[tstarn06]

Sony Online Service to Challenge iTunes? Fat Chance - PC World

 

[earthpeople]

It sure seems it would be hard for Sony to get up to iTunes status or even take much of the market away from them.

If they offer high quality files at reasonable prices, I would buy from Sony.

 

[tstarn06]

Amazon already has better rips than iTunes, higher bitrates for less.

 

[earthpeople]

True, but I was talking more alone the lines of 320kbps and lossless. I can dream, hm? Maybe it'll happen one day.

 

[VicAjax]

lossless for .99 a pop should be the standard.

 

[majid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by squid+ /img/forum/go_quote.gif True, but I was talking more alone the lines of 320kbps and lossless. I can dream, hm? Maybe it'll happen one day.

Not until there is a lossless audio format that can infect your computer with rootkits and spyware. That's a key requirement for any Sony-supported format.

 

[Uncle Erik]

If Sony sells SACD quality downloads, I'd take a look.

Excellent point, majid. Even if Sony sells 24/96 downloads, I won't touch them if they're infected with DRM and/or have to be played via some screwy proprietary player.

 

[fenixdown110]

And Zune has the 15 a month for unlimited downloads.

 

[leveller1642]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Amazon already has better rips than iTunes, higher bitrates for less.

Dunno about that. I thought most of itunes was 256 kbps AAC.

Quote:

Here's more information about music files from the Amazon MP3 Music Downloads store: Bit Rate: Where possible, we encode our MP3 files using variable bit rates for maximum audio quality and smaller file sizes, aiming at an average of 256 kilobits per second (kbps). Using a variable bit rate allows us to allocate a higher bit rate to the more complex sections of music files while using a smaller bit rate for the less complex sections. The average of these rates is then calculated to produce an average bit rate for the entire file that represents the overall sound quality. Some of our content is encoded using a constant bit rate of 256 kbps. This content will have the same excellent audio quality at a slightly larger file size.

Apparently the Zune store is/was 192kbps WMA.

As soon as somebody sets up a unlimited download music service, with a decent bitrate and MP4 codec, compatible with the worlds most popular DAP and is available in Australia, I'm in. I don't care how much it costs within reason (max $100US a month) or if it has DRM.

 

[earthpeople]

iTunes standard is only 128kbps AAC. They've recently started selling music at 256kbps but for an additional fee. :\

 

[fenixdown110]

I stopped buying from iTunes long ago because of that.

 

[krmathis]

Lossless music and I may be interested.
Or else (if lossy music) then it will be of no interest to me, just like iTunes Store.

 

[fenixdown110]

I think we're still better off buying and ripping CD's in lossless. The only lossless files I download are from torrents otherwise.

 

[leveller1642]

Quote:

Originally Posted by squid+ /img/forum/go_quote.gif iTunes standard is only 128kbps AAC. They've recently started selling music at 256kbps but for an additional fee. :\

Are you sure? I can't find any sign of itunes plus in the itunes store. Its hard to confirm but i found this;

Quote:

Originally Posted by 01/09 macworld keynote speech Same price, selection, and quality via 3G as with Wi-Fi and via personal computer. • iPhone's access to iTunes Music Store is no longer just on WiFi, it's now over 3G as well. • Songs are 256 kbps AAC and you can upgrade your entire purchased library to DRM-free iTunes Plus. • Starting today: 8 million songs will be DRM-free. By the end of next quarter, all 10 million songs will be DRM-free. • New pricing: $0.69, $0.99, and $1.29 per song. Starts in April. • iTunes Store has sold over 6 billion songs. 75 million accounts with credit cards. 10 million songs available.

MacDailyNews - MacDailyNews presents live coverage of Phil Schiller's Macworld Expo 2009 Keynote

 

[fenixdown110]

But still no lossless.