Just bought the new U2 best of 1990-2000, with the bonus b-sides disc. Both discs play fine in my discman, but not if the skip-protection function is active. At least not on the earlier tracks - later songs on the disc will play fine whether I have the skip protection function on or off. I had the same problem when trying to rip the tracks from the disc. Using EAC and/or CDex (I've tried with both), later tracks on both discs rip fine, but earlier tracks can't be read; EAC (in secure mode, no caching) puts out blank files (and takes *forever* to get them) while CDex just seems to hang (in cdparanoia mode). My question is, are these discs copy-protected? Or just manufactured weird? This is the first time I've had this issue with an audio cd. Thanks, Tim
The U2 1980-90 is such an old disc that originally it was not copy protected. Perhaps it has been re-released? It there any indication of copy protection on the label/cover?
A couple points: this is the Best of 1990-2000, just released November 5th. Not the Best of 1980-1990. So it's new enough that it could be copy-protected. However, I mistakenly said that both the Best-Of disc *and* the bonus B-Sides disc were problematic. Actually, the B-Sides disc has no problems: all tracks are easily copied, and it plays fine with my discman's skip protection function. So the problem noted is only with the Best-Of disc: the earlier tracks won't play on my discman unless the skip protection function is turned off, and they can't be ripped from the cd either. However, later tracks on the cd (from track 11 or so onward, of 16 tracks) can be ripped without problem, and play fine in my discman with the skip protection turned on. What I'm wondering is, are the symptoms I've found with the Best-Of disc typical of copy-protected cd's, or is the cd just screwed up somehow? I've never had this sort of issue before with a disc... Thanks.
Oops...I efficiently mixed up those two albums. Sorry. EAC giving blank files sound abnormal, even for a protected CD. Is the disc layout normal? I have very little experience with protected CDs, but my understanding is that they all(?) also use non-standard TOCs besides the actual read errors.
on EAC: I've had it happen before where a disc is screwed up and EAC painfully reads every sector securely (you know, the four-hour track rip) and comes up with a blank file. I don't think that the U2 disc is copy protected; the TOC appears to be normal. Though my cd-rom drive only recognizes the disc about half of time time. My guess is that the disc is just imperfect - visually, there's an area - extending a little over halfway across the disc's face - where the reflection in the disc is warped. I think that this is screwing up the ability of the cd-rom drive to recognize the disc, and when it does recognize it, to read the tracks in this "warped" area. Same holds for the discman having trouble playing the earlier songs when the skip-protection function is on; only straight redbook reading works in this area, it seems.
So it seems like a badly pressed disc then. Is it genuine or bought from the black market? You can naturally replace it at the store.
I get this (empty files) on one of my drives (a TDK 32x burner) when I try to rip a copy protected CD, except its not slow. My other drive gets audio but its glitched. [[[ Addition ]]] I used the CFG file from the EAC/Lame guide on here and it worked fine on the TDK burner (where I was getting silence before).
I have both CDs (Best Of and B-sides), and they rip well. But it's a brazilian pressing. I guess copy protection didn't arrive yet in this neolithic country.
