ITunes 6.0.2 shows incorrect track lengths, clips track when playing

Question

I just upgraded to iTunes 6.0.2. In previous versions, iTunes would often show incorrect track lengths on longer tracks, but would play them all the way through, with the time remaining staying at 0:00 until the track finished playing. This new version simply cuts the track off at the incorrect endtime. For example, I have a track with a length of 17:33, but iTunes has always shown it as 17:28. No big deal, it would always play to the end. Now, the new version cuts it off abruptly at 17:28. There seems to be no way to correct the track length. Is there any way to fix the track lengths to their correct times, or get them to at least play all the way through?? These are custom mixes and not from commercial CDs, so simply re-ripping isn't an option.
Snow iMac G3 500 MHz   Mac OS X (10.4.4)   384 MB RAM

Answer 1

I have recently accused Emusic.com of supplying truncated tracks only to find that Itunes 6.02 and 6.03 (Mac) is clipping the start and end of the tracks. The counter gives the correct length but the playing is not correct. Fade out / in are off. Playing the offending tracks in quicktime or any other player gives all the track music.
Looking deeper shows that the tracks in question are all VBR .mp3 tracks (Variable Bit Rate).
Solutions to date are to either play in another player (not ideal).
Convert the tracks to fixed bit rate .mp3 using the setting nearest to the highest variable bit rate. Amazingly this works even when the conversion is done in Itunes. Your file size should be same or larger to avoid quality loss.
On playing the tracks I have converted the counter in Itunes gives the same reading but the tacks are not truncated.
Some VBR tracks do not seem to have the problem but that is usually because the nature of the track makes it less obvious.
G4 power mac   Mac OS X (10.4.5)  
G4 power mac   Mac OS X (10.4.5)