XB360's media capabilities a little misrepresented?

[crystalcube]

Also, I think they owe it to their cystomers who payed fair and square, why would they not allow streaming? It's ridiculous IMO, way to reward your customers for playing by the rules.

Did Apple advertised that the music people are buying from iTunes store be streamable on devices that are not even available in market yet ?
If not then they are playing fair. People buy music from iTunes to play on iPod. Thats what it does. If any company wants to use iPod they pay Apple ...10% ..in this case that would be Microsoft.

Why dont you say that Microsoft be fair and pay Apple 10% and let the people buying Xbox360 be able to stream music from iPod.

The argument goes both ways ... actually ... DRM is going to be troublesome for consumers but saying one company should give up their DRM to favour your favourite company is bit unfair. Would Microsoft give up its DRM and let Apple play DRM WMA files on iPod for free ?

 

[TrungGap]

Is DRM at fault here? Really is it? Or is it greed?

I can see a lot of problem with DRM. But this isn't as if x360 is copying the files over to store. It's just providing an interface and providing a passthru to the TV/stereo system. It's like Apple is asking every speaks/headphones to pay royalty to them for allowing them to hook up to the ipod. How arrogant is that?

On the other hands, I can see why Apple want accessories manufacturers to pay a royalty to use the docking interface. Apple designed it. They should be able to charge a usage fee for it. But to ask for 10% is a little outrageous. So if a car manufacturers want a docking station for an ipod for their cars, they should pay Apple 10%?

Who is loosing out? Consumers for sure. If the ipod can easily interface with more devices, i would imagine that it would help ipod's sales. But by limiting the practicality use of the ipod, will only limit Apple's market. Let's put it in another way, does the fact that ipod's DRM music doesn't play on the x360 will prevent the sales x360 more or the ipod more? I'm not saying that this will not affect the buying decision of the consumers, but it's impact is so minor. While the rest of us will suffer.

Who is to benefit from this? PlayForSure devices (MS technology). Some people are willing to pay extra for enhanced experience (such as LIVE). Allowing them to play whatever songs they legally paid for on iTunes or Napster on other devices provide that ease of use. No more ripping the music yourself. No more worrying about legality (and feeling good that you purchased it as oppose to illegally downloading it).

The more walls you put up, the more resource people will be in tearing down the walls. The more doors you provide, the more people will learn how to use the doors instead of tearing down the walls.

 

[robofunk]

Steve Jobs is an asshat on the whole. I do think it's hypocritical that the Xbox 360 only interfaces with Windows Media Center PCs and only plays WMVs even then. Unless Microsoft opens up the video capabilities of the 360 then they are no different then Apple.

I would pay extra for MPEG4, Divx, H.264 support if it's all a matter of royalties and programming. Not to mention SMB support. Let me pay and download some kind of codec Microsoft, you would be god. I have a modded Xbox though so it's only a problem with HD content. Microsoft could never match the flexibility of open source when it comes to supporting all compression formats and all file formats though so maybe they are better off not trying.

 

[mckmas8808]

Except that it does put IPOD at a competetive disadvantage if competitors decide to play nice with the 360.

Also, I think they owe it to their cystomers who payed fair and square, why would they not allow streaming? It's ridiculous IMO, way to reward your customers for playing by the rules.

Apple gave MS a chance. MS is the ones that said NO!!! Apple said ok you want our DRM encoded music give us 10%. It was MS that said hell no. So should MS have rewarded their customers for buying a Xbox 360?

 

[Tap In]

I like apples.

grapes too.

 

[rabidrabbit]

This could actually be more benefical to Microsoft while not hurting Apple that much.
Am I right that to be able to stream your iTunes music you'd then need a Media Center PC.
If so, that's only more software sales to MS, vs. paying something to Apple to be able to use their DRM in the xbox360.
Simple, the other option brings money to MS, while the other just takes money from MS.
The xbox360 is even marketed as just an extension to MCPC, not as a Media Centre itself.

Edit: So xbox360 with MCPC can only stream WMV's (not MP3's, DivX, OGG...????
If that's true, then why are people even questioning who's behind all this ? Should be pretty obvious then

 

[patsu]

Is it the end of the world ?

Can someone else (perhaps sponsored by MS) provide an adaptor to play FairPlay songs on Xbox 360 by paying the 10% fee ?

It's just business. I don't know how to differentiate between greed and business in a neutral way at this moment. 8^)

 

[rabidrabbit]

I don't think it's a big deal at all.
You can just buy a cheap 1gig USB memory dongle and stream your non DRM music from there.
Just a minor inconvenience, nothing else.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

10% of XB360 is an absolute joke. It's not like iPod functionality is worth 10% of the consoles capabilities. Apple deserve to be smacked hard for that ridiculous notion (assuming it was a 10% they were asking, and private negotiations weren't looking at other reimbursments). Can you imagine if 10 different portable media player comanies all demanded 10% of XB360's value to include their functionality?

 

[crystalcube]

Can you imagine if 10 different portable media player comanies all demanded 10% of XB360's value to include their functionality?

huh ?
you do know that downloadable music is either Apple's DRM or Microsoft's DRM ( which Microsoft is probably already charging from those media player makers )

I am not aware of any third scheme which is popular ...
It seems Microsoft possibly will be soon charging all those media player makers for "Xbox Compatible" thingy soon.

This is quite interesting thread after all

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Well that's just as wrong too. They should all be smacked hard. A writer can create a book, and they get 10% for actually spending months/years creating the product. Same witht he musicians who create the music. And on the flip side someone creates a DRM system that requires no upkeep and gets more money than the people actually doing the work.

 

[patsu]

Not that I like DRM, but FairPlay does require some upkeep because of the server check.

Writers do get royalty though.

Also I read from somewhere (forgot where) that at this stage of iTunes' business, they are looking for partners who can further their home penetration. So they are more keen to work with brand name hi-fi companies.

Really... if 10% of the console is too high, then a separate adapter selling for a fraction of the console price may work. In any case, I think MS probably wants to look at actual requests from users after launch to gauge whether it's worthwhile to bring in FairPlay.

They already have enough trouble recovering from their Xbox* investment. We should all be patient. And yes DRM sucks. 8^(

 

[drpepper]

Alright, alright. Here's a solution for you guys but involves sacrificing a Cd-R. Burn your DRM'd AAC files as an audio CD, then re-rip it as the highest quality MP3 to minimize compression artifacts. Voila, no more DRM and it canbe played from your iPod to the 360.

Really, this case is moot since this problem may only affect a small percentage of 360 owners.

 

[mckmas8808]

Alright, alright. Here's a solution for you guys but involves sacrificing a Cd-R. Burn your DRM'd AAC files as an audio CD, then re-rip it as the highest quality MP3 to minimize compression artifacts. Voila, no more DRM and it canbe played from your iPod to the 360.

Really, this case is moot since this problem may only affect a small percentage of 360 owners.

To me this issue has never been a true problem. It's just interesting. Alot of things lately have been interesting.

 

[Metal]

Not being able to stream music from my ipod over my Xbox 360 is BS, and anyone defending Apple on this is insane. I'm not asking to put the music on the Xbox 360, just simply let me plug my darn IPOD up to the Xbox 360 and use the speakers when I game. I wish I hadn't bought an IPOD now to be honest due to this.

 

[jvd]

Not being able to stream music from my ipod over my Xbox 360 is BS, and anyone defending Apple on this is insane. I'm not asking to put the music on the Xbox 360, just simply let me plug my darn IPOD up to the Xbox 360 and use the speakers when I game. I wish I hadn't bought an IPOD now to be honest due to this.

Just do what i do . I buy off napster and use the itunes just to put the data on my ipod . I keep it in mp3 form not in thier special format .