Archive for the 'Music' category

Strange coincidence in the recent press releases about DVD discs.

For the first time, the industry group that manages the licenses for the DVD format (the DVD 6C Licensing Group or DVD 6C) decided to revoque the DVD patent agreement of Chinese manufacturer Chaoyue (Jiangsu) Digital [1]. They must have been doing really ugly things to loose even the right to try and manufacture DVD players.

Apparently without any link, we also learn that researchers from the Tsinghua University of Beijing created a new high definition DVD disc format. Quite similar to HD-DVD, its name will be CH-DVD (China DVD?) and it will contain some specifically Chinese patents and IP. But this is not the first time Chinese authorities tried to start a new format in direct competition with an international standard. The most recent being the EVD that roared to replace the DVD [2].

A few days ago, it has been released publicly that a new Flash memory card format is arriving. I can see the John “Consumer” Doe thrilled in anticipation of yet another new card format: UFS. I can imagine that it will solve all existing issues with dozens of previously existing -and incompatible- memory cards.

This is going to offer a vastly improved speed for the users. To quote from the press release: “Today, users experience a three-minute access time for a 90-minute (4 Gigabyte) high-definition movie; with the new standard, this would be reduced to a few seconds.” Do we care? Will the movie run faster?

Of course, it is touted by its promoters as a giant leap in technology and the universal memory solution (do I hear “snake oil”?) I need a little more than a long list of supporters to jump and shout joyfully…

Rock stars do not have a quiet life. But they often have violent or surprising deaths. When you’re a star, you need to stay one even in the process of dying.

The 50 Most Awesomely Dead Rock Stars.

But as if this was not completely obvious, there is an English scientist (he’s from Liverpool John Moores University) so bored at Science that he decided to study this issue seriously. And what did he find? That those guys are more susceptible to dying early; That they have too much of everything very early; That they overuse all of it (including drugs and alcohol); That this is “excessive behaviour” and not safe.

Pompous understatements…

Two of my friends will be giving a concert in a few days. To give them strength and assurance, here is an example of exceptionnal brilliance, a voice totally out of the ordinary and really not common.

MP3 recording of Florence Foster Jenkins

Florence Foster Jenkins really existed and sincerily thought that her voice was nearly perfect.

It has been quite some time that I did not write about the P2P news. They start popping up everywhere and it is time to talk about the wonderful things happening right under our eyes.

First, the Internet users start to find again -in Europe- some protection since a decision from the European Justice Court: the ISPs will not be obligated to deliver the name of Internet users associated to an IP address when merely requested by copyright owners like we see in the US of A (the case was opened when Telefonica denied this right to deliver the name and address of some of its subscribers accused by a Spanish copyright owner of using Kazaa to exchange MP3 files). It means that the legal actions to attack indelicate Internet users copying songs, music or videos will be limited far below the level reached in North America where tens of thousands of such actions have been started. There will be the need to open not only a civil case, but a criminal action.

Furthermore, BitTorrent, the most easily recognized software program running on the BitTorrent network, will no longer be free. This is most probably a consequence of the intent of its developers to entter a new phase where they want to reap benefits from more commercial activities (including less risks of legal actions, too). Nothing new under the sun, since many Internet users already prefered BitComet, Azureus or uTorrent.

You may also remember that AllOfMp3, a Russian web site distributing MP3 files without any trace of DRM protection, had to stop its activities a few months ago after police action and the beginnning of legal procedure. It appears that Denis Kvasov, founder of AllOfMp3, has been cleared by the Russian justice (he was insisting on the fact that his sales were including author’s right compensation even if some Euopean and American companies were after him for selling at low prices and without DRM).

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Add to it that PirateBay (BitTorrent files search site) have been authorized a few months ago by the Sweedish justice to restart their activity and that they now want to give a new life to the SuperNova web site that closed a couple of years ago, I would try to say that the pendulum is swinging back toward the side most favorable to the Internet users. During months, it seemed that the media producers would be able to force anything they wanted into our throats under the pretense of protecting artists rights. Now, they start experimenting with low-cost without-DRM legal alternatives for music download (even in always-easily-scared France, Neuf-Cegetel intends to start an ISP offer including that kind of possibility: unlimited music and triple-play (Internet+TV+telephone) for 29.90€). Even better, the development of Video on Demand should help film producers and distributors to think in a parallel line.

There is only to find a way to balance the ease of use (requested by Internet users) and artist earnings (naturally expected by the authors). We should find this middle way for the best of consumers and artists, even if it measn suffering for some producers and distributors.

Major works of classical music are written on musical scores that can be superb (not only musically, but also graphically). Unfortunately, it is often impossible -for those who had not the proper education- to keep reading a score while music plays.

What is offered by KeepingScore.org with Flash animations is simply gorgeous and allows to follow the music of masterpieces of the classical répertoire:

• Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Beethoven
• The Rite of Spring, Stravinsky
• Copland and the American Sound

It is absolutely superb to listen to and to see.

For the music lovers, the sound amateurs, the podcasters, Audacity is a tool out of the usual: despite its cheap price (it’s free) it has near professional features.

And it does not even look illegal: Warner signed a partnership with imeem to share the adveertisment revenues from the web site when the North American users freely listen to the music freely available from the Warner catalog (including Madonna, Linkin Park, Green Day, Josh Groban, Faith Hill, My Chemical Romance, Big & Rich, John Adams, Shawn Colvin, Jaheim, Cher, Red Hot Chili Peppers, R.E.M., Seal, Blake Shelton, the Flaming Lips, Eric Clapton, Hot Hot Heat, Damien Rice, The Used, Joshua Redman, Michael Bublé, Chris Isaak, Robert Randolph, Steely Dan, Trapt, Fleetwood Mac, Emmylou Harris, Brad Mehldau, Goo Goo Dolls, Tom Petty, as well as Alanis Morissette, Michelle Branch & the Deftones).

IDEC - Institute for Consumer Defense - is the largest consumer association in Brazil. It lauched a campaign against Digital Rights Management (DRM) titled “Tehcnological Restrictions - You pay for it, you get less“.

OK, I know that I don’t have TV because I don’t want to be continuously force-fed with mindless junk. However, plenty of people would like to be able to have their TV on the Internet. Up to now, you were mostly depending on your ISP and possibly some subscription additional to your basic broadband Internet package.

Here come FreeTube, ChannelChooser, Hiveproductions, Tape it Off The Internet, Streamick, TV-links, PPStream, ABC, Sintonizate.tv, PeekVid, PPlive, TV-Video, TVU Player, allowing you to watch TV online for free without the need for any special software, hardware or subscription service. Better than cable televison.

You simply need the (quite usual) Apple QuickTime plugin on your web browser.

Even more freely available TV channels on:

• wwiTV
• BeelineTV

Some time ago, I stopped by a web site where I found some really neat photos. So, let me invite you to go and visit www.gianfrancomeza.com.

Copyright Farrokh Chothia