Help Wav files wont play on the Motorola Droid HELP!!!!

[jbotellojr86]

I recently switched over from Sprint to Verizon and purchased the Motorla Droid. I occasionally receive wav files through email and when I goto play them it says the player does not support that file. Has anyone else found this to be a problem? Has anyone figured out how to play them on the Droid?

 

[Watashi]

Search the market for 'wav player' there are a few in there that should help you out.

 

[Xomox]

I did find the lack of .wav support rather baffling.

 

[Watashi]

It probably doesn't support it due to wav files being much larger than mp3's. they probably figured that since mp3 is the most commonly used format nowadays that is what they decided to support.

Love it or leave it. you can download any app and there are apps that do it. the great thing about this phone is that if it doesn't support something, there is probably an app that does.

This phone is based off personal customization. embrace it young padawan.

 

[nycdroid]

I receive .wav files from Vonage for my voicemails and can play them with no issues. These emails are received through the Gmail app and it uses the phones media player to play them back not a web based player.

 

[jamesdean]

I receive .wav files from Vonage for my voicemails and can play them with no issues. These emails are received through the Gmail app and it uses the phones media player to play them back not a web based player.

Thanks nycdroid. This is great news. I also have not been able to play a wav file and have been searching for days for a work around. When I receive the email with a wav attachment through a standard pop account with the email app it either cannot fetch it or says file type not supported. When I send the same email through the Gmail account it opens and plays fine. Anyone have a theory on why this is happening?

 

[cgibney]

I have run into the same issue. Even though there are tons of apps in the market that will potentially play a WAV file, the problem is that none of them can become the default player for that file extension. So when you get an e-mail with a WAV file, you're only option in the e-mail app of the Droid is to "open" it (no option for "save"). And clicking open goes to the default player, which can't open these wave files (which perhaps is due to a slightly different encoding that many phone systems use for WAV files).

I've tried forwarding one of these e-mails to my gmail account too. I get a "preview" button then, but the same end result (sorry, can't open this type of file).

Very frustrating.

 

[nydrumboy]

Hi all,

I need a little help. I have a toll-free number that sends me a WAV file voice mail message when I can't answer the call. However, when I click on it to play, my Droid tells me it's an unsupported format.

I didn't think WAV files were not supported, so if anyone has suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

Thanks!

 

[Brooks Jackson]

Well, this is weird.

I also was unable to open .wav files of voicemail messages sent by Vonage to my regular IMAP email account.

So I changed my Vonage settings to send duplicates of the .wav files directly to my Gmail email account (which I never use for any other purpose). Presto! The first test file played just fine.

Here's the weird thing: The duplicate file sent to the IMAP account also played. Why that would be, I have no idea.

It's a clumsy workaround, but I think it will work for me until Google works the kinks out. Tomorrow I will try programming my office voicemail to send to Gmail as well and see how that works.

 

[BillySurfs]

I'm getting mine forward through Gmail and it does not help. This is a huge problem. It is how I get all my voice messages.

 

[colnago]

I recently switched over from Sprint to Verizon and purchased the Motorla Droid. I occasionally receive wav files through email and when I goto play them it says the player does not support that file. Has anyone else found this to be a problem? Has anyone figured out how to play them on the Droid?

Is this a work email solution? Cisco Unified Messaging? If so, its not that the Droid "can't play wav files", its that the Cisco solution uses a different codec to create the file. You would need a codec update basically. FWIW, Outlook/Windows media player won't play the files either without updating, or installing "ViewMail for Outlook" (Cisco).

What happens if you forward the wav message/attachment directly to your home account on a PC?

 

[Brooks Jackson]

BillySurfs: Have you tried having the messages sent directly to Gmail, rather than being forwarded?

I think that's what worked for me.

It sounds as though sending to a non-Gmail account causes the files not to play for some reason. And whatever curse is put on them then is retained when they are forwarded.

But in any case, Google should fix this.

 

[BillySurfs]

Brooks: I'll give it a try. Thanks for the input. Bill

 

[Brooks Jackson]

Colnago:I can't speak for jbotellojr86 but in my case the problem is BOTH with my home voice mail (Vonage) and my work email (local VOIP provider).

Messages from either system play just fine on any computer. I use Thunderbird as an email client but they also played for me recently using a hotel business center computer in Cairo, through Webmail.

But they won't play on my Droid, using either the native email program or K-9 (now my standard) UNLESS they are sent directly to a Gmail account.

From that, I'd say this is a Google problem and not a Cisco problem.

 

[Powercat]

I have a Verizon HTC Droid Eris and have been having the same problems. Verizon and HTC both said the phone supports wav files but then today HTC said the default player does not support wav files and there is no way to change the default player for playing a wav from email.

Glad I found this thread and that I'm not the only one bummed about this. Hope it is resolved quickly. I'll try the gmail work around in the meantime.

 

[colnago]

...
From that, I'd say this is a Google problem and not a Cisco problem.

Well the problem definately lies with the DROID, but not knowing what kind of system the original message is coming from, I wouldn't know. How are they coming, in the form of an "attachement"? I believe in the Dec 11 update notice, there was something about only .jpg attachments working (saving):

From the notice:

11/9/09 - Exchange Active Sync/Google Mail: Messages sent from the A855 only support picture attachments; no other types of attachments are supported. A customer can share videos and pictures under the Gallery. To share, press and hold a picture or video until the options menu is displayed then select Share. The customer can then choose how they want to send the attachment. Sharing supports Exchange Active Sync email, Google email and MMS.

Short term work around: There is no known work around.
Planned Resolution: A fix for this issue will be included in a maintenance release of software for this device. The target date for the next release of software is January 22, 2010.




Sounds like there is a "file association" issue via mail? Have you tried saving it to the SD card, and installing a "file explorer" program, then opening it from the explorer app?

 

[Powercat]

HTC Droid Eris...tried the gmail work around by having the wav files sent directly to gmail and they would not play. Tried saving wav file to SD card...downloaded File Explorer and would not play from that work around either.

 

[colnago]

have you guys tried installing a 3rd party media player? Or the "Visual Voice Mail" from Verizon? I have Visual Voice mail as I'm paying VZ for the service. Can you guys call in a test message to the number where you receive them, and then forward me the message? PM me for details.

P.s. - colnago = VoIP engineer

 

[Brooks Jackson]

Colnago: I did try an alternative media player, but the Android system doesn't provide any way of making it the default player for .wav files or for anything else.

Yes, the .wav files are sent as email attachments.

But, the Droid won't allow them to be opened and it won't allow them to be saved, either. If they could be saved they might be opened using an alternative player -- a pretty clumsy workaround. But even that won't work.

I'm finding the Vonage-to-Droid/Gmail option works for me. I am now trying to get my office VOIP provider to route my office messages to Gmail as well, and will report on whether or not that works as well.

 

[colnago]

Like I said, if you want to make your own test message, then forward that "non-Gmailed" message to me, I can see if I can get it working.

 

[Brooks Jackson]

Update: This gets curiouser and curiouser.

While I can get Vonage .wav files to play on my Droid by having them send directly to my Gmail account, the .wav files sent from my office phone trigger a message saying "Sorry, the player does not support this type of audio file"

So, I wonder what's the difference between Vonage .wav files and the .wav files sent by "Realconnect.com," which is the sending address used by my local VOIP provider?

Google, are you listening? Fix this, please.

 

[colnago]

Like I said, "codecs". Real connect is probably using a different system...not all wav files are created equal.

 

[vincentp]

I did find the lack of .wav support rather baffling.

I find your lack of .wav disturbing...

 

[Brooks Jackson]

They do seem to be in different flavors.

The ones from Vonage (which won't play when sent to a non-Gmail account, but will play when sent directly) show under "properties" as having the following "audio format:"

CCITT u-Law

The ones that WON'T play either in Gmail or regular mail are in a different audio format:

IMA ADPCM

I have no clue what any of that means, but just pass on in case this clue helps.

Over to you, Google!

 

[colnago]

Brooks...I sent you a PM.