Re: arsclist Fw: [MLA-L] Recordable CDs

[Mike Richter <mrichter@xxxxxxx>]

At 07:12 PM 10/30/2002 -0800, Paul T. Jackson wrote:
> Please respond directly to Eric.
>
> Paul T. Jackson - Trescott Research
> Information & Library Development
> trescott@xxxxxxxxx
> http://www.bookbay.com/PioneersInBrass.htm
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Eric Harbeson" <kiteeatingtree@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <MLA-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2002 2:52 PM
> Subject: [MLA-L] Recordable CDs
>
>
> | Hi All,
> |
> | This question is really only for personal use- it is on-topic only
> | because it seems like the sort of thing whose answer: (a) might be
> | relevant to some libraries out there and, (b) might be known to someone
> | in this forum:
> |
> | Does anybody know whether there is a major difference between recordable
> | CDs where the Compact Disc logo includes the words "Digital Audio," and
> | those where it doesn't?
> |
> | The CD recorder in question is not one that is tied to a computer, but
> | rather to a component stereo system.  The instructions show the "Digital
> | Audio" logo where they indicate which CDs to use, and I figure that's
> | probably for a good reason.  Still, the ones that just say "Compact
> | Disc" are appealing since they are available in bulk and in bulk prices
> | are considerably cheaper.  I'd love it if someone who knows about such
> | things could tell me I could use the cheaper ones :-)
> |
> | Feel free to reply off-list or on.  Thanks much for any help!

"Digital Audio" is the notation for discs which pay royalties to music 
publishers. The information is encoded into the ATIP of the disc and a 
consumer standalone recorder requires such discs. Semi-professional 
standalone recorders do not require the "Digital Audio" discs.

From here it becomes a bit complicated. Initially, there was no difference 
at all between discs with the "Digital Audio" logo and conventional blanks 
except for the coding in the ATIP. However, unlike computer-based 
recorders, stanadalones are designed to record in real time. Therefore 
media for those recorders must be capable of at least reasonable recording 
quality at 1x where most modern computer blanks are not. On write-once 
blanks, the difference is significant and in some cases may be substantial, 
but for erasables, it is critical. That's because there have been two (now 
three) different alloys used in those discs and any blank which can be 
written at more than 4x *cannot* be written at less than 4x. So if one has 
a recorder which writes erasables at lower speeds, one can at least count 
on being able to buy them by paying the premium for erasable discs.

There is a bit more information on this in the primer at my WWW site.

Mike

mrichter@xxxxxxx
http://www.mrichter.com/


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