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Topic: Dataplay (Read 3772 times) previous topic - next topic
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Dataplay

Does anyone know if the new Dataplay devices play MP3, WMa, and AAC or do they transcode like the Sony Minidisc does? If so, does the quality suffer? What format does it transcode to?

500 MB CDs the size of a quarter is great for portable audio, as long as the compression format is good!

Dataplay

Reply #1 –
Have you seen the prices on the DataPlay hardware units? That's enough of a turn-off right there! Pay more for decreased capacity and "secure" music? No, thanks.

Dataplay

Reply #2 –
Are we talking iRiver? their new one?

I am 99% that the round one with clear plastic holder plays Mp3 and WMA, I hope to stock them in my shop ASAP because at $4 per 500MB you cannot say no (forgetting the > $300 dollar initial purchase cost).

Dataplay

Reply #3 –
"Are we talking iRiver?"

No, Dataplay is the new supposedly secure format that the music industry is pushing.

http://www.dataplay.com/

Dataplay

Reply #4 –
Quote
Originally posted by 5wordfi5h
"Are we talking iRiver?"

No, Dataplay is the new supposedly secure format that the music industry is pushing.

http://www.dataplay.com/


This is what I was talking about:

http://electronics.cnet.com/electronics/0-...04-9771117.html

Dataplay is just a format - such as CD - you can copy ANY files to it that you want, just because there are commerical audio tracks that have a layer of protection in them doesn't mean the format sucks.

And BTW - I know of only a handful of portable mp3 players that are not SMDI complient (all the cheap ones), being SMDI compliant doesn't mean the device is hindered - take the Creative Jukebox III - you can put and get mp3 files, but it is SMDI compliant in that you cannot get a protected WMA file off it.

Dataplay

Reply #5 –
In that case I just don't get this part of the url you posted, Spoon:

"Fear not, fans of downloadable MP3, AAC, and WMA files, the iDP-100 will play your tunes. However, these files get converted to the secure CK format before they're burned onto a DataPlay disc via USB. The device writes to disc as fast as flash players write to flash memory, but the conversion from MP3 to CK takes extra time. We can't tell you exactly how long because we haven't tested the device's recording capabilities, but hopefully it won't be too much of a drag"

Now maybe this means you can still copy anything to the disk but it won't be played? The disk would serve as a transportation system for importing material to another device to be played? Because only dataplayer-enabled devices can play the thing off the actual disk right? And then only when it's been converted to their little scheme.

Look, I have no idea, but I do think that all the hype surrounding dataplay (and I've been following it  for two years) suggests that there will be *heavy* restrictions.

If I'm wrong, I'd be delighted. Nex

Dataplay

Reply #6 –
It was an early review and the article states that they were not able to send any files because the USB cable was missing. I think they have it wrong.

The whole point of the 'secure CK' format is, that you buy an album, there are other albums contained on said album that you cannot play until decide to buy them as well. I cannot see mp3 files being converted to this ellaborate CK.

From the Dataplay FAQ:
What is ContentKeyTM?
ContentKeyTM allows consumers to purchase additional content that is contained on pre-recorded DataPlay albums. Once the first album has been purchased at retail you will have the option to purchase additional albums, videos, games and more at a reduced cost. And since all of this is already contained on your DataPlay digital media it only takes seconds to activate via the Web. No need to wait for lengthy downloads!

Dataplay

Reply #7 –
Good discussion about Dataplay.

I hope this 'CK' conversion is just securing the file and not transcoding it to another audio format. If it transcodes, quality will suffer, and Dataplay will fail. If it just adds security to a MP3 or AAC file - who cares? As long as the files sounds good and is portable, people will love it.

I for one have no problem with securing digital audio. As long as the quality is excellent, the compression ratio is excellent, and it is priced right - I will gladly leave P2P behind.

$20 a month to stream unlimited and burn 20 WMA files with a selection of 1/100 of the musical universe? Now that is a joke! Pressplay - get lost!

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that AAC and MP3 files can be burned to a Dataplay CD 'as is' in terms of quality.

Any more news is appreciated!

Dataplay

Reply #8 –
One downside (potentially) to DataPlay is that alhtough they are MO discs by nature(like Sony's 168MB MiniDisc), they are write-once media according to what I've been reading over the past two years. While this might not perturb some users who will likely fill up scores of discs with downloaded mp3's and such, I see it as being a bit troublesome. Again, this is likely a manifestation of copyright laws and such.

On a somewhat-related note to DataPlay discs, I myself am a MiniDisc vet and have scores of blanks laying around, so I recently picked up a MZ-N505 NetMD recorder. It's tiny, sounds FANTASTIC (light years better than my flash players did), gets 60 hours on one AA battery, and I can store 2.5 hours of what to my ears is CD quality in LP2 (132kbps) by transfering via USB at 16x.  (Note that the sample ATRAC3 codec (ACM) that was discussed some time ago here is not the same as the one shipped with newer verisons of OpenMG Jukebox--the "real" version sounds much better, similar to a Psy-Tel 128kbps VBR AAC file). For those who have MD's already laying around and only use portable audio as a means of listening to CD's on the road/etc (as opposed to downloading mp3's, something I personally don't do), NetMD may be a cheaper and better solution in the short term than DataPlay. 500MB would be great, but with all the restrictions the industry wants to impose on the new media, I'll stick with MD for now.

Here's another recent article on DataPlay: http://cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Details.asp?RelatedID=2605

Dataplay

Reply #9 –
Just my opinion, but Dataplay just screams "cute marketing concept destined to flop."  But I still play vinyl records, what do I know? 

Edit -- I really hope the future "mass market" media (like CD's are now) remains uncompressed.  Compression invariably degrades the sound to some extent, and if you combine that with cheap, mass-produced players... sound quality takes more than a back seat, it might go out the back door completely.  Psychoacoustic compression is a "good thing" but it ought to remain a choice, not the default.

Dataplay

Reply #10 –
Quote
Just my opinion, but Dataplay just screams "cute marketing concept destined to flop."  

fewtch should apply for a PreCog position with his visionary instinct 

DataPlay has been shut down if the following is true:
Dataplay story on Yahoo News

Dataplay

Reply #11 –
Isn't a cdrw a lot cheaper?

Dataplay

Reply #12 –
Quote
Quote
Just my opinion, but Dataplay just screams "cute marketing concept destined to flop."  

fewtch should apply for a PreCog position with his visionary instinct 

DataPlay has been shut down if the following is true:
Dataplay story on Yahoo News

That was what i was going to say..... yes.. they have been shut down.

Dataplay

Reply #13 –
They lost for so many resons. Not the least of witch was the tiny cd-rw based mp3 players.

Another story this one is more compleat.