Digital Content Agreement Reached
The digital music market balances on at least five legs: software producers, technology developers, electronics manufacturers, consumers, and regulating bodies. So, can a two-legged agreement stand? That's the question industry watchers are asking as representatives of two groups, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the technology sector, announced that they have reached agreement on a "core set of principles" to guide their public policy activities regarding the distribution of digital content.
Digital Copyright War Escalates
The war over digital copyright protection intensified in late July, when the American">http://www.aclu.org">American Civil Liberties Union launched a legal attack against the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Almost simultaneously, a congressman from Southern California introduced a bill that would give copyright holders the right to hack computers owned by suspected copyright violators.
Digital Demo at Coup de Foudre
FridaySaturday, January 2425, 79pm: Coup de Foudre (1110 Rue de Bleury, Montréal, QC) will host an event with Philip O’Hanlon of On A Higher Note, US distributor for Luxman, Vivid, and Eclipse TD. O’Hanlon will discuss and demonstrate digital file formats, file conversion, and resolution.
Featured gear will include:
Digital Downloads from EMI
This spring, downloadable digital music from EMIhttp://www.emigroup.com/">EMI; may begin popping up everywhere, if a new arrangement with Supertrackshttp://www.supertracks.com/">Supertracks; goes as planned. The two companies have created what they believe is a secure system for downloading music to computers, portable players, and to CD burners at kiosks in shopping malls. The news follows by only a couple of weeks an announcement that Warner">http://www.warnermusic.com/">Warner Music and EMI will merge their operations under the larger umbrella of AOL Time Warner.
Digital Downloads Go Legit
Visitors to the Listen.comhttp://www.listen.com">Listen.com; website will find a headline on the home page: "Your Guide to MP3 and More." MP3 recordings, while a big hit with young music fans, have not been a favorite of the music business. The key to Listen.com's financial future as a download site is likely whatever ends up falling under "and more."
Digital Music Management
There's no question that the computer is at the heart of the recorded music experience for many people, but saving, sorting, and accessing digital music files can be a real chore. Now two Los Angeles technology companies have combined forces to create what they are calling "one-click" digital music management.
Digital Outputs for DVD-Audio?
The EE">http://www.eetimes.com/">EE Times is reporting that the DVD Forum is getting close to finalizing a specification that would allow audio signals to be available via digital outputs on DVD-Audio players. Audiophile frustration with the new DVD-A format has mounted in the months since its introduction, with lack of access to a high-resolution digital signal from players, which currently have analog-only outputs, and the possibility of watermarked discs.
Digital Radio Avoids Falling Off a Cliff
One of the classic problems with digital technology is what is known as the "cliff effect": when digital signals reach their limits, they don't fail gracefully like analog ones do---they go off a cliff and crash hard. Not only has the tendency for digital signals to exhibit their limitations noisily in the audio recording and playback environment been a problem for engineers and listeners, the effect on the digital broadcast industry has been tough to circumvent as well---until now.
Digital Radio Revving Up
We've all been hearing about digital television (DTV) for several months now, but a similar revolution is facing the radio industry around the world. As we reported last">http://www.stereophile.com/news/10284/">last week, several companies and organizations have been piecing together systems to gradually replace the AM or FM stations you currently listen to (you do listen to the radio, don't you?) with digital equivalents over the next few years.
Digital Radio Still Waiting To Take Off
One of the hottest audio technologies at the recent CES, as far as the general public was concerned, wasn't SACD, or DVD-Audio, or even new MP3 players. Seemingly coming out of nowhere, digital satellite radio jumped into the limelight by announcing its impending rollout this year. Two companies are poised to compete for the top spot, lining up car manufacturers and CE companies in a classic format battle that is sure to heat up by summer.