# How can I select ID3V2.3 and UTF8
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-can-i-select-id3v2-3-and-utf8/47558
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [January 19, 2020, 12:13am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-can-i-select-id3v2-3-and-utf8/47558 "2020-01-19T00:13:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@hornyakferi](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/hornyakferi)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2020, 3:25pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-can-i-select-id3v2-3-and-utf8/47558/21 "2020-01-20T15:25:16Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> Perhaps it has not become quite clear:
No, it was fully clear.
I simply don't intend to move to UTF16 for these very reasons:
- first of all, the player in question does not read UTF16 correctly - please see above
- such a move would require _all_ my mp3 files to be converted
- plus possibly would resuls another series of troubleshooting with other players that currently work OK.
I looked for a simple solution, it did not exist with given conditions. I take it as it is, and try to make the least hassle for moving forward.
Thanks anyway.
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### Author:  [@hornyakferi](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/hornyakferi)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2020, 3:44pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-can-i-select-id3v2-3-and-utf8/47558/22 "2020-01-20T15:44:35Z")
> [@Crissov](#):
>
> Using unsupported software that is decades old, is the real problem, though.
Haha, I already expected such a comment 🙂 .
You know, the coin always has another side. If a tool does what I want it to use for, and it does it simply and reliably, it can be any old, I don't care. In other words, I don't see any _problem_ using a software just because it is considered obsolete or outdated, _by others_ (BTW: "decades old" means several ten years old - when actually did XP come out? 😉 )
Why should I burn excess resources (like x-core processor GB ram super PC-s with W10 for example) for just to run a jukebox that as all features I needed, no less no more? That can run on a "decades old" PC, that would have been trashed anyway.
What do you use, when you need to drive in a simple screw? The latest, coolest, top notch, LiIon battery, computer-controlled torque, Makita, DeWalt, whatsoever power drill driver? That's nice, but I am 100% happy using my simple screwdriver, that is probably already 40 years old now. And I can even control the torque by my wrist 🙂.
Yes, this piece of software is not supported (by the author, I guess you meant that way) any longer, but this piece of fact does not prove if it was crap or if it was not capable. I identified two shortcomings, for what there is an acceptable workaround, fair enough.
But back to the thread, I learned a lot during past few days, so thanks for your contribution.
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### Author:  [@hornyakferi](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/hornyakferi)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2020, 3:53pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-can-i-select-id3v2-3-and-utf8/47558/23 "2020-01-20T15:53:59Z")
> [@dano](#):
>
> There is an old microsoft programm called AppLocale for WinXP which might be able to force Mp3tag to write a different codepage than ISO-8859-1
Thanks dano. I might take a look at it.
Nevertheless, I think Mp3tag does a great job as it is, staying along with the standards, so I really have no "right" to alter this. I can live with such a "cosmetic" imperfection, missing those four characters is no big deal for a "party jukebox" 🙂 .
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### Author:  [@hornyakferi](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/hornyakferi)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2020, 9:26pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-can-i-select-id3v2-3-and-utf8/47558/24 "2020-01-23T21:26:29Z")
> [@dano](#):
>
> The Id3v2 standard says to use always ISO-8859-1
> [@hornyakferi](#):
>
> Just checked the ISO-8859-1 standard [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO/IEC_8859-1), and _by definition there are_ missing characters (from several languages actually).
My mind kept thinking. These posts above did help me a lot to better understand the picture, and I concluded I was asking for a wrong option at the first place, that made everything too much complicated.
And I am thinking here out loud: if there was an option for v2.3 / ISO-8859- **2** , that would solve the "problem" of the characters missing from 8859-1 (and not only these four above, but several others languages too, like some French or German chars, etc.).
Actually, there is very little difference between the two (Latin-1 and Latin-2), and most importantly the codes below 127 are the same.
Mp3Diags takes a note on 8859-1 chars above codes 127 anyway, (suggesting to convert to UTF16, but that's a different story), so such an option (i.e., the 8859-2) would not really breach the ID3 "standard" in a big extent.
No, I don't want to sound like a broken record 🙂 , nor want I divert the original thread, so I drop this idea into a separate thread, where the developer can answer it with a simple "yes" or "no" (if "no", hopefully with some reasoning too.)
Once more: thanks for all your inputs above.
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:28pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-can-i-select-id3v2-3-and-utf8/47558/25 "2026-02-09T12:28:24Z")
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