[linux-audio-user] Reading/playing a "copy protected" CD : cdparanoia seems not to help

[Chris Pickett]

Jan Depner wrote:
> On Mon, 2004-06-28 at 08:48, Chris Pickett wrote:
> 
>>Jan Depner wrote:
>>
>>>On Mon, 2004-06-28 at 02:46, Anahata wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>On Mon, Jun 28, 2004 at 12:35:03AM +0300, Sampo Savolainen wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>you could try to find a CD player
>>>>>with spdif output and, presuming you have spdif input on your computer,
>>>>>record the data digitally from a normal player.
>>>>
>>>>The possibility of doing this (I assume copy protected CDs can't prevent
>>>>it, if they can be played at all) is one more thing that makes a
>>>>mockery of the whole business of copy protection.
>>>
>>>
>>>	What really makes a mockery of the copy protection racket is what the
>>>RIAA calls the "analog hole".  If I can hear it, I can copy it.  Find a
>>>CD player that can handle the chewed up CD, run the analog outs to your
>>>computer, record it.  I seriously doubt that there is anyone around who
>>>can tell the difference between a digitally ripped copy and a digitally
>>>encoded analog copy.  
>>
>>I can tell the difference, if it's not done properly, and it isn't 
>>entirely trivial to do it properly.  For starters, you need a decent 
>>soundcard ... I've tried the stereo mini-in jack on this laptop and also 
>>on a couple of other older motherboards / soundblasters and the quality 
>>is _nowhere_ near the quality I get out of the VXpocket v2 with balanced 
>>inputs, and even that's probably at the lower end of the "prosumer" 
>>range.  Non-sound people I know can immediately tell the difference too. 
>>  I've heard enough badly ripped vinyl recordings that I don't really 
>>trust the general populace to make analog-to-digital encodings of any 
>>work.  Admittedly there are more complex factors involved with vinyl 
>>than with CD's, but if it's any indication ...
>>
> 
> 
> 	You're missing the point; I have no problem doing it correctly, I have
> a pro soundcard, and it only takes one person ;-)  After that it's all
> digital.

I think I understand what you're saying: if there's enough people with 
good hardware and knowledge of how to do a2d correctly, then it's 
possible to get around all copy protection schemes.

The problems I see are:

1) this requires p2p networks to work, which have dubious legal status, 
depending on your country, whereas it's not illegal to rip CD's at home 
(barring DMCA nonsense)
2) it takes a lot longer to rip a2d than d2d
3) you can't pick files from networks just based on bit-rate; you either 
need to go by the ripper's reputation, or by listening to them yourself, 
to check that the person did it correctly.

Basically, at this point, in my opinion, the RIAA doesn't have much to 
worry about w.r.t. the "analog hole".

Anyway, for me it's a moot point ... I just buy vinyl!

Cheers,
Chris