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Originally Posted by jeffmclaughlin
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ok folks--exactly right there why I don't use iTunes, Napster, Wal-Mart downloads...any of them--they're all worthless.
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This is not the direction I anticipated going with this thread... oh well,
I too have been skeptical for a long time about using music download services. The low bitrate and restrictions on file usage stinks! I have ripped many songs from my personal CD's and encoded them using Lame at 224kbs, stereo (not joint stereo). I have been satisfied with the resulting mp3's.
If I like most of the songs on the Cd, I will just go out and buy it. Sometimes though, I'm only interested in one or two song off the Cd, so buying the whole thing is kind of a waste.
Well anyway, I thought I would give Wal-Mart music download a try. 88 cents a song, playable on 2 computers, unlimited play on portable devices (so it says?) Sounds alright...
I purchased a few songs, downloaded them (128kbs wmv files), listened to them. In my opinion, compared to a 128kbs mp3 file, the wmv file had much better low frequency response and the midrange did not have a harsh sound to it.
In all, I think if they offered songs encoded at different bit rates and relaxed the restrictions on file usage, they would have a much more appealing service then what is currently available.