Digital music: CNET Site reviews?
CNET Site reviews?
by plinkadinka - 3/20/07 8:01 AMI have used CNET's product reviews religiously for a couple of years now and have never regretted it.
Here's my issue. I'm an old lady of 53 who has a slight hearing problem. The only time I listen to music is in my car. I've downloaded all my CDs (primarily oldies and soundtracks) and burned compilation disks for my husband and me. I neither want nor need an MP3 player. I use my Windows Media Player and know what I'm doing with it. I'm very comfortable with what I'm doing right now. We old people have our comfort zones, you know?
My kids railroaded me into Napster and as soon as it hit me that it was illegal, I stopped using it and haven't downloaded any music since. (I think I've removed the software, too.) In those subsequent years, I've been buying CDs just to get a song or two in many cases. I want to start downloading some things now and I'm SO freakin' confused about which site to go with!
CNET has a plethora of reviews regarding MP3 players. I want to read CNET reviews of music download SITES. I'm an above average internet searcher, but I'm completely striking out here. Am I just looking for something that doesn't exist?
Is http://www.imusic-downloads.com/ a trustworthy site? I'm feeling suspicious here and want some input. My feeling is that once they run out of $39.95 lifetime membership customers, they'll shut down and I'll be out.
Knowing that I like oldies and soundtracks, is one site going to be better than another or are the offerings pretty much the same from site to site? Am I going to end up going to one site for one artist or label and another one for a different artist or label? Who has the best library for someone like me?
I trust Yahoo!, but I don't want to pay $6 a month for this. I'm looking to save money, not spend more.
No, it's a rip off site.
by R. Proffitt
- 3/20/07 8:21 AM
In reply to: CNET Site reviews? by plinkadinka
You are not paying the artists. See http://www.gnutellaforums.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=119879 and other sites note it's another rogue.
They take your money and don't pay it forward.
Bob
Good info
by plinkadinka - 3/20/07 8:39 AM In reply to: No, it's a rip off site. by R. Proffitt
Thank you for the answer on that aspect of my question. I am glad to know that my internal suspicion alert was working well.
Any recommendations on wwho IS trustworthy?
Sorry, not something I track.
by R. Proffitt - 3/20/07 9:08 AM
In reply to: Good info by plinkadinka
I just note the usuals that we all know about. Most MP3 sites are suspect so it's hard to find one that isn't.
In fact ANY MP3 site with say "Beatles" that is DRM free is instantly over the line today. There are clues like that you can count on.
Bob
We all know about...
by plinkadinka - 3/20/07 9:28 AM In reply to: Sorry, not something I track. by R. Proffitt
YOU all know about them. I don't. I'm completely at square one as far as downloading music is concerned - a completely raw newbie. I haven't the faintest idea what DRM is. I can Google this and get all sorts of results, but none with any trustworthy recommendations and the number of results makes my head spin.
Does CNET have a product review for music download sites? That's really the root of my question.
I realize that I'm not going to get something for nothing and that there is no such thing as a free lunch. There's one out there for $.39 per. I'm thinking that I'll download between 100 and 200 songs over the course of a year. I'd like to find some of the more obscure oldies that come up in conversation once in a while, too.
What about Walmart's site? Who are the top five providers for PAY FOR downloads??? Does anyone have any input on this?
The usual suspects. are..
by R. Proffitt - 3/20/07 9:55 AM
In reply to: We all know about... by plinkadinka
iTunes store, Walmart, Yahoo, Amazon and so on.
The problem is that you don't know about DRM so it's time to dig into that. I will not write about DRM since that would duplicate fine web articles about it.
You could help get a good answer if you revealed something like "I own an iPod" or "I own nothing but an AudioCD player."
Bob
My first post
by plinkadinka - 3/20/07 11:27 AM In reply to: The usual suspects. are.. by R. Proffitt
My original first post revealed my needs. I want to download to my computer and burn a disk to listen to in my car. I also stated that I didn't want or need ipod use. I really don't see what that has to do with the actual website, but if it makes a difference, sobeit.
My real question was whether or not CNET had product reviews for the sites where you download music - and I have still not read any response to that and don't expect that I will at this point.
In the meantime, I've already gone to Walmart's site and downloaded three songs that I wanted AND burned them to disk. I guess I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed, huh?
Yes, those systems allow making an AudioCD.
by R. Proffitt - 3/20/07 11:34 AM
In reply to: My first post by plinkadinka
I was making sure about all this in my last reply.
"My real question was whether or not CNET had product reviews for the sites where you download music - and I have still not read any response to that and don't expect that I will at this point."
I haven't seen such a review. Why limit yourself to just CNet for this?
Bob
Why CNET?
by plinkadinka - 3/20/07 12:39 PM In reply to: Yes, those systems allow making an AudioCD. by R. Proffitt
I trust CNET and appreciate reading the reviews of people who know what they're talking about AND the users of the products. I have checked there for every tech purchase that I've made, admittedly not all that many, but I've never been unpleasantly surprised with how I spent my money. I just wanted the same for this journey into cyberspace.
By the way. I like Walmart's site. Their tunes are $.88 per with no monthly fee. The only downside (for me) is that I use Firefox and for their application, I was instructed to use IE. Yes, I'm sure that there is a way to have used Firefox, but just doing what they said was easy and as I planned on using my WMP, it seemed obvious to stay on the same path. In any case, it worked and I'm a happy camper so far.
I would still like to know if there is a service out there that has a huge library of 60s oldies. I really like dredging up the obscure and hearing it again.
I also checked out URGE and wish I could explore their offerings in a more detailed manner.
Well the problem is I think more and more
by musictechgod - 3/22/07 2:57 PM In reply to: My first post by plinkadinkapeople are starting to believe that CNets reviews are bought and sold. There for if they give something a good review it may not be the best. I have recently bought a couple of mp3 players and as proof I ask you to look at the Iriver CLix 2 and 4 gigbyte compared to the Cowon D2. Now the D2 is CLEARLY the better pmp. You can go over the specs and take from me the player has better sound battery life all that. In Cnets offical review they say "We cant wait to get it into the lab to test it" meaning they never even tested the D2 before they gave it a review and labeled it an 8. Now they did give the Clix and 8.7 and editors choice award. You say you trust CNets reviews? Well dont. They are not factual. That is the best advice anyone can give you.
CNET's Music Service Reviews
by audiodonald
- 3/20/07 11:22 AM
In reply to: CNET Site reviews? by plinkadinka
This should be a good place to start:
http://www.cnet.com/4520-7899_1-6304020-4.html
YES!!! THANK YOU!!!
by plinkadinka - 3/20/07 11:31 AM In reply to: CNET's Music Service Reviews by audiodonald
Thank you SO much for this! It is precisely what I was looking for. I guess I didn't use the word 'service' in my many, many searches. Thank you VERY much.
By the way....
by ktreb - 3/20/07 12:19 PM In reply to: YES!!! THANK YOU!!! by plinkadinkaNapster is now a legal site. It got the stuffin' sued out of it and is no longer a file sharing service (which got it into trouble in the first place).
I noticed that MSN music is still on CNET Music Center as a download store. MSN music no longer sells music, but will refer you to another site (I think Rhapsody). MSN music is a Microsoft site and since it introduced its own mp3 player (the Zune) and service (Zune Marketplace, kind of like iTunes for the Zune, MS no longer uses it to sell music.
Another good source of music is...
by kicker_2980 - 3/21/07 9:15 AM In reply to: CNET Site reviews? by plinkadinkamusicmatch.com.
I've purchased music from them for years. Their player is good too.
Thanks
by infinity2115 - 3/21/07 9:18 AM In reply to: CNET Site reviews? by plinkadinkaDear Plinkadinka,
Thanks for your thread. I had the same question and this morning was gonna surf this forum to find the answer.
And here it is!
Thanks again,
____________________
"I wish the whole of humanity could be placed into a single body, so I could embrace them all."
Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook
http://www.kabbalah.info
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