Today's Purchases (Non-classical)

[71 dB]

I don't follow DVD releases anymore because we are living HD age. This German release had gone under my radar, but I noticed it today and I ordered it used from a Amazon.de marketplace seller:

Steven Spielberg's Das Haus des Bösen (Something Evil, 1972).

10.28 euros delivered.

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I have six albums from The Carpenters now:

Close to You
Carpenters
A Song For You
Now & Then
Horizon
A Kind of Hush

Three of these I got from "Finnish eBay" Huuto.net pretty cheap.

[71 dB]

I was able to buy The Carpenters debut album, Ticket To Ride, on CD for 12,90 euros delivered from a Finnish auction site! 

[steve ridgway]

I was able to buy The Carpenters debut album, Ticket To Ride, on CD for 12,90 euros delivered from a Finnish auction site! 

The Universe loves you .

[71 dB]

The Universe loves you .

I do have these "good days", but in between them are a lot of disappointing ones. I'm not even done with this purchase. I'm now waiting for the CD to arrive. Since it is a used CD, there's a small risk of surface scratches affecting the play (the seller says the CD will play, but different CD-players handle scratches differently - fortunately many scratched CDs can be "fixed" with toothpaste). The package can even get lost in the transit. Things can go wrong even if the probability is very low.

Of course happiness shouldn't hinge on how well old albums are available on CD. Of all the possible problems people can have in life this one is a "first World problem" at best. How ever, it has been frustrating and annoying to see how collecting these The Carpenters albums on CD is like collecting the CDs of an obscure band making weird underground music. There are so many 5 CD boxsets in the "Original Albums Series" by bands who have sold a small fraction of the amount The Carpenters have (at least 40 million, but some say even 100 million, of which I believe most are singles). Instead of boxsets, The Carpenters "hits" are released on many "best of" compilations. These compilations are almost identical, because they contain the same hit songs. Some bands had good hits songs and the other songs were fillers. For those bands compilations like this are very reasonable, but in my opinion The Carpenters is an example of a band whose albums don't have fillers. The hit songs give a limited and incomplete picture of the band. That's why it is annoying to have the record companies "tell me" the hit songs are all I need and if I'm crazy enough to collect the albums, I have to buy expensive (and not always in stock) Japanese SHM-CDs!

Mama Cass Elliot's first few albums are even more (much more) difficult to get on CD. I was forced to buy a collection containing many songs from those albums including the song "Make Your Own Kind of Music" that made me interested of the artist in the first place.

Then there is Maureen McGovern. I am only interested of her 70s output, mostly the first two albums. Suddenly there is this twofer coming out containing the first 4 albums and I am in the seventh heaven. I buy it and when it arrives, it is a lousy vinyl rip on CD-R! The first time ever I have experienced a scam like that! It is just too much to ask to have Maureen McGovern's first two albums on CD taken from the original master tapes remastered. Since the music on those albums is very much to my liking in the genre of "sunshine pop", this experienced was a bit traumatic.

Initially I was so excited about discovering "sunshine pop" last October or thereabouts, but it has been more cloudy than expected and I have lost my interest. With this The Carpenters CD I can end (or at least put a pause on) this journey into "sunshine pop" and look elsewhere.

BTW, the Finnish auction site HUUTO.NET has been quite helpful with collecting The Carpenters offering many CDs cheaper than what they would be if ordered from other countries. In most cases my music taste is quite different from typical Finnish taste, but it seems The Carpenters have some popularity in Finland. Most of the time the most popular artists are not to liking that much.

[steve ridgway]

I am finding classical music a lot easier to collect. Being able to choose from multiple recordings instead of having to own the one original and genuine version makes it much easier to relax and wait for bargains to show up rather than fixating on the holes in my collection  .

[71 dB]

I am finding classical music a lot easier to collect. Being able to choose from multiple recordings instead of having to own the one original and genuine version makes it much easier to relax and wait for bargains to show up rather than fixating on the holes in my collection  .

Indeed classical music is so much easier! Tons of big cheap boxes (170 CDs of Mozart for 100 euros delivered! Insane!). So many recordings and re-releases! SACDs! It is mindblowing how I can buy the music of Johann Christian Schieferdecker (Buxtehude's last pupil), an obscure composer almost nobody knows about, almost easier than the albums of The Carpenters, one of the best known acts of the 70s popular music! That's why I have intentionally almost stopped buying classical music. I already have more than I need while collecting just a dozen CDs of sunshine pop takes patience, effort, time and money. 

Classical music has changed my perspective of what amounts as a lot of music. Before I got into classical music, 10 CDs of music seemed a lot (the whole output of a band after 25 years of activity), while in the World of classical music, 10 CDs is JUST the String Quartets of a prolific composer of chamber music...

[drogulus]

    Ich auch bought a thing from Amazon Germany!

   

    For years I looked for this film and all I found were VHS tapes and DVDs I didn't quite trust.

   

[SimonNZ]

Finally reacquired, after having had to sell my old set some seven or eight years ago.

[71 dB]

Here is a list of my recent (last 40 days or so) non-classical CD purchases:

Tangerine Dream - The Sessions VIII
Tangerine Dream - Phaedra 2005
Chyp-Notic - Nothing Compares*
Chyp-Notic - I Can't Get Enough*
Cola Boy - 7 Ways To Love (single)*
East Side Beat - Alive & Kicking/Ride Like The Wind (single)*

* Used.

German group Chyp-Notic from early 90s is new to me, but I quite like their style of combining synth pop and Eurodance. Cola Boy's single came out in 1991, but I never bought it. Now I want it for nostalgic reasons. East Side Beat is also new to me (also early 90s dance music). Browsing and purchasing this kind of dance music from the days I was about 20 years old makes me feel good!    Such a good antidote against the poison known as the 2020s. 

Tangerine Dream CDs came from Austria (Eastgate), Chyp-Notic CDs came from Germany (MEDIMOPS via Amazon/eBay) and Cola Boy/East Side Beat CD singles come from the Netherlands (DUTCHCD via Discogs). I avoid the UK nowadays because of Brexit (potential hassle/costs importing the items to Finland). The Netherlands is an important CD country because of the Dutch conglomerate Philips, the other developer of CD format with Sony.

[71 dB]

Ich auch bought a thing from Amazon Germany!

   

    For years I looked for this film and all I found were VHS tapes and DVDs I didn't quite trust.

A lot of movies are released on Blu-ray in Germany, in fact I believe only the US has more releases in the World... Of course for someone like you living in the US region locking can be an issue, but this release seems to be A & B so you'll be fine even without a region free player. German releases have gigantic age restriction "stickers" on the cover, but luckily also often reversible covers to hide then. Some people don't like German titles/texts on the cover. This release seems to be limited to only 1000 copies, but apparently you still managed to buy one for yourself. How much did this cost to you in all? How much was shipping to the US? Any import fees? Has it arrived and if so, are you satisfied with the release?

Apparently this release is based on an old 720p master and the picture won't be super-sharp. People say this is a sadly forgotten TV movie that will probably never look better than this release because HBO just doesn't care.

[steve ridgway]

Here is a list of my recent (last 40 days or so) non-classical CD purchases:

Tangerine Dream - The Sessions VIII
Tangerine Dream - Phaedra 2005
Chyp-Notic - Nothing Compares*
Chyp-Notic - I Can't Get Enough*
Cola Boy - 7 Ways To Love (single)*
East Side Beat - Alive & Kicking/Ride Like The Wind (single)*

* Used.

German group Chyp-Notic from early 90s is new to me, but I quite like their style of combining synth pop and Eurodance. Cola Boy's single came out in 1991, but I never bought it. Now I want it for nostalgic reasons. East Side Beat is also new to me (also early 90s dance music). Browsing and purchasing this kind of dance music from the days I was about 20 years old makes me feel good!    Such a good antidote against the poison known as the 2020s. 

Tangerine Dream CDs came from Austria (Eastgate), Chyp-Notic CDs came from Germany (MEDIMOPS via Amazon/eBay) and Cola Boy/East Side Beat CD singles come from the Netherlands (DUTCHCD via Discogs). I avoid the UK nowadays because of Brexit (potential hassle/costs importing the items to Finland). The Netherlands is an important CD country because of the Dutch conglomerate Philips, the other developer of CD format with Sony.

I quite like Phaedra 2005, it's different enough to stand out from the original. Even more so the remade Sorcerer, but am not keen on the Tangram and Hyberborea.

[71 dB]

I quite like Phaedra 2005, it's different enough to stand out from the original. Even more so the remade Sorcerer, but am not keen on the Tangram and Hyberborea.

Since my copy of Phaedra is the old Virgin CD from 1985 (CDV 2010), the difference to Phaedra 2005 is pretty big. It was only now that I was able to buy Phaedra 2005 for a reasonable price thanks to the Eastgate offer (10 euros down from 16 euros).

[drogulus]

A lot of movies are released on Blu-ray in Germany, in fact I believe only the US has more releases in the World... Of course for someone like you living in the US region locking can be an issue, but this release seems to be A & B so you'll be fine even without a region free player. German releases have gigantic age restriction "stickers" on the cover, but luckily also often reversible covers to hide then. Some people don't like German titles/texts on the cover. This release seems to be limited to only 1000 copies, but apparently you still managed to buy one for yourself. How much did this cost to you in all? How much was shipping to the US? Any import fees? Has it arrived and if so, are you satisfied with the release?

Apparently this release is based on an old 720p master and the picture won't be super-sharp. People say this is a sadly forgotten TV movie that will probably never look better than this release because HBO just doesn't care.

    1) I rip discs, which means the region doesn't matter. In fact I don't have the ability to play discs even in my region because the only drives are on my PC and I don't have the software for playback.

    2) The cost was €35.97, and about half was shipping.

    3) The file is 1080p but it could have come from a 720 source.

    4) I ordered on March 13, and it arrived on March 21.

    5) I paid €2.11 in tax, presumably a sales tax.

    6) I haven't watched the film but I have previewed it and it looks much better than any other source I've seen.

[71 dB]

Today I was able to purchase this CD:

LFO - What Is House EP

I have been wanting to buy this (CD single really, but named EP) for years, but it has been rather expensive. Now I got it used for 6.45€ delivered.   

1) I rip discs, which means the region doesn't matter. In fact I don't have the ability to play discs even in my region because the only drives are on my PC and I don't have the software for playback.

    2) The cost was €35.97, and about half was shipping.

    3) The file is 1080p but it could have come from a 720 source.

    4) I ordered on March 13, and it arrived on March 21.

    5) I paid €2.11 in tax, presumably a sales tax.

    6) I haven't watched the film but I have previewed it and it looks much better than any other source I've seen.

1) The only discs I know how to rip are CDs. Don't the region codes apply even when ripping a Blu-ray? Isn't the drive in your PC region 1 for DVDs and A for Blu-rays? I have a "superdrive" for my Mac capable of reading DVDs and it is region 2. It won't read let alone rip DVDs locked to other regions! Anyway, this Blu-ray you bought is region free so these things don't matter.

2) Well, 36 euros is a lot for one TV movie made from a 720p source, but of course if you really enjoy the movie, the cost might be justified to you. The shipping costs are ridiculous, especially between the US and Europe.

3) Yes, naturally it is 1080p on the disc, but the source is 720p they say (and the screen caps I saw support visually this claim).

4) Eight days in all? That isn't bad at all. I experience delivery times of that sort ordering from Germany to Finland!

5) Sales taxes are incorporated in the prices in Europe. The US is the odd one out not including sales taxes in the prices because the amount of tax can vary walking to another store on the other side of the street and of course every state has their own tax rate. The 2.11€ (not €2.11) is probably for the customs clearance (Value Added Tax - Amazon handles it for you so you).

6) Yes, people say it is the best version available.

[drogulus]

1) The only discs I know how to rip are CDs. Don't the region codes apply even when ripping a Blu-ray? Isn't the drive in your PC region 1 for DVDs and A for Blu-rays? I have a "superdrive" for my Mac capable of reading DVDs and it is region 2. It won't read let alone rip DVDs locked to other regions! Anyway, this Blu-ray you bought is region free so these things don't matter.

     There is a program called MakeMKV which I use to rip DVDS/BDs including 4k. Ripping removes the region restriction. I don't even know what region restriction my foreign discs may have had.

[71 dB]

There is a program called MakeMKV which I use to rip DVDS/BDs including 4k. Ripping removes the region restriction. I don't even know what region restriction my foreign discs may have had.

Amazing! I don't understand how the ripping can be done if the region code of the disc doesn't match that of the drive. It shouldn't allow reading the content of the disc once it has been established the region code is wrong. I guess somehow the MakeMKV program is able to bypass the region code phase... ...but that is surprising because the copyright owners don't want wrong people to see their content! I wonder why they don't sue the MakeMKV program for violating copyrights.

Once you have ripped a movie, you copy the .mkv file to a USB memory stick and then you connect that to your TV and watch the movie?

[drogulus]

     They can't sue because they would lose. People can copy their discs.

Once you have ripped a movie, you copy the .mkv file to a USB memory stick and then you connect that to your TV and watch the movie?

     Not exactly. The video files are tagged and put in folders on hard drives. That's the archive connected to the PC. Then I load many of the files onto a set of portable drives (5TB each) which are connected to my media player. The player connects to an HDMI port on the TV and the TV is connected to an AVR for audio.

     If I want to watch a movie or TV series on a drive I switch inputs on the TV and browse the menus on the player>Movies AO> Fatherland or instead 2160p PZ> Shogun.