Forums | MacLife

jcleek · 2006-05-18 7:34 am

Gipetto wrote:
If there is one area where I can't quite grasp is just what effect opening up the iPod would have. I, personally, would love it if WMA DRM were supported on the iPod. Just think of the market that opens up. Yeah, there is a certain amount of people out there that will not buy an iPod because they don't buy into DRM as a whole, but then there are others that won't buy an iPod because its locked into a single source for purchased music - the iTMS.

Now, if it were open to the other major source, WMA DRM wouldn't that in effect make buying anything but an iPod stupid? If the only way to get all major DRM sources was on an iPod it would further solidify its position as the dominant player in the market. That is, to say, if they could negotiate a deal where they wouldn't have to in turn license FairPlay to the rest of the world.

At the same time, though, it would take emphasis away from the iTMS and spread more revenue around to the other music services. iTMS would lose some of its market dominance, but sales of iPods would almost be guaranteed. I guess it would also hand more bargaining chips over to the labels to try and get their tiered pricing model in place... who knows.

I just don't know - I get the feeling trying to make the iPod the omnipotent player could be a good thing for Apple 'cause I think we're gonna see a big fight between WMA DRM and FairPlay.

But then again, I'm no expert. I'm just thinking out loud.

How are you locked in to ITMS, will iPods not play MP3 formatted songs? I thought they would

When I buy music from ITMS or MSN Music (when it works and each service has albums the other doed not) I do it on a spare computer and then burn it to CD then turn right around and use WMP 10 (because it will actually get the album art with the album info) to rip the CD I just burnt in MP3 (so it is platform independent) without out any DRM......

Great way to get rid of DRM and that stupid iFeature in iTunes that limit the number of CD�s you can burn of a particular album.

MacBoy4139 · 2006-05-18 9:19 am

The only way you are locked in with the iPod/iTMS is:

1. You can't play iTMS tracks on any other player - only an iPod
2. You can't play songs from *any* other music store on the iPod - only iTMS songs

Burning a CD and re-ripping it results in loss of audio quality.

more or less · 2006-05-19 11:05 am

well,

i think buying digital music downloads is overrated, however, the improvements made to WMP [now 11 beta] are quite impressive.

and urge links to albums/reviews it does not sell, which is a nice touch. let's you know what's "missing, as it were...

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/window … fault.aspx

dare i say, this gives MS a graphical edge by its use of album art and views? wmp11 is now sorta like a cross between iphoto and itunes....

i am quite impressed, it's finally usable.

Last edited by more or less (2006-05-19 11:06 am)

jcleek · 2006-05-19 11:47 am

MacBoy4139 wrote:
The only way you are locked in with the iPod/iTMS is:

1. You can't play iTMS tracks on any other player - only an iPod
2. You can't play songs from *any* other music store on the iPod - only iTMS songs

Burning a CD and re-ripping it results in loss of audio quality.

The real question is it a measurable difference or something you think you can hear?

All of my MP3's are 192 kb and I am hard pressed to tell a difference between those and the original CD.

Me thinks it is all in the mind after a certain point, Like the AV store that pushes $350 component video cables over $50 cables I am sure there is a measurable difference but it is something the human eye is physically incapable discerning, unless the brain convinces the eye there is a �difference�

Same thing with the $12 per foot speaker cables, the human ear is going to be physically incapable detecting the loss in electrical current a meter can record�..unless you happen to be the first person who went though the dog human ear transplant surgery

Magical cure all placebo/sugar water pills anyone?

Last edited by jcleek (2006-05-19 11:49 am)

MacBoy4139 · 2006-05-19 2:01 pm

My issue is what if a person upgrades to better quality headphones, and their music now sucks.

Or are you one of those people that goes out and buys high-end headphones immediately with the iPod? I sure didn't.

MacBoy4139 · 2006-05-19 2:03 pm

Before you go insulting someone on "dog ear surgery" - you should realize that audio quality sounds different to all.

It's called perception. If that word is too big for you:

perception |p?r?sep sh ?n| noun the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses : the normal limits to human perception. � the state of being or process of becoming aware of something in such a way : the perception of pain. � a way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting something; a mental impression : Hollywood's perception of the tastes of the American public | we need to challenge many popular perceptions of old age. � intuitive understanding and insight : �He wouldn't have accepted,� said my mother with unusual perception. � Psychology & Zoology the neurophysiological processes, including memory, by which an organism becomes aware of and interprets external stimuli.

resedit · 2006-05-19 5:01 pm

MacBoy4139 wrote:
The only way you are locked in with the iPod/iTMS is:

1. You can't play iTMS tracks on any other player - only an iPod
2. You can't play songs from *any* other music store on the iPod - only iTMS songs

3) You can't play it in any player other than iTunes.

avkills · 2006-05-20 10:03 am

jcleek wrote:
MacBoy4139 wrote:
The only way you are locked in with the iPod/iTMS is:

1. You can't play iTMS tracks on any other player - only an iPod
2. You can't play songs from *any* other music store on the iPod - only iTMS songs

Burning a CD and re-ripping it results in loss of audio quality.
The real question is it a measurable difference or something you think you can hear?

All of my MP3's are 192 kb and I am hard pressed to tell a difference between those and the original CD.

Me thinks it is all in the mind after a certain point, Like the AV store that pushes $350 component video cables over $50 cables I am sure there is a measurable difference but it is something the human eye is physically incapable discerning, unless the brain convinces the eye there is a �difference�

Same thing with the $12 per foot speaker cables, the human ear is going to be physically incapable detecting the loss in electrical current a meter can record�..unless you happen to be the first person who went though the dog human ear transplant surgery

Magical cure all placebo/sugar water pills anyone?

If you are comparing component video cables to composite, I can spot that a mile away.

Your speaker cable thing is true though, most people would be hard pressed to hear the difference using zip chords vs. 100$/ft "oxygen free" marketing cables from monster.

MP3s really do suck compared to AAC files.

-mark

Forums | MacLife

#26 2006-05-18 7:34 am

Re: MS, MTV take on iTunes w/ URGE

Gipetto wrote:

#27 2006-05-18 9:19 am

Re: MS, MTV take on iTunes w/ URGE

#28 2006-05-19 11:05 am

Re: MS, MTV take on iTunes w/ URGE

#29 2006-05-19 11:47 am

Re: MS, MTV take on iTunes w/ URGE

MacBoy4139 wrote:

#30 2006-05-19 2:01 pm

Re: MS, MTV take on iTunes w/ URGE

#31 2006-05-19 2:03 pm

Re: MS, MTV take on iTunes w/ URGE

#32 2006-05-19 5:01 pm

Re: MS, MTV take on iTunes w/ URGE

MacBoy4139 wrote:

#33 2006-05-20 10:03 am

Re: MS, MTV take on iTunes w/ URGE

jcleek wrote:

MacBoy4139 wrote:

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