Comments on: Hi-Fi downloads for $1.30

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Sun, 05 Jun 2005 14:16:00 +0000

Yes, you can always try and find a 2nd hand CD or buy new and then rip the CD yourself. But this is actually going back to the past. Downloads done right are just plain easier. There will come a time when buying a CD and actually shipping something physical will seem incredibly old fashioned. It feels to me like the writing is on the wall for the physical CD market just as much as for the paid-DRMed markets.

Where we are now is in this strange transition stage as we try and work out all the quirks with a series of experiments and develop business models for this stuff that actually work.

I personally think that the AllofMp3 model for centralised distribution could work. And side by side with that, self-publishing direct from the artist’s website. And both without DRM. And I think competition will drive the prices down to where Allofmp3 is now, where the customer pays a price that reflects the cost of convenience rather than the cost of restricted access.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Sat, 04 Jun 2005 05:47:45 +0000

Problem is that most of allofmp3’s stuff is in 384k MP3 free format, which is lossy despite the high bitrate, and is then transcoded to something else decided by the paying user. Anybody with an iota of sense knows that transcoding from one lossy format to another is VERY BAD! That is if you even care about your music quality. Most people are just ignorant I think.

Then you have to wonder about the source and if it was ripped correctly. Sure, they have their CD-DA quality stuff, but for the price of a lossless album download you might as well just buy the stupid CD to begin with and do it yourself, and not be in the dark about the quality of the rip or where it really originated from.

It also bothers me that if their 384k free format MP3’s really do come from the original disc, then why aren’t they available as CD-DA quality in the first place? I mean, some of there other stuff is, right? Makes no sense. Unless they never had the originals in most cases and are just getting whatever off the P2P networks and converting it to 384k MP3, a thought that makes me really shudder when it comes to the already questionable quality of allofmp3 downloads.

I have nothing against their service. I love the idea of buying DRM free lossless audio at a REASONABLE price. I have nothing against WMA even, just as long as it’s lossless and DRM free. However WMA lossy is about the worst quality codec in existence, and I wouldn’t pay spit for one of those. Not even if they paid me. My hope is pinned on faster internet speeds (Internet2 anyone?), and the hope that lossless compression (like FLAC for example) quickly becomes the norm, and we can all do away with trading lossy files forever.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Fri, 03 Jun 2005 22:53:33 +0000

What’s the point?

Buy the CD at a sale or even secondhand!

No DRM problems and better quality.

Do you REALLY want to play crappy downloads through a decent Hifi setup?

The only way downloads will better CD is if they are made from the original masters and are similiar in “quality” to either SACD or DVD-Audio!

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Fri, 03 Jun 2005 22:01:29 +0000

As if you really need much more than alt-preset-standard…

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Fri, 03 Jun 2005 21:42:23 +0000

Seeing as how you mentioned AllOfMp3.com I couldn’t resists comparing prices.

Coldplay – A rush of blood to the head. In FLAC lossless encoding – 357.17 Mb for $7.143

No subscription. No DRM. half the price.

For reference – LAME -presetstandard 192Kb VBR MP3 is
76.20 Mb for $1.524

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Fri, 03 Jun 2005 21:04:51 +0000

WMA ? no way !