Buying digital

[Image: cd]I just installed a new lightscribe DVD burner in the computer I’m building to be a DVR for my projector. It’s a sweet new drive that’s supposed to be able to burn dual-layer DVDs (either format) and laser-print a label onto the top of the DVD.

It can also print the top of CDs.

So my question is: from a consumer standpoint, what is the major difference between a disc printed in my drive and a disc printed professionally?

For DVDs it’s copy protection. For CDs…I can’t think of anything.

So why can’t my digital music shopping at Amazon work like this:

I go to Amazon and find the CD I’d like to buy. Amazon offers me a “disc image” option, which then allows me to download a pre-packaged file which will take the blank CD I put into my drive and burn/label it identically to a CD I could find in a store.

Then I get to download and store a pdf (or some format) copy of the CD’s accompanying leaflet thing.

Done. I’ve got my CD. I’ve got my track list. No shipping.

Let’s do it.