Question about "protected" discs

[Regnad]

I just bought a music concert DVD (I'm too embarassed to say which) and was pleased to see that it also included an audio CD.

When I tried to play the CD on my computer, it displayed a banner with a license agreement that, if accepted, would install some software that would let me play the music on "approved" devices and with "approved" software. Of course, I declined. The banner read "Mediamax" and "SunnComm".

CDex just has errors forever...

Any info or suggestions on this? After ripping FLAC versions of 200 CDs it is ridiculous that I can't have this one in the library. How extensive is this going to be?

I would return it but I want the DVD. I did contact Amazon to ask if there is any policy on this.

Thanks!

[MeSue]

You could try this: http://www.slysoft.com/en/anydvd.html

[Neil Davidson]

I don't think this will help as it is an audio CD that is protected.

I've come across this a couple of times, I use EAC for ripping along with a
Plextor Premium CD-RW. I think the drive as well as the software has a
baring on how well protected disks are ripped. When I started ripping my
collection I was using a non-premium plextor and it would error out with
some disks (Beatles 'let me be, naked' was one that wouldn't rip the last
track) but the premium worked out good.

Have a go with EAC first, but you might have to read some reviews of CD-R
drives on sites like http://www.cdfreaks.com and http://www.cdrlabs.com to
find out which ones fair better with protected disks.



> -----Original Message-----
> From: ripping-bounces (AT) lists (DOT) slimdevices.com
> [mailto:ripping-bounces (AT) lists (DOT) slimdevices.com] On Behalf Of MeSue
> Sent: 22 August 2005 03:35
> To: ripping (AT) lists (DOT) slimdevices.com
> Subject: [SlimDevices: Ripping] Re: Question about "protected" discs
>
>
> You could try this: http://www.slysoft.com/en/anydvd.html
>
>
> --
> MeSue
>
> Sue
>

[MeSue]

>>I don't think this will help as it is an audio CD that is protected.<<

This is from the description: "AnyDVD decrypts not just DVDs: AnyDVD allows you also to play, copy and rip protected Audio CDs!"

I think it'd be worth a try before buying a new drive.

[Regnad]

I installed and tried that software and it did not work. It has no settings, etc. and I believe that I was using it correctly. It just sits as a driver in the background.

BTW, CDex shows massive errors on every track and Win media player distorts and stretches the music.

Thanks a lot for the suggestion...

I will look at the sites mentioned.

[Mark.Bennett]

On Mon, 2005-08-22 at 11:22 -0700, Regnad wrote:
> I installed and tried that software and it did not work. It has no
> settings, etc. and I believe that I was using it correctly. It just
> sits as a driver in the background.
>
> BTW, CDex shows massive errors on every track and Win media player
> distorts and stretches the music.
>
> Thanks a lot for the suggestion...
>
> I will look at the sites mentioned.

I had the same problem on a Velvet Revolver CD. Ripped it using
Grip/cdparanoia in Linux with no problems.

Sorry this isn't much help unless you have/know someone with
a Linux box.

--
"The biggest problem encountered while trying to design a system that
was completely foolproof, was, that people tended to underestimate the
ingenuity of complete fools." (Douglas Adams)

[Regnad]

I now have FLACs using CDex courtesy of the info here:

http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~jhalderm/cd3/

Thanks for all the help!

[Neil Davidson]

> >>I don't think this will help as it is an audio CD that is
> protected.<<
>
> This is from the description: "AnyDVD decrypts not just DVDs:
> AnyDVD allows you also to play, copy and rip protected Audio CDs!"
>
> I think it'd be worth a try before buying a new drive.
>

Ok, my bad. Guess I should have read a bit closer

[Justme]

Try another CDRom... I had a similar problem and it was solved by trying loads of different CDroms, I had a couple spare, and of cause tried at work. Finally I found one that could see the CD and the tracks without errors, so I ripped it.

One problem, was that one of the CD's only saw everything as one file, so after ripping to wave, I had to split the tracks in an audio program... a real hassle, but well worth the effort for the cd, and to say fückyou to the record company. I purchased the damn CD's and no corporate giant will tell me what device I am allowd to play them on...

[david.flynn@bigfoot.com]

I have also just been bashing my head against a wall in regard to these copy protected discs.

I have just purchased 2 (unknowingly at the time) online.

The first was Goldfrapp - Supernature which ripped fine in my pioneer 107d dvd writer.

The second Duran Duran Astronaut didn't

After trying many different options, Cloncd, EAC, Feurio to mention a few, I tried in in my other PC with a cheap as chips Lite-on cd-rom lt529s.

To my suprise it just pottered along and ripped the audio with no problems. The Duran CD had copies of the track in Sony's Open MG format, but I'm trying to convert all my collection from MP3 to FLAC, so using a Sony's proprietry compreesion, which I still couldn't play on squeezebox was ridiculous. BTW the OMG format is realtively easy to convert to MP3 using HiMdRenderer.

So if you are having problems then don't mess about with lots of software, just try every drive that you can and hopefully one will work.

I've noted that the large record companies have made sweeping comments regarding how extensive this will be, BMG have made it a mission to release every album in this corrupt CD format see this link http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/11..._be_protected/

Also Phillips believe that these are not true CD's as they break the format developed way back when see http://ukcdr.org/issues/cd/links/new...23-817937.html

If the "protected audio disc" does not have warning stickers on it I beleieve you have the right to take it back and get a refund, as it is sold as a CD but technically isn't one.