Re: My post under "Where's Mp3"

[petriburg]

:( I've just read, for the third or fourth time, Spoon's recent item under "Announcements" - Clarification on Registrations...etc. Spoon announced a while ago that, because Fraunhofer were demanding payment for the use of their codec, he would be making a charge for it in order that he might incorporate it in future versions of dMC. Until this was arranged, he would be using LAME Mp3 in lieu. As I understand this latest announcement, this arrangement is now in force, and the (Fraunhofer, implied) Mp3 codec would be part of Power Pack, and download with it.
Perhaps I'm wrong, in which case, we need clarification of the clarification

Tony

[ChristinaS]

Re: My post under "Where's Mp3"

:( I've just read, for the third or fourth time, Spoon's recent item under "Announcements" - Clarification on Registrations...etc. Spoon announced a while ago that, because Fraunhofer were demanding payment for the use of their codec, he would be making a charge for it in order that he might incorporate it in future versions of dMC. Until this was arranged, he would be using LAME Mp3 in lieu. As I understand this latest announcement, this arrangement is now in force, and the (Fraunhofer, implied) Mp3 codec would be part of Power Pack, and download with it.
Perhaps I'm wrong, in which case, we need clarification of the clarification

Tony

Don't quote me on this, but the way I understand it is that all versions of mp3 codecs are implicated, Lame included.

The thing is I still have all the mp3 codecs previously installed, Lame, Blade, Fraunhofer, even after installing the latest release. Can't imagine why you are losing them, sorry :cry:

[Wayne]

Re: My post under "Where's Mp3"

I think he is getting confused over the fact that Fraunhofer are demanding payment because dMC uses lame not because it uses Fraunhofer's mp3 codec.

dMC has, to the best of my knowledge, never come with the Fraunhofer's mp3 codec, although you could download a dBpowerAMP codec which allowed you to use it if you already had a copy of their codec on your PC.

Wayne

[xoas]

Re: My post under "Where's Mp3"

Actually, as Spoon has explained (at least per my understanding), Fraunhofer established and patented the technology for mp3. They sold the patent rights to Thomson. Thomson has decided to request royalty payments for use of mp3 technology. So even though Lame, Blade, MAD and other codecs may be getting distibuted as freeware, it is the use of the underlying mp3 technology and not the codecs themselves for which Spoon is being asked to pay (see:
http://forum.dbpoweramp.com/showthread.php?t=5399).

The new r11 general release (as was the case with later r11 betas) of dMC uses the MAD decoder for reading mp3 and other related mpeg 1 and mpeg 2 files (this is not named in the dMC Configuration window, it will simply show the extensions being read by the codec) and the Lame codec for encoding to mp3 (this should be listed in your dMC Configuration window). The Lame codec is a part of the new PowerPack. The Power Pack, in a trial version, is now part of the dMC download and existing registered Power Pack users will have their Power Packs updated with the installation of the new dMC. As far as I know, the Fraunhofer codec should still be available, at least if you have the Power Pack, although Codec Central notes:

Requires Mp3Enc.exe to be installed - this encoder is created by the creators
of Mp3 - Fraunhofer, it is no longer sold.

It appears that the other mp3 encoders are still available, at least if you have the Power Pack.

I do not believe that it was ever Spoon's intention to make the Fraunhofer codec standard, especially since I believe he perceives Lame to be superior.

Don't know whether this clarifies things or not.
Best wishes,
Bill mikkelsen

[Spoon]

Re: My post under "Where's Mp3"

100% correct.

[dougm]

Re: My post under "Where's Mp3"

all confusing!

right now, my version of dmc has an mp3 codec - lame 3.931- along w/ other codecs for flac, shn, real audio & wave. i was about to download ver 11 but call me stupid but if the mp3 codec is now part of the trial power pack, which has to expire some point, then won't my installed mp3 codes disappear? so explain to me in simple terms what mp3 codecs i get w/out registering for the power pack?

[xoas]

Re: My post under "Where's Mp3"

Doug-
If you already have the Power Pack, you should not need to worry about paying again for the new Power Pack-you will be considered registered.
If you don't have the Power Pack, you can either eventually pay for the registered Power Pack or not. Your alternative is to stick with version 10.1. Short-term, this may be ok. Even though r11 offers some real improvements over r10.1 you can probably live without them. Eventually, dMC will advance to a point where updgrading will be an attractive option, but that is up to you.

If you want r11 but don't want to pay for the Power Pack, then yes you will lose the ability to encode (and I presume to decode) mp3 files when the trial registration period expires. This will be true definitely for the Lame encoder (which is built in to the Power Pack) and should be true of the other mp3 encoders at Codec Central, as well. (Even if you could use the current alternate mp3 encoders without a registered Power Pack with r11, I would assume that sooner or later Spoon will have to fix that loophole). It does look like yoou will be able to use the new MAD decoder to read, play and convert mp3 files to other formats if you choose.

This same process has been happening with any number of audio player and converter programs, not just with the dBpowerAMP Programs but you should be able to find some free programs out there that may still offer mp3 encoding and playback.

Best wishes,
Bill Mikkelsen

[dougm]

thnx bill

bill,
thank you for your reply - you answered all my questions.
cheers,
dougm

[Spoon]

Re: thnx bill

>I would assume that sooner or later Spoon will have to fix that loophole

Until a complaint comes in, I will do no such fixing...(what was the loophole again, my memory is getting very bad)...

[xoas]

Re: thnx bill

...(what was the loophole again, my memory is getting very bad)...

There may not be one. I mention it only because I am sure you have to have the Power Pack (with dMCr11) to use the Lame encoder but it is not clear to me you have to have Power Pack to use Blade or the other mp3 encoders from Codec Central (not that I would want to do so and I love the Power Pack features). If you don't need the Power Pack to use the other mp3 codecs then that would be a loophole. But if you do need the Power Pack to use those other mp3 codecs also then no loophole exists. And if users registering Lame via the Power Pack generate enough revenue to pay for the licensing for dMC/dAP then that is not really a problem either.

Best wishes,
Bill Mikkelsen

[Spoon]

Re: thnx bill

Anything in Codec Central (except the utility codecs), do not require the Power Pack. I didn't tell you that

[adaywayne]

Re: My post under "Where's Mp3"

I didn't need to really upgrade or anything, but I just paid $14 so I won't have to try to understand this thread!! LOL.
Arnie

[ChristinaS]

Re: My post under "Where's Mp3"

I didn't need to really upgrade or anything, but I just paid $14 so I won't have to try to understand this thread!! LOL.
Arnie

It's not wasted, loophole or no loophole. There are tons of features that are very useful in the Powepack in any case.

[adaywayne]

Re: My post under "Where's Mp3"

I know that, Christina. It was just meant as a little joke!
Arnie

[petriburg]

Re: My post under "Where's Mp3"

:o I think I might have mistakenly asked for e-mail assistance on this, when it should have been posted here - if so, sorry! Here's the question. The Fraunhofer CLI codec from codec central requires an EEC add on. While instructions are given as to how this should be written in DOS, I'm afraid I'm so ignorant of programming, even in DOS, to take this on - I can create enough problems as it is! So ... is there an EEC component available anywhere, please? Thanks, and a big thank you to all who have posted ideas and advice on the subject - it's appreciated.