Jan 9, 2007 12:00 PM

Rants: It's All About the Music

Here’s what a few of you had to say about some of our recent stories. To post a remark in our feedback forums, enter your comments in the text box at the end of any story (registration required). Additionally, you can jump in on the hottest discussions about our most popular blog posts through the […]

Here's what a few of you had to say about some of our recent stories. To post a remark in our feedback forums, enter your comments in the text box at the end of any story (registration required). Additionally, you can jump in on the hottest discussions about our most popular blog posts through the links at the bottom of this page.

Re: Who's Killing MP3 and ITunes?
By Eliot Van Buskirk
From: Graham Fair

This was a classic punch line:

Sony: "DRMs are going to become less important."

I've got a not-so-funny one for you:

Reality: "Sony is obsolete."

As for the rest of your points about the benefits of MP3s – none of them mention that MP3s started online music piracy and made it explode in the first place. Without DRM, labels will never support MP3s, because MP3s can be copied and distributed with ease. Apple knows this well, and it would most certainly carry this message to the music companies.

So encourage MP3s all you want. Apple will be there to be a shoulder to cry on when the labels get burned. Wait ... that will never happen. DRM is here to stay, in one form or another.

- - -

Re: Who's Killing MP3 and ITunes?
By Eliot Van Buskirk
From: Jay Tompkins

Perhaps you're not aware if you have iTunes on an Apple, but iTunes on the PC allows storing and ripping CDs to MP3. It defaults to ACC but can be changed in Preferences to MP3.

- - -

Re: Who's Killing MP3 and ITunes?
By Eliot Van Buskirk
From: Mark Bernier

I guess I am just out of touch, but who cares about MP3s anyway? The sound quality is so poor that I think companies have a lot of nerve charging for them at all. Show me some downloadable music that is accurately reproduced and plays properly on my main sound system and then we can talk.

Frankly, about 50 percent of the CDs I have in my collection are very poorly produced and obviously heavily compressed. That annoys me to no end. The only thing I am sure of is that iPods will ensure that shares in hearing aid companies are a good buy.

- - -

Re: Give Your Tunes a Digital Boost
By Eric Solomon
From: Frankie Tan

MPEG-4 SLS (scalable lossless to lossy) is a new ISO standard for lossless audio encoding that decodes (from the single lossless encoded file) lossless to lossy quality based on users' preferences, depending perhaps on the digital playback device and/or speaker system.

Basically, this new MPEG-4 codec enables users with the capability to add on the music layers (to lossy AAC files) to create (and experience) lossless-quality music listening. The codecs are undergoing evaluation/tests by music labels, and could be introduced to consumer digital music markets later this year. This would be one step toward moving the digital music paradigm closer to the CD world.

- - -

Re: Give Your Tunes a Digital Boost
By Eric Solomon
From: Paul Humphries

I suppose this is a generational thing. An audiophile from my generation (I'm 49) never would have ripped to highly compressed MP3s. IMHO you'd be making a second mistake not to re-rip. And a third mistake by continuing to rip to a highly compressed format.

Do the youngsters a favor and recommend a lossless format (e.g. FLAC or APE or ALAC) for archival purposes and for listening on the big home stereo system. If someone needs more compression suggest a "good" ripper such as Lame and use the best variable bitrate setting it has. Then tell the youngsters to replace their headphones with a good pair and sit back and enjoy.

- - -

Resolution must be preceded by dialogue. Take a look at some of the dialogue taking place on some of our most popular blog posts: