In article ,
Arny Krueger wrote:
Also, dual-use CD-R media is becoming common.
Meaning exactly what?
Meaning that I can buy compatible audio/data cd-r media at Walmart (or
elsewhere) for little to no additional cost. Instead of stating "Audio" or
"Data" on the package, it says instead "Dual-Use".
Oh yes. I've used audio CDs for recording data and it always works. I had to
educate my children that data CDs worked for music in their PCs. One
actually bought me a pack as a Christmas present. The price premium isn't
that bad any more.
Sure.
The primary technical difference between "consumer audio digital
recording media", and generic CD-R discs, is a small bit of data
encoded into the premastering area. Audio discs have a type code of
"unrestricted use", while generic data CDs have a type code of
"restricted use, general purpose".
Consumer-audio audio CD recorders check the media code in the ATIP
data, and won't burn to a "restricted use" disc.
I've never seen a computer CD-R burner which cared about the
difference (although almost all can read out the ATIP data on software
command).
There need not be (and often aren't) any other physical or technical
differences between the two types of discs.
In some cases (I don't know how many) the consumer-audio discs may be
optimized for burning at lower speeds, using thicker longer-laser-
exposure dyes. In most cases, though, I believe that they're made
with the same sorts of dyes, on the same equipment, as generic data
CDs - only the ATIP data molded into the pregroove wobble on the
stamper is different.
The price differential doesn't need to be high... the AHRA royalty
rate on digital audio recording media is 3% of the transfer price
(think "wholesale"). The retail difference is usually much higher,
but this has a lot more to do with marketing and distribution issues
(and "what the traffic will bear") than it does with the legal
obligation to pay royalty.
--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Friends of Jade Warrior home page:
http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
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