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FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have the error= problem?
Where
can I get more great music?
How
does digitalphono music compare to MP3?
Can
I install the digitalphono music player on my MAC?
Can
I play a song downloaded to one PC on another PC?
Am
I charged for songs that do not successfully download?
Can
I install the digitalphono music player on a PC with only 256 color display?
Does
un-installing the digitalphono music player affect my songs?
Which
browsers are supported by digitalphono music for song downloading?
This common error was related to our server. We believe we have fixed this problem, but if you encounter it, please reload/refresh the page and try to download again. You may have to hit reload/refresh several times to get around this problem.
More and more online music and band sites soon will use digitalphono
music technology so you can enjoy the widest variety of music with the
best sound quality in the industry. Here are links to some of our current
partners:
Can
I cancel a song download once it has begun?
Where can I find examples of Digitalphono banners to use on my site?
Where
can I find more more information on sound cards?
Are you getting a "error retrieving keys" error?
Can you give me more technical information?
Do you have the error= problem?
Where
can I get more great music?
How
does digitalphono audio compression compare to MP3?
digitalphono.com does not use MP3 technology, nor is the compression algorithm based on MP3. The audio compression technology used by digitalphono.com is in fact one of the first implementations of the newer and better MPEG-2 Advanced Audio Coding standard (AAC), the next-generation follow-on to MP3. In addition, digitalphono.com protects our partners' music against unauthorized redistribution.
Audio Algorithms
We are based on MPEG-2 AAC, the latest MPEG audio algorithm standard, to which we were major contributors. AAC substantially outperforms MP3, as might be expected because the people who invented MP3, including AT&T researchers, were the principal authors of the AAC standard.
AAC at 128Kbps performs as well as or better than the best MP3 encoders at bit rates of 192Kbps to 256Kbps. You don't have to take our word for it -- see the paper by Soulodre, Grusec, LaVoie, and Thibault, "Subjective Evaluation of State-of-the-Art Two-Channel Audio Codecs, J.Audio Eng.Soc. v46, no. 3, pp. 164-178 (March 1998).
Music Distribution
digitalphono.com obtains the electronic distribution rights for any music that appears on our web site. The digitalphono platform provides substantial protection for the music we distribute, including public key cryptography. While no software-based security system is foolproof against knowledgable attackers, the music that digitalphono.com distributes cannot readily be played by anyone other than the purchaser of the music.
In contrast, MP3-compressed music is distributed in "cleartext" form, and can be played by anyone with an MP3 player. Many MP3 "free audio" sites distribute audio without authorization from the copyright owners and without protection against unlimited re-distribution. Such "free" MP3 music sites are being shut down as legal authorities become aware of their existence.
Distribution of music without permission from copyright owners is illegal. digitalphono.com respects copyright ownership and obeys laws regulating the distribution of music. People who put sound recordings on the web so that others can copy them are stealing from musicians.
Can
I install the digitalphono music player on my MAC?
We are offering a Beta version of the MAC player. See our download page for details.
The digitalphono music player is currently available for Windows 95, Windows NT 3.51 / NT 4.0 and MAC systems. UNIX players are coming soon.
Can
I play a song downloaded to one PC on another PC?
No. The song protection mechanisms provided by the digitalphono music platform prevent you from playing a song copied from one PC to another. digitalphono music is working closely with the music industry to protect the rights of both consumers and the music industry. This strategy will help to make more music available legally to more listeners.
Am
I charged for songs that do not successfully download?
No, you are not charged for digital song files you do not receive. Not until your song files have been successfully stored does your purchase order go through to digitalphono music billing.
If you do not receive a song, be it due to losing your connection, data corruption, or whatever, just return to the digitalphono music Catalog and reorder. You will be charged for only the first successful download of any digital song. You can verify this at any time by checking your account.
For whatever reason, if you can no longer access a digital song file which you purchased from digitalphono music, you may reorder it at no cost and download it to your PC.
Can
I install the digitalphono music player on a PC with only 256 color display?
Yes, you can! The digitalphono music player was designed to run without error on a PC with only 256 color display. This is not, however, the ultimate in color display, and one of the outstanding features of the digitalphono music player is its Art display of the CD album cover.
See our Troubleshooting Page on Color Display for further information on dealing with your screen color image.
Does
un-installing the digitalphono music player affect my songs?
No, not at all. You will be able to play all of your songs as soon as you install a new player.
When you upgrade the digitalphono music player, for instance, you'll
be confronted with the following screen:
The digitalphono music player will be updated whenever new features
can be added for your convenience. Click YES to remove your older player
version.
You must click YES again to confirm your request to un-install the old player. Uninstalling the old player will not remove any of your digital song files.
Which
browsers are supported by digitalphono music for song downloading?
You may download your digital music for the digitalphono music player with either Netscape or Internet Explorer. Versions supported include:
- Netscape 3.1 and above
- Internet Explorer 3.0 and above
If you're using Netscape and have defined a proxy configuration then you must ensure that this same proxy configuration is reflected in your Internet settings. Failure to match these settings may result in your download hanging!
See our Troubleshooting Page on Netscape Proxy Settings for further information on adjusting your Internet Settings for correct Netscape usage.
Important Notes:
When you install the digitalphono music player, Setup_dpc_102.exe defines a new mime type for your browser. This enables you to download digital digitalphono music songs.
If you use a Netscape browser you must close it when requested by our Setup_dpc_102.exe installation app; otherwise the new mime-types we define for your browser will not be active
Can
I cancel a song download once it has begun?
Yes! The digitalphono music Download window contains a Cancel button
which you may select at any time. Be advised, however, that we may not
appear to respond immediately.
See our Troubleshooting Page on Download Cancellation for further information
on download cancellation response time.
If you are interested in giving Digitalphono a reciprocal link from your site,
please select one of the following images for use as a banner:
Are you getting a "error retrieving keys" error?
This problem may be attributed to a file named Rpawinet.dll. If you are currently using Compuserve, this file is important. To find the current version of this file, use the Find Files or Folders option from Find on the Start menu. When you find the file, right click on it to find the version. You need v3.02, build 183.0 or greater. If you don't have that, you will need to upgrade. You can do this at: http://www.compuserve.com/rpa/vk_soft.htm. Pick your operating system and download the current file. If you do not use Compuserve, find the file and delete it.
Can you give me more technical information?
We are collaborators and co-inventors of MPEG-2 AAC (and quite a bit more) with the Fraunhofer Insitute. They have a nice discussion http://www.iis.fhg.de/amm/techinf/aac/index.html on their Web site.
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