go DRM-free is a HUGE and long-desired acknowledgement by the music cartel that DRM sucks... it's overly restrictive... it does NOT deter piracy....
Now, when is the MPAA going to see the same thing when it comes to region coding - I keep thinking this must *really* tick off the Québecois Canadians as Canada is Region 1 while France is Region 2 - and I'm quite sure there are French movies that are *not* realeased in Region 1..
Yeah, there are region-free/region-settable players.. But having an acknoledgement that it simply does not work would be nice and save us a bit of hassle.. Are there any that will automatically detect which region a disc is set for, and set themselves without any intervention - so they will work correctly with RPC2 discs? Or have the geo-pricing projectionists come out with RPC3 or something even more heinous and annoying?)
Similarly, why the *bleep* does Amazon and (I think) almost everyone else run a racket on import CDs? If I buy a Sissel (Norwegian singer) CD from Amazon, it's an import and costs about $25-$30 (compared to $18-19 for a US produced CD). if I buy it "used" from a zShop, it costs anywhere from$10-18 (and that's including shipping) And the strange thing is, these "used" CDs look **** new to me! Just without that annoying cellophane that usually takes about 10 minutes to try to get off the cd..
Annoying, A FEW of Sissel's CDs (and other foreign artists) are produced/distributed in the US, but most are not.. Hello? We DO have transatlantic OC-3 cables people.. Get a clue!
I wonder - would it be possible to make some kind of a reusuable plastic master CD? I'm thinking a Wal-mart style kiosk where you would select songs or an album, select either standard cover art or your own.. Then it would download the songs from where-ever, burn a "temporary" master and then make an actual metal-foil CD (not a CD-R), inkjet print it or something else. Maybe even color lightscribe using a four-arm CD burner, and some new light-sensitive dye that would respond to 4 different wavelengths of laser light for full CMYK capability? Anybody know someone at HP? And a patent attorney for me?
Then it would stick it in a jewel case (or SACD/European-type Super Jewel Case), gift box it, whatever. You pick your songs, go shop, then come back 30 minutes later and your CD is done..
The big question would be - can you make a re-usuable plastic master CD that would re required to do the foil pressing - or could you use some other method to do the same thing)