Sony’s Missteps
Today, Sony made its second major misstep along a path to failure in the digital music space. The first was Sony Connect, YAPDDS (Yet Another Proprietary Digital Download Store), selling tracks in ATRAC format. Then, today, they introduced the VGF-AP1, a 20GB iPod-like digital music player. But it only plays Sony’s proprietary, DRM’d ATRAC format, not MP3 or AAC or WAV or anything else. So, in order to get their MP3s onto this new player, users will have to re-encode their collection into ATRAC format. Re-encoding always introduces additional compression artifacts, making the tracks sound worse.
Why would you buy one of these when you can buy an iPod, which will play MP3s too? I realize that ATRAC is and has always been a better codec than MP3; I have a Sony MZ-1, the first MiniDisc machine (MiniDiscs use ATRAC), and it still sounds fantastic. But requiring consumers to re-encode is just stupid. (What? You expect us to buy all of our tracks on Sony Connect? I don’t think so.)
This is an attempt at format lock-in, but happily it’s so ham-handed that it won’t work.
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Sony Music-Tech Makes Me Wanna Wretch
Joe Gratz gives a nice update on Sony’s stupidity, including its new Sony Connect music service and iPod-like device.
Trackback by Anonymous — May 10, 2004 @ 5:43 pm
Sony Electronic’s Sad, Preventable Decline
Reviewers from the Washington Post (reg. req.) (Sony’s Connect Music Service Offers Fair Pricing, Little Else) and New York Times (reg. req.) (From Sony, the Hits and Misses), among others, have given poor marks to Sony’s music download service, Conn…
Trackback by Copyfight — May 11, 2004 @ 11:27 am
Sony’s troubles
Anyway, I’ve been meaning to speak up about Sony’s new Connect service that wa…
Sorry for the light blogging as of late. I find that when I am cranking out lots of code (and reviewing/commenting papers too) I have little energy left for blogging.
Trackback by Mayhem & Chaos Blog — May 13, 2004 @ 1:52 pm
Sony Music division would not allow the Sony consumer electronic group to release a product that facilitates “stealing” music. That is why we see a lot of little companies (creative, Archos, iRivier) prospuring.
Comment by Internal Conflict — May 13, 2004 @ 2:13 pm
Sony Electronic’s Sad, Preventable Decline
Reviewers from the Washington Post (reg. req.) (Sony’s Connect Music Service Offers Fair Pricing, Little Else) and New York Times (reg. req.) (From Sony, the Hits and Misses), among others, have given poor marks to Sony’s music download service, Conn…
Trackback by Copyfight — July 30, 2004 @ 4:16 am