DMX Adult Contemporary July 2007 CD-I EZAAC0707 11914 09-900034 (ProDisc) - Free Audiobook

Here it is, at long last: the final programme in the Red Robin collection, and the one that marks the end of the CD-I era at RR, period. (I knew it would surface eventually.) In August 2007 all stores still using CD-I were converted to Profusion computers, including mine, which ended up with a Profusion D.* These were simply off-the-shelf custom desktop PCs running a version of Gentoo Linux, with the audio on ordinary ISO9660 CD-ROM encoded in low-bitrate Vorbis format, compressed (why?) using something like BZ2 or LZH. The D, in particular, was DMX's overcomplicated answer to Westport Research's simpler, MP2-based Blackfin XD/CM products, better known from its usage as Muzak's "Encompass" CDROM platform. DMX discontinued the Prodisc product entirely at the start of 2008 and AFAIK, they have not published any new programming in the format since.

[ * I think I might still have my posterity copies of the first three opening disc libraries from that time. I don't know if I'll upload them since chances are nobody will be able to use them, but who knows. ]

Unfortunately the original disc vanished approximately 13 1/2 years ago along with the Prodisc DS machine; presumably it was still in the drive when Muzak came to collect the old equipment and install the new one. (In 2007 the Portland Muzak franchise was also under contract with DMX North American Field Offices so they handled equipment repairs and installations for DMX in this area. This is strictly academic, since today they're all one big happy family.) I did think to save the interleaved audio blob and I'm glad I grabbed it when the disc was still new-ish, since it would have become a lost programme otherwise.

Folio: Pop

Library: Adult Contemporary

Series: ProDisc

Programme number: ZAAC0707

Production code: 11914 09-900034

Production date: 2007 May 11

Released: June 2007

Programme start: July 2007

Disc type: base case

Audio format: level B-stereo

Programme blocks: 4

Notes

DOWNLOADING

The downsampled 32000 Hz 320 Kb MP3 blocks were manually encoded and uploaded by me, from files derived from the disc's 37800 Hz ADPCM audio. These files were encoded using the "--resample 32000 -q0" option in LAME 3.99.5 (Linux). This is because 37800 Hz is not specified in the MP3 standard, and LAME's default behaviour is to downsample to the nearest valid sample rate. Therefore, the MP3 version is mainly intended for previewing in Archive's built-in Web player. While of acceptable quality, I don't recommend them for optimal listening. Master audio binaries are in 37800 Hz 2-channel ADPCM format.

Well, that's all of the complete and salvageable material in the Red Robin library that I have. I have some other programmes that, although not specifically from this collection, do tie into it however I don't yet know how I want to present them. That's next.

So, there you have it, hope you enjoyed it and stay tuned for more.