[spiderowych]

Have you really stoped using CD-s? Or stoped buying them, because? Should we say goodbye to compact disc?

[LiveBrianD]

They still have plenty of uses. Admittedly, I've been using DVD-Rs for my photo backups more recently, as my camera is higher MP than the one I had previously.

[coastie65]

I still use CD's for music. As Brian said though, DVD's are better suited for photos. I also Use CD's for backing up game saves and some other data. No, I don't think they are dead.

[LincolnSpector]

spiderowych, on 09 November 2011 - 03:02 PM, said:

Have you really stoped using CD-s? Or stoped buying them, because? Should we say goodbye to compact disc?

Are you talking about audio CDs, CD-ROMs with software on them, or blank CD-Rs and CD-RWs?

I think I stopped buying audio CDs for myself the day Amazon started selling .mp3s. However, I have bought them as gifts since then, and have received them as gifts. Somehow, a gift means more in physical form.

I don't remember the last time I received software on a CD-ROM. Now it either comes on DVDs, or--far more often--I download it.

Only a couple of months ago I bought a 100-disc spindle of CD-Rs. They'll probably last me 2-3 years. I use them for home-made music gifts, and for various bootable environments.

I haven't bought a CD-RW since the dawn of the technology. But I still use them occasionally. If I'm testing bootable software, I'll often use CD-RWs because I think it's wasteful to use a CD-R for something that I'll try out a couple of times and then throw away. If I really like a program, I'll then burn it to CD-R.

Lincoln

[LiveBrianD]

I don't even remember the last time I used a CD-RW or DVD-RW, it was a long time ago. They're slower at burning anyway. Besides, with a lot of linux distros, you can put it on a thumb drive.

[coastie65]

I'll use CD-RW when quality isn't an issue.

[LiveBrianD]

coastie65, on 10 November 2011 - 04:46 PM, said:

I'll use CD-RW when quality isn't an issue.

How is it? Granted, I have some "Great Quality" CD-RWs (NOT! Thanks a lot Frys!) that fail Imgburn verification if I burn them at any decent speed (12X is the max for them).

[Szczecinianin]

Well, I recently upgraded to a DVD-RW. And my opinion is that as long as every new drive is compatible with them (and I presume Blu-rays are), CDs, like punk, are NOT dead. I do use them, and it's for videos and pictures, too. Oh, and I don't mind 10× speed as I'm not in an awful hurry. Anyway, if the speed is too high you get ERRORS. And if you use "no name" disks no wonder they don't pass tests. Like Verbatim is good. People, slow down a bit - not only food is slow. And when I want to see a new film I go to the movies, there IS such a thing. The couple of bucks for a ticket is much less than potential RIAA fines and all that.

[smax013]

spiderowych, on 09 November 2011 - 03:02 PM, said:

Have you really stoped using CD-s? Or stoped buying them, because? Should we say goodbye to compact disc?

I use them when I need to make a MP3 disc for use with my car. With a 6 disc changer in the car, I can have tons of music when I use MP3 discs. That in combination with satellite radio, I am set for music even though I cannot connect my phone to the radio system.

[LiveBrianD]

You know, I notice that it's only now that no one uses CDs anymore that 6 CD changers seem to be becoming common. lol My dad's 2008 Nissan Altima has a 6-CD changer, and we haven't used it in a long time. However, the 3.5mm input jack gets used on just about every car trip.

[smax013]

LiveBrianD, on 24 December 2011 - 04:24 PM, said:

You know, I notice that it's only now that no one uses CDs anymore that 6 CD changers seem to be becoming common. lol My dad's 2008 Nissan Altima has a 6-CD changer, and we haven't used it in a long time. However, the 3.5mm input jack gets used on just about every car trip.

My Jeep is about 5 years old.

If I had chosen to go with the single disc player I would have had a 3.5 input jack, although I did not realize it at the time. I had thought that I would have the input jack because I test drove a model with only the single disc player, but it turned out that jack was not there for the multi-disc player. I was disappointed at first, but now actually don't mind it. I can actually change songs, etc with my steering wheel controls where as with an audio jack I would have to do everything on the phone (although with Siri, I can in theory do all the by voice now).

At that point, USB ports for iPhones/Android phones/iPods were just starting to make serious in roads into cars...now a days they are pretty much standard on most cars. My dad's minivan even has the ability to play audio from my phone by way of Bluetooth...as well as a USB port. The USB port will even allow "control" of the phone from the steering wheel controls.

[LiveBrianD]

I'm just about the only one in the family with an mp3 player, and I'm usually controlling it but my parents are driving, so that's not an issue for me. Neither of my parents' cars have USB ports (both have 3.5mm jacks though), and I tried the USB port on a rental car we had with my zune and the only thing it appeared to do was charge it.

[smax013]

LiveBrianD, on 24 December 2011 - 05:04 PM, said:

I'm just about the only one in the family with an mp3 player, and I'm usually controlling it but my parents are driving, so that's not an issue for me. Neither of my parents' cars have USB ports (both have 3.5mm jacks though), and I tried the USB port on a rental car we had with my zune and the only thing it appeared to do was charge it.

That is because it was a Zune.

Until recently, those USB ports would only work with iPods or iPhones. I believe they will now typically work with an Android phone as well...but it does depend on the "software" of the radio...the "software" of the radio needs to "speak a language" that the media player can also "speak". And until recently that was just Apple iOS "speak".

[LiveBrianD]

True... I was wondering about that, since Zunes aren't very popular and accessories are lacking.

[LincolnSpector]

LiveBrianD, on 24 December 2011 - 04:24 PM, said:

You know, I notice that it's only now that no one uses CDs anymore that 6 CD changers seem to be becoming common. lol My dad's 2008 Nissan Altima has a 6-CD changer, and we haven't used it in a long time. However, the 3.5mm input jack gets used on just about every car trip.

My 2002 Prius (so old it doesn't even look like a Prius) has a 6-DVD changer. It also has a tape deck. No input jack, though. I use one of those tape deck converter gadgets for that.

Lincoln

[smax013]

LincolnSpector, on 26 December 2011 - 10:20 AM, said:

My 2002 Prius (so old it doesn't even look like a Prius) has a 6-DVD changer. It also has a tape deck. No input jack, though. I use one of those tape deck converter gadgets for that.

Lincoln

The tape deck "converter" gadgets where WAY better than the FM Modulator/converter things. But, then you likely have a better chance of getting hit by lightening than getting a tape deck on a more recent car! <grin>

[LiveBrianD]

The last time I used a FM thing, it didn't work very well, with interference.

[SnyperTodd]

smax013, on 28 January 2012 - 12:59 AM, said:

The tape deck "converter" gadgets where WAY better than the FM Modulator/converter things. But, then you likely have a better chance of getting hit by lightening than getting a tape deck on a more recent car! <grin>

LiveBrianD, on 28 January 2012 - 12:07 PM, said:

The last time I used a FM thing, it didn't work very well, with interference.

Really? I've got a few FM transmitters, and they work fantastically! I bought good ones that I can choose what frequency to broadcast on, not just a set one or two like a lot of the cheap ones have. The one I keep in my truck has a 4-frequency memory, but will broadcast on any frequency you choose. I take it into large cities and still have no trouble getting a good clear signal from it. My new Kenworth doesn't have a tape deck, so I wouldn't be able to use one of them anyway. But it's surprising to hear such negative comments about FM transmitters, I wouldn't trade mine for anything. I guess it's like anything though, you get what you pay for.

[LiveBrianD]

True. Mine was a very cheap one with limited frequencies.

[smax013]

SnyperTodd, on 28 January 2012 - 01:49 PM, said:

Really? I've got a few FM transmitters, and they work fantastically! I bought good ones that I can choose what frequency to broadcast on, not just a set one or two like a lot of the cheap ones have. The one I keep in my truck has a 4-frequency memory, but will broadcast on any frequency you choose. I take it into large cities and still have no trouble getting a good clear signal from it. My new Kenworth doesn't have a tape deck, so I wouldn't be able to use one of them anyway. But it's surprising to hear such negative comments about FM transmitters, I wouldn't trade mine for anything. I guess it's like anything though, you get what you pay for.

I have a higher end one where you can choose any frequency and save memory settings, but I could never get a frequency that would work extremely well...always some minimal interference.