Will Roon ever be supporting MQA? [Answered - Now Live Roon 1.5]

I could go on / but let’s agree to disagree and go back to enjoying our music. I think there is enough said on this point in the community.

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You are being ridiculous. Just look at the definition of DRM: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management

If you put in place a mechanism that controls how users can playback a file, at what quality they can play it back, etc. - it is by definition DRM. It has NOTHING to do with enforcing copyright. That is something else entirely.
Is it so hard for you to understand the difference?
As an example, look at that patent I referenced before - it is all about a mechanism for controlling playback - even the quality of playback - and has nothing to do copyright protection.

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Except that this isn’t what they are doing or planning - according to MQA.

What a silly post. I don’t have to have a strong balance sheet and don’t need technical expertise. Words have meanings. When a person says a file is lossless - and it isn’t - he’s being deceptive. Serious allegation? Okay, I’ll say it another way - the person is lying.
Look around the web - there have been all sorts of things said and written - even formally - about MQA and their deceptions, and no one gets threatened by them. You know why? Because they know a lot of the criticism is factually correct. They don’t even bother refuting it in almost all cases. Look at the article over at CA, which made all sorts of serious technical criticisms of MQA - they were given a chance to write a response before publication - and declined.
So no legal case. Do us a favor and don’t play attorney at law when you don’t know what you are talking about.

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What I said is correct. If you don’t buy anything new, the files still sound better than standard CD. For free.

They didn’t have to make it backwards compatible at all. But they did, as much as technically possible.

If you want even better sound, then yes you need software unfolding, or for the best sound, a DAC that supports it. Are you complaining that those things aren’t free?

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Or not…I don’t think (at least IME) you can make a sweeping statement about the superior SQ of the files.

It’s not necessary? Yeah. Ok. Tell Tidal which is already struggling that they now need 2-3x more hard drive space to store high res files. Or to people across the world who don’t have broadband internet. I really don’t see what you’re complaining about. Seems like you’re just being grumpy for the sake of it.

I stand by my earlier comments of what is appropriate in terms of statements in a public forum. Not playing attorney but it’s more about public civility in terms of engaging with a community member with an alternative view without defaming a patent holder and advancing a debate in a meaningful way.

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Can’t wait for MQA to fail so I can stop hearing about it. Completely useless. Maybe Roon could work on something actually useful like vertical scrolling.

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I suspect MQA is already generating a pretty healthy revenue stream with upward projections for a few years yet so don’t hold your breath.

For now.

Yes, from selling us the same product yet again, this time with the chance to re-apply DRM.

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What’s wrong with that, it’s just business. knowbody has to buy it if you already have it. I’m not getting into the DRM argument as I’m fed up with the gain saying.

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I’m not grumpy. It just appears that you don’t like my argument. play the ball, not the player please.

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Hi Chris. Surprised to see you say that, really. Music is not just business. It is culture, art, passion, hobby, and business.

I understand that without the business part, it would not be what it is. But that does not justify the cynical aspect of setting this up as an end to end system, which is unnecessary, and which brings about the future possibility – I would say planned likelihood at the record companies – of DRM. Your belief that this is just doomsaying and that there is no DRM intended is one point of view, and one I think it is reasonable to disagree with.

Point is…I do not want MQA to swallow up other hi rez or redbook formats. That is the threat and it’s been repeated 1000 times here. People say “its free…” or “you don’t have to buy it” but neither of those may be true, at some point in the future, and that is the concern.

First, it is not free, however it is included, for now, in the Tidal lossless plan. I don’t think it is the permanent intention; they just want to get an MQA DAC install base out there first.

And, second, the concern is that we will at some point have to buy it. If MQA becomes the predominant form of music distribution and knocks out redbook and non-MQA hi rez, that is certainly a possible outcome.

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When you bump into as many musician as I do, you know it’s a business first and foremost. Artists need paying and financial support. Only a very small percentage make the ‘big time’, for want of a better phrase. The rest live hand to mouth performing their art.
People need paying to have the room to indulge in passion, culture, art and to be able to develope it. The hobby, wether playing or listening to music will always bear a cost just like any other.

Where is the support going to come from if we all get music for free?

As for DRM etc, I just don’t share the pessimistic predictions presented as if they are facts.
In time, who knows? You may be correct, but equally you may not be. I’ll fight that fight then, if I need to.
No, it won’t be too late. There are enough people around to apply the required pressure.

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Sure, I can confirm that point. And I wonder: with just “big hits” and/or “Great stars” -those that actually can live thanks to their creative job-; with just big record labels or worlwide editorials stuff -those that make, always, bussiness, I mean BUSSINESS… I wonder: the Audiofile world -lovely speakers, up sampling or quality DACs, the MQA Yes/no discussion, even the amazing Roon software/service- would be so interesting? May be not.

If DRM’s only impact was copyright enforcement, I’d agree. But it’s not. HDCP forced me to throw out a whole bunch of perfectly functional video distribution gear and it still causes problems between video switches and the like. This is NOT about free music, as much as it is about a free file format that works in a very open and usable way now that would not with MQA dominant.

It is your choice to accept MQA into the ecosystem if you so choose. I have an MQA DAC because I was curious.

What I do not think is fair is dismissing others’ concerns in some sort of “last word” posting. I think both sides can agree to disagree and that there are reasonable points on both sides?

If you truly want to support the artists, don’t just stream their music, if you like the album, buy it…preferably direct from their website if possible.That’s what I do.

I have to admit to a soft spot for venue operators like Chrislayeruk who support artists through providing a performance space, but your point is well made about the disparity between artist returns from purchasing and streaming. I try to buy Australian releases in the genres I like.

If MQA ensured a greater return to Artists through streaming that would be very exciting, but it doesn’t. I would be interested to know what the selling points were that got the record companies onboard.

That’s cool, I didn’t know he was in the biz, apologies. While I am not, I do hang out with people that are and am a volunteer DJ Assistant at KEXP here in Seattle, so I’m sensitive to musicians getting all the money they deserve so please, buy music, just don’t stream it!

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