It looks as if the distribution method that is the Internet has forced some concerns on the part of XM’s lawyers. Reuters reports that Scott MacLean, a Canadian XM radio subscriber, has created a software package called TimeTrax that allows for the recording and saving of any music off of the satellite radio service.
What was that thing about recording the radio again?
August 28th, 2004 · 1 Comment
Tags: · Radio
1 response so far ↓
1 Norm Gregory // Sep 2, 2004 at 10:29 pm
There been alot talk among the music geeks in the last week about the XM PCR, one of several hardware devices sold by XM Satellite Radio, and TimeTrax, a third-party software app, that enables PCR users to record individual songs on their personal computers. I own both and before anyone, such as the RIAA, gets hysterical let me point out a couple things. This is analog recording in the manner which anyone with a computer, and any kind of radio, can do. The PCR (”PC Radio”) feeds audio to the computer via the “line-in” port. The song recordings can also be less than pristine because of the way radio is programmed. You know how radio overlaps some elements. Some XM channels even have DJs who talk over the music. When you do your own recording you have to manually edit the songs, add the MP3 tag info and save the files to your hard-drive. This is were TimeTrax, which controls the PCR via a USB hook up, shines. It can read the info coming from XM. It knows when songs start/end and what they are called so can apply such information to labeling the recordings. Very cool. But the audio quality of the song, which will matter to extremely picky audio files, isn’t what get from a CD.