What is Redbook?

randog · « **on:** 18 Feb 2004, 08:01 pm »

I keep hearing the term 'redbook' for cd's, but I never knew exactly what it means. Is it some sort of industry standard? Do normal store-bought 2-channel cd's fall in this category? What about cd-r's or other formats?

Thanks,
Randog

maxwalrath · « **Reply #1 on:** 18 Feb 2004, 08:02 pm »

I think it's just standard everyday normal cd's. not cd-r's or anything else.

rosconey · « **Reply #2 on:** 18 Feb 2004, 08:10 pm »

i think i saw a copy of redbook at the dentist years ago

Spidey9534 · « **Reply #3 on:** 18 Feb 2004, 08:57 pm »

I did a quick Google and came up with this link.

http://www.disctronics.co.uk/technology/cdbasics/cd_books.htm

Apparently, there are quite few 'Book' colors for various CD specifications.

I just learned something too. Thanks for the question and inspiration for me to look it up. I've often wondered about the same thing.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #4 on:** 18 Feb 2004, 09:30 pm »

Redbook is the formal CD standard- it states all the parameters required to make an audio CD. There are other standards for computer use (Orangebook and, I think, at least one more). This applies to CD-Rs, too- that is to say, to play back as a CD they must conform to redbook specs.

Interestingly, if you change that spec you no longer have a CD and you can't market it as one. Philips has sent cease & desist letters to companies in the past who's copy protection schemes have nudges the format beyond the boundries of the Redbook standard. This is important in the sense that anything labelled as a CD should be 100% compatible with all CD players.

steve_jrc · « **Reply #5 on:** 19 Feb 2004, 04:40 pm »

here is some more interesting information on the topic:

www.massivemastering.com/html/redbook_cd_s.html

randog · « **Reply #6 on:** 19 Feb 2004, 05:00 pm »

Thanks, friends. It's good to be informed.

Those articles are interesting, indeed.

Tonto Yoder · « **Reply #7 on:** 20 Feb 2004, 04:22 am »

OFF TOPIC

This subject always reminds me of my first exam in college when the professor mentioned bluebooks. I had no idea what he was talking about, but was too embarassed to ask and admit my ignorance.
He was simply talking about the six or eight page booklets of stapled paper (maybe 8" X 8"?) that exam answers were written in. Some time later, I saw the REAL bluebook--just the same stapled paper, but with a blue unlined paper cover.
The term is pretty uncommon now--totally unlike the use of "redbook" to describe normal CD's.