It would seem the Phoenix is trying to rise from the ashes of SC. It has been revealed on K/S by Jim Harrington that new product will be released for the first time in years by the former manu SC. To combat the risk of theft and piracy only a select few will be permitted to obtain these new tracks. Only hosts licensed under PEP's operator's license program can buy the new product. The price for the new product will be quite steep $30.00 for 8 tracks, getting up into the custom disc region, price wise. Not even a discount for the loyal prior purchasers, or the hosts that currently lease the GEM series, price for GEM has gone up as well. Let's see you would have to pay 200.00 a month for the operator's license and 30.00 as well for 8 tracks, such a deal. 
All this for the dubious honor of using the SC product, which some hosts think they can't run their business without. Naturally all of the SC/PEP supporters think this is the best thing since the wheel. Unfortunately there is no reason to reinvent the wheel. This particular wheel has been broken for some time, and it would be better to exchange it for a different brand. I originally decided to boycott the SC product and I never regretted my decision. Legal karaoke hosts are barely making it now, having to pay protection money every month and inflated prices for discs, would make small independent operators disappear. Only the large scale operations could continue.
These supporters of SC make me seriously ill, they wait in line to kiss the backside of Kurt and Jim. They kiss the hand that slaps them, and lick the boot that kicks them. No brand is worth this type of humiliation. The reason SC aka PEP must charge so much money is to cut in EMI after PEP was forced to settle with them. They were forced to take on a new partner and now they are trying to force hosts to take them on as partners. The new product is only a lure to get hosts signed up as licensed SC operator's, if someone decides to sign up wait until the new product comes out and you can see if it is worth the extra cost. I doubt it will make business sense to many hosts, especially small independent operators.
