You have so many places in which you can put audio files these days. Before, sound was only available on vinyl records, cassettes, or the much-maligned 8-track cartridge. Now you can find songs on CDs, DVDs, and portable audio players; online; on your cell phone; and just about anywhere else a little bit of circuitry and a speaker can be crammed in. This is one of the biggest advantages of digital sound - portability. Digital songs can be copied and moved quite easily, in most cases without losing any of the original sound quality.
The following are examples of where you can store your sound files on your computer:
* Hard drive: Storage of sound files requires some type of drive. You've probably heard the term hard drive associated with computers. This is the internal device that stores the majority of files and data on your computer. The hard drive can store the most amount of data in a small amount of physical space, which is why most of the popular portable audio devices use this component to store large amounts of songs. It's also the most expensive storage device in overall cost, but the cost per gigabyte is quite small. You pay a hundred or more dollars for a hard drive, but you get more memory than a flash drive at a comparable cost.
* Optical discs: Optical discs, like CDs and DVDs, can handle large amounts of data (up to 700MB and 4.7GB, respectively), and they're much cheaper forms of storage compared to a hard drive. You can also burn optical discs as data CDs (which hold files to be read by a computer or another device) or music CDs (which play in a standard CD player). The two are not always compatible, however. Older CD players can't read computer files.
Flash memory: Flash memory is relatively small compared to the previous two storage devices, and it's impossible to accidentally skip ahead or move back the player while moving. For that reason, it's a popular choice among portable players that are meant to be used while exercising - the extra movement might disrupt other players, but not this one.
Moving data to and from all of these devices is relatively simple. You connect a wire from the computer to the device, or perhaps you use your Internet connection to download a file. The devices simply exchange a series of numbers that can later be read by a player or portable device. Or, in the case of streaming media, the data is read as soon as it is received. The moving or copying does not reduce the quality of the sound, because digital copies don't degrade. Furthermore, no physical parts can degrade.
Of course, like most technologies, the process of transferring music is more difficult in practice than in theory. Each device is built around one or two types of connections, and many are available. Most players are built around standard connections called USB (or Universal Serial Bus) or FireWire, which allows high rates of data to be transmitted quickly from device to device.
Look for computers and devices that can handle both types of connections. This will make your life much easier when you're trying to find the right connector cable.
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/storing-and-transferring-music-files/153234;_ylt=Arzl9ZzjZHWJqEbqvxpqztYSLpA5
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Using Existing Gear for a New Home Theater
A question that comes across most people's minds when they look to upgrade to a home theater is whether they can use any of their existing A/V gear in their new home theater.
The answer usually is, "Well, you probably can, but you lose a lot by doing so (unless the gear is less than 2 years old, and in some cases, even that's too old)." If you're thinking about using existing equipment, consider the following:
* TVs: If it's smaller than a 27-inch display, why bother? Home theater needs a big-screen display for maximum effect. The most important thing to consider when reviewing the capabilities of your old TV is this: Can it display HD (high-definition) pictures? If not, then consider an upgrade. Also, check for features such as picture-in-picture, and make sure your TV has the right kinds of inputs to accept the latest and greatest source devices. Look for High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) or Digital Video Interface (DVI) inputs.
TV size requirements are actually a mix of three things: the size of the display, the display's resolution (or number of individual picture elements that make up the picture on your screen), and your viewing distance from the screen. For most home theaters, a bigger display is better, but if you're planning to view the screen from a relatively short distance (a few feet, for example), you may be better off with a relatively small screen.
* Receivers: Chances are your receiver is an audio (stereo) receiver, which probably doesn't have surround sound processing capability, inputs for video gear, or built-in amplifiers for your surround sound speakers. You can use an audio-only receiver as an amplifier to drive some speakers, but if you want to listen to the latest surround sound capabilities, which are encoded on most DVDs, you'll need a new audio/video receiver, period. What's more, if you have a lot of video sources, you're going to want to switch among them - and for that, you need a receiver with sophisticated video switching.
* VCRs: As long as your VCR is a VHS HiFi VCR, it's just fine. But it can't replace a DVD player, which has about four times the picture resolution of a VCR (meaning the picture is about twice as sharp and detailed).
* CD players: Your CD player will probably work fine with your home theater setup. Depending on your space constraints, however, you might just use your DVD player to play your CDs because it can.
* DVD players: Your DVD player will probably play fine in your new home theater, but if it can't record, you'll miss out. With the latest personal video recorders (PVRs), you can archive and offload all sorts of content to DVDs, and for that, you want a DVD player/recorder to burn the DVDs. Keep in mind that you can often use a PC (with the right software onboard) to record DVDs, too.
* Speakers: Your current speakers might not be very useful unless it's a set of speakers, not ones that you piece together. Speakers work in tandem and therefore should have a similar foundation of performance. If you have a pair of stereo speakers that you can match into a complete set of surround sound speakers from the same manufacturer, you may be able to use what you have. (Be sure to choose additional speakers that are timbre-matched with your existing speakers.)
* Other stuff: Most other gear can work with your system - turntables, cassette decks, laser disc players, and so on. You can usually plug them in and play them without problems.
* Internet connection: Okay, your Internet connection isn't gear in the traditional sense, but still, if you're using a dialup connection, you should seriously consider upgrading to broadband if you want your home theater to take advantage of the Internet. As present and future consumer devices become increasingly reliant on the Internet for accessing information and content, you'll need a broadband connection to download this content.
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/using-existing-gear-for-a-new-home-theater/200235;_ylt=AiRoqejsF0sjpYrzgbeZLwgSLpA5
The answer usually is, "Well, you probably can, but you lose a lot by doing so (unless the gear is less than 2 years old, and in some cases, even that's too old)." If you're thinking about using existing equipment, consider the following:
* TVs: If it's smaller than a 27-inch display, why bother? Home theater needs a big-screen display for maximum effect. The most important thing to consider when reviewing the capabilities of your old TV is this: Can it display HD (high-definition) pictures? If not, then consider an upgrade. Also, check for features such as picture-in-picture, and make sure your TV has the right kinds of inputs to accept the latest and greatest source devices. Look for High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) or Digital Video Interface (DVI) inputs.
TV size requirements are actually a mix of three things: the size of the display, the display's resolution (or number of individual picture elements that make up the picture on your screen), and your viewing distance from the screen. For most home theaters, a bigger display is better, but if you're planning to view the screen from a relatively short distance (a few feet, for example), you may be better off with a relatively small screen.
* Receivers: Chances are your receiver is an audio (stereo) receiver, which probably doesn't have surround sound processing capability, inputs for video gear, or built-in amplifiers for your surround sound speakers. You can use an audio-only receiver as an amplifier to drive some speakers, but if you want to listen to the latest surround sound capabilities, which are encoded on most DVDs, you'll need a new audio/video receiver, period. What's more, if you have a lot of video sources, you're going to want to switch among them - and for that, you need a receiver with sophisticated video switching.
* VCRs: As long as your VCR is a VHS HiFi VCR, it's just fine. But it can't replace a DVD player, which has about four times the picture resolution of a VCR (meaning the picture is about twice as sharp and detailed).
* CD players: Your CD player will probably work fine with your home theater setup. Depending on your space constraints, however, you might just use your DVD player to play your CDs because it can.
* DVD players: Your DVD player will probably play fine in your new home theater, but if it can't record, you'll miss out. With the latest personal video recorders (PVRs), you can archive and offload all sorts of content to DVDs, and for that, you want a DVD player/recorder to burn the DVDs. Keep in mind that you can often use a PC (with the right software onboard) to record DVDs, too.
* Speakers: Your current speakers might not be very useful unless it's a set of speakers, not ones that you piece together. Speakers work in tandem and therefore should have a similar foundation of performance. If you have a pair of stereo speakers that you can match into a complete set of surround sound speakers from the same manufacturer, you may be able to use what you have. (Be sure to choose additional speakers that are timbre-matched with your existing speakers.)
* Other stuff: Most other gear can work with your system - turntables, cassette decks, laser disc players, and so on. You can usually plug them in and play them without problems.
* Internet connection: Okay, your Internet connection isn't gear in the traditional sense, but still, if you're using a dialup connection, you should seriously consider upgrading to broadband if you want your home theater to take advantage of the Internet. As present and future consumer devices become increasingly reliant on the Internet for accessing information and content, you'll need a broadband connection to download this content.
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/using-existing-gear-for-a-new-home-theater/200235;_ylt=AiRoqejsF0sjpYrzgbeZLwgSLpA5
Storing Audio Files on Your PC
With music now available online, storing songs, sites, graphics, or whatever else suits your fancy is a nice, clean digital affair. Your hard drive will probably suffice for most of your storage needs.
Purchase the largest hard drive you can afford. You can easily fill up the space - especially if you get addicted to games, which require a great deal of storage space. Like RAM - you'll never have too much hard drive space.
Floppy disks are a problem. One MP3 song, for example, can weigh in at about 4.5MB. A floppy can hold only about 1.4MB. That's a squeeze. Though you may try to compress a song, floppies don't really make a lot of sense for these kinds of things and are becoming obsolete anyway.
At some point, you probably want to take your tunes on the road. For more general, transportable storage needs, a portable storage device like a USB flash drive is a nice way to travel. These solid-state wonders have no moving parts to wear out, and can store anywhere from 128MB to a whopping 1GB in a form factor that's about the size of a keychain. Plus, a USB 2.0 model can transfer an entire album's worth of songs in under 15 seconds!
Another medium for storing your MP3 and other computer sound files is the recordable CD or DVD. You can get yourself a CD or DVD recorder and, with the right software, burn audio CDs that you can play in most conventional CD players. You're limited to putting up to 80 minutes of audio on each disc.
If you store MP3 files as data files, you can get tons of songs (up to 700MB worth) on a single CD. However, if you go that route, you can't play the discs in older CD players (though more and more new CD and DVD players have the ability to play MP3 files).
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/storing-audio-files-on-your-pc/153095;_ylt=AtlwlVrhbmPXhAIdtZkEfnsSLpA5
Purchase the largest hard drive you can afford. You can easily fill up the space - especially if you get addicted to games, which require a great deal of storage space. Like RAM - you'll never have too much hard drive space.
Floppy disks are a problem. One MP3 song, for example, can weigh in at about 4.5MB. A floppy can hold only about 1.4MB. That's a squeeze. Though you may try to compress a song, floppies don't really make a lot of sense for these kinds of things and are becoming obsolete anyway.
At some point, you probably want to take your tunes on the road. For more general, transportable storage needs, a portable storage device like a USB flash drive is a nice way to travel. These solid-state wonders have no moving parts to wear out, and can store anywhere from 128MB to a whopping 1GB in a form factor that's about the size of a keychain. Plus, a USB 2.0 model can transfer an entire album's worth of songs in under 15 seconds!
Another medium for storing your MP3 and other computer sound files is the recordable CD or DVD. You can get yourself a CD or DVD recorder and, with the right software, burn audio CDs that you can play in most conventional CD players. You're limited to putting up to 80 minutes of audio on each disc.
If you store MP3 files as data files, you can get tons of songs (up to 700MB worth) on a single CD. However, if you go that route, you can't play the discs in older CD players (though more and more new CD and DVD players have the ability to play MP3 files).
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/storing-audio-files-on-your-pc/153095;_ylt=AtlwlVrhbmPXhAIdtZkEfnsSLpA5
Connecting Your iPod to a Home Stereo
Home stereo systems come in many shapes and sizes, from an audiophile's monster component racks to a kid's itty-bitty boom box. We're not talking about alarm-clock radios, but stereos with speakers that allow you to add another input device, such as a portable CD player.
Component-style stereo systems typically include a receiver (which offers a preamp/amplifier with a volume control, and a tuner to receive FM radio). Some separate these functions into separate components - such as a preamp, an amplifier, and a tuner. To find a place to connect your iPod or computer to a home stereo, look for RCA-type connections that are marked AUX IN (for auxiliary input), CD IN (for connecting a CD player), or TAPE IN (for tape deck input). All-in-one stereos and boom boxes that are all one piece typically don't have connections for audio input, although there are exceptions - look at the back and sides of the unit for any RCA-type connections.
You can connect a CD or tape player to most stereos with RCA-type cables - one (typically red or black) for the right channel, and one (typically white if the other is black, or white or black if the other is red) for the left channel. All you need is a cable with a stereo mini-plug on one end, and RCA-type connectors on the other, as shown in Figure 1. Stereo mini-plugs have two black bands on the plug, but a mono mini-plug has only one black band.
Figure 1: RCA-type connectors (left) and a stereo mini-plug (right).
The Monster high-performance iCable for iPod (formerly called the Monster Cable) offers high-quality sound for the discerning listener with excellent stereo equipment.
Connect the stereo mini-plug to the iPod dock headphone/line-out connection, or to the headphone/line-out connection on the top of the iPod. Connect the left and right connectors to the stereo system's audio input - whatever connections are available, such as AUX IN (for auxiliary input); TAPE IN (for tape deck input); or CD IN (for CD player input).
Don't use the PHONO IN connection (for phonograph input) on most stereos. These connections are for phonographs (turntables) and aren't properly matched for other kinds of input devices. If you do this, you might get a loud buzzing sound that could damage your speakers.
You can control the volume from the iPod by using the scroll wheel, or from an iPod shuffle by using the volume control. This controls the volume of the signal from the iPod. Stereo systems typically have their own volume control to raise or lower the volume of the amplified speakers. For optimal sound quality when using a home stereo, set the iPod volume at less than half the maximum output and adjust your listening volume by using your stereo controls. By doing this, you prevent over-amplification, which can cause distortion and reduce audio quality.
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/listening-to-cds-on-your-computer/153087;_ylt=An.x.xEVSvT7rsSrANju75cSLpA5
Tuning In to Satellite and Internet Radio on Your Home Theater System
The iPod is, essentially, a hard drive and a digital music player in one device. That device is such a thing of beauty and style and so highly recognizable by now that all Apple needs to do in an advertisement is show it all by itself. Even the 60GB iPod weighs less than two CDs in standard jewel cases, and iPod mini is smaller than a cell phone and weighs just 3.6 ounces.
The convenience of carrying music on an iPod is phenomenal. For example, the 60GB iPod model can hold around 15,000 songs. That's about a month of nonstop music played around the clock - or about one new song a day for the next 40 years. And with the iPod's built-in skip protection in every model, you don't miss a beat as you jog through the park or your car hits a pothole.
Although Apple has every right to continue to promote its Macintosh computers, the company saw the wisdom of making the iPod compatible with Windows PCs. Every iPod now comes with the software that you need to make it work with Windows systems as well as Macintosh OS X.
A common misconception is that your iPod becomes your music library. Actually, your iPod is simply another player for your music library, which is safely stored on your computer. One considerable benefit of digital music technology is that you can use your computer to serve up your music library and make perfect-quality copies.
Copy as much of it as you want onto your iPod, and take it on the road. Two decades from now those digital songs will be the same in quality - the music won't be trapped on a cassette or CD that can degrade over time (CDs can stop working after 15-20 years). The wonderfully remixed, remastered, reconstituted version of your favorite album can be copied over and over forever, just like the rest of your information, and it never loses its sound fidelity. If you save your music in digital format, you will never lose a song and have to buy it again.
The iPod experience includes iTunes (or, in older-generation models, Musicmatch Jukebox), which lets you organize your music in digital form, make copies, burn CDs, and play disc jockey without discs. Suddenly your music world includes online music stores and free music downloads. Without iTunes (or Musicmatch Jukebox), your iPod is merely an external hard drive. As a result of using iTunes (or Musicmatch Jukebox), your music library is more permanent than it ever was before because you can make backup copies that are absolutely the same in quality.
You'll spend only about ten seconds copying an entire CD's worth of music from iTunes on your computer to your iPod. Any iPod can play any song in the most popular digital audio formats, including MP3, AIFF, WAV, and Apple's AAC format, which features CD-quality audio in smaller file sizes than MP3. The iPod also supports the Audible AA spoken word file format.
The iPod is also a data player, perhaps the first of its kind. As an external hard drive, the iPod serves as a portable backup device for important data files. You can transfer your calendar and address book to help manage your affairs on the road, and you can even use calendar event alarms to supplement your iPod's alarm and sleep timer. Although the iPod isn't as fully functional as a personal digital assistance (PDA) - for example, you can't add information directly to the device - you can view the information. You can keep your calendar and address book automatically synchronized to your computer, where you normally add and edit information.
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/putting-your-ipod-to-work-for-you/153230;_ylt=AuZnVqhxI4B.kbghkIXHwroSLpA5
The convenience of carrying music on an iPod is phenomenal. For example, the 60GB iPod model can hold around 15,000 songs. That's about a month of nonstop music played around the clock - or about one new song a day for the next 40 years. And with the iPod's built-in skip protection in every model, you don't miss a beat as you jog through the park or your car hits a pothole.
Although Apple has every right to continue to promote its Macintosh computers, the company saw the wisdom of making the iPod compatible with Windows PCs. Every iPod now comes with the software that you need to make it work with Windows systems as well as Macintosh OS X.
A common misconception is that your iPod becomes your music library. Actually, your iPod is simply another player for your music library, which is safely stored on your computer. One considerable benefit of digital music technology is that you can use your computer to serve up your music library and make perfect-quality copies.
Copy as much of it as you want onto your iPod, and take it on the road. Two decades from now those digital songs will be the same in quality - the music won't be trapped on a cassette or CD that can degrade over time (CDs can stop working after 15-20 years). The wonderfully remixed, remastered, reconstituted version of your favorite album can be copied over and over forever, just like the rest of your information, and it never loses its sound fidelity. If you save your music in digital format, you will never lose a song and have to buy it again.
The iPod experience includes iTunes (or, in older-generation models, Musicmatch Jukebox), which lets you organize your music in digital form, make copies, burn CDs, and play disc jockey without discs. Suddenly your music world includes online music stores and free music downloads. Without iTunes (or Musicmatch Jukebox), your iPod is merely an external hard drive. As a result of using iTunes (or Musicmatch Jukebox), your music library is more permanent than it ever was before because you can make backup copies that are absolutely the same in quality.
You'll spend only about ten seconds copying an entire CD's worth of music from iTunes on your computer to your iPod. Any iPod can play any song in the most popular digital audio formats, including MP3, AIFF, WAV, and Apple's AAC format, which features CD-quality audio in smaller file sizes than MP3. The iPod also supports the Audible AA spoken word file format.
The iPod is also a data player, perhaps the first of its kind. As an external hard drive, the iPod serves as a portable backup device for important data files. You can transfer your calendar and address book to help manage your affairs on the road, and you can even use calendar event alarms to supplement your iPod's alarm and sleep timer. Although the iPod isn't as fully functional as a personal digital assistance (PDA) - for example, you can't add information directly to the device - you can view the information. You can keep your calendar and address book automatically synchronized to your computer, where you normally add and edit information.
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/putting-your-ipod-to-work-for-you/153230;_ylt=AuZnVqhxI4B.kbghkIXHwroSLpA5
Meeting Musicmatch Jukebox
Some software performs a single task, stops, and lets another program take over. CD rippers, for example, copy music from your CD onto your hard drive. The encoders then go to work, converting the extracted WAV files into MP3s.
Musicmatch Jukebox by contrast, plans the menu, cooks the meal, and delivers it to the table. When you insert the CD and click a button, a window appears, listing the song titles. Click the songs you want encoded, and the software automatically converts them into MP3s.
The program can even record files from albums, stopping to separate record tracks into separate songs. It converts MP3s into WAV files and then burns them onto a CD for you to play in your car or home stereo. It can even download MP3s into your portable MP3 player.
Looking for Internet radio stations? Musicmatch not only tunes them in, but also creates them based on your personal tastes. To sample the best that MP3 has to offer, you needn't go further than Musicmatch.
Musicmatch Jukebox works on any version of Windows from Windows 98 through Windows XP, but you need a Pentium III or Pentium 4 processor and at least 128MB of RAM. If your system doesn't meet these specifications, the software will probably give up during the installation process. Finally, some older CD-ROM drives can't handle ripping. If your drive has trouble, it may need an upgrade.
Two different versions of Musicmatch are available: The Basic version is free, and the Plus version sets you back a one-time fee. (Of course, the Plus version offers all sorts of enhanced features, like faster ripping and CD burning, the ability to print labels, and even a built-in slideshow mode that displays images with your music.)
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/meeting-musicmatch-jukebox/153223;_ylt=AjCuNIAsE8St7O3UcDHn4nESLpA5
Musicmatch Jukebox by contrast, plans the menu, cooks the meal, and delivers it to the table. When you insert the CD and click a button, a window appears, listing the song titles. Click the songs you want encoded, and the software automatically converts them into MP3s.
The program can even record files from albums, stopping to separate record tracks into separate songs. It converts MP3s into WAV files and then burns them onto a CD for you to play in your car or home stereo. It can even download MP3s into your portable MP3 player.
Looking for Internet radio stations? Musicmatch not only tunes them in, but also creates them based on your personal tastes. To sample the best that MP3 has to offer, you needn't go further than Musicmatch.
Musicmatch Jukebox works on any version of Windows from Windows 98 through Windows XP, but you need a Pentium III or Pentium 4 processor and at least 128MB of RAM. If your system doesn't meet these specifications, the software will probably give up during the installation process. Finally, some older CD-ROM drives can't handle ripping. If your drive has trouble, it may need an upgrade.
Two different versions of Musicmatch are available: The Basic version is free, and the Plus version sets you back a one-time fee. (Of course, the Plus version offers all sorts of enhanced features, like faster ripping and CD burning, the ability to print labels, and even a built-in slideshow mode that displays images with your music.)
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/meeting-musicmatch-jukebox/153223;_ylt=AjCuNIAsE8St7O3UcDHn4nESLpA5
Recording a DVD Movie Disc
If you're feeling up to tackling advanced recording, you can create a basic DVD-Video. Suppose that you edited a series of short video clips with Adobe Premiere and saved them in MPEG format on your hard drive. The DVD should show the clips in order as soon as it's loaded.
Fortunately, Roxio's Easy Media Creator uses a separate program named DVD Builder to help simplify the creation of a Video CD. With DVD Builder, you can burn professional discs, complete with a basic menu system. The following steps walk you through the process of creating a DVD movie disc:
1. Choose Start --> All Programs --> Roxio --> DVD Builder to load the program.
The DVD Builder wizard runs automatically.
2. Select the DVD option button and click OK to continue.
Note that you can also capture a digital video stream from a DV camcorder or analog input, such as a VCR. If you're adding still images to your project, you can also include existing images from your hard drive or capture digital photographs directly from your digital camera. For right now, just add existing video clips, but you can switch to these other sources whenever you like.
3. Click the Add Intro Title link in the Edit Task Pane on the left side of the window.
The Add Media to Project dialog box appears.
4. Navigate to the folder in which you stored your MPEG files and digital photographs; click the desired clip or still image that should appear first in your video and then click Add.
DVD Builder adds the clip to your Production Editor pane as a thumbnail-size icon.
5. Add the rest of your clips and still images.
You can click the Open Media Selector link to choose additional clips and images. To add an item, drag it from the Media Selector dialog box to the empty frame at the end of the sequence.
If you want to insert an item, drop it in the desired frame, and DVD Builder shifts the rest of the items one frame to the right. To change the order of the items, just drag the offending thumbnail and drop it in its new location.
Note that DVD Builder keeps track of the amount of space that you've used with a bar display at the bottom of the window. You can toggle the estimated space between the different types of discs by clicking the Disc Size drop-down list box at the left end of the bar; click the type of disc that you want to record, and the status bar changes to reflect the capacity of the specified disc type.
Not quite sure about the contents of a video clip? Just double-click the clip's thumbnail icon to watch it in the Preview window, complete with the familiar controls from a typical DVD player program - these include pause and advance/rewind one frame.
If you add a clip or image by mistake, right-click the item to display the pop-up menu and click Delete to remove the element from your project.
6. To add a transition between items, click the Add Transitions link - DVD Builder displays a spiffy selection of transition thumbnails (see Figure 1) - and click the desired transition and drag it to the transition box between the two items.
Insert Figure 1: You can pick from a selection of Hollywood-quality transitions.
To view what a transition looks like before you add it, click the tiny Play button at the lower-right corner of any transition thumbnail in the Media Selector dialog box.
7. To preview your disc, click the Preview button at the top of the Edit Task Pane.
The program displays the high-tech control panel shown in Figure 2, complete with familiar controls like the buttons on a DVD player. Click the Intro button at the top of the control panel to begin the show.
Insert Figure 2: Previewing the goods before you record.
8. When you've finished your preview, click the Edit button at the top of the Edit Task pane and click the Big Orange Disc-on-Fire Burn button to continue.
From the Burn Setup dialog box (shown in Figure 3), you can select the drive to use for burning, and erase a rewritable (CD-RW, DVD-RAM, DVD+RW, or DVD-RW) disc. In most cases, you want to burn your project immediately, but you can also create a disc image file for later recording. DVD Builder automatically selects the default advanced settings to match the type of disc you're burning, so you're ready to go!
Insert Figure 3: Choosing recording options for a DVD project.
9. Load the correct type of media (a CD-R, DVD-R, or DVD+R disc - always use a write-once disc if you're burning a disc for an older DVD player) and click OK to start shoveling ones and zeroes to your drive.
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/recording-a-dvd-movie-disc/153146;_ylt=AkCskkPH52I7I4si022a7K0SLpA5
Fortunately, Roxio's Easy Media Creator uses a separate program named DVD Builder to help simplify the creation of a Video CD. With DVD Builder, you can burn professional discs, complete with a basic menu system. The following steps walk you through the process of creating a DVD movie disc:
1. Choose Start --> All Programs --> Roxio --> DVD Builder to load the program.
The DVD Builder wizard runs automatically.
2. Select the DVD option button and click OK to continue.
Note that you can also capture a digital video stream from a DV camcorder or analog input, such as a VCR. If you're adding still images to your project, you can also include existing images from your hard drive or capture digital photographs directly from your digital camera. For right now, just add existing video clips, but you can switch to these other sources whenever you like.
3. Click the Add Intro Title link in the Edit Task Pane on the left side of the window.
The Add Media to Project dialog box appears.
4. Navigate to the folder in which you stored your MPEG files and digital photographs; click the desired clip or still image that should appear first in your video and then click Add.
DVD Builder adds the clip to your Production Editor pane as a thumbnail-size icon.
5. Add the rest of your clips and still images.
You can click the Open Media Selector link to choose additional clips and images. To add an item, drag it from the Media Selector dialog box to the empty frame at the end of the sequence.
If you want to insert an item, drop it in the desired frame, and DVD Builder shifts the rest of the items one frame to the right. To change the order of the items, just drag the offending thumbnail and drop it in its new location.
Note that DVD Builder keeps track of the amount of space that you've used with a bar display at the bottom of the window. You can toggle the estimated space between the different types of discs by clicking the Disc Size drop-down list box at the left end of the bar; click the type of disc that you want to record, and the status bar changes to reflect the capacity of the specified disc type.
Not quite sure about the contents of a video clip? Just double-click the clip's thumbnail icon to watch it in the Preview window, complete with the familiar controls from a typical DVD player program - these include pause and advance/rewind one frame.
If you add a clip or image by mistake, right-click the item to display the pop-up menu and click Delete to remove the element from your project.
6. To add a transition between items, click the Add Transitions link - DVD Builder displays a spiffy selection of transition thumbnails (see Figure 1) - and click the desired transition and drag it to the transition box between the two items.
Insert
To view what a transition looks like before you add it, click the tiny Play button at the lower-right corner of any transition thumbnail in the Media Selector dialog box.
7. To preview your disc, click the Preview button at the top of the Edit Task Pane.
The program displays the high-tech control panel shown in Figure 2, complete with familiar controls like the buttons on a DVD player. Click the Intro button at the top of the control panel to begin the show.
Insert
8. When you've finished your preview, click the Edit button at the top of the Edit Task pane and click the Big Orange Disc-on-Fire Burn button to continue.
From the Burn Setup dialog box (shown in Figure 3), you can select the drive to use for burning, and erase a rewritable (CD-RW, DVD-RAM, DVD+RW, or DVD-RW) disc. In most cases, you want to burn your project immediately, but you can also create a disc image file for later recording. DVD Builder automatically selects the default advanced settings to match the type of disc you're burning, so you're ready to go!
Insert
9. Load the correct type of media (a CD-R, DVD-R, or DVD+R disc - always use a write-once disc if you're burning a disc for an older DVD player) and click OK to start shoveling ones and zeroes to your drive.
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/recording-a-dvd-movie-disc/153146;_ylt=AkCskkPH52I7I4si022a7K0SLpA5
Importing MP3 Audio to Your Digital Video
MP3 is one of the most common formats for sharing audio recordings today. MP3 is short for MPEG Layer 3, and MPEG is short for Motion Picture Experts Group, so really you can think of MP3 as an abbreviation of an abbreviation. The MP3 file format makes for very small files - you can easily store a lot of music on a hard drive or CD - and you can easily transfer those files over the Internet. What could be better for your video's soundtrack than a crisp, clear music file that you can easily put on your computer?
You may have some MP3 files already stored on your computer. If so, you can use those MP3 files for background music in your movie projects really easily:
* In iMovie: Pull MP3 files directly from your iTunes library into iMovie. Simply choose iTunes from the pull-down menu at the top of the audio pane.
* In Studio: Choose Album --> Sound Effects to show the sound-effects album. Click the folder icon and browse to the folder on your hard drive that contains the MP3 files you want to use. When a list of MP3 files appears in the album, simply drag and drop the files that you want on the background music track of your timeline.
You may find storing audio on your hard disk handy because you can more easily plop the audio into your movie projects. MP3 is a great format to use because the audio sounds about as good as CD audio, but it takes up a lot less storage space. You may hear the process of turning an audio file into an MP3 file sometimes called ripping or encoding.
Ripping MP3 files on a Mac
Apple has thoughtfully provided the capability to create MP3 files with its free audio-library-and-player program, iTunes (available on both Mac OS X and Windows). To download the latest version of iTunes, visit Apple.com and follow the instructions there.
After you install iTunes on your computer, you can copy audio onto your hard drive in MP3 format quite simply:
1. Insert an audio CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2. If iTunes doesn't launch automatically, open the program using the Dock or your Applications folder.
3. With the iTunes program window active, choose iTunes --> Preferences.
The iTunes Preferences dialog box opens.
4. Click the Importing button at the top of the Preferences dialog box.
5. Make sure that you select the MP3 Encoder in the Import Using menu and then click OK.
The iTunes Preferences dialog box closes, and you return to the main iTunes window.
6. Place check marks next to the songs that you want to import.
You can use the playback controls in the upper-left corner of the iTunes window to preview tracks.
7. Click Import in the upper-right corner of the iTunes window.
The songs import; the process may take several minutes. When it's done, you can access the imported songs through your iTunes library for use in iMovie projects.
Ripping MP3 files in Windows
Microsoft provides a free audio-player program called Windows Media Player - WMP for short. It comes with Windows, and you can download the latest version from WindowsMedia.com. WMP lets you copy music from audio CDs to your hard drive in a high-quality (yet compact) format. Unfortunately, as delivered, WMP does not rip files in MP3 format. Instead, it uses the Windows Media Audio (WMA) format.
Windows Media files are about as small as MP3 files, but it's a proprietary format: Most video-editing programs can't import WMA files directly. If you want to import music from CDs into a Studio movie project, you probably want to copy the music directly from within Studio.
If you really want to be able to copy music onto your PC hard drive in MP3 format, you can use iTunes for Windows - or, you can pick up a commercially available MP3 encoding program. You can find such programs at most electronics stores, and you can also download software from Web sites such as Tucows.
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/importing-mp3-audio-to-your-digital-video/153346;_ylt=AmqwZXSVo.k1b50AqKdaOnYSLpA5
You may have some MP3 files already stored on your computer. If so, you can use those MP3 files for background music in your movie projects really easily:
* In iMovie: Pull MP3 files directly from your iTunes library into iMovie. Simply choose iTunes from the pull-down menu at the top of the audio pane.
* In Studio: Choose Album --> Sound Effects to show the sound-effects album. Click the folder icon and browse to the folder on your hard drive that contains the MP3 files you want to use. When a list of MP3 files appears in the album, simply drag and drop the files that you want on the background music track of your timeline.
You may find storing audio on your hard disk handy because you can more easily plop the audio into your movie projects. MP3 is a great format to use because the audio sounds about as good as CD audio, but it takes up a lot less storage space. You may hear the process of turning an audio file into an MP3 file sometimes called ripping or encoding.
Ripping MP3 files on a Mac
Apple has thoughtfully provided the capability to create MP3 files with its free audio-library-and-player program, iTunes (available on both Mac OS X and Windows). To download the latest version of iTunes, visit Apple.com and follow the instructions there.
After you install iTunes on your computer, you can copy audio onto your hard drive in MP3 format quite simply:
1. Insert an audio CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2. If iTunes doesn't launch automatically, open the program using the Dock or your Applications folder.
3. With the iTunes program window active, choose iTunes --> Preferences.
The iTunes Preferences dialog box opens.
4. Click the Importing button at the top of the Preferences dialog box.
5. Make sure that you select the MP3 Encoder in the Import Using menu and then click OK.
The iTunes Preferences dialog box closes, and you return to the main iTunes window.
6. Place check marks next to the songs that you want to import.
You can use the playback controls in the upper-left corner of the iTunes window to preview tracks.
7. Click Import in the upper-right corner of the iTunes window.
The songs import; the process may take several minutes. When it's done, you can access the imported songs through your iTunes library for use in iMovie projects.
Ripping MP3 files in Windows
Microsoft provides a free audio-player program called Windows Media Player - WMP for short. It comes with Windows, and you can download the latest version from WindowsMedia.com. WMP lets you copy music from audio CDs to your hard drive in a high-quality (yet compact) format. Unfortunately, as delivered, WMP does not rip files in MP3 format. Instead, it uses the Windows Media Audio (WMA) format.
Windows Media files are about as small as MP3 files, but it's a proprietary format: Most video-editing programs can't import WMA files directly. If you want to import music from CDs into a Studio movie project, you probably want to copy the music directly from within Studio.
If you really want to be able to copy music onto your PC hard drive in MP3 format, you can use iTunes for Windows - or, you can pick up a commercially available MP3 encoding program. You can find such programs at most electronics stores, and you can also download software from Web sites such as Tucows.
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/importing-mp3-audio-to-your-digital-video/153346;_ylt=AmqwZXSVo.k1b50AqKdaOnYSLpA5
Confess! Will You Really Listen to Ads Before the Music?
I feel like I'm at Woodstock and they've just declared it a free concert! Universal Music announced that later this year it's going to make all of its sizable music collection available for free on an ad-supported web site.
The deal allows SpiralFrog, an online destination, to sell ads on the new music site and split the ad revenues with Universal. Listeners will register at the site, watch the ads, and then download the free music. It's been reported that the tracks can't be burned to a CD, but users will be able to transfer music to Windows-based portable media players. The iPod will not be supported.
The idea of ad-subsidized music, while novel to the music world, is already a big part of other online media, like online magazines. For example, Salon gives you the choice of watching a word from your sponsor or paying a fee.
So if you had a choice between spending 99 cents for a song or and watching an ad before downloading your free song, which poison would you pick? I'm thinking that the operative word is choice. Sometimes I've got the time and not the money; other times it's the reverse. I can see using the Universal service, but keeping my iTunes paid service well fed, too.
http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/raskin/1478;_ylt=AsCR8brykCu9E97QfaC.H_oSLpA5
Free Napster Music...well almost.
I just registered for a Napster account to see what all the buzz is about. Napster recently announced that it has made available its two million song catalog for free listening. By signing up for a free account on its ad-supported website, you're able to play any song—including those of major record labels—on-demand up to five times each. No credit cards, no plug-ins and no music player downloads. According to USA Today, Napster is able to support free music offerings thanks to online advertisers and approval from the record labels, who "will get a cut of the ad revenue."
So a "new" Napster is back and offering whole song sampling legally, instead of the short clips we're accustomed to. Being able to listen to a song up to five times is really not a bad deal, especially if you want to sample whole albums or new tunes before buying; gives you room for a little musical exploration. If you like the song, you can purchase the track for 99 cents or an album for $11.95.
Once you create an account for this Free Service, you can pretty much listen to anything on the site. The player allows you to fast forward through tracks, and plays the entire playlist or album continuously without any interruptions. As far as sound quality goes, it sounds worst than an Internet radio station. To be honest, I couldn't bear the sound for long. It was giving me a headache after five minutes. So yes, it's free, but the sound quality is not the best at 32kbps. After listening to a whole album, you'll want to upgrade to their Napster subscription which is $9.95/mo, no ads, CD-Quality, no play limits and unlimited downloading. But before you do, read their FAQ. As it happens, all those "free downloads" are only free as long as you pay a monthly fee.
Be aware that if you download songs from Napster, you can't load them on your iPod without first burning them onto a CD. Why? Because they are not compatible with iPods, yet Napster offers an alternative by supporting about 75 other MP3 players. Bummer! Even though the site has banners, I didn't feel overwhelmed by them. Most of the time I didn't even notice them. Overall, I think Napster has taken a step in the right direction by offering this free service. Let's hope iTunes will someday follow.
Is anyone a current iPod owner with a Napster subscription? I'd like to hear about your experience transferring Napster downloads into an iPod?
http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/hughes/112;_ylt=Ag5gEeDnxtpDK86Mu2IwKZoSLpA5
So a "new" Napster is back and offering whole song sampling legally, instead of the short clips we're accustomed to. Being able to listen to a song up to five times is really not a bad deal, especially if you want to sample whole albums or new tunes before buying; gives you room for a little musical exploration. If you like the song, you can purchase the track for 99 cents or an album for $11.95.
Once you create an account for this Free Service, you can pretty much listen to anything on the site. The player allows you to fast forward through tracks, and plays the entire playlist or album continuously without any interruptions. As far as sound quality goes, it sounds worst than an Internet radio station. To be honest, I couldn't bear the sound for long. It was giving me a headache after five minutes. So yes, it's free, but the sound quality is not the best at 32kbps. After listening to a whole album, you'll want to upgrade to their Napster subscription which is $9.95/mo, no ads, CD-Quality, no play limits and unlimited downloading. But before you do, read their FAQ. As it happens, all those "free downloads" are only free as long as you pay a monthly fee.
Be aware that if you download songs from Napster, you can't load them on your iPod without first burning them onto a CD. Why? Because they are not compatible with iPods, yet Napster offers an alternative by supporting about 75 other MP3 players. Bummer! Even though the site has banners, I didn't feel overwhelmed by them. Most of the time I didn't even notice them. Overall, I think Napster has taken a step in the right direction by offering this free service. Let's hope iTunes will someday follow.
Is anyone a current iPod owner with a Napster subscription? I'd like to hear about your experience transferring Napster downloads into an iPod?
http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/hughes/112;_ylt=Ag5gEeDnxtpDK86Mu2IwKZoSLpA5
Understanding the Major File Formats: WAV, MP3, and MIDI
Digital sound files must be organized and structured so that your media player can read them. It's just like being able to read and understand a different language. If the player "speaks" the language that the files are recorded in, it can reproduce the song and make beautiful music. If it can't speak the language, the numbers of the music don't add up, and you get an error message - and no music. Error messages are frustrating, but you have some defense against them if you understand the major audio file formats.
* WAV format is the most detailed and rich of the available formats in Windows XP. All the detail is recorded at the chosen bit rate and sampling speed, and it's all done without compression schemes. It's digital sound presented in all its glory. Unfortunately, it takes up huge amounts of memory in the process. Four or five minutes of WAV sound can consume 40-50MB of memory, making it difficult to store a decent number of files. For that reason, you seldom see these files being sold over the Internet - they're just too bulky.
* MP3 single-handedly powered the popularity of digital music. MP3 is an audio layer of the larger MPEG file format. Because of its small file size, MP3 files are ideal for listening on a computer or a portable player. The important thing to remember here is that this is a specific way to make the music file smaller while retaining much of the quality of the original CD or WAV file. Aside from size, the other advantage of MP3 is that it's almost universally recognized. It's the American Express of audio. Just about any media player or portable audio player can recognize and play an MP3 song. That makes it popular among users. It is not popular among most folks who sell music, however, because its small size lends to easy copying and distribution over the Internet.
* MIDI, or Musical Instrument Digital Interface, is radically different from any other format. Technically, MIDI is not even audio; it's a set of instructions on how something (like your computer's sound card) should create music. It's like a cookbook. The MIDI cookbook tells something that already has all the ingredients (the notes of the music) how to arrange them and play them to make music. Because it's just a set of instructions, the MIDI file size is quite small (often measured in kilobytes as opposed to the larger megabytes). How those instructions sound can vary depending on the device that is used to play those instructions. The sheet music for a Beethoven symphony makes no sound, but the music will likely sound better when played on a concert piano as opposed to a thrift-store keyboard. MIDI files are not often sold to the public as music, but MIDI does play a part in home recording.
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/understanding-the-major-file-formats-wav-mp3-and-midi/153238;_ylt=AjLv
* WAV format is the most detailed and rich of the available formats in Windows XP. All the detail is recorded at the chosen bit rate and sampling speed, and it's all done without compression schemes. It's digital sound presented in all its glory. Unfortunately, it takes up huge amounts of memory in the process. Four or five minutes of WAV sound can consume 40-50MB of memory, making it difficult to store a decent number of files. For that reason, you seldom see these files being sold over the Internet - they're just too bulky.
* MP3 single-handedly powered the popularity of digital music. MP3 is an audio layer of the larger MPEG file format. Because of its small file size, MP3 files are ideal for listening on a computer or a portable player. The important thing to remember here is that this is a specific way to make the music file smaller while retaining much of the quality of the original CD or WAV file. Aside from size, the other advantage of MP3 is that it's almost universally recognized. It's the American Express of audio. Just about any media player or portable audio player can recognize and play an MP3 song. That makes it popular among users. It is not popular among most folks who sell music, however, because its small size lends to easy copying and distribution over the Internet.
* MIDI, or Musical Instrument Digital Interface, is radically different from any other format. Technically, MIDI is not even audio; it's a set of instructions on how something (like your computer's sound card) should create music. It's like a cookbook. The MIDI cookbook tells something that already has all the ingredients (the notes of the music) how to arrange them and play them to make music. Because it's just a set of instructions, the MIDI file size is quite small (often measured in kilobytes as opposed to the larger megabytes). How those instructions sound can vary depending on the device that is used to play those instructions. The sheet music for a Beethoven symphony makes no sound, but the music will likely sound better when played on a concert piano as opposed to a thrift-store keyboard. MIDI files are not often sold to the public as music, but MIDI does play a part in home recording.
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/understanding-the-major-file-formats-wav-mp3-and-midi/153238;_ylt=AjLv
Hands-on Review: Sansa Wi-Fi Connect
If you believe that music is as much about discovering new music as listening to your old favorites, then the Sansa Connect Wi-Fi MP3 player is not to be missed. While devices like an iPod let you own and listen to your digital music collection, the Sansa lets you download (think of it as renting) a never-ending supply of music from Yahoo! Music (while you're an active subscriber) over the Wi-Fi network. With a free Yahoo! ID and the Sansa, you can listen to LAUNCHcast Internet radio, browse Flickr photos, and see what other Yahoo! Messenger friends and nearby users are listening to. If you subscribe to the $11.99 Yahoo! Music Unlimited To Go you can listen to over 2 million tracks and download the ones that you like to your Sansa. When you're not connected to the wireless network, the unit acts like an ordinary MP3 player, playing all of the music you've stored.
In other words, to be fully enjoyed, the Sansa Connect could be called the Yahoo! Wireless Player—that's how tight the integration between the two is. The Wireless Connect is receiving nice reviews and for good reason, but I'll also mention a few of its flaws I discovered while testing it.
This flash-based music player looks like a mini black Treo phone with a nice iPod-like scroll wheel. It holds 4GB of music or photos (no video), but can accept additional microSD cards for additional storage. It's got an internal (mono) speaker which I like because you don't have to stick your headphones in your friend's ears when you want them to hear your player! The combination of scroll wheel and two navigation buttons to take you back and forth through the menus will feel familiar and intuitive very quickly. The screen is a nice sized 2.2-inch TFT with a lovely, clear picture.
When you power on the unit and select "Get More Music," any Wi-Fi signal in range is detected and displayed. If the network is unprotected you can connect immediately. If it's protected you need to go through a one-time exercise of entering your network's name and password using the scroll wheel and on-screen alphabet (not as bad as many that I've used).
Once you're connected you can choose to play Internet Radio supplied by Yahoo's LAUNCHcast. Without a subscription to Yahoo! Music you'll get 40 stations—everything from oldies to indies. With the subscription ($11.99 per month), you'll get 70 stations plus the ability to save the songs you like to your player. Decide you want to put the song (or full album) on your player and take it with you? All you do is click a button and it's saved to your music library.
By choosing Photos from the menu you can also visit Flickr and view photos on the site. (You cannot upload photos to Flickr with Sansa.) If you're a Yahoo! Instant Messenger, using things gets sweeter still. You can share your photos and music with your friends or see if there are any new nearby friends to meet.
Subscription music services have been around for awhile, but they've been crippled by the fact that you need to keep re-upping your monthly subscription or your music becomes disabled. Sansa takes care of the re-upping in the background each time you connect to the network. That's a good thing.
The other thing about subscription radio worth noting is that while it's a great way to disover new artists, it's not a great way to find the ones you're looking for. You can't tell it to find a Lucinda Williams song, for example. You've got to listen to the station or scroll through its playlist until Lucinda finds you. It's the difference between listening to radio and visiting a store to buy a CD.
Downloading music using Wi-Fi is a killer app, for sure. It's great. Being able to share that music with friends makes the experience richer still, but the Sansa Connect is not without its limitations. Here's my list of shortcomings:
* Flimsy feeling: For $250, this device is made of really lightweight plastic. Compared to an iPod it feels like a cheap plastic toy.
* Limitations of Internet Radio: I like Yahoo's LAUNCHcast for exploring new music, but as I've said, finding music that you want on streaming radio can be a challenge. That said, LAUNCHcast suggests songs as you rate your favorites and it does introduce you to new artists.
* Don't think about this like an iPod. It's possible, but not easy, to transfer your existing music on your PC to the Sansa. You need to use Yahoo! Jukebox and connect the Sansa to your PC to move music you already own.
* It doesn't play any video at this time.
* Network problems: For the most part, the Sansa Connect behaves admirably. It seems to able to detect every network that my PC detects. It supports WEP and WPA encryption on 802.11 networks. But, I've had trouble getting it to sign on to my home's protected network which uses nothing more complicated than a plain vanilla Linksys router. After some troubleshooting with Zing (the company that provides the mobile wireless component of the product in conjunction with Yahoo! and Sansa) which included checking my router options, upgrading router firmware, and sending a report of a session to Zing, I'm still troubleshooting. I've had no other problems connecting to other protected and non-protected networks so I'll have to keep you posted as we solve this problem.
The Sansa Connect is one of the "this changes everything" products. It forces you to ask yourself whether you'd be happier with an unlimited (well, two million songs) supply of wireless music on a monthly basis or if you'd rather continue ripping DVDs and buying single songs. If you're already a Yahoo! Music lover this device is a no-brainer. For the rest of you, think about how you like to listen. Sansa may be the music experience you've been looking for.
http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/raskin/10428;_ylt=AogLUuFjAuUgds2XK7svuS8SLpA5
In other words, to be fully enjoyed, the Sansa Connect could be called the Yahoo! Wireless Player—that's how tight the integration between the two is. The Wireless Connect is receiving nice reviews and for good reason, but I'll also mention a few of its flaws I discovered while testing it.
This flash-based music player looks like a mini black Treo phone with a nice iPod-like scroll wheel. It holds 4GB of music or photos (no video), but can accept additional microSD cards for additional storage. It's got an internal (mono) speaker which I like because you don't have to stick your headphones in your friend's ears when you want them to hear your player! The combination of scroll wheel and two navigation buttons to take you back and forth through the menus will feel familiar and intuitive very quickly. The screen is a nice sized 2.2-inch TFT with a lovely, clear picture.
When you power on the unit and select "Get More Music," any Wi-Fi signal in range is detected and displayed. If the network is unprotected you can connect immediately. If it's protected you need to go through a one-time exercise of entering your network's name and password using the scroll wheel and on-screen alphabet (not as bad as many that I've used).
Once you're connected you can choose to play Internet Radio supplied by Yahoo's LAUNCHcast. Without a subscription to Yahoo! Music you'll get 40 stations—everything from oldies to indies. With the subscription ($11.99 per month), you'll get 70 stations plus the ability to save the songs you like to your player. Decide you want to put the song (or full album) on your player and take it with you? All you do is click a button and it's saved to your music library.
By choosing Photos from the menu you can also visit Flickr and view photos on the site. (You cannot upload photos to Flickr with Sansa.) If you're a Yahoo! Instant Messenger, using things gets sweeter still. You can share your photos and music with your friends or see if there are any new nearby friends to meet.
Subscription music services have been around for awhile, but they've been crippled by the fact that you need to keep re-upping your monthly subscription or your music becomes disabled. Sansa takes care of the re-upping in the background each time you connect to the network. That's a good thing.
The other thing about subscription radio worth noting is that while it's a great way to disover new artists, it's not a great way to find the ones you're looking for. You can't tell it to find a Lucinda Williams song, for example. You've got to listen to the station or scroll through its playlist until Lucinda finds you. It's the difference between listening to radio and visiting a store to buy a CD.
Downloading music using Wi-Fi is a killer app, for sure. It's great. Being able to share that music with friends makes the experience richer still, but the Sansa Connect is not without its limitations. Here's my list of shortcomings:
* Flimsy feeling: For $250, this device is made of really lightweight plastic. Compared to an iPod it feels like a cheap plastic toy.
* Limitations of Internet Radio: I like Yahoo's LAUNCHcast for exploring new music, but as I've said, finding music that you want on streaming radio can be a challenge. That said, LAUNCHcast suggests songs as you rate your favorites and it does introduce you to new artists.
* Don't think about this like an iPod. It's possible, but not easy, to transfer your existing music on your PC to the Sansa. You need to use Yahoo! Jukebox and connect the Sansa to your PC to move music you already own.
* It doesn't play any video at this time.
* Network problems: For the most part, the Sansa Connect behaves admirably. It seems to able to detect every network that my PC detects. It supports WEP and WPA encryption on 802.11 networks. But, I've had trouble getting it to sign on to my home's protected network which uses nothing more complicated than a plain vanilla Linksys router. After some troubleshooting with Zing (the company that provides the mobile wireless component of the product in conjunction with Yahoo! and Sansa) which included checking my router options, upgrading router firmware, and sending a report of a session to Zing, I'm still troubleshooting. I've had no other problems connecting to other protected and non-protected networks so I'll have to keep you posted as we solve this problem.
The Sansa Connect is one of the "this changes everything" products. It forces you to ask yourself whether you'd be happier with an unlimited (well, two million songs) supply of wireless music on a monthly basis or if you'd rather continue ripping DVDs and buying single songs. If you're already a Yahoo! Music lover this device is a no-brainer. For the rest of you, think about how you like to listen. Sansa may be the music experience you've been looking for.
http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/raskin/10428;_ylt=AogLUuFjAuUgds2XK7svuS8SLpA5
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