WAV format

[admin_2]

I am using 2.4.6 with Call Manager. As a test of mobile Unified Messaging I am using a Windows CE device as the client with MSFT Office 2000 for CE and using the Inbox IMAP4 client.<br><br>This works fine for loading voice mail, OK I get the files attached as WAV files, but not too worried about that.<br><br>What I can't do is play the wav files back. The CE device will play WAV files and I can record WAV files and use them as announcements on Unity for example. They aslo play on W2000 OK as you would expect.<br><br>So (finally) my question, what is the file format of the recorded WAV file? I am assuming because the phones are 8Khz mono uLaw that the WAV is the same.<br><br>Thanks<br><br><br>Solution Architect<br>MCSE Unity SE<br>Compaq Global Services

[#2]

Unity can record messages in any number of WAV formats depending on what codecs you have installed on the server and what you have setup. The defaults are MuLaw (8Kb/sec) and other standard formats folks use are G729a, ALaw, and ADPCM 4 and 3K formats (for Dialogic mostly).

You can pop open the 'SetRecordFormat.exe' application under \commserver\utilities to see all the installed codecs on the box and instruct Unity to record in that format. Don't go too wild since the IP phones aren't going to be too happy with anything other than G711 and G729a. But if you're just testing to see what the CE devices will handle, this is the easiest way to do it.

Keep in mind this is a global setting so ALL recording will take this format (including voice names and greetings).

And, of course, report back to the class if you can get it to work... someone else asked about CE devices here a while back but didn't experiment too much with it.


Jeff Lindborg
Unity Product Architect/Answer Monkey
Cisco Systems
lindborg@cisco.com
http://www.AnswerMonkey.net (new page for Unity support tools and scripts)

[#3]

Well I have an idea now what the problem is, different playback rate I think. The CE device plays back at 8000 bytes/sec and 8000 samples/sec where the Unity file is 16000 bytes/sec so I am going to tweak this setting soon as I get back to the office.

Microsoft developer for CE had this to say -

The behavior you are seeing is expected, normally the files copied from the desktop, or from the CE are converted to the proper format. By example, Tim could open a message on his desktop, save the attachment , then drag it to his mobile device. ActiveSync would do the conversion automatically for him and he could play it in the Notes application. Playback of raw .wav has been talked about for Media player for some time but has not made it in there yet. The issue is size, including a large number of additional CODEC's chews up precious space on the device and makes media player larger. Of course it will play raw .mp3 or .wma files, perhaps instead of .wav Tim could have the software convert it to a compressed file that is supported. I have one of the PM's checking on future support for unconverted .wav files and will mail you again if I hear anything


Solution Architect
MCSE Unity SE
Compaq Global Services

[Anil Verma]

You might want to try out CoolEdit on the system. They seem to have most of the codecs that Unity uses.
Not sure if they can install on CE devices. Check them out -
www.cooledit.com

[#5]

I think I have sorted it out now. By changing the coding on Unity to 8000 samples/8000 bytes/sec uLaw I can now play the audio message on an iPAQ CE device quite happily.

The message still sounds quite clear on the phone so the answer was as simple as changing the codec setting.

thanks for the input and help,

Tim

Solution Architect
MCSE Unity SE
Compaq Global Services

[#6]

Cool... that's good to know.

Thanks for following up.


Jeff Lindborg
Unity Product Architect/Answer Monkey
Cisco Systems
lindborg@cisco.com
http://www.AnswerMonkey.net (new page for Unity support tools and scripts)