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...you guessed it! Windows Media Audio.   

These music industry PC users. Haven't they ever heard of an iPod, AKA the most popular MP3 player on the market.

So if you buy the new Anthony Hamilton CD (And why would you?) and you want the tracks on your iPod, you would have to find someone with a PC and a CD burner, burn the WMA files to a CD, then re-rip them into iTunes. Totally inconvenient, not to mention being compressed twice.

Plus, pirates are just going to do the same thing, only re-rip to MP3. This is stupid. Get a clue guys, piracy is not killing the music industry; the fact that the music industry sucks is killing the music industry.

Linkage.

Arrrrr! 

You really expect the industry to choose a format based on the popular audio player of the day?? WMA = 90%+ of computer desktops, which out-number the # of ipods by, oh.. Probably a few hundred million.

They know about the ipod and don't care, if Apple chooses to exclude the ability to play WMA who's choice is that? (hint Apple).

There are plenty of car stereos, like mine, that play MP3/WMA files.. should these be ignored in favor of the ipod?? or should the industry just bow down to Apples proprietary ways??

Think outside the fruit.

or should the industry just bow down to Apples proprietary ways??

how would making them mp3's instead be apple's proprietary ways?  how about just pissing everyone off and making their own damn format which can only be played with their player?  makes everyone happy.

or, we could just go around the copy protection on these cd's, probably the easiest since someone will always be able to find a way.

or should the industry just bow down to Apples proprietary ways??

Funny.  I thought that WMA was proprietary and AAC was open source.  It seems like the industry HAS just bowed down to MICROSOFT'S proprietary ways.  I think you have backwards there, AMD.

"Gee, it's unique to only 90%+ of home computers?.. damm proprietary format!!".. lol

Don't put too much weight behind the term "open source", it's basically meaningless in a market driven economy... it's probably a few dirty words for corperate CEO's looking at the bottom line.

The fact that it is used by 90%+ users should make us even MORE concerned, not make us feel better about it.  It means that MS has control of the format, and everyone uses it, which only increases the risk of them throwing their weight around AGAIN, and abusing their monopolisitic powers.  Those types of tactics are bad for all of us, including you, AMD.  Thank GOD apple has beat MS to a good on-line music solution and has the best mp3 player on the market, so that there is a good fighting chance that we won't see MS screwing up this exciting tech sector like they have down with consumer OSs.

And perhaps the proprietary format of WMA has something to do with the fact that it is not available on the iPod or iTunes.  Wouldn't MS have to license it's use to Apple for that to happen?  Is it likely that MS is going to do that and risk losing users to Apple's music service?

The new A Perfect Circle CD is copy-protected, for example.  On a friend's PC, a special program opens when you insert the CD on your computer to play the music.  On my mac, it opens two volumes, as mentioned previously.  One volume is a bunch of PC garbage, including the player .exe, the other volume contains the music.  It rips into iTunes.  It downloads to my iPod.  And yes, the CD can be duplicated.

Macintosh:  the hacker's tool for bypassing copy protection. 

If any label releases a CD in a format that I cannot read in a standard CD player and/or play in my program of choice on my computer and/or cannot be uploaded to my iPod, I WILL pirate that music.  Music labels are fighting piracy in all the wrong ways.


Speaking of piracy, when you go to movies have you ever seen those "don't steal movies" ads they run at the beginning?  You know, the ones with a "real-life" propman or stuntman preaching about how piracy is wrong?  Yeah, those ones.  Well, when I went to see the Matrix Revolutions, and that ad was playing, the whole theatre actually BOOed for the whole thing!  It was very funny to hear.  It looks like all those anti-piracy groups have a lot of work to do...

Speaking of piracy, when you go to movies have you ever seen those "don't steal movies" ads they run at the beginning?

I don't know what they are thinking... I mean, if you are there... then you are paying to see the movie so... preaching to the choir.

thats what i think 

but when i see that, it makes me whant to steal 

Who needs CDs when there is iTunes Musc Store ?

W

Those of us without credit cards or decent Net connections.

Or anyone who likes any band on an indie label.

In fact excellent call Short Circuit....    

and that ad was playing, the whole theatre actually BOOed for the whole thing!  It was very funny to hear.  It looks like all those anti-piracy groups have a lot of work to do...

at the theatre i saw matrix rev. at clapped after it.  dunno if they supported the message or were just glad it was over. 

There is no such thing as a "copy-protected" audio CD.  If you don't believe me, send me one, and I'll make you a copy. 

So true. There is always a workaround.

or should the industry just bow down to Apples proprietary ways??

Funny.  I thought that WMA was proprietary and AAC was open source.  It seems like the industry HAS just bowed down to MICROSOFT'S proprietary ways.  I think you have backwards there, AMD.

"Gee, it's unique to only 90%+ of home computers?.. damm proprietary format!!".. lol

Don't put too much weight behind the term "open source", it's basically meaningless in a market driven economy... it's probably a few dirty words for corperate CEO's looking at the bottom line.

Open source doesn't mean open standard, and desktop dominance doesn't mean standard.

The problem with WMA is that MS can choose, at their sole discretion, to change the format. They can lock out competitor's products (for which they've been found guilty in court in the past), introduce DRM across the board and basically do whatever their whim dictates.

That is not good.

I don't care if WMA has 90% or 1% - a proprietary format is not a standard, and it should never become one, not even by default.

The strength of standards lies in the inability of one company with a vested interest to change them. They just can't. Apple can no more change mpeg4 than they can will Bill Gates to implode.

That's the difference - Apple have opted to implement open standards in media (which they also make recommendations on) but MS have chosen to create their own proprietary systems.

In Apple's world, you can move media from one computer to another, from Unix to Linux to Windows to OS X, and back again or any combination between. By complying with the standard, the control is in the application developer's hands, and in the user's hands. That's the power of the standard.

In MS's world, you have to implement their format, and keep up with any changes that are made. If MS implement DRM across their format, you have to jump onboard or lose any other features introduced at the same time or any time in future. The control is always with MS.

MS do implement real standards in their OS, which is a good thing. Their media formats are proprietary and lock companies into MS.

Open source? What's that got to do with open standards? Red herring.

They are wasting their time. I wonder how much money they dumped into that research? How much of that crappy research are the consumers paying for?
I am so glad I don't really listen to popular music. None of this crap even affects me. Small labels don't worry about that crap. They have a loyal core audience, more than happy to support their favorite bands.