Samsung P3, MTP protocol and file formats

[meetooman]

I am starting to use my Samsung YP-P3 and exploring the best way to support it in MTP mode and also with Linux. I won't make a very late review of this popular player, but just tell the results of my first tests with it.

1. The P3 is perfectly recognized on Linux (in both MTP and MSC modes) and is much faster than my Sony E430. MTP queries are performed in a blink of an eye. Of course the device is empty for the moment, but the little Sony always "think" longer before it sends back its answers. I didn't meter but transfer speed is much higher too. You can clearly feel it is a more powerful premium device compared to the entry level Walkman that was my previous only MTP test device.
2. I understand now why people face problems copying mp4 video and Flac audio files to the Samsung P3. Here is the supported formats list the P3 exhibits in MTP mode (as recognized by libmtp):
   

   ISO MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3
   Microsoft Windows Media Audio
   RIFF WAVE file
   JPEG file
   Portable Network Graphics
   BMP bitmap file
   GIF bitmap file
   Text file
   Audio Video Interleave
   Apple Quicktime container format
   Microsoft Windows Media Video
   Advanced Audio Coding (AAC)/MPEG-2 Part 7/MPEG-4 Part 3
   Microsoft Advanced Systems Format
   Abstract Playlist file
   Firmware file
   Abstract Album file
   Undefined audio file
   Ogg container format

   Missing are:

• MPEG-4 Part 14 Container Format (Audio+Video Emphasis)
• Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC) .

These 2 types should tell the PC software that the device supports the mp4 container (.mp4 files) and the flac audio file format. That explains why people could complain that they can't copy mp4 and flac to their P3 while in MTP mode.

Maybe Samsung engineers thought that Apple Quicktime container format was right to declare mp4 format support. I've read on the web that this extension list: [mov, qt, mp4, m4v, m4a, m4p, m4b, m4r, k3g, skm, 3gp, 3g2] can be linked to Quicktime.
Still they forgot a Flac flag. I know that a flac stream can be put inside an ogg container. I will try this on the P3.

Now can we suppose that Undefined audio file could have been a fall-back flag for flac files as well any other audio format? In that case your MTP software knowing Flac is audio could still send it to the P3. The same could be said about Quicktime (Qt). But the P3 does not seem to know .mov or .qt files which are the most famous Qt extension. So why did they make this choice?
A good media software must take peculiarities in account or let you add your file types in order to fully support the Samsung P3 in MTP mode.

[Edit december, 8th]
After more investigations, I've understood that the ogg support claimed by the P3 comes from a tweak inside the libmtp driver code. You can modify the way the library handle the device to help solving some issues. For example the Ogg support I see was added via a special flag, because someone has checked it works. So I tried to enable Flac support declaration using the dedicated flag too. Then the P3 claims it loves Flac files also. But like many people have experienced it, the P3 doesn't react well when Flac files are transmitted via MTP. The database entry remain incomplete (even if I try to edit it afterward) and the player shows a track with unknown properties even if the cover shows when you play the file. Conclusion: with Flac go MSC.
Strangely for AAC audio files it's quite the opposite, they are more suited for the P3 MTP mode. First you must use .aac or m4a extensions. An audio only .mp4 file will be rejected by the P3.
Copied in MSC mode the file will be playable but will be full unknown content, but this time metadatas for AAC files are welcomed in MTP mode. The embedded cover is not recognized but you can send the cover art with a MTP album linked to the files. So if you are into AAC, go MTP.

[CrowdAds]

[robind]

Hi,
I am interested to help you with Linux's MTP support. The P3's implementation of MSC is broken, and I am sending my player back to factory for the 2nd time : P3 refuse to boot when the file database is corrupted, which happens very easily.

Do you use mtp-tools, mtpfs, or another file-transfer application?
Regards,

[gunkaholic87]

I have no intention of interrupting but all I know is "drag and drop" contents via windows is much more convenient, I would rather die to try something else too complex

:: peace ::

[meetooman]

Originally Posted by robind

Hi,
I am interested to help you with Linux's MTP support. The P3's implementation of MSC is broken, and I am sending my player back to factory for the 2nd time : P3 refuse to boot when the file database is corrupted, which happens very easily.

Do you use mtp-tools, mtpfs, or another file-transfer application?
Regards,

I have discovered that both MSC and MTP modes have their drawbacks with the P3. But you are the first person I see complaining about MSC (did you mean MTP here?).
I use mtpfs sometimes to delete files, but for transfers I have created my own MTP software called Zioum.

[robind]

Indeed. MSC issues with both Debian Linux and Ubuntu, 6 months apart and a factory return in between.
My P3 is a 32GB version.

[meetooman]

Originally Posted by robind

Indeed. MSC issues with both Debian Linux and Ubuntu, 6 months apart and a factory return in between.
My P3 is a 32GB version.

It is hard for me to believe that your problems are related to Linux, Debian or Ubuntu. MSC is a very stable supported protocol on every PC system today. If you had that big issue with 2 OSes, can you eliminate the probability that it could be a problem coming from the very files you were transferring or the hardware PC instead?