S.O.S. on Windows 7 Media Player 12

WOW! So much negative vibes over a hobby. Calm down and don't jump just yet. Go back over your post the past few months and reread some of the good advise you received from many experienced Agon members, and sort out your concerns.

For one, I don't have a CD player in my system, only a Win 7 music server and I have no issues with it. For me, dbpoweramp does the ripping of CD's using their "accurate" setting. I have over 40,000 FLAC tracks and they all play just fine. I use J River Media Center as server software output through a Lynx sound card, AES cable into a Bryston DAC. I play digital files from 16/44.1 to 24/192 with superb results.

So if something isn't quite right for you, then change it. This is a hobby and not worth having a stroke over.

Paul

I bailed on Gates/ Windows after XPpro. Went over to the dark side and MAC. Vista was / is a giant step backwards. Kind of like what they did with WindowsME after '98.

You seem pretty angry, so all I can add is that if you don't like Windows Media and all the crap, junk it out.
If you are trying to make a larger political point about privacy, usage and prying a-holes with computers, you won't get any argument out of me. Learn how to turn ports off, run a WIRED router and practice safe computing practices. If you are REALLY serious about privacy / security, you may want to build a firewall computer and run something like 'smoothwall'.

Now, my needs are simple and met by ITunes. For ITunes 10. and above, you need a 'free' account to access artwork.

I take a CD, and install in confuser. It automatically, per my settings, makes a ALAC copy to my big music folder. I copy that to my HOUSE playlist and make another MP3 copy for my 'pod.

The last link in the chain is sending the ALAC files to my Airport Express and than by either analogue or optical, to my stereo. My 'pod has a 'remote' app which allows me access to every tune on my confuser without leaving my seat.

Neither one of you have ever had a Protected File in all of the Songs that you have Ripped from your CDs? That is strange, because a Microsoft Troubleshooting Forum is loaded with dozens of Windows 7 Users who run into Media Usage Rights Errors with numerous Songs they try to Rip off of their CDs. Most of them are using Windows Media Player 12. I happen to know for a fact that a 24/96 Version of Diana Krall, "The Look Of Love", has Protected
Files for every Song on the Disk-except for the first Song.
Protected Files/Songs, you can't Rip them, and there is no place to purchase the Media Usage Rights to do so. What is really weird is that you can purchase/Download every last one of these exact same Songs 99 Cents a piece off of ITunes. Purchasing; However, without knowing what the Digital Rights Management and Media Usage Rights are. The same as it was with the DVD-Audio. I don't like surprises, and I certainly don't like buying something without being told what it is. This certainly applies to the PC Music Server Format in Spades. These type of things are commonly
referred to as a Trap Doors, and they have a tendency to pull out the floor from underneath you! So while everyone is whewing over all of the wonderful things with PC Music Server, how about telling the Truth warning others about all of the Trap Doors of this Format, instead of just letting them get blindsided! I only get angry when Blind
Advocate Pundits with-hold critical info. to sweeten the pot of PC Music Server Advocacy! They put forward everything that is great, to the exclusion of any pitfalls
or downside of PC Music Servers. Yeah, I get angry when I have been set-up like a Mark, it's only Human, don't you?

I would still like to lisen to a 24/96 Music File off of a Hard Drive feeding my favorite DAC. With Digital Rights
Management/Media Usage Rights/Protected Files for DVD-Audio Disks, and Downloaded Music Files-N-E-V-E-R--G-O-N-N-A--H-A-P-P-E-N! Doesn't matter if it is for my own personnal use, I am not a damn Pirate. I have heard the improvement with Ripped CD Music Files. Certainly not going to find my favorite Music. What does this make PC Music Servers if nothing more than a suped-up Adding Machine! Maybe you were able to Rip your favorite Music, before someone decided to close the Barn Door. Now with the Barn Door closed (DRM, Media Usage Rights, Protected Files), PC Music Servers are no better, or useful than CD Players! It has become useless and meaningless to pursue this Format! If you got away by Ripping a few 24/96 Disks
prior to Protected Files-lucky you! The rest of us are just screwed with our PC Music Serving suped-up expensive
Adding Machines!

Pettyofficer- you haven't responded to the suggestions that you use a Mac as a music server..your thoughts?