What's new

Chartbuster Offering Music On SD Cards?!?!

Joe, did you see that Ace is selling their own players designed to play the SDs? That seems to be part of the "exclusive" thing.


I did. I think that offering their own SD designed players is their version of "Plausible Deniability" in regard to PC transfer as well.
 
Use thumb and external drives all the time access to a file takes no more time for me than it does on a regular CD! If you know the track number on a CD you select that track if you know the track number or name of the song on a mp3 disc SD card or thumb drive you select that track and play, same difference!

Steve, what model player do you use for this? I have only tried it on a V2GO, Mixsonic, and VocoPro- admittedly none of which are top end players. All very slow to load from the drive.

Do you have one of the earlier equipped Pioneers from the original factory? I've heard those are much quicker... Supposedly the V2Go's technology was supposed to match this machine, but I have serious doubts about that.
 
Steve, what model player do you use for this? I have only tried it on a V2GO, Mixsonic, and VocoPro- admittedly none of which are top end players. All very slow to load from the drive.

Do you have one of the earlier equipped Pioneers from the original factory? I've heard those are much quicker... Supposedly the V2Go's technology was supposed to match this machine, but I have serious doubts about that.

Not using a player, using a computer as the player!

The players I have are all Pioneer but none that I am aware of are capable of playing MP3 disc, Thumb drives or SD cards. The computer however has no problem playing from any of the formats mentioned in this thread!
 
A-Yup! At least until they decide to lock up on you 30 min. from the end of the show. And then decides to take it's own sweet time to shut down and power back up.:yahpullhair:
 
Not using a player, using a computer as the player!

The players I have are all Pioneer but none that I am aware of are capable of playing MP3 disc, Thumb drives or SD cards. The computer however has no problem playing from any of the formats mentioned in this thread!

Ah. That's different. I was talking about SD cards in use with players such as the one Ace was offering to go with the CB tracks...to repeat, I think this is just an effort at Plausible Deniability. Otherwise one could claim that the cards were explicitly made for use with a PC, which would technically be a no-no.

The the player is AVAILABLE, as are the others that I mentioned, they are so slow to load that I don't think a host would REALLY use one.
 
Not quite. SC, of course, won't admit that the GEM series was made especially for transfer to PC

Huh? They have marketed them that way since day one.

From the GEM FAQ:

"For Professional Karaoke Jockeys, the set-up of choice for Karaoke shows has become MP3G files played back from a hard drive system. Unfortunately, until now, there has not been a legal source of Sound Choice MP3G files."

"The GEM Series from Sound Choice has 6000 top performed songs available on 30 song discs with MP3G files already ripped and ready for you! These are 320 kbps files for optimum sound quality and file size and include the metadata for easy organization of your song library.

"If you intend to format or media shift the song tracks from a CDG to a hard drive system (a lap top computer, for example), we will issue you a “Covenant Not to Sue” document for making the shift (and creating a new copy)"


http://www.soundchoicestore.com/gem-faq-karaoke-pg-64.html
 
I've had limited experience with SD cards on players. I'm with Joe. They are slow and not really all that practical. On a computer, though....
 
Huh? They have marketed them that way since day one.

From the GEM FAQ:

"For Professional Karaoke Jockeys, the set-up of choice for Karaoke shows has become MP3G files played back from a hard drive system. Unfortunately, until now, there has not been a legal source of Sound Choice MP3G files."

"The GEM Series from Sound Choice has 6000 top performed songs available on 30 song discs with MP3G files already ripped and ready for you! These are 320 kbps files for optimum sound quality and file size and include the metadata for easy organization of your song library.

"If you intend to format or media shift the song tracks from a CDG to a hard drive system (a lap top computer, for example), we will issue you a “Covenant Not to Sue” document for making the shift (and creating a new copy)"


http://www.soundchoicestore.com/gem-faq-karaoke-pg-64.html

Agreed. My point was that they also leave themselves covered in the gray area of transfer (copying) to PC by putting them on discs. This way, if the Fed ever bothers them they can claim that since the disc can be used on a player, transferring the tracks to a PC is the KJ's choice, leaving THE KJ with the sole responsibility of the computer copy ( technically making it a "counterfeit", which is how SC makes use of the logo displayed from a PC hook), in case someone starts litigation against it.

By offering a PLAYER with their SD cards ( and I'm only assuming that CB has authorized and produced these cards- I haven't read anything directly from them yet, only from ACE) CB does the same thing.

I'm also not sure ( again assuming that CB produced these cards) how well they can be used to prove 1:1 for CB. So far, I don't have any info in regard a registration process for them of any sort, nor have I heard of any copy safe / encryption process as posted earlier.

That's really the main reason for this thread. I'm hoping someone out there may have more information on this particular product. The two more obvious sources ( Ace and CB ) have yet to be forthcoming about it.
 
I just called CB and spoke with Gretchen. She says the SD cards ARE legit and that they just haven't put them up on the site yet, but will be doing so soon. So there you have it!
 
I just called CB and spoke with Gretchen. She says the SD cards ARE legit and that they just haven't put them up on the site yet, but will be doing so soon. So there you have it!


THANK YOU! Some solid fact at last! I was dumb enough to try it by e-mail. Did she mention anything else in regard to possible requirements of purchase?
 
Did you happen to ask if they were "legit" for commercial use, also?
 
She didn't mention anything about requirements for purchase and I didn't think to ask about "commercial purposes". I'm in the "other camp" on that one, so it doesn't really concern me! LOL
Sounds to me like you will just be able to purchase like any disc....
 
... so it doesn't really concern me! LOL
Sounds to me like you will just be able to purchase like any disc....

It concerns me.

I will have no way to know if someone legitimately owns the file they ask me to play from their SC card or flash drive.

Will there be a 1:1 copy limit?

Someone mentioned a "self-destruct" type copy protection.

Chartbuster must have thought about how they were going to introduce this product to the market. How much stock do they own in Acesonic? Why no PR about this move?
 
Mr. Grimes of Chartbuster had this to say on the "other" forum:

"We're developing the SD Card line and distributing it through retailers, though we have cut no exclusive deals. I think you'll find they are a good value. You should soon see quite a few of our larger collections available on this format.

All of our physical product is available for show use. However, I must point out that we cannot confer a license that is not ours to give, as I've pointed out elsewhere on this site."
 
All of our physical product is available for show use. However, I must point out that we cannot confer a license that is not ours to give, as I've pointed out elsewhere on this site."

One thing to keep in mind - is that there is no such restriction on playing a retail product in a public performance. You are simply liable for the perofrmance royalty just as you would be with any other score. That royalty does not accrue to karaoke manufacturers - it goes to the authors and publishers of the original underlying work (typically through ASCAP & BMI.)

SC and CB seem to love throwing out this warning about "mystery licenses" - when in fact, ANYTHING released to the public by retail channel is playable WITHOUT restriction in a public performance.

Format shifting - even in a commercial venue is no longer considered to be enforceable in court (Hence the reason CB & SC are willing to let it slide if you are 1:1) despite what the manufacturer might print on the disc. (Undisclosed post-purchase adhesion.)

SC in particular has chosen "trademark" because in court simple format shifting would be a losing copyright argument; except where a lessor has signed a pre-purchase contract such as that required for the GEM series. In which case, it becomes a contract breach and not a copyright issue.
 
In other words they are putting the liability on the consumer like the GEM series.

They authorize use and dupilication of the SD card and the logo only... Any UN-authorized use or duplication of anybody elses copyright protected material is not their concern.
 
In other words they are putting the liability on the consumer like the GEM series.

They authorize use and dupilication of the SD card and the logo only... Any UN-authorized use or duplication of anybody elses copyright protected material is not their concern.


Exactly. All responsibility for these products would now rest squarely on the KJ's shoulders. Safety for the manufacturer, it's the KJ's butt.

I think it's actually a good idea if I was a karaoke music producer. As a Karaoke Host, I think I'll stick to my discs. A happy Luddite.
 
Exactly. All responsibility for these products would now rest squarely on the KJ's shoulders. Safety for the manufacturer, it's the KJ's butt.

I think it's actually a good idea if I was a karaoke music producer. As a Karaoke Host, I think I'll stick to my discs. A happy Luddite.

But wouldn't you have exactly the same problem! The only ones who are going to be checking for the producers and artist will be ASCAP/BMI and as long as those fees are paid by the venue they won't much care how you are playing them.
 
But wouldn't you have exactly the same problem! The only ones who are going to be checking for the producers and artist will be ASCAP/BMI and as long as those fees are paid by the venue they won't much care how you are playing them.

No it wouldn't be the same problem!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


(how many times do you have to use an exclamation point?!!!!!!!!!!)
 
Back
Top