why openmg?

[number9]

Why does Sony use its openmg system instead of allowing simple drag/drop of files?

Is it to allow the unit to log the tags etc in its database or is/are there any other reason(s)?


sony NWHD5H ss 3.3 (not used ss3.3 yet!)

[Castar]

It's because of their DRM. If it was drag-n-drop, the device would be a mere hard-disk to windows with the user being able to do essentialy whatever he wants to his tracks. By forcing you to use SS, they have the total control over the music you copy into the DAP. They include information of the pc that the track was ripped or purchased (in that case also the transfer times remaining), and possibly information about the person who did the rip/download (I think I read this somewhere).

One of the main results of this is that you are not able to move back the files on a different computer. Your files are locked, and even though they can be copied from the DAP to any PC, SS will not play them because all of the information contained in the OMG format restricting playback/copy (even mp3s/wmas ripped by you are locked). This simply makes them useless to any other piece of equipment other than your own and gives Sony the power to control piracy and to put it simply, make you most of the times hate Sony for putting restrictions and hardships in your life as a music fan just so that they can make more money.

Oh, and btw the Sony DRM is probably the toughest around. They got that right!

[number9]

thanks Castar.

It would be better if the unit was a HD type product and be more versatile to use!

[Castar]

That would be the ideal case in an ideal world...

One small point: even Sony's DRM can now be beaten!

Go to the MiniDisc Community Forums here: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=12683 ... and discover an ingenious bit of programming that's so simple yet powerfully effective. It gets round Sony's toughest DRM (that imposed on music bought from its Connect online store) by making a WAV copy of the original file - which, if transcoding is your thing, can be imported back into SS and - once you've turned off Copy Protection - converted to DRM-free ATRAC! Admittedly, the price you pay is lack of gapless, but then you don't get this when downloading from Connect anyway, so no real loss.

Hey presto: Sony's DRM becomes as worthless as every other version I've so far encountered!

What is so ridiculous about Sony's controls is that they apply only to Atrac, a format not many people use anyway. See what happens with the PSP. You can move to and from it any MP3 and AAC file, but can't do that with Atrac files, these are restricted to use with SonicStage. And that makes for absurd things, like the PSP Media Manager software not supporting Atrac. Sony should just open Atrac and give its code for free to others, so more companies could support it. Though it's probably too late for that.