HDtracks download manager...

[firedog]

Downloaded 2 albums in one continuous download - quick and no problems, and I'm not in the States.

 

I'm running Windows 64bit and did update Java before doing the download. In order to get the manager to load properly I had to restart my browser. Once I did everything went fine.

 

[firedog]

Machinehead:

 

I think I used Firefox 4, but I occasionally use IE9, so I'm not sure. I definitely remember that it wasn't Chrome.

 

[firedog]

And it worked perfectly. Download was fast.

 

I did have one problem about a month ago-the download manager wouldn't open - some sort of Java problem.

 

I looked in the FAQ/help at the HDT site, and followed directions: cleared cache files in java, downloaded the latest java and installed it.

 

After that it worked fine.

 

[firedog]

There is an issue with the java cache and the HDTracks downloader. Try clearing the cache of your java program. Another tip: try uninstalling Java and reinstalling a fresh download of Java.

 

The HDT site has an FAQ and a help page with give tips on successful downloading. Unfortunately, they have similar but not exactly the same info. See if anything written there helps you.

 

[firedog]

Channel classics uses the same Java based manager; so do a couple of other download sites. I think it has something to do with them wanting to manage a separate account for each user that has a record of what you have downloaded and also that is resumable. At least that's the explanation that Channel Classics gave me.

 

I had a large download from HDT the other night that I accidentally shut down in the middle of download - totally my fault. On resume it also started back from the beginning and placed the files in a folder called 96 Hz. But it downloaded flawlessly there.

 

In any case I'd write HDT and tell them about the resume problems. It apparently is a new "feature" that they may be able to fix. Don't think it is worth it to complain to them about the Java downloader in general - they seem wedded to it and I don't think they will change.

 

Last year I had one track in a double album that downloaded corrupted. I requested that HDT allow me to do another download of just that track. Instead, they sent me an email with direct download links for all 25 tracks of the order. So they "can" do direct links. That was good service.

[firedog]

I also wrote them about the issue of resuming an interrupted download from the beginning - they quickly replied that they are aware that it has become an issue and are "looking into it".

[firedog]

Think the new downloader is great. Solves almost all the issues with the old downloader.

 

One issue remains - the track file names do not come out numbered, as they previously did.

Just prefer it that way, it is more convenient in some circumstances.

 

But overall love it, thanks

[firedog]

Failed tracks:

 

People, if the downloader reports a track download has failed, just let it complete all ongoing downloads, then close it and reopen it. It will restart the failed tracks where it left off. A big improvement over the previous downloader.

[firedog]

Just downloaded a double album in 24/96 in little over an hour, on a 5MB ADSL line, and I'm not in the US.

 

I haven't had any problems since the new downloader arrived.

 

Once bit of advice: I have noticed that if you have a torrent downloader open (even if you aren't actively downloading) it greatly slows the HDT downloads. So I'd make sure you have no torrent clients or other downloaders running at the same time as the HDT software.

[firedog]

Since the JRiver downloader became available, your experience is not typical. Look back through the thread and you'll see that most of don't have issues.

 

OK, here we are 4 years after the initial post, and the issues still persist:

- downloads fail (I have to try at least 4 times till a single track download completes successfully)

- if the download completes, the processing of the audio files fails 50% of the time

- the app (version19.0.60) stalls and fails silently, and starts consuming all CPU (over 10 hang logs in the last 24 hours, all for one album download)

- the app reliably crashes on quit

- resuming downloads fails 80% of the time, and to attempt a resume you have to quit and relaunch the app

This is on the current release of OS X (10.9.3), firewall off, tried rebooting, re-installing the app, removing caches, removing settings for the downloader in ~/Library/Application support, removing downloader files in ~/L/Saved Application State, removing partial downloads, etc.

No problems with iTunes downloads, or any other apps, of course.

Apple has “Human Interface Guidelines” for developers, the downloader app breaks these guidelines in countless ways (menus, buttons, fonts, where prefs are stored, etc). This is yet another indication that the developers of the app have absolutely no clue what they are doing.

I will never buy from HDtracks again.

[firedog]

Well I did say "most". No download site of any type in any location is going to work well for everyone, everywhere.

 

By the way, I'm nowhere near the US, so don't assume that my good results with the downloader have anything to do with being in the US.

 

Anyways, I looked at the HDtracks FAQ site, they state explicitly that the downloads are CD quality, they nowhere state explicitly that they used 24bit/96k masters (like Mastered for iTunes does). I believe they would state that if they actually used hi res masters, so what they are implying is that they use CDs and upsample them.

 

This has all been discussed here many times before.That answer in the FAQ is badly written and dated. What they are trying to say is that they don't sell files with lossy compression.

The text is old and dates from their early days, when it was a big deal that they even had lossless files for download, as opposed to lossy. It's a shame they don't update it.

 

See http://www.hdtracks.com/about-us where they talk about selling master quality files.

 

They've publicly, officially, repeatedly, and explicitly stated for years that they NEVER upsample files and never knowingly sell upsampled material. They're a reseller/retailer. The get material from the labels and sell it to the public.

 

That said, they don't have the best quality control and have occasionally sold a file supplied to them by a label that has been upsampled by the label and given to them as "hi-res" (as have all the other hi-res download sites); but they've removed those from the site when made aware of it.

 

 

Yeah, see the post from bmoura above yours :-)

 

I think he's right, seeing issues in Europe that you don't see in the US, and issues with specific file types only, points to server side issues with the hosting.

 

Anyways, I looked at the HDtracks FAQ site, they state explicitly that the downloads are CD quality, they nowhere state explicitly that they used 24bit/96k masters (like Mastered for iTunes does). I believe they would state that if they actually used hi res masters, so what they are implying is that they use CDs and upsample them.

 

With all the delays with the downloads, I haven't even gotten around to listening yet (part of the album downloaded successfully before HDtracks cancelled the purchase).

Also, with AUlab (free download from Apple), you can do double blind comparisons between hi res sources and the compressed files that are used for iTunes. If I get around to do that these days, I'll report back..

[firedog]

I've gotten around the region restrictions of all the download sites. It isn't very hard to do if you use a VPN or VPN addon in your browser. Sometimes (depending on the site) you have to register with an address from the country in question. Doesn't matter if the address is yours or not. Irrelevant as long as you are only downloading from them.

 

They don't really care (if they did, they'd make the restrictions hard to get around), they just want to be able to claim legally that they did their bit.

 

Once you make the purchase, you can be anywhere. They don't care where the actual download is going to, the region restrictions apply to the sale, not the download.

 

Interesting, because in their mail to me HDtracks stated that they do not sell internationally, period. Here's the quote from the email:

 

"Please note, you are outside the U.S. We currently are not available internationally."

[firedog]

Sure, but for me the whole point of legally purchasing music is that it's legal. If I wanted to work around legislation, I wouldn't bother to buy music in the first place...

 

Well, that's fine if it's your point of view.

 

But it has little to do with legislation, it has to do with internal restrictions in the music industry from the pre-digital age designed to divide and protect markets. My point of view is that I'm paying full price for it, so I have no ethical issues with it. Very different from not paying for music at all, as you implied.

 

Like I said, if the companies really wanted to prevent it, they could.

[firedog]

..and if HDtracks (or anyone else) don't want to sell in Ireland, why should I give them my money?

 

They want to sell everywhere, they are prevented from it by the record labels and music publishers. They are a corporation and have to respect the legal system, or they can't operate, unless they want to be an underground organization.

 

I certainly understand your frustration, but your anger is misdirected.

 

That's exactly the reason I've got no ethical problem with paying for the files and getting in a back door of the system

[firedog]

Boy you are so overthinking this and basing a conclusion on over interpretation of limited info. You contention is simply incorrect, which you could find out if you took the trouble to look into it a bit.

 

They've publicly and repeatedly stated it in interviews, web posts etc. They will also confirm it to you personally in writing (they have to me) if you take the trouble to write them and ask instead of engaging in idle speculation and obsessive deconstruction of a web page.

 

This is an old topic that apparently is new to you. Instead of arguing the point based on a lack of knowledge, do your homework instead of repeatedly bringing the point up in the forum.

 

Their source files can be analog tape, SACD, or hi-res files. Their policy is that they never knowingly sell upsampled digital files as hi-res. Either the source is hi-res to begin with, or it is a hi-res transcription of analog material. Except for Chesky records, they don't produce any material and only resell what labels give them. They can be given upsampled material, but remove it from the site if it's discovered.

 

OK, I had a look at that page. They never state that the source files they receive are actually 24bit/96k. They talk about 'master tapes' (who masters to tape these days, and then converts back to digital? Or are they talking about ADAT tapes? Remember these?) and 'master quality' - which means, if it's a regular CD master, 16bit/44k.

(Off topic: the best resource with good information about mastering I found is 'Mastering Audio' by Bob Katz.)

 

The information is decidedly non-technical. They mention LP and SACD in the same sentence, stating that these formats can hold 'a lot of information'. The dynamic range of an LP is not even close to that of a CD or SACD, LPs are mastered to make sure that the needle does not jump out of the groove. So maybe they refer to lyrics when they talk about 'information'. Or notes, there sure are a lot of notes on each LP.

[firedog]

 

If you have seen a 'Mastered for iTunes' label, that means the source before conversion to AAC is a 24bit/96k file. If a conventional music retailer like Apple can state that, I would expect someone specialising in HD to match or exceed this type of information, and do it officially on their website, ideally with specifics for each album.

 

You are right about that, but if you look you will see that none of the main hi-res download sites do a really good job of that. HDT is probably worst; they claim the labels don't give them the information, or that the labels themselves don't even know it when asked. In general, their downloads that are 88 or 176k are generally derived from SACD or from recordings in those formats.

Acoustic Sounds does a better job of providing info, especially with releases they produce themselves. To their credit, if asked they will go to the trouble of finding out more detailed information about source files and provide it to you.

[firedog]

I cannot get their Download Manager to accept my password to save my life. Everything they've told me to try does not work. Frustrated...

 

have you actually purchased an album?

I had the same problem with Acoustic Sounds and they told me that if your account has nothing to download that will be the result.

If you buy an album and still can't get the downloader to work, I'd fully uninstall it (including downloads file folder) and try again. Or open a second account and try again.

If you really can't get it to work, send them an email with the order number and they will send you direct dowload links.

[firedog]

like I said, send them the order number and ask for direct links so you can download the album that way

 

 

Yup. They charged me $18 for the Pizza Tapes.

 

I fully uninstalled it cleared cache and everything. Tried the link they gave me for the DLmgr. They recommended trying a different browser so I installed Chrome (use Safari on my Mac Mini). Nothing has worked. Waiting to hear back from them again.

 

I bought a handful of titles in the past on my 8 year old iMac and never had any issues. The brand new MacMini doesn't like it - maybe something to do with Mavericks?

 

Bill