psykl0n3 - Slashdot User

Comment Re:The shy return of vinyl? (Score 1) 487

by psykl0n3 on Thursday August 21, 2008 @04:28PM (#24695017) Attached to: Compact Disc Turns 26, Has a Bright Future

Buying new vinyl is a waste. The masters are digital, so you get the worst of both worlds, the disadvantages of both analog and digital and the advantages of neither.

Yes, the masters are digital, but most mastering houses will do their job in at least 24bit/96'000 so that means the quality of the files getting cut to vinyl is going to be better than that which ends up on the CD. On top of this when the 24/96 get converted to 16/44,1 there is noise introduced even if dithering algorithms are used.

Arguably, on good (read as studio level) equipment you will be able to hear the difference between 16/44.1 and 24/96. As agreed by a lot of same mastering engineers the difference between 24/96 to 24/192 is hardly noticeable and the extra file heft is not worth it, but the 16/44.1 is clearly inferior.

Now, of course not everything which gets pressed to vinyl is recorded in ideal circumstances and not always the mastering is excellent, but in a club with an above average loud sound system I can pretty much every time tell between someone playing off of vinyl and CDs/mp3s. Thus the popularity of vinyl in DJ circles. Plus it helps to separate those that are really ready to invest into the music they play from those who don't which brings about a few more kudos :)

Some people are still cutting dubplates of their new tracks, instead of putting them on CD-Rs for a good reason too...

Apple iPhone - To Be, or Not to Be? 230

Posted by Zonk on Friday August 04, 2006 @10:58AM from the that-is-the-question dept.

An anonymous reader writes "With the Apple WWDC looming on Monday, the internet once again beats itself silly over what Steve Jobs has in store. At the most fanciful end of the scale, there's talk of the Apple iPhone, to which CNET says, 'keep on dreaming', and Gizmodo says, 'no visible evidence'. The only solid evidence of an iPhone, beyond the endless mocked-up images, is the discovery of hidden phone-related code in a recent iPod updater. Macrumors has some info on what the keynote may contain -- and there's no mention of an iPhone. So, as the rumor mill continues to grind over the weekend, let the predictions begin. Is there an Apple iPhone, or is there not?"

Warner to Sell Music on DVD 365

Posted by Zonk on Friday August 04, 2006 @10:18AM from the lining-up-for-it-i'm-sure dept.

Carl Bialik from WSJ writes "Warner Music is planning an aggressive attempt to replace the CD by pushing consumers to buy their music on specially outfitted DVDs, the Wall Street Journal reports. It's music to the ears of some struggling retailers who seek a new physical product to re-capture some of the online (and file-sharing) market. 'As a retailer I'm going to be holding on desperately for any compelling physical product,' said Eric Levin, who owns two independent stores called Criminal Records in the Atlanta area. 'So the introduction of a new format...is cause for excitement.' More from the article: 'But there are some stumbling blocks that may discourage consumers from embracing DVD albums. The new discs would not play on normal CD players, meaning consumers could not simply pop their new discs into their car stereos or other players. And users would not be able to copy the main audio mix onto their computers. On the proposed DVD album, the main audio mix is to be protected by the same software that already protects the content on normal DVDs.'"

A Closed Off System? 177

Posted by Cliff on Tuesday July 11, 2006 @10:50PM from the would-this-appeal-to-you dept.

AnarkiNet wonders: "In an age of malware which installs itself via browsers, rootkits installing themselves from audio cds, and loads of other shady things happening on your computer, would a 'Closed OS' be successful? The idea is an operating system (open or closed source), which allows no third party software to be installed, ever. Yes, not even your own coded programs would run unless they existed in the OS-maker-managed database of programs that could be installed. Some people might be aghast at this idea but I feel that it could be highly useful for example in the corporate setting where there would be no need for a secretary to have anything on his/her computer other than the programs available from the OS-maker. For now, let's not worry if people can 'get around' the system. If each program that made up the collection of allowed programs was 'up to scratch' and had 'everything you need', would you really have an issue with being unable to install a different program that did the same thing?"

DesktopBSD 1.0 Final Released 182

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on Wednesday March 29, 2006 @05:09PM from the devilishly-good-desktops dept.

Don Church writes "DesktopBSD is reporting that the 1.0 Final of DesktopBSD was released today for both 32-bit and 64-bit x86 architectures. This cutting edge FreeBSD derivative now includes KDE 3.5.1 and a host of tools designed to make the BSD experience more palatable to novices. The DVD release even includes Amarok, Firefox and other popular software ready to go. They are offering downloads via several mirrors or the official torrent."

Movie Theaters Aim for Live 3D Sports 150

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on Saturday March 25, 2006 @05:28AM from the maybe-try-movies-that-don't-suck dept.

teutonic_leech writes "ZDNet has an article claiming that movie theater operators plan to be screening live 3D sports events by 2007 in a bid to lure sports fans away from their home theater systems and bolster sagging mid-week ticket sales." From the article: "Other chains are looking to much-improved digital three-dimensional projection for an experience theatergoers can't get at home. But while the projection has greatly advanced from the early 3D days, special glasses must still be worn to achieve the full effect."

Q & A With Canada's Michael Geist 56

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on Saturday March 25, 2006 @02:36AM from the fireside-chats dept.

Torrentz writes "P2PNet is running a question and answer session with Canada's Michael Geist, a leading Internet and copyright expert. Geist discusses P2P, the music business, and the future direction of copyright law." From the interview: "My focus has traditionally been on Internet issues and I'm very active on privacy, spam, Internet governance issues. The growing attention to copyright merely reflects its critical importance to the Internet and to creativity and culture more generally."

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