NEWBIE QUESTION - M4A to lossless

[iTunesIsEvil]

Re: NEWBIE QUESTION - M4A to lossless

The iTunes website does indicate that one can download from their music store into mp3 format...

You're going to have to send me a link to that one... I can't find that information anywhere on apple.com/itunes/ And I have NEVER seen an option in iTunes itself to download files in MP3 format.

back to the real subject at hand: is iRevolt legal?

No. :D
And neither is speeding. So watch out for the po-lice. The question is a fun one, and the answer is the above, "no." The application does something that as a user of the iTMS you've agreed not to do, which is to alter the files you get in any way, shape, or form.

(Quote from the Apple iTunes TOS)

You agree that you will not attempt to, or encourage or assist any other person to, circumvent or modify any security technology or software that is part of the Service or used to administer the Usage Rules.

Oops, my bad Apple...

My argument(s): I have paid for the music, and I should be able to use it as I see fit. I am a responsible adult and I do not want a company and its "security technology" governing what I can and can not do. I should be able to use the song or album that I have downloaded in the same way I can use a CD. I can rip to any format, any size, any time.

A couple of things about iRevolt: 1) It doesnt remove enough protection for you to listen to the "unprotected" M4A file in iTunes. The amount of protection removed is just enough that you can use the dMC (or another converter) to convert to another format. 2) The idea is NOT to support piracy, I buy my music, I don't share it sans maybe with my brothers and my mom. The point is that if I don't want to use iTunes/my iPod to listen to my files, then I dont have to, and if I want to use my Phillips, Sony, Nike, iRiver, etc etc MP3 player, then I can. That is was iRevolt is for. It's not so little Script Kiddies can go out and massively distribute their music to everyone on Kazaa.

Hope that clears a few things up. Feel free to ask anything else you've got though.

[neilthecellist]

Re: NEWBIE QUESTION - M4A to lossless

My argument(s): I have paid for the music, and I should be able to use it as I see fit. I am a responsible adult and I do not want a company and its "security technology" governing what I can and can not do. I should be able to use the song or album that I have downloaded in the same way I can use a CD. I can rip to any format, any size, any time.

A couple of things about iRevolt: 1) It doesnt remove enough protection for you to listen to the "unprotected" M4A file in iTunes. The amount of protection removed is just enough that you can use the dMC (or another converter) to convert to another format. 2) The idea is NOT to support piracy, I buy my music, I don't share it sans maybe with my brothers and my mom. The point is that if I don't want to use iTunes/my iPod to listen to my files, then I dont have to, and if I want to use my Phillips, Sony, Nike, iRiver, etc etc MP3 player, then I can. That is was iRevolt is for. It's not so little Script Kiddies can go out and massively distribute their music to everyone on Kazaa.

Hope that clears a few things up. Feel free to ask anything else you've got though.

Reply to the bold print: AHAHAHAHA!!! I wish I were an adult, and responsible!

Reply to the non-bold: Yes, I agree with your reasoning. It makes sense. :D

[neilthecellist]

Re: NEWBIE QUESTION - M4A to lossless

Neil .... lossless is lossless .... it's identical to the original uncompressed wave, no loss whatsoever.

If your'e hearing a difference it's your imagination working overtime :D

but how about with lossy? Is it placebo if i claim i can tell the difference between 256 and 320 for mp3/wma? 500 for Ogg Vorbis?

[LtData]

Re: NEWBIE QUESTION - M4A to lossless

back to the real subject at hand: is iRevolt legal?

No. :D
And neither is speeding. So watch out for the po-lice. The question is a fun one, and the answer is the above, "no." The application does something that as a user of the iTMS you've agreed not to do, which is to alter the files you get in any way, shape, or form.

By the DMCA (for those of us in the US), no, iRevolt is NOT legal. It breaks the copy-protection scheme on copy-protected files and is therefore illegal. However, this then begs the question: What happened to fair use? Short answer: record companies care about saving a few dollars from piracy and don't realize the people that won't buy copy-protected CDs (like me) which costs them MORE money and the protection will probably be broken anyways.

[neilthecellist]

Re: NEWBIE QUESTION - M4A to lossless

By the DMCA (for those of us in the US), no, iRevolt is NOT legal. It breaks the copy-protection scheme on copy-protected files and is therefore illegal. However, this then begs the question: What happened to fair use? Short answer: record companies care about saving a few dollars from piracy and don't realize the people that won't buy copy-protected CDs (like me) which costs them MORE money and the protection will probably be broken anyways.

I agree. Copy Protection should be not legal in the US. I can't believe the FCC imposes so many restrictions on music purchased on the Net.

[ChristinaS]

Re: NEWBIE QUESTION - M4A to lossless

Well, by the same token, lossy is lossy :D

I do believe though that at such high bitrates as 256kbps and 320 kbps again differences that you can actually perceive with your own ears are more fictitious than real. I suppose though that it's possible altough I'd more likely blame it on whatever software and equipment you're using.

For me I know my soundcard and speakers are practiclaly shot, my computer fan is noisy, my hard drive probably squeaks too. If I listen to anything on this it's not going to be all that great. If I burn an audio cd with whatever lossless audio file I have I will of course get back the same original quality of the original audio cd from which it came (if it did come straioght from one).

If I burn an audio cd from a very high bitrate like 256kbps and more lossy format I personally won't be able to tell the difference, nor would anybody around me that I know.

All this assuming I'm playing thsoe audio cd's in a decent sound system, again, not on my current pc.

Maybe you have an extraodinarily keen hearing. :D

[neilthecellist]

Re: NEWBIE QUESTION - M4A to lossless

Well, by the same token, lossy is lossy :D

I do believe though that at such high bitrates as 256kbps and 320 kbps again differences that you can actually perceive with your own ears are more fictitious than real. I suppose though that it's possible altough I'd more likely blame it on whatever software and equipment you're using.

For me I know my soundcard and speakers are practiclaly shot, my computer fan is noisy, my hard drive probably squeaks too. If I listen to anything on this it's not going to be all that great. If I burn an audio cd with whatever lossless audio file I have I will of course get back the same original quality of the original audio cd from which it came (if it did come straioght from one).

If I burn an audio cd from a very high bitrate like 256kbps and more lossy format I personally won't be able to tell the difference, nor would anybody around me that I know.

All this assuming I'm playing thsoe audio cd's in a decent sound system, again, not on my current pc.

Maybe you have an extraodinarily keen hearing. :D

I don't listen to a lot of music on my computer. Most of the music I listen to is on my XBOX (in my room) or on an NAD L70 DVD Receiver (audiophile thing that plays CDs and DVDs and MP3 CDs)

On the NAD L70, which cost my dad 1000 dollars, plus another 1000 dollars for PSB Platinum Speakers, I swear I can tell the difference in sound quality between 256 and 320 kbps. However, on my XBOX and on my computer, both which have really bad sound cards and/or speakers/headphones, the sound quality is hard to debate.

Is it just me, or is ogg vorbis a little mean to my ears? The treble is sooooo high.....

[ChristinaS]

Re: NEWBIE QUESTION - M4A to lossless

Good for you. It would be wasted on me :D

[Spoon]

Re: NEWBIE QUESTION - M4A to lossless

>record companies care about saving a few dollars from piracy

Also any track that has copy protection is available on all the sharing sites / networks / etc, the copy protection does not work.

[neilthecellist]

Re: NEWBIE QUESTION - M4A to lossless

Good for you. It would be wasted on me

What do you mean, "wasted on you?" If you had a really nice sound system, wouldn't you have used it? (not trying to be rude, I'm just curious)

>record companies care about saving a few dollars from piracy

Also any track that has copy protection is available on all the sharing sites / networks / etc, the copy protection does not work.

Networks like p2p and stuff? What doyou mean the copy protection doesn't work?

[LtData]

Re: NEWBIE QUESTION - M4A to lossless

What do you mean, "wasted on you?" If you had a really nice sound system, wouldn't you have used it? (not trying to be rude, I'm just curious)

Networks like p2p and stuff? What doyou mean the copy protection doesn't work?

1. Mabye Christina's hearing isn't as sharp as it once was, or mabye she just don't care that much.

2. If copies are made of copy-protected songs, wouldn't that imply that the copy protection failed in its purpose?

[ChristinaS]

Re: NEWBIE QUESTION - M4A to lossless

1. Mabye Christina's hearing isn't as sharp as it once was, or mabye she just don't care that much.

Right on both counts. :D

I can tell the difference between my boombox that isits in my kitchen that cost $29.99 at Walmart and the somewhat better mini-stereo in my living room that cost about $500 when I bought it and maybe $250 today. :D

[adaywayne]

Re: NEWBIE QUESTION - M4A to lossless

You're going to have to send me a link to that one... I can't find that information anywhere on apple.com/itunes/ And I have NEVER seen an option in iTunes itself to download files in MP3 format.

~~~~~~~~
Ah....there it is! See my correction about iTunes. I was reading the import feature not the download feature. Sorry.

[Tomb]

Re: NEWBIE QUESTION - M4A to lossless

speaking of audio quality, i swear i can hear a difference between a 192 kbps mp3 file and 320 kbps file....i swear! But when it comes to lossless files, I can't seem to tell a quality change...unless it's classical music...

Unless you have golden ears unlike deafy here I find this hard to believe but of course it's not improbable. When you have the time why don't you run some ABX tests to see if you can actually tell the difference.

I must admit I fail miserably at ABX due to my hearing (a congenital condition meaning my hearing is about 30% less than most people) and even lame at preset standard is overkill for me!

[neilthecellist]

Re: NEWBIE QUESTION - M4A to lossless

er, how do i use ABX? I can't find it on the link page you gave me.