Blu Ray Audio

Highly unlikely. The Blu-ray discs would require new hardware, firmware and software. In addition, the DRM for Blu-ray is a bit of a nightmare. (That's why you don't see Blu-ray in Apple products.) I'd look elsewhere for "hi-def" music if that's what you want.

In my opinion the Blu ray audio format is just:

a) another physical format launched to increase revenues of the music industry

b) another format that will fail against HD music files.

So Arnaud do yourself a big favour: sell your CD player and buy a music server.

Yep, that too. Physical delivery of files (audio or video) is essentially dead (or at least on palliative care). Streaming and downloading hi-def music is trivial from a technical perspective these days. The commercial models are evolving. But there's no stopping it.

Is there yet a title on BluRay Audio which is not available from and alternative source such as HDTracks or Qobuz?  Maybe Selling England By The Pound? But it's the remaster for the deaf which first appeared on SACD.

I would love to see BluRay Audio mushroom for the sake of more available music but at the moment it's duplication and marketing over substance.

As for ripping and playing them? Use an application such as DVD Audio Extractor (it rips BD too), put it on a stick and plug it into HDX or similar. Painless. And for some HiRes material, somewhat of a revelation.

I mentioned the HDX because of the reference to it in the OP But of course, whatever your preferred playback device is, provided it will play a USB stick. Or network, but that's unnecessarily broadening the options in the context of the discussion.

I have my HiRes stuff on PC with back up, on NAS with mirror and off board back up (from which I play them), but also burnt onto DVDs.with nice printed labels. Although some of them came on DVDs already and hopefully more will be supplied on BD.

A lot of negativity towards blu-ray audio here, which for the UK market surprises me -  reason being the major hi-res download sites block UK buyers.  Blu-ray doesn't.  Nor is it yet another "new format".  Blu-ray is already very well established, this is merely another use for it.  My only gripe would be it rarely makes use of the multi channel potential.  But why criticise high quality options when there is so much low quality dross around, eg apple store still restricted to mp3 !

HD Tracks comes to the UK in April and Qobuz arrived earlier this year, so things are improving. The issue for me is whether the Hi Res albums now (legally) obtainable here are the same compressed masters as those used for the CDs?

Sorry if this has been answered on a previous thread, but are these Blu Ray discs copy protected or would I need need to use some other software to unlock thembefore ripping it with DVD Audio Extractor?

Keith

Yes. I use DVDFab Passkey but there are plenty of alternatives. I bought the BluRay version of Steve Wilson's Close To The Edge. All went well.

PS Keith. My cynicism may prove unfounded, but I am expecting HDTracks UK to charge double.  I invested in an IP blocker some time ago and it's paid for itself. There are no legal or copyright issues in operation here, it's price fixing pure and simple. Ask any recording artist.

The other thing  is that if I've grossly oversimplified the situation and there are genuine reasons that material can not be sold in the UK, then it won't be available on the UK website will it?

Hi Harry,

Thanks for that. I will try Passkey. I have successfully ripped Blu Rays without needing it (eg 2112 and Moving Pictures).

I have been bombarded with 10% discount offers from HD Tracks lately. I'm hoping that competition from Qobuz will prevent them jacking up their sterling prices. I find that Qobuz is already cheaper than the discounted HD Tracks prices and their range of titles seems to be expanding (I recently bought the new David Crosby and Wild Beasts albums plus Roll the Bones).

Keith  

Yeah. Qobuz not to be underrated. I've got most of my Rush from them and from time to time they have some wicked special offers. I got all Beethoven's Symphonies for Eu9.99. 

As you are doubtless aware, they block some material to some regions by default and this pretty much mirrors what HDT do. But they will lift restrictions on request. It seems reasonable to assume that they are not breaking any laws by doing this, merely disregarding supplier preferences for the sake of their legitimate customers. It's line DVD and BD regional encoding. Some people will tell you it's the law! And some of those might genuinely believe it.

I think the blocking was lifted when they launched in the UK. It remains to be seen if HD Tracks will make their whole catalogue available when they do the same.

Keith

Hi Harry,

I tried a US proxy server with HD Tracks but still hit a block needing a US addressed credit card.  Then tried Paypal, and it caused some horrendous error/lock-down on my account and I gave up.  If it comes to UK soon then great, though I'm also sceptical about pricing, as with virtually all other imported US products.....

As to the other question above re ripping, as far as I know the protection is the same as normal blu-rays, so I assume a normal bypass s/ware is required in addition to the rip s/ware.

Slightly off topic, but I'd like to rip SACDs too, but I've yet to see a ROM drive which claims to be compatible (ie that can play them).  Anyone have advice or suggestions on this ?

K

The only method of ripping SACDs I know of is to use an early Play Station 3.

Keith

I didn't know that. It is encouraging. Perhaps we will get the full HDT catalogue. We'll have to wait and see on pricing.

What Keith said above on SACD. It can be done but it's convoluted and the version of the PS3 necessary for part of the process is getting long in the tooth. Later PS3s couldn't do it.. 

For HDT downloads I use Block My IP and pay with PayPal. Haven't tried it for about three weeks but up until then I had no issues. The connection does run slower but haven't had any half files or time outs.

There's another way...well sort of. The end result is PCM, not DSD.

It requires a universal player that can play SACDs, and convert DSD to PCM, along with a splitter that has HDMI input and Toslink output:

https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...597#3678285646807597

ATB.

Hook

Cheers for the input & suggestions re SACD.  All rather irksome solutions in one way or another, though food for thought....  ;-)

Back to the OP, I don't think there will be a change of tack from Naim here, so ripping appears the better option.  At least until there's a wider selection of UK download sites, and then subject to mastering quality control questions which have been raised on here (and may apply to blu-ray audio too).  Plus pricing of course....

I have not yet ripped any blu-ray audio discs but one thing is the file size ought to be way smaller than blu-ray movies, without the video component, and (usually) the multi track audio.

I've ripped stacks of DVD's but only a couple of Blu-Rays with AppGeeker.

Everything (all movies and musics) is playable on all of our computers. And on the big TV via a WD TV Live media player.