"Geek Squad" starting CD Ripping Service....

[Richard King]

http://www.dealerscope.com/article/best-buys-geek-squad-service-has-announced-now-offering-cd-conversion-services-geek-squad-employees-now-transfer-customers-cds-digital-file-formats-412679_1.html
Best Buy's Geek Squad service has announced that it is now offering "CD conversion services," as Geek Squad employees will now transfer customers' CDs to digital file formats.

Geek Squad is charging $1 per CD in order to rip the files into such formats as MP3, AAC, WAV, WMA, WMA-Lossless, and OCG.
They also offer an online ripping calculator.

I've done some of this for customers in the past also. I normally charge $2 per CD, but then I only have one "conversion station" (computer) that I use to do the work. I suspect that they have banks of computers for doing the work. I wonder how this will be accepted. Obviously they think there is a market for the service. I've only done one major project, converting 100+ CD's for a customer a while back and loading them on his Sandisk MP3 players.

[Lee L]

Well, you can do it online already. I bet there is a machine that they can load the disks up in and when they come back they are all done with questionable disks in a seperate pile for redo in a differtrn machine.

I say that people will do it, though for $1 each, if you have a huge amount, like 600 discs it would be pretty expensive.

[Marlin Guy]

The RIAA won't let this get very far.

[tcusta00]

The RIAA won't let this get very far.

Why? Nothing illegal going on here.

[Richard King]

nothing illegal at all. There are lots of small businesses around the country doing this. Check out Ebay anyday.

[Drew2k]

I'm not sure I understand the need for the service ...

If a customer has an ipod or Zune or some other MP3 player, they more than likely already have a PC, thus they have a CD player and software that will rip the CD for them ... for free. What am I missing?

[RobertE]

I'm not sure I understand the need for the service ...

If a customer has an ipod or Zune or some other MP3 player, they more than likely already have a PC, thus they have a CD player and software that will rip the CD for them ... for free. What am I missing?

Your missing the fact that doing the above is too complex for a lot of people. It's scary out there. :eek2:

[Drew2k]

Your missing the fact that doing the above is too complex for a lot of people. It's scary out there. :eek2:Yeah... not sure how those folks with MP3 players ever get the things charged! :p

[Marlin Guy]

Why? Nothing illegal going on here.

And when did the RIAA ever care about that?

It's the potential that will wig them out.
Now we know better, because we're technically savvy, but the RIAA is still trying to hold on to the copyrights for the happy birthday song.

Here's the way THEY will see it.

Five or six punk kids go to BB and buy the latest Bruce Hornsby album.
One single copy.
Then they scamper over to the Geek Squad counter and ask them to rip the CD to one of their cell phones.
5,4,3,2,1........Apocalypse!

[Richard King]

Your missing the fact that doing the above is too complex for a lot of people. It's scary out there. :eek2:

You hit the nail on the head. It's really a combination of "complexity" and time. For some people who use computers only for Internet and email it is too complex. Others simply don't want to spend the time dumping their collection to their MP3 players. The one semi large project that I did required working with three different varieties of music, gospel, country and rock and placing each on a different MP3 player. I secured the MP3 players for the customer (thanks Woot) and did the transfers and sold the MP3 players to the customer after the project was completed. I made a small profit on the players plus charged $2 per CD. I also provided a DVD for each of the MP3 players as backup.

[Lee L]

Between my wife and I we have well over 700 CDs and many people have much more. It took quite along time ripping those discs, expecially ones that had scratches. Certainly not a technical issue on my part, it just take stime and is a pain to do. I imagine that if they can pretty much guarantee a good rip with better equipment than people have at home, they will have customers as like has been mentioned, some people do not even know how to rip a CD in the first place.

Now, on the other hand, some of the online services are much cheaper. Here is one that will rip to a lossless format like FLAC, Apple or Windows Lossless and also convert to a lossy format like MP3 or WMA all for .99 per disc including shipping and put them on a hard drive for you (you provide the drive). They even provide you the shipping boxes.

So, I guess Geek squad will be taking the really dumb people who do not even know people provide this already. Incedentally, Geek sqaud is already at the top of the paid links on Google. Must have cut them a big fat check on opening day.

Her eis alist of Internet services I found on the tubes. http://reviews.digitaltrends.com/guide/44/cd-ripping-services-compared

[Richard King]

Interesting read on the reviews. Doing all this on one computer with one DVD/CD reader/burner takes me a bit longer than the "big guys". :lol: I simply worked on the guy's order above on the evenings over a period of about 4-5 days. I had to rip them to my hard drive then transfer to his MP3 player and burn the DVD of the MP3 player. Rather much of a longer process than the other guys, I suspect.

[Marlin Guy]

When people ask me to rip CD's for them I just tell them to give me a list of what they want.
Someone else has done the grunt work. All I have to do is go get it. ;)