|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
In Reply to: Tunenut, don't be too quick to generalize. posted by Jim Pearce on January 29, 2003 at 11:39:50:
and watermarking is a subset of this general field. Like any other technology, it can be used for good or evil. Terrorists can embed messages within seemingly innocuous photographs. The CIA can do the same. Certify authenticity, as you say, just as the watermark is used in money. However, this watermark does not affect in any way the usage of the money. What I object to in principle, and I'm not the only one, is a watermark that is embedded directly in audio content, not in a phone call, where the audio quality is a secondary concern, but in a supposedly "hi-rez" format where audio quality is the primary selling point. I still say this is dumb. Verance does not say it is inaudible. I have no personal experience with it, so I don't know, but I object in principle. If a machine can hear it, I strongly suspect at least some human beings can also hear it. Especially because it is supposed to be robust enough to survive ripping to MP3 and broadcasting on AM radio. So watermarking as a generic idea, sure it can have its benefits. It is this specific implementation that seems like a bad idea to me.
Follow Ups:
A machine can do 100 mph, can you run that fast?In principle you can object. But what's the use if you can't hear it in a practical situation? I'm sure the difference in marked and unmarked content isn't as big as the sonic difference between let's say different sacd player models.
If you obey your principles you can't buy a disc from Sony or any other record company who chose to 'protect' their redbooks.
Let's boycot them all and buy a guitar.
and I would not buy a copy protected disk from Sony if I knew about it. Or from anyone else. But I would buy other things from Sony if they are not copy protected. I am not trying to generally condemn any company or encourage any boycotts.
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: