Sony's new Connect service uses proprietary DRM format playable only in Sony devices

[Miniver]

From Reuters

By Lucas van Grinsven and Bernhard Warner

AMSTERDAM/LONDON (Reuters) - In the age of instantaneous Internet downloads, music fans have more to consider than just the name of the artist when they buy a recording.

They must also familiarize themselves with a new lingo of geek-speak -- an alphabet soup of compression technologies, codecs and DRM -- if they want to play a song at all.

A format war has broken out among online music vendors, with competing compression and anti-piracy software determining what songs play on what devices.

The latest to enter the fray is Sony Corp. (6758.T: Quote, Profile, Research) . On Monday, the Japanese consumer electronics giant prepared to launch its Connect online music store in France, Germany and Britain.

Using a proprietary technology called ATRAC, Sony has begun selling song downloads that play only in Sony-branded devices, such as its Walkman.

"These different music formats are a lock-in. The stores use different software to sell their hardware," said Rist Brouwer, managing director at DMDSecure, a Netherlands-based company which specializes in compression and protection codes.

Sony says that with ATRAC a consumer can store more songs on a personal computer or digital music player while retaining the best sound quality. It is also easy on energy consumption, allowing hours more playing time on a single charge than rivals' technology, Sony says.

Full Story

[notbob]

should be as popular as another proprietary format they tried...

BETAMAX

[black_magiic]

dont diss the ATRAC format without the DRM crap its actuall pretty good. I can fit 4 1/2 plus hours of music on a single minidisc and it is really battery efficient. My MiniDisc player gets about 70 hours off a single Nimh battery. The sound quality is also good

[Matt]

The point though is that it can only be played on Sony products. Thus creating a monopoly. It's like the WMA stuff. I belive that it can only be played on PCs because it's windows media player. That's a monopoly to me. -Matt

[notbob]

dont diss the ATRAC format without the DRM crap its actuall pretty good. I can fit 4 1/2 plus hours of music on a single minidisc and it is really battery efficient. My MiniDisc player gets about 70 hours off a single Nimh battery. The sound quality is also good

codec has nothing to do with running time, that is determined by power consumption by drive motors and other moving parts

codecs and compression can cram more on a disc, but it won't make your battery last any longer

only a moron would pay for a hardware dependent DRM laden format, especially when free (or cheap), universal, hardware independent formats (like mp3 and ogg) exist

fuck ATRAC, wma, rm, etc. i hope they all die the horrible deaths they deserve

[mountain_rage]

And they wonder why their buisness is going to shit

[Lord_of_the_Dense]

The point though is that it can only be played on Sony products. Thus creating a monopoly. It's like the WMA stuff. I belive that it can only be played on PCs because it's windows media player. That's a monopoly to me. -Matt

There are currently stereo products, both home and auto, that support the WMA format.

I too support the ATRAC format. Sony or not, it's pretty damn efficient if you happen to have the hardware/software.

[Ne007]

There are currently stereo products, both home and auto, that support the WMA format.

I too support the ATRAC format. Sony or not, it's pretty damn efficient if you happen to have the hardware/software.

hmmmmm.....what are you considering effecient? The files or the hardware? The format may be efficient, but who needs ANOTHER format? Who needs hardware that doesn't play ANYTHING that you have?

I consider this stuff trash....I'd throw it away if I had it really.....of course I'd keep a universal DVD player that just happens to play ATRAC format...but no way am i going to go out and pay for another DVD player just because it has atrac format support....

[CCSDUDE]

codec has nothing to do with running time, that is determined by power consumption by drive motors and other moving parts

codecs and compression can cram more on a disc, but it won't make your battery last any longer

only a moron would pay for a hardware dependent DRM laden format, especially when free (or cheap), universal, hardware independent formats (like mp3 and ogg) exist

fuck ATRAC, wma, rm, etc. i hope they all die the horrible deaths they deserve

Oh yeah....add to that mov format using 3ivx..... FUCK YOU APPLE GURU..... (some guy who posts good movies in this shitty format on bt sites)

[Lord_of_the_Dense]

I consider this stuff trash....I'd throw it away if I had it really.....of course I'd keep a universal DVD player that just happens to play ATRAC format...but no way am i going to go out and pay for another DVD player just because it has atrac format support....

I agree with your point. By no means am I suggesting that all formats are needed. I just don't consider it (ATRAC) worthless. It would get to be pretty annoying to need a separate device for each different format. I suppose mp3 has more merit than I previously believed.