How Do I Get A Thai Music Cd Onto My Ipod?

[bkk_mike]

I know DRM is probably a taboo subject - so I don't want to know about cracks... (and I can use google myself anyway)

I'm just pissed off because when I bought the CD, I double-checked for the compact disc symbol on the packaging (which is supposed to mean it's a "proper" CD.), but when I put it in my computer, it's not a music CD at all.

I thought it was illegal (or at least breaking licensing agreements) to put that logo on discs that aren't plain music CDs.

It does let me rip the tracks to my computer (as protected wma files), but I don't carry my computer around with me...

How am I supposed to get it onto my Ipod? Or is the music industry in Thailand unaware that Ipods exist (Apple have only sold 100 million of them - they're obviously not a big part of the market)

Should I simply give up on buying music here, and just buy in countries where the CD logo means something? (or should I just buy music at Pantip, where I'm certain I wouldn't have the same problems).

[cathyy]

Is it a vcd? If so, the music is embedded into the video files, and getting it separated out is a PITA, possible but you end up with mp3 files much larger than they should be. I actually replaced my first Thai cd purchase, because I had got the vcd not knowing any better. I did manage to get the tunes from it into iTunes, but decided buying the plain cd would be better so I did and replaced the messy files with sweet sweet iTune mp3s ripped at 192 bits.

But it sounds to me like it is exactly what you say, just a DRM protected cd. Yeah, you're right about the logo, and Philips has threatened to sue over the abuse of it. I guess Google is your friend, indeed. I recall reading somewhere that .wma has been cracked.

Can you do us all a favor and post the name of the company that made the cd so we may avoid purchasing anything from them and being similarly ripped off?

Edited April 20, 2007 by cathyy

[steffi]

Sounds like DRM to me but have you tried a Mac? Maybe the rootkit they are using doesn't work on the Mac unless it's the Sony one I guess.

I know DRM is probably a taboo subject - so I don't want to know about cracks... (and I can use google myself anyway)

I'm just pissed off because when I bought the CD, I double-checked for the compact disc symbol on the packaging (which is supposed to mean it's a "proper" CD.), but when I put it in my computer, it's not a music CD at all.

I thought it was illegal (or at least breaking licensing agreements) to put that logo on discs that aren't plain music CDs.

It does let me rip the tracks to my computer (as protected wma files), but I don't carry my computer around with me...

How am I supposed to get it onto my Ipod? Or is the music industry in Thailand unaware that Ipods exist (Apple have only sold 100 million of them - they're obviously not a big part of the market)

Should I simply give up on buying music here, and just buy in countries where the CD logo means something? (or should I just buy music at Pantip, where I'm certain I wouldn't have the same problems).

[bkk_mike]

Is it a vcd? If so, the music is embedded into the video files, and getting it separated out is a PITA, possible but you end up with mp3 files much larger than they should be. I actually replaced my first Thai cd purchase, because I had got the vcd not knowing any better. I did manage to get the tunes from it into iTunes, but decided buying the plain cd would be better so I did and replaced the messy files with sweet sweet iTune mp3s ripped at 192 bits.

But it sounds to me like it is exactly what you say, just a DRM protected cd. Yeah, you're right about the logo, and Philips has threatened to sue over the abuse of it. I guess Google is your friend, indeed. I recall reading somewhere that .wma has been cracked.

Can you do us all a favor and post the name of the company that made the cd so we may avoid purchasing anything from them and being similarly ripped off?

It's NOT a VCD. (although I have had the same problem with a VCD in the past - having it's own software on it..) - but then I don't have a video Ipod, so that didn't annoy me as much.

The company is Grammy - so it's not exactly a small Thai label. (but I will concede that, checking the small print on the back, it does say this CD will ONLY play in a CD player, or in a computer.)

Googled a little - and I now have the files in mp3, so it's not like they've actually succeeded in stopping me putting it on my Ipod... However, it's gone the long way to an mp3 via the wma files, so there's probably some artifacts there that I wouldn't have got with a proper CD. And it's been annoyingly time-consuming.

All they've really succeeded in doing is pissing me off with this crap. Which simply means the next time I'm looking to buy a Thai music CD, I'll be very carefully reading the back of the case, not trusting the CD logo, and if it's another one of these bastardisations of a music CD - I simply won't buy it.

[kburn]

do a search for a program called "AnyDVD". that should work.