[tomhr]

I was one of those who got the giveaway code for fifteen bonus tracks from Lavamus. I was not a Lavamus customer before today, so signed up. So between the one track that Lavamus gave me for registering today, plus the fifteen giveaway tracks, that means today I was allowed to download sixteen songs, without paying one penny. Kewl!

So far, I've downloaded ten songs. Immediately after downloading a song, I played it on Windows Media Player. And for three of the songs, I was surprised (dismayed) to discover that they were encoded at 128 kbps, not 192 kbps.

I found the songs I downloaded today by using Lavamus's Search function, not by clicking on an album link and browsing all the songs on that album.

Well, it turns out that if you find a song that way, if you run your mouse-pointer over the track's name (under the "Tracks Found" part of the search-results page), nothing happens. The song name is dead text.

However, if you click on a search-result track's album link, allow the album page to load, and then move the mouse-pointer over the song you want, a box will pop up, showing you that track's running time, bitrate, file size in Mbytes, and price. So you can be told the information you want before you buy, just like with Sparks, but at Lavamus you have to load the album page and do some work yourself. Sparks displays all the info that you want on the web page, so you don't need to go Easter-egg hunting.

So here's how I messed up, earlier today. I was looking for specific songs at Lavamus, where I could specify artist and song title, and if a Search found them, I bought them. I wasn't interested in browsing the rest of the album for each song I found, so I didn't -- and so never found out about the lower bitrate for three songs.

However, lest it be thought that I am complainin' and moanin', know that one of the songs I downloaded today was a song I've wanted since 1994. But I wasn't going to plunk down twenty bucks for a CD, just to get that song; I wasn't going to pay $0.99 and get some file with the DRM ball-and-chain attached to it; and ALLofMP3 (MP3Sparks) didn't carry it. So up till now, I was out of luck. But thanks to the Lavamus giveaway, I now have the song -- for free and with no DRM. So I'm pleased, even with the 128 kbps surprise.

But let me make a suggestion to Lavamus Support: Tweak the "search results" page so that when it lists individual tracks, the customer can immediately find out the bitrate and file size for that track.

[Lavamus]

Originally Posted by tomhr

... I was surprised (dismayed) to discover that they were encoded at 128 kbps, not 192 kbps..

please PM us your email and we'll refund these tracks. They probably belog to our first albums we added to our site in good old 2006.

Originally Posted by tomhr

...But let me make a suggestion to Lavamus Support: Tweak the "search results" page so that when it lists individual tracks, the customer can immediately find out the bitrate and file size for that track.

Yes, this would really be informative and we'll try to add this info to the search results page.

[tomhr]

Originally Posted by Lavamus

please PM us your email and we'll refund these tracks. They probably belog to our first albums we added to our site in good old 2006.

No need. I wasn't posting this to try and boo-hoo you into giving me more free tracks. Rather, I was posting to:

1) Let the AOM3-ers know that not all your tracks are 192 kbps.

2) Let your programmers know that, for customers such as me who buy songs mainly by searches, not browsing, we customers aren't getting crucial information (bitrates).

[MichailSPb]

Originally Posted by tomhr

[/b]

Here is your Lavamus Gift Code:
b463f78aadbb08170e87c54f1d42b5fa
Why to me this trash?

[vikulenka]

Originally Posted by tomhr

No need. I wasn't posting this to try and boo-hoo you into giving me more free tracks. Rather, I was posting to:

1) Let the AOM3-ers know that not all your tracks are 192 kbps.

2) Let your programmers know that, for customers such as me who buy songs mainly by searches, not browsing, we customers aren't getting crucial information (bitrates).

Tom,

Lavamus has posted a few times previously (e.g. http://www.aom3.org/forum/36577-post7.html) that there may be some tracks/albums at lower bitrates. So "AOM3-ers" have already heard from the horse's mouth, so to speak.

Since low bitrate tracks are an aberation, it is their policy to compensate you for it, and even even replace the album. I think it's reasonable. And also reasonable for you to accept the reimbursement instead of being unhappy about it.

[ashsarhaz93]

Originally Posted by tomhr

No need. I wasn't posting this to try and boo-hoo you into giving me more free tracks. Rather, I was posting to:

1) Let the AOM3-ers know that not all your tracks are 192 kbps.

2) Let your programmers know that, for customers such as me who buy songs mainly by searches, not browsing, we customers aren't getting crucial information (bitrates).

Lavamus has been quite transparent about this issue ever since it was first raised. It is appreciated that you have posted this for users information, but I don't think that to publically fling a goodwill gesture back in their face is necessarily the right thing to do either.

[Wolfhound]

Originally Posted by tomhr

No need. I wasn't posting this to try and boo-hoo you into giving me more free tracks. Rather, I was posting to:

1) Let the AOM3-ers know that not all your tracks are 192 kbps.

2) Let your programmers know that, for customers such as me who buy songs mainly by searches, not browsing, we customers aren't getting crucial information (bitrates).

Sorry, Tom, but I don't think Lavamus has ever promised that all their tracks were at 192 kbps. Their rapid gesture of reimbursing your 'free' tracks should be applauded.

But thanks for addressing this to customers who may be new to Lavamus as a result of this giveaway.

They also readily agreed to take your second comment on board - not all providers are this communicative!

128kbps or 192 kbps - half a sixpence is better than none!

[Bobwhite]

Originally Posted by Wolfhound

Sorry, Tom, but I don't think Lavamus has ever promised that all their tracks were at 192 kbps.

Actually Wolf the main page listing on the Lavamus site lists "high quality 192 kbps tracks" certainly infers to the user that all tracks are at least this quality... That's how I read it.

So free or not(an I haven't even redeemed mine yet) I also would be dissapointed with 128 kbps, as I'm sure most of the heavy users they are trying to draw to their site would be also.

[vikulenka]

Originally Posted by Bobwhite

Actually Wolf the main page listing on the Lavamus site lists "high quality 192 kbps tracks" certainly infers to the user that all tracks are at least this quality... That's how I read it.

So free or not(an I haven't even redeemed mine yet) I also would be dissapointed with 128 kbps, as I'm sure most of the heavy users they are trying to draw to their site would be also.

Maybe it's just me, but I find myself to be generally happier in life if I see the glass as half full than half empty

If 128 kpbs are tracks are generally rare, and the store is forthright with it and more than willing to compensate you for it - I'll take the deal.

[Bobwhite]

Originally Posted by vikulenka

Maybe it's just me, but I find myself to be generally happier in life if I see the glass as half full than half empty

If 128 kpbs are tracks are generally rare, and the store is forthright with it and more than willing to compensate you for it - I'll take the deal.

I think it would be stretching things to say they were forthright about it... They simply responded to the post about his 128 kbps tracks and offered him refund which is certainly fair, but they should either remove the inferior tracks or drop the "high quality 192 kbps" banner from the main page as this is misleading us high quality consumers