Re: Is it about to rain on our MP3 Parade?

[Grimshaw Stuart <stuart.grimshaw@xxxxxxx>]

This is exactly the reason why the Playstation was so successful, and
the Dreamcast is a flop by comparison. Hand's up how many have
playstations? Hands up how many are "chipped"?

I heard about this or something similar about 12 months ago (I think
this was in PCW too), and the posts I got back tended to confirm my
suspicions too. That the new copy protection would only work with new CD
Roms, and (without seeing the specs) I guess this goes for the new
system too.

Stuart Grimshaw,
System Administrator,
Community, Leisure & Cultural Services Dept.
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council.

t:01254 587235
f:01254 660236

>-----Original Message-----
>From:	Paul Gordon [SMTP:paul_gordon@xxxxxxx]
>Sent:	Tuesday, January 25, 2000 4:07 PM
>To:	UK HA List
>Subject:	[ukha_d] Is it about to rain on our MP3 Parade?
>
>Anyone seen the news item in the latest PCW magazine regarding a new CD
>protection mechanism called "Audiolock"
>
>If it's true, it's going to put an end to being able to RIP commercial
CD's
>digitally!
>
>For the full low-down, get hold of a Copy of the March 2000 issue, but
a
>brief synopsis is as follows:
>
>Macrovision (that lovely company), have devised a way to modify the
digital
>bitstream coming off a standard audio (redbook) CD in such a way that
it
>will play perfectly in a domestic audio-only CD player, but will not be
able
>to be read in a PC CDROM drive. Apparently this is achieved by
monkeying
>around with the error correction code.
>Furthermore (according to the article), when played in a domestic
player, it
>is able to force the machine to mute its SP/DIF interface to completely
>prohibit digital extraction of the audio data.
>
>It is reportedly under compatability testing with a large selection of
>hardware, and is expected to be offered to the "music biz"
this summer, for
>incorporation into future CD releases. No modification to players is
>involved in this scheme - only the code on the CD is altered.  The PCW
>journalist claimed to have been provided with a test CD pressing, which
>worked as stated above.
>
>If this comes to pass, it would (at least for a while) kill off the
market
>for off-board DAC's as well as any possibility of using a CDROM drive
to rip
>these CD's. - or alternatively, it will kill the market for CD's - 'cos
I
>for one would refuse to buy a CD using this protection mechanism!
>
>Something to watch out for!! - get ripping as much music as you can to
your
>jukeboxes now, before this is forced upon us!!
>
>Regards,
>
>Paul G.
>
>
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