New copy-protected CD's UNREADABLE in computer drives!

[Zenmervolt]

Just read an article on MSNBC about the new copy-protected CD's being released. Apparently at least one of the schemes will render copy-protected CD's unreadable by computers. Considering that my ThinkPad doubles as my dorm room sound system, this will be cause for me never to buy another CD. I know there are a bunch of audiophiles here on AT, and I'm rather curious about how you all see this. Link.

Zenmervolt

 

[vi edit]

I think that Dennis picked up one of these bastard CD's a week or two ago. That really is a bitch. I use my PC Cdplayer FAR MORE often than I use my full blown home theatre setup.

Somebody is going to take a LOT of flack for this fsckup.

 

[Viper GTS]

Anything designed by man can be unraveled by man.

No standardized encryption scheme will last more than a few days in today's world.

Viper GTS

 

[ElPool]

true. if you can PLAY the music, then you can always copy the music too.

 

[chuckieland]

man this suck
i can see all the mp3 portable player that been sold in the past becoming junk now

 

[Zenmervolt]

<<if you can PLAY the music, then you can always copy the music too.>>

But computer drives can't play the music, they won't even read the disks. The only way to keep some of the music on your computer would be to use a WAV recording software after hooking your home stereo up to the line in jack on your sound card, which eliminates DAE for the vast majority of users. Of course there are ways around it, but it will be a pain in the ass and the majority of users will be pissed. That was why I posted the info on the story. If I'm going to be forced to record from the line in jack, I may as well buy cassettes, they're cheaper and just about as good when you consider that the CD will have to be analog before the computer can record it.

Zenmervolt

 

[-SpYrL-]

Could you in theory do a raw copy and then the CD-R you just made be ripped to mp3?

 

[Angrymarshmello]

When this Charley guy watches outraged fans burn hundreds of copies of his cd in front of his yard because they can't play the cd in their cd players, I'm sure he and everyone who is thinking of using this will change their mind real quick.

 

[konichiwa]

We've had this discussion many-a-time. Anything that somebody can encode, somebody else can crack. Period. Either that or it will become so useless that the format will die off (Can you say Liquid Audio?)

 

[Angrymarshmello]

Spryl - READ the article

 

[DefRef]

Just the latest round of the record companies assuming that their customers are thieves and declaring war on them. Real smart. Way to win fans.

 

[Sugadaddy]

yeah, and games and DVDs are impossible to copy too...how many hours do you think this kind of protection will last before someones find a way around it?

 

[skace]

This does bother me a little, even if it can be cracked. I am glad I gave up a lot of mainstreem audio awhile back. Most of the music I buy now will probably never tote such features

BTW, nice sig vi_edit! Is that from Bloodhound Gang? Hehe

&quot;the trick is to pick on those who can't do you no harm...
...like, the drummer from def leapards only got one arm!&quot;

 

[-SpYrL-]

<< ?If CDs were as hard to copy as DVDs or VHS tapes or even books, we would not be going through anything like what we?re going through now with Napster or Gnutella.? >>



I just downloaded The Matrix a few days ago. Perfect quality

If it creates erraneous(sp?) data in TOC it could still be copied and played in regular CDs. Or CD-ROM create will start redesigning.

 

[xaigi]

Forget it. If the CD isnt fully compatible, return it to the store as non-working and stick with MP3.

 

[somethingwitty]

<< In addition, according to Don Shulsinger of Oak Technology, a CD-RW and optical-storage manufacturer, the sheer disparity in the technical specs of CD-ROM brands almost ensures that some CD-ROM machines will always be able to read copy-protected CDs. ?There is no standard way in which the firmware inside of a CD-ROM drive is written,? he says. ?There?s massive amounts of drives out there and the testing copy- protection firms have to do is simply enormous.? >>



Aside from the obvious fact that any scheme created will eventually be broken (the article refers to modifying cloneCD so it skips the errors copy protection introduces in CDs), the above quote demonstrates that this idea wont work in every instance...either the makers of CD-ROM drives will adapt to get around this protection (so they don't lose customers) or people who have players that can read these CD's will rip the tracks and make them available online-or a combination of both could occur. either way, this won't have too big of an effect, IMO.

 

[Viper GTS]

?It is always possible that somebody somewhere will break the protection,? concedes William H. Whitmore Jr., SunComm?s vice president of marketing. (Acknowledging this, SunComm?s promotional material promises only ?to greatly reduce unauthorized digital copying of original content on CDs.) ?But it will be far too difficult for the average user. For them, the CD-ROM in their computer ? the nemesis of the recording industry ? just won?t play our CDs.?

The thing is once ONE person DOES break it, it will be readily available on the internet in a matter of hours. Then it will be simple enough for the average user, all they have to do is download a file &amp; voila - Their CD works perfectly.

Viper GTS

 

[Double Trouble]

That's exactly my thought xaigi, if I ever bought a CD (and I don't ever buy cd's, the RIAA ain't getting my money) and it didn't work in my computer, I'd walk right back to the store and get a refund. A few million people start doing that, and you'd see the stores stop selling those pieces of crap real quick......

 

[konichiwa]

Yes, but Viper, most Napster-ites aren't really savvy enough to rip their own mp3s anyway, much less go onto a cracking site and download a EXE-fix for AudioGrabber. If you ask me, this shouldn't be called a &quot;protection&quot; but a &quot;deterrant&quot;.

 

[somethingwitty]

<< Yes, but Viper, most Napster-ites aren't really savvy enough to rip their own mp3s anyway, much less go onto a cracking site and download a EXE-fix for AudioGrabber. >>



I don't think it would matter that most &quot;napster-ites&quot; couldn't rip the songs-as soon as a couple of bored college students do it, the files will be out there, and their availability will increase exponentially (whether that be over napster or the latest program).

 

[yakko]

<< RedBook CDs run a maximum of 74 minutes and can hold at most 99 tracks ? if a CD is longer or has more tracks, the player won?t know how to read the extra music. >>

2 Live Crew's As Nasty As They Wanna Be cd is a little over 79 minutes long. Every player I have put it in reads it just fine.

 

[Emulex]

how can they release this format without abandoning all the cd players in existence? They can't.

 

[fragarific]

I think they found a way

Article on MSNBC

 

[Zenmervolt]

<<Yes, but Viper, most Napster-ites aren't really savvy enough to rip their own mp3s anyway, much less go onto a cracking site and download a EXE-fix for AudioGrabber. If you ask me, this shouldn't be called a &quot;protection&quot; but a &quot;deterrant&quot;.>>

We have a winner! That's pretty much my take on the whole thing. Downloading a &quot;fix&quot; to bypass the copy-protection is simple enough for most AT-ers, but the majority of computer users will not have any idea where to even look for a &quot;fix&quot;. So when people like my sister who know just enough that they don't crash a computer every time they log on discover that their new CD doesn't play in their computer they will be pissed. And Viper, who do you think they are going to blame when it doesn't play in the computer? I assure you their first instinct will not be to make sure that the music CD is compatible, rather it will be to call up their PC Tech Support line and ask why their CD-ROM drive is broken, and don't think that they won't give you techs an earfull about selling them an uncompatible computer.

Zenmervolt

 

[Viper GTS]

I knew there was a good reason I do DSL support &amp; not entire system support...



Seriously, though, it will get enough publicity that people should be able to figure out what's going on. And even if they can't, the people that are bright enough to figure it out will get the music on Napster/clones ASAP, if for no other reason than to slap the record label in the face and say &quot;Gotcha!&quot;

Viper GTS