Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[krei3]

Hi Everyone,
I was a happy user of JRiver 17 and ripped hundreds of my CD's with no problems until my hard-drive died so I had a new one (solid state) put in, reloaded a Windows 7 and am currently using the trial version of Media Center 18 until I purchase it which I will shortly.  (I couldn't get my restore registration code accepted by MC18 and I'm not that much of a cheapskate so I don't mind buying MC again).   I kept all my music files on a separate hard drive and MC18 imported them all back no problem all that is fine.   

Here is the odd problem I have: I tried to rip disk after disc with MC18 and every single one comes up with no artist/album info, no track info, nothing after it scans the disk prior ripping.  That happens every time when I have the eithernet connection unplugged thus computer offline.  So when I cancel it, plug it in putting the computer online, guess what, I load the same disk to rip and there is all artist/album/track info no problem.   There is no way this is a coincidence, we're talking a dozen discs at least all popular stuff you know Miles Davis, etc, not oddball discs purchased from a local artist at the famers market or whatever

So what's going on here?  My conspiracy theory is that I am being forced to be contributing to some sort of online database when ever I rip a CD.  Is this possible?  Or was it that all this time before with MC17 (computer was always online) all that info was not in fact in the metadata of the CD's I was ripping but retrieved from online without me realizing it?   

For background, this time around I didn't want to junk up my laptop which is ONLY Used for MC software for my stereo system, thus I wanted it stripped down to minimum and did not want invasive antivirus programs (ESET) in the background...so I set it to not do updates, optimized Windows for audio (as I did with MC17)and unplugged the either net intended to maintain a virgin computer.  But now it seems I am forced to put it online when ever I rip a CD. 

Any thoughts would be much appreciated. I could not find any reference to this issue online anywhere.  Thanks in advance!

[Vocalpoint]

Or was it that all this time before with MC17 (computer was always online) all that info was not in fact in the metadata of the CD's I was ripping but retrieved from online without me realizing it?   

That is correct. Your machine looks to the MC online database to "grab" data that matches the CD you are attempting to rip. If you are offline - then there is no way to probe the db for metadata.

Do remember - there is nothing on any CD that can be magically "transformed" into metadata - without some help from an online db - that stuff has to come from somewhere

So not a conspiracy in any way - just a nice service from JRiver to get your rips in shape.

VP

[syn-ack]

Actually, some CDs contain what is called CD-Text, which embeds artist/song/album info and such natively to the CD. However, its use I'd say was never widespread, nor do all media players support reading it.

[Vocalpoint]

Actually, some CDs contain what is called CD-Text, which embeds artist/song/album info and such natively to the CD. However, its use I'd say was never widespread, nor do all media players support reading it.

+1. However - out of my 2300 CD stock...I have never seen one that has CD text...another good idea wasted...

VP

[mwillems]

+1. However - out of my 2300 CD stock...I have never seen one that has CD text...another good idea wasted...

VP

I have about 4,000 CDs, and I have only discovered four that had the text.  I only discovered it because my car CD player displays the text when available.  I was stunned beyond description to see metadata displayed on the dash of my very much not-internet connected Corolla.

[syn-ack]

Yup, I have only seen one myself as well. It was one of my Mom's CDs back about 15 years ago, Air Supply. I believe Arista was the label, and they were one of the few that used the CD-Text format. I had a Sony Mobile ES system in my car, and to my surprise it showed the info.. I thought that was pretty slick.

[krei3]

Guys, thanks so much and I have to say I am somewhat shocked that I operated under such a misconception for so long!   

Especially amazing that I was reliably getting track/album/artist info and correct cover art for plenty of what I would consider pretty obscure recordings. For instance, I have Martin Denny CD from the 60's; goofy fun stuff, sounds like a soundtrack to an old Jerry Lewis movie taking place in the south pacific or something and MC rather accurately knew to put in in genre it called "Tiki". 

I guess I'm curious what this mysterious (to me) online database is and who/what maintains it?  After some more reading I did find some of the same discussions re Windows Media Player which also must access an/this online database to correctly render that info. 

Well I learn something every day. Thanks again everyone.


MX

[JimH]

YADB is our online database.  It has more than 1,000,000 CD's.

When a CD is opened, if MC doesn't find the info there, it will use FreeDB.