home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
-
- What is CD Reader plugin?
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- CD Reader is a freeware WinAmp plugin to play music CDs with exceptional
- quality.
-
- Why CD Reader better than standard WinAmp CD plugin ?
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Here is why:
- 1. Improved read quality, much closer to 100%.
- 2. Ability to use quality DAC of your audiocard. (Many CD-ROMs have only
- 12-bit DAC)
-
- About 1st clause. All players play CDs by reading data sectors once,
- one by one, continuously. No any reread on defect sectors occurs. This caused
- by many reasons. Method of playing CDs was born when maximum available reading
- speed was 1x. It's a very hard to find CDDA sector to reread it, because of
- poor CDDA navigation system (original guaranteed precision is about 0.5 sec).
- Computer program using good 6x CD drive can eliminate these obstacles. So,
- read quality can approach to 100%. You can ask: "How about my Data-CDs? It's
- all read fine on my CD-ROM. And how CD-ROM reread sectors on my Data-CDs?"
- That's true. But thanks to improved Data-CD navigation system and additional
- error correction layer. Difference is huge, here is about 100Mb of efficient
- data payoff.
-
- How is it work ?
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- CD Reader plugin uses RAW_READ function (also known as 'read long') to
- extract digital audio data from CD. So, your CD-ROM drive must have such
- capability. CD Reader plugin can use two low level interfaces to perform this
- function - ASPI and Win32. ASPI is Windows 95/98 embedded interface. Windows
- NT have not this interface installed by default. However, you can install it
- separately. From other hand Windows NT have naitive low level interface -
- Win32, you can use it without installing any additional software. But, some
- CD-ROMs does not support RAW_READ function thru Win32 and do well it thru
- ASPI.
- No any position de-jittering performed. All code relies on modern
- CD-ROM drives and drivers. Because, most of old CD-ROM drives which able to
- read raw data from media, unable to do it on sufficient (real time, 1x at
- least) speed.
-
- How to use it?
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Be sure you use WinAmp 2.0 or higher. Then simply copy
- 'in_CDReader.dll' to WinAmp\Plugins directory. Don't forget to shutoff
- original WinAmp CD plugin by changing its extension, for example
- 'in_cdda.dll.off'. Now you can try to play CD. If "Your CD-ROM does not
- support RAW_READ function" dialog box appears - bad luck, you can't use this
- plugin. If player report "Buffer size too big to handle", try to reduce buffer
- size down to one sector. Some CD-ROMs capable of read CDDA only by 1 sector.
- More sectors in buffer - better skip protection, less CPU use. Fewer sectors
- - faster seek response and more CPU use. If you have more than one CD-ROM,
- ensure to set right "ASPI device" option in setup. You can get faltering
- sound. This caused by poor read speed that in its turn can be caused by bad
- media or CD-ROM drive.
-
- CDDB
- ~~~~
- In this version of CD Reader plugin is able to read information about
- CD in drive from CDDB Internet server which contain song names and other stuff
- for wide variety of CD's. Click on CDDB tab to make CDDB settings. CD Reader
- plugin is able to cache CD information. To enable this feature click 'Use
- local CDDB' checkbox. Cached information will be kept in cdplayer.ini file
- which located in main Windows folder.
-
- License agreement
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- None of the executable modules or the documentation of CD Reader plugin may be
- modified in any way.
-
- All rights to CD Reader plugin belong to Vladimir Kopjov. You may use this
- product only in accordance with the restrictions listed in this license
- agreement.
-
- CD Reader plugin is distributed on the "AS-IS" principle without any
- warranties or pledges.
-
- This software may be used freely only with WinAmp(tm), and may not be copied,
- sold, distributed or used for any other purpose without the prior written
- Vladimir Kopjov's consent.
-
- The author bears no responsibility for any damage or loss of data resulting
- from the use or misuse of CD Reader plugin.
-
- The author does not assume any obligation to inform anyone about new versions
- of the software, nor about any additions or modifications.
-
- The use of CD Reader plugin means nothing more than your acceptance of this
- license agreement.
-
- Support freeware
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Really like this plugin ? You can support the author by sending _any_
- music CD (may be one you want to throw out) to:
- 620144
- 55 Kuibyshev st.
- Ekaterinburg, Russia
- PARAD Vladimir Kopjov
-
- Contacts
- ~~~~~~~~
- E-mail: copah@parad.ru
- WWW: http://www.url.ru/~copah/
-