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Still More 'Copy Protected' CDs

maniac11 writes: "This story describes new CDs planned on being released by Universal Music Group that sport anti-copying technology. Not much in the way of actual details, but a heads up on a new plan to foil." Same price, worse product -- higher sales! Universal seems to be the first company to commit to downgrading its entire lineup over the next six months or so.

6 of 453 comments (clear)

  1. it's time to not buy by esj+at+harvee · · Score: 4, Informative

    The only thing you can do when a vendor is providing a defective product is not purchase it. So, stop purchasing CDs, DVDs or other copy protected material. Encourage everyone you know to stop purchasing the same.

    Otherwise, all you are doing is encouraging them to produce defective products.

  2. I'm hoping to not find one on my digital stereo. by dave-fu · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yeah. Seeing as how I play CDs through my DVD player which has a digital coax out into my receiver, I'll be in touch with my lawyer with a quickness if I run into a CD that restricts my ability to listen to music that I've bought on my home system.
    Someone needs to reverse-engineer these systems and release their findings in an encrypted format. You'll have violated the DMCA, but they'll have violated the DMCA proving it.

    --
    Easy does it!
    This comment has been submitted already, 276865 hours , 59 minutes ago. No need to try again.
  3. "CD Logo" guidelines from Phillips by Jammer@CMH · · Score: 5, Informative
    The "CD Logo" agreement (zipped) is available from here.

    According to this, the "Compact Disc Digital Audio" logo can only be used "on discs complying with the CD-DA specification: IEC 60908 and/or the Philips-Sony Compact Disc Digital Audio System Description) also known as the RED Book)."

  4. Re:DVD by Zaknafein500 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Sure you can. The DVD-Audio standard allows for audible watermarking, which is exactly what is being done to standard CDs. SACDs are much different. They are watermarked, but the information is stored in the Text area and TOC. The audio is not affected like it is with DVD-Audio

    --

    "The guide is definitive, reality is frequently inaccurate."
  5. Would it really matter if it didn't say CD? by Sabalon · · Score: 4, Informative

    Okay...the latest tripe gets shipped to Blockbuster, Best Buy, etc...

    They put it on the shelves right in alphabetical order where it should be. Do you really think the consumers will care if it says "Compact Disc Digital Audio" on it? As long as it's in a jewel case the size of a CD, it won't matter.

    I'm looking at Pink Floyd's "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" right now. Nowhere on the outside, which you would see in the store, does it say anything about it being a CD. I see it in 4 places as soon as I open the case, but I also see this shiny metal disc which I assume is the CD, even if it didn't say so :)

    Yeah...it would be a way to sue them if they marked them as such, but it's not gonna hurt them if they don't.

  6. Re:tape by HamNRye · · Score: 4, Informative

    7.5 IPS is far more common. 30 IPS players had too much trouble with Wow and Flutter. Plus the trade off between resolution and capacity is too drastic. It's like the difference between encoding at 360Kbps and 160. For reference, the average car casette is 1.875 IPS.

    60 Minute tape @ 1.875 IPS =
    15 Minute tape @ 7.5 IPS =
    2 Minute tape @ 30 IPS.

    It is far more common to improve resolution by writing fewer tracks. Also, the tape manufacturing has come a long way...

    BTW, The real problem with digital is it's unnatural reaction to saturation. They try to combat this with the High and Low pass filters, but the result is not satisfactory.

    The history of music signal processing is all about trying to re-create the limitations of earlier equipment. Your distortion pedal mimics an overheated tube, compressor mimics less than ideal tape media.

    Digital Mixing is the most popular form of music editing. It is so much more flexible than good old analog. Even those who still use the analog processes do it either in a "studio-live" environment where no extensive editing will need to be done after, or mix the tracks digital to get a final draft, and then mix the final track from the analog.

    This is why the first Kent State memorial song came out almost 2 months later, while Tom Petty's Rondney King riot song only took 9 days. On a side note, they sang about the terrible riots, but not about the savage beating he recieved at the hands of some overzealous cops.

    ~Hammy