Sony goes iTunes!!!

[_xxx_]

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200605100172.html

Sony bows to Apple format

05/10/2006
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

Sony Corp. on Tuesday announced a symbolic concession to Apple Computer Corp. on digital audio technology.

The company will make its latest music management software compatible with the AAC data compression technology used by Apple.

The change will enable users of some types of Walkman digital audio players to listen to music imported from Apple's music management software.

Soo...Apple rips Sony a new one. Hadn't expected this.

 

[drpepper]

I thought this was a joke, but obviously not.

Hope this means a possible future cooperation between the two companies. I think they compliment each other well.

 

[Sxotty]

I wish there was only one open standard. Ah welll. Sony entered late and did poorly b/c of their fear for their music business.

 

[London Geezer]

In short, Sony walkman's will be able to play AAC? But iPods won't be able to play Atrac?

To me, it would be much more useful if i could play my Atrac music collection on iPods as i intend to buy one to replace my HD5 some time this century...

 

[_xxx_]

To me, it would be much more useful if i could play my Atrac music collection on iPods as i intend to buy one to replace my HD5 some time this century...

Fashion whore as always, heh?

ATRAC is dead and gone, Sony might keep it in the players for a while for compatibility, but you won't see it anywhere in the future.

 

[RussSchultz]

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200605100172.html



Soo...Apple rips Sony a new one. Hadn't expected this.

From what I read, the headline is somewhat incorrect.

Sony players are going to play AAC, but that doesn't mean that they'll be FairPlay(tm) compatible. You won't be able to play iTunes PURCHASED content.

 

[_xxx_]

Dunno about that, I only saw this article.

 

[rabidrabbit]

Wasn't the AAC support already added to the PSP in the latest firmware update a couple of weeks ago?

 

[archie4oz]

Actually the playback of AAC by Sony players isn't even actually mentioned (nor have I heard anything about it). The current AURA players support WMA (no DRM though and after a firmware update). SonicStage already can play back AAC audio if you have iTunes installed on the machines (uses the Quicktime back-end). The next version of SonicStage will support it natively (actually probably via DirectShow filters (I have a version 4.0 but haven't bothered to check)).

Also I really wouldn't consider AAC support a capitulation to Apple. Sony already supports AAC on phones and the PSP, as well as collects AAC royalties from Apple in the first place...

 

[evil-doer]

idiotic article. aac is more sonys format than apples as sony helped develop it.