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by Jare 4505 days ago
That kind of amplitude abuse is the equivalent of pounding very hard on the keyboard for long periods of time - it will break sooner than it would normally have, and can rightfully be considered abuse. However, voiding the warranty simply because of VLC installed is, again, the equivalent of voiding the keyboard warranty simply because you are a bodybuilder.

Ok enough metaphors.
4 comments
shawnz 4505 days ago
If I am understanding this correctly, a specially crafted mp3 file, played in Windows Media Player or similar, could cause the same symptoms that Dell is indicating VLC could create. Surely that would be considered a totally normal operating condition that the speakers should be tolerant against. It may be heavy use, but does that mean it is abuse?
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jbk 4505 days ago
Yes, exactly. Use Audacity to increase the volume and play with WMP to get the same result.
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dpe82 4505 days ago
Likely not an mp3 because most of the super high frequencies that result from digital clipping wouldn't be encoded in an mp3. Most encoders do a low pass filter as their first step (getting rid of most of the problem) and then smooth out the rest of the waveform when compressing it.

It's possible, however, to create raw PCM that will destroy a lot of consumer equipment if played long and loud enough. VLC basically gives consumers a way to do that and labels it a feature.

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tunap 4505 days ago
"Ok enough metaphors."

Not so fast, I see no car metaphor yet. And there is no comparison of Dell's practices to those of Hitler or the Nazis, either. We are far from 'enough' metaphors, my friend.

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EpicEng 4505 days ago
If the card could not overdrive the speakers (i.e., if the system were designed properly) it could not be a problem.
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mikeash 4505 days ago
The fact that it's being driven internally is a major difference.

Imagine if this was some crazy keyboard which could actually press keys automatically using a motor. Then imagine if the drivers and hardware allowed you to destroy the keyboard by pushing the motor too hard. This would be obviously crazy and the ability to write userland software that destroys built-in hardware should not result in a denied warranty.

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