Some reviews of Sunncomm DRM by actual end users...
(There are many many many of these reviews by unhappy end users on Amazon as well as other sites, as I find time I will try and assemble them and post them for investors DD)
*** good album, bad record company, June 24, 2004
Reviewer: A music fan from New York, NY United States
To any iPod users - be aware that you CANNOT PLAY THIS RECORD ON YOUR IPOD!! BMG has put some software on the record that enables you to only save the tracks to your computer as 128kbps wma files - lame-ish sound quality and not supported by iPod. They also install a small app on your computer before you can even listen to the disc. Betting that I like BMG artists more than I like my iPod is a loser's bet. I will be returning this cd. Too bad, as I'm sure I would have liked it, but my iPod has to take precedence.
Amazon.com Review
*** had no problem ripping into itunes, June 21, 2004
Reviewer: A music fan from US
3 stars for music - 0 stars for the ridiculous attempt at copy protection technology.
the bottom line is i ripped this no problem into itunes. didn't even have to hold down the shift bar. i just read an article and the label said that consumers are clearly embracing this great new technology - what a crock. i hope nobody mistakes the popularity of this cd with thinking we have no problems with buying more crippled cds.
VR's music is solid and grows on you although the production is very thick and muddy. i like the slower "fall to pieces" and "you got no right" best -probably because they sound the cleanest.
Amazon.com review
**** Great Music, Horrible Technology, June 21, 2004
Reviewer: A music fan from Anywhere
I pressed shift and the auto run program doesnt start up.
It still wont import in itunes. It just stays on the first track forever.
Please boycott copy control cds. If this is the future then stop buying. Buy small and independent releases. Support artists not corporations!
I like Velvet Revolver but I refuse to buy cds with this crap.
If I was going to steal the music I would. Even with the control the cd is avail on P2P. So basically the people who are actually buying music are getting screwed.....
bummed out...
Amazon.com review
**** Great album, but with a big BUT, June 20, 2004
Reviewer: bootsybus (see more about me) from SF, CA
First, GNR and STP are two of my all time favorite groups. I was super psyched when this came out, and you will not be disappointed. Not surprisingly, it sounds VERY MUCH like a traditional STP album. Maybe a bit edgier, but not much of a stretch from the STP everyone loves.
I came back to amazon to see how the reviews were going, and was surprised at all the negative reviews b/c of the copyright protection. My immediate reaction was - well, those that complain are those that steal...so who cares.
But then I ran into my own problems. See, you can't listen to this on your computer except through the player on the CD, if you try to use media player or itunes or musicmatch, the music is totally choppy.
I don't mind using the included player, except it is totally featureless. You can play a single song, or the entire album straight through. Try starting with song 5 and having it run through, no way. Shuffle? You're kidding yourself. You can't do anything. And of course the player is embedded in internet explorer, which is annoying of itself.
My hope is that somewhere, someone is listening, and realizes that this copyright is generally FINE but it needs to be better executed. (in addition to the fact that it appears all the songs are download'able off your favorite P2P software...so for all the effort they have failed miserably).
Amazon.com review
* Has copy protection, June 20, 2004
Reviewer: A music fan from Hollywood, CA
The copy protection on this cd prevented me from playing it in the cd players in my car and computer...currently the only two places I can play cds. I've heard a few songs from this on the radio and elsewhere. What I heard was decent, but between the copy protection and the fact that I found the several songs I did hear only mildly interesting I wouldn't buy this if I could do it over again.
amazon.com review
**** 4 for the music. 1 for the packaging/enhanced CD, June 20, 2004
Reviewer: Randall Reilly from Madison, WI United States
I enjoyed the CD for the music. VR's music has three pieces - updated GNR, updated STP, and a combined GNR/STP which actually turns out to be very good. It's nice to see someone still making real music in this day and age.
As for the enhanced CD - next time a record company packages an enhanced CD please put a big sticker on the cover (like the Explicit Lyrics sticker) rather than hiding it on the back cover in fine print that very few people read. I have no sympathy for the those that bought the CD and tried to rip so they can give away for free, but I do have problems when someone buys and tries to record it for their car, jukebox, a backup copy (like I did). I know that a CD-recorder works just fine recording audio CDRs for a backup and there are ways to break the enhanced CD if you try hard enough.
Finally - record execs here's an idea - instead of selling this CD for a list price of $18.99 so you can sell 5 million copies (and have 5 million downloaded off the internet). How about selling it for a list price $13.99 - maybe you'd get the disc to sell 10 million copies (and only have 2 million downloaded off the internet).
Amazon.com review
* Wake up!, June 18, 2004
Reviewer: A music fan from New York, NY United States
Watch out music buyers!
1. I bought the album from iTunes.
2. I struggled to move the files to my iPod.
3. I realized I could not, due to copy protection.
4. Now I regret buying the album because I can't listen to it unless I'm at home.
Shame on RCA! Why would you choose to frustrate your digital music customer base who legitimately purchases your product!
Wake up RCA... it's the 21st Century! You are alienating your customers.
Shame on iTunes for not notifying your customers of this issue BEFORE they purchase!
Watch out music buyers!
PS - Dear RCA, I'm sorry to see you are still in your old backward mode of thinking. You are leaving the innovation to others (like Shawn Fanning, creator of Napster) instead of being the innovators.
Amazon.com review
* Frustration over copyright software, June 18, 2004
Reviewer: A music fan from United States
I agree with the other reviewers here in regards to the copy restriction software placed on this disc. As an iPod user, I can't add this CD to my player, and what is more bizarre is that they're selling this album on iTunes. Then why in the world did they add this copy prevention software to the original CD?
I understand the record companies wanting to stop free internet distribution of their music, but this is a little rediculous.
The 1 star is for the frustration with the copy protection software, the music is actually really good. It's one of my favorite CDs out right now, along with mr.deviant's "Techno Obsession" which is a great mix of power rock and hard dance music for killer instrumentals. Thankfully, mr.deviant's CD does NOT contain any copy prevention software.
Amazon.com review
* Download it with KLite or WinMX!!!!!!!, June 18, 2004
Reviewer: A music fan from U.S,
Copy protected???????
Yeah right!!!!!!!!!!!
It's very available with WinMX and Kazaa Lite, and probably with eMule, Newsgroups, Ares, IRC, G2, etc....
A search on WinMX yielded 1000 results pretty quickly.
Long live P2P and the digital revolution!!!!!!
Do not buy any major label CD's, it helps the RIAA.
P2P forever.
Amazon.com review
* iPod users BEWARE, June 18, 2004
Reviewer: strike_a_chord (see more about me) from Michigan, United States
The one star I have given this CD has nothing to do with the music inside. It has to do with the copy protection. One who spends almost $13 on this CD should have the right to copy the songs to their $300 iPod, right? Not the case here.
When you pop this disc into your computer, you are forced to agree with the terms. If you click Disagree or close out the window, the CD will immediately pop out of the drive. Once you isntall the software, a driver is installed in your computer that does not allow you to play or copy the songs in any program besides Windows Media Player through the CD software. You can copy the songs to your hard drive using potected 128 Bitrate WMA files... but that does no good for an iPod user, since iTunes will not even bother with WMA files. The WMA files are undoubtably the worst quality files I have ever heard for being 128 Bitrate. They sound just slightly better than AM radio, no exaggeration. You can burn as many copies of the CD as you want using the WMA files, but when they sound that awful, who would want to?
I have spent hours surfing the web and using every method possible to get around this copy protection... and none have worked. Even going into Device Manager and shutting off the driver the CD installed did nothing. The CD will still not copy. I even tried playing the CD in my computer and catching the audio and turning that into an mp3/ACC file... the copy protection even made that impossible.
I am extremely offended that I cannot copy this CD for my own use on my iPod. Since I have read that the entire Velvet Revolver CD is available for download on P2P software, all this copy protection does is keep the honest people from taking full advantage of technology and portable music players. In the year 2004 when I can carry around thousands of songs in my hand by a portable music player, does BMG actually think I'm gonna carry this lone CD around with me too in case I want to listen to it? To add more insult, the entire Velvet Revolver CD is available on iTunes music store for download!
Stay away from this CD. These problems have inspired me to instead support smaller and indie labels more than before. By the way, is it just coincidence that this copy protected CD costs a few dollars more than a typical new release does for the first few weeks? I think not.
Amazon.com review
* Pretty good album, but not worth giving up your rights., June 18, 2004
Reviewer: A music fan from Kansas City, MO USA
I am a huge fan of Stone Temple Pilots (I own all of their records and have been to several shows). I was really looking forward to this CD until I found out that it has copy restrictions. Purchasing a CD with copy restrictions (even easily defeatable restrictions) tells record labels that consumers will accept this erosion of their rights, and allows them to more easily introduce further restrictions in the future. If I can't backup the music that I purchased and convert it to whatever format that I wish, I'm not interested. It really makes me sick that Velvet Revolver would support this. Vote with your dollar.
Amazon.com review
