it actually works.
But I also tried this on another set of MP3s. Checked that the cover was JPG, front cover, resolution was 640x640 and 338K. And not working.
I've resized it to 600x600 and it's 114K, then saved to the directory. I'll try that in the car again tomorrow to see if it's a size or resolution issue.
I also tried opening these in Foobar2000 - couldn't get any coverart of any files showing (even the ones that do work). They all show up in Windows Media Player (New and old), MPC, VLC though even using PNG so I can't really use it as a test for the car player unfortunately. And every time you update the USB and plug it into the car, the player needs to index for about 15-20mins.
Yeah it's supposed to but there's just too many janky things about these players LOL. I'm fairly certain I've used larger resolution images previously. I'm going to test one tomorrow that I changed to 600x600 and 114Kb
I had a look at the JPG files with mediainfo and I couldn't see any difference between the ones that worked and ones that didn't (all were 600x600, YUV, 4:2:0 chroma, 8 bits)
And I couldn't see any info about whether they were done with progressive encoding, even opening with irfanview?
AFAIK ID3V1 does not support embedded pictures at all, irrespective of png or jpg.
If you have files that only have ID3V1 tags then an external picture is required to show anything pittoresque.
I would reduce the amounts of variables:
Check the files with MP3diags and see that they have only minor problems like "low quality".
Embed a jpg file - but do not add a folder.jpg.
See, what the player does.
Adjust the cover in MP3tag from jpg to png and see what the player thinks of it.
Use a jpg with more than 200kB
Use a jpg with less than 200kB.
All this should reveal finally the parameters that finally lead to a satisfactory display in the player.
In this particular case, the files had both ID3v2.3 and ID3v1 but thanks for clarifying.
That's the plan. I've got 6 folders each with a different variable changed - jpg vs png, size, cover type, removed folder.jpg, inserted vs online etc. We'll see how it all goes today.
I uploaded the original png file as you suggested and yes it's progressive. The jpg images that worked were not. But I sorted of figured out from the last test with jpg vs png that the player didn't like the png images and I'll go with jpg moving forward. Thanks for the tool suggestion - that will be handy if there's a weird issue.
Although one of the jpg images I used isn't progressive yet still doesn't work. I've reduced that to 600x600 (and checked not progressive) to see if it's a size issue.
Thanks for everyones suggestions. They've been extremely helpful in testing
So for others that might have the same issue with this particular car player (2019 Hilux which is also in a few other models including RAV4 and I think Camry).
USB must be formatted as FAT32
It indeed uses the ID tag embedded image. No directory image needed
Images can be inserted as a file but can't be PNG, only JPG with max resolution 600x600. Anything above won't show.
Image cover types can be anything (front, back, other etc). As long as there's an image attached.
Thanks for everyone's suggestions. They all helped.
. That's one I'd have to sit down and go through how it actually works.