h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Funny? Seems to be working OK, now. It's enough to drive you to distraction, grr!! Anyway, what seems to happen is that, when you play a track for the first time, it needs to acquire the licence online - I kept getting an error message to say I didn't have the required licence. I happened to notice that the site where I downloaded was carrying out some site-maintenance this morning, so this obviously seems to have resolved the problem! Can even burn it to CD now, which it also wouldn't let me do before.

Anyway, I'm sure you don't really want to 'listen' to me rambling .............!

Yuk!

That licence aquisition thing was what I was going on about before - I steer well clear of that shit.

If I have a music file, I want it to be just that. I don't want it copy protected or limited in anyway.

you are going to turn the lovely, law-abiding, pandora, into a desperado outlaw, you naughty boy!

Good.

You'll be joining a small select club of about 10 million or so.

Well, that’s got to be the best 8 quid *I’ve* spent for a while – and I haven’t even downloaded the ‘missing tracks’ yet - I'd forgotten just how good their music is.

I’m not really that bothered about the licences (apart from all the sodding around – took bloody ages to sort out before I could actually *listen* to the damn thing!).

Surely you could buy the WHOLE CD for about 8 quid?

http://www.4cheapcds.com/Product/ProductInfo.aspx?id=84019&skuid=83546&AffiliateID=dbd8a5e5-447b-4eec-a60f-f80b90a80344

I *did* get the the whole album download - 'Collected' (CD is also £8 on the site you gave me a link for).

Thinking about it though, it probably *is* better to get the CDs - I never realised there was a difference in quality between CDs and downloads - didn't really know too much about it. What put me off doing that was that I tried to copy CDs onto my PC before, without success - I was obviously doing something wrong, because I've managed to rip Kate Bush's Red Shoes just now! The other reason for not buying the original CDs is that I usually only want a couple of tracks from each of them. I should have done that for Muse - I only like about 4 or 5 tracks off the whole album!

Anyway, I've saved that site you gave me - looks like a good one.

You do lose quality in compressed audio files of course, but I rip my own CDs at 320 kbs (the highest for an MP3) and I'll settle for nothing less than 192 kbs if I download one.

I can't tell the difference between 192 and CD quality and I think I have particularly good hearing.

Depends what sort of music and sound reproduction kit you have I suppose. I've seen a few downloads of CDs in their native (WAV) format, but you are looking at 1/2 Gb there - not too bad if you intend to write it to CD.

My downloads were 192 kbs - so it seems that's OK then - phew! Sounded alright to me, anyway - and my hearing's pretty good too (which always comes in handy for listening in to the neighbours gossiping).

p.s. don't forget Extras - on now!

Bah!

I'm way to busy to compose another diatribe against Ricky Gervais, I'll let it slide this week.

I still have it on though.

I seem to have been moaning about Gervais for weeks now - I think I'd better give it a miss this week, otherwise I'll be accused of spamming (mind you, I'd say there where a few who should be reported for spamming about his 'genius' - I might give that a go). I still watch it every week though, too - some sort of weird fascination? Tonight's was pretty dire.

I liked all the reviews and snide comments about the sitcom within the programme.

They pretty much summed up "Extras", especially the stuff about the Coldplay singer getting a part on the show.

How many more celebrities are going to demean themselves on Extras?

"how many more celebrities are going to demean themselves on extras"?


twelve.

Is that all?

It hasn't been this bad since "Bo Selecta" where everyone from Philip Schofield to Alexei Sayle allowed a teddy bear with a dildo to ejaculate over them.

(I hope Gervais didn't see that, it will give him ideas.)

Question for specialsomeone: Any particular reason why you are pretending to be a new user, when you've actually been posting on R&4 MBs for some time? Just wondered.

Eh?

Oh, I didn't know they were earwigging, I just assumed it was you (Pandora).

I thought that's what you thought - that's kind of why I posted the question! I'm not really that interested in the answer!

hi, pandora. yes there is a particular reason. it is not a secret but as you are "not really that interested in the answer" then....