chartbuster Custom CD+G Builder

[RandyMcCharles]

I just found that Chartbuster is now providing their own custom CDG creation service.
http://www.chartbusterkaraoke.com/default5.aspx

The price looks good but I am concerned about about their warning:
"These discs may not be compatible with all CD+G players. Also, these are protected discs and they will not play in computers."
I thought after Sound Choice's failed experiment with copy protection we wouldn't see this again, but maybe Chartbuster feels this is doable on custom disks.
Has anyone tried this service and checked if the disks can be imported into Hoster?

[madjim- with the Lord]

Originally Posted by RandyMcCharles

Also, these are protected discs and they will not play in computers."

Hey Randy,
Chartbuster is also giving away 25 free MP3+G files:

http://www.chartbusterkaraoke.com/CustomContent61.aspx

These files play in my computer and import into Hoster with no problems. (I advise everybody to get a copy of these MP3+G's if they don't have copies of the tracks. )

It will be interesting to see how this all works out.

Jim

[RandyMcCharles]

Yeah, I grabbed those Christmas files a while back. (Never turn down a freebie). I ususally like Chartbuster tracks. They use the worlds' poorest quality CDs so the CDGs often don't play well, but they do import nicely. I'm just concerned that they are using some whacky copy protection on their new (beta) custom disks so that they don't import into Hoster.

[ddouglass]

That could be the case but so far they haven't done anything with their regular ones. Sound Choice also makes custom CDs from their selections too and if you get at least 10 songs they are only $4 instead of $5 and they don't have any restrictions on theirs.

[RandyMcCharles]

I prefer Sound Choice over Chartbuster, but often you don't get a choice if Chartbuster produces a song you want but Sound Choice (and no one else) does. I also ordered market and custom CDGs from England for songs you can't get in North America. I've even ordered disks from New Zealand Karaoke because no other company has produced songs they offer.

[mindonstrike]

Originally Posted by RandyMcCharles

I just found that Chartbuster is now providing their own custom CDG creation service.
http://www.chartbusterkaraoke.com/default5.aspx

The price looks good but I am concerned about about their warning:
"These discs may not be compatible with all CD+G players. Also, these are protected discs and they will not play in computers."
I thought after Sound Choice's failed experiment with copy protection we wouldn't see this again, but maybe Chartbuster feels this is doable on custom disks.
Has anyone tried this service and checked if the disks can be imported into Hoster?

I just got one a couple of weeks ago and had absolutely no problems importing.
I don't know why they advise that you can't play them in computers but the bit about not being compatible with all cdg players is probably due to the fact that not all, especially older ones, can play CDR's

I had no problems with their disk but had lots of issues with the song selecting process. I have no idea what they were thinking when they designed the site but hopefully since it's a "beta", they'll rethink the whole thing.

Personal Opinion
Sam

[RandyMcCharles]

Thanks for the confirmation that Hoster can import these custom disks. I'll start building a list of songs I can only get via this method and order a disk when I have enough songs.

[mindonstrike]

Originally Posted by RandyMcCharles

Thanks for the confirmation that Hoster can import these custom disks. I'll start building a list of songs I can only get via this method and order a disk when I have enough songs.

One caveat I forgot about which may or may not be a problem for you is that it is a multi-session disk. I do have problems with the last track on these. I had to use Microstudio to rip this last track and import as a HDBIN. There only a couple of brands I have this problem with and CB is usually not one of them but this was an oddball. No one has mentioned having problems with multisession disks in a long time so I'm assuming this is unique to my computers for some reason.

Sam

[RandyMcCharles]

I'm not savy enough to know if a CDG is or isn't multi-session, but I'm sure I already have some. I have had to rip the last track off of numerous disks using Microstudio for import into Hoster, so doing it again won't be an issue. I haveb't had to do this with CD either. I think just some Sound Choice and Country Karaoke Classics.
On these CDGs the time shown for the last track was longer than the real time and ripping stopped part way through.

[mindonstrike]

Originally Posted by RandyMcCharles

... I haveb't had to do this with CD either. I think just some Sound Choice and Country Karaoke Classics.
On these CDGs the time shown for the last track was longer than the real time and ripping stopped part way through.

These would be multi-session. If you look at the track listings with an audio program like winamp you'll see an extra track at the end with a duration of about 15 seconds. This is the one that causes the other problems.

One other interesting thing I noticed about the custom CB disk is that there is a serial number unique to my disk printed on the title page of each song. Presumably if these songs end up on a pirate site they would no who provided it.

[RandyMcCharles]

Originally Posted by mindonstrike

One other interesting thing I noticed about the custom CB disk is that there is a serial number unique to my disk printed on the title page of each song. Presumably if these songs end up on a pirate site they would no who provided it.

Wow. I haven't seen that before. And I have custom CDs from quite a few places. It will be intersting to see what happens if/when a custom song escapes into the wild.

If only they would put that much effort into their song selection interface. I have already emailed them describing how difficult it is to find a song and offering some suggestions. Hopfully the post-beta interface will become usable.