Only I don't have the technical training. I'm hoping someone here does. I can probably import a generic mp3 player from overseas(by "generic" I mean non-name brand, NOT low quality. I can then put my own brand name on it.) Does anyone here know how to configure software to make it play? I want to create an MP3 player that doesn't filter out non-licensed music, and that will run on pretty much any of the major formats. I think it has the potential to be a big seller, (since the Sonys and the IPODs of the world are in bed with the music industry.)
Caleb
Quote from: calibaba77 on December 19, 2005, 07:34 PM NHFT
Only I don't have the technical training. I'm hoping someone here does. I can probably import a generic mp3 player from overseas(by "generic" I mean non-name brand, NOT low quality. I can then put my own brand name on it.) Does anyone here know how to configure software to make it play? I want to create an MP3 player that doesn't filter out non-licensed music, and that will run on pretty much any of the major formats. I think it has the potential to be a big seller, (since the Sonys and the IPODs of the world are in bed with the music industry.)
Caleb
As far as I know all of the MP3 players out on the makret will play any MP3 file. I think the problem you are bringing up is not with MP3 players but with the actual files.
Maybe they will come the way you want it already. :)
I think what you want is to have the device automatically strip out the copywrong protection.
Not my particular area of expertise, but perhaps a system update could be created that could be placed onto portable media players that would do it.
The problem isn't with the MP3 players themselves, per se. It is the SOFTWARE used to load them. That's what I want help with.
For instance, Sony has their software called "Sonicstage" that must be used to load the files into the mp3 player. The problem is it filters out any music that you don't have a license for. It is possible to corrupt the file (and then fix it), such that it will remove the licensing requirement. But that's an irritation.
My understanding is that IPOD has pretty much the same problems. (I don't have an IPOD myself, but going off of what I'm told.)
Commercial multipurpose software such as Windows Media also seems afflicted by the fanatical obsession with "licensing" of music. What's stupid is that I'm NOT talking about pirated music. The music I pirated all plays on my Sony MP3 player! It's the music that I actually BOUGHT that I have trouble with.
Any time I start to get irritated by a company ... I start to think, "Here's a good business idea" because you know that others have to be irritated too.
Caleb
Quote from: calibaba77 on December 19, 2005, 08:38 PM NHFT
The problem isn't with the MP3 players themselves, per se. It is the SOFTWARE used to load them. That's what I want help with.
For instance, Sony has their software called "Sonicstage" that must be used to load the files into the mp3 player. The problem is it filters out any music that you don't have a license for. It is possible to corrupt the file (and then fix it), such that it will remove the licensing requirement. But that's an irritation.
Commercial multipurpose software such as Windows Media also seems afflicted by the fanatical obsession with "licensing" of music. What's stupid is that I'm NOT talking about pirated music. The music I pirated all plays on my Sony MP3 player! It's the music that I actually BOUGHT that I have trouble with.
Exactly.
If the software (firmware, actually) on the device can be upgraded, it can actually do the removal. Then any time you copy a file over to the device, it will automatically fix it.
You just need to:
write the code to strip the CP
add that code to the firmware code
figure out how to install it on the device
But it is probably a lot easier to just run a copy protection removal tool on all your files before trying to load them on the player. I'll bet there's already free programs out there to do it.
Quote from: calibaba77 on December 19, 2005, 08:38 PM NHFT
The problem isn't with the MP3 players themselves, per se. It is the SOFTWARE used to load them. That's what I want help with.
For instance, Sony has their software called "Sonicstage" that must be used to load the files into the mp3 player. The problem is it filters out any music that you don't have a license for. It is possible to corrupt the file (and then fix it), such that it will remove the licensing requirement. But that's an irritation.
My understanding is that IPOD has pretty much the same problems. (I don't have an IPOD myself, but going off of what I'm told.)
Commercial multipurpose software such as Windows Media also seems afflicted by the fanatical obsession with "licensing" of music. What's stupid is that I'm NOT talking about pirated music. The music I pirated all plays on my Sony MP3 player! It's the music that I actually BOUGHT that I have trouble with.
Any time I start to get irritated by a company ... I start to think, "Here's a good business idea" because you know that others have to be irritated too.
I think if you just switched from Windows to Linux your entire perspective on things will change. I switched to Linux in '99 and haven't had to deal with anything as you describe ever since. Almost all of the software I use is free and allows me to do whatever I want and if not I can just fix/change it myself, recompile and enjoy! :-)
Here is a program for iPod: http://www.gtkpod.org
There is also a way to run linux on the iPod: http://ipodlinux.org
Quote from: calibaba77 on December 19, 2005, 08:38 PM NHFT
My understanding is that IPOD has pretty much the same problems.? (I don't have an IPOD myself, but going off of what I'm told.)?
I have a iPod and a Creative and I've never had any trouble running any songs on them. I don't know anything about this licensing that you speak of.
Quote from: rhelwig on December 19, 2005, 08:53 PM NHFTBut it is probably a lot easier to just run a copy protection removal tool on all your files before trying to load them on the player. I'll bet there's already free programs out there to do it.
That is the way I would go too.
I'll buy one.
I don't have an mp3 player .... who knows ... I might need one.
What's an mp3?
Quote from: katdillon on December 20, 2005, 11:41 AM NHFT
What's an mp3?
MP3 is a popular digital audio encoding and lossy compression format invented and standardized in 1991 by a team of engineers working in the framework of the ISO/IEC MPEG audio committee under the chairmanship of Professor Hans Musmann (University of Hannover - Germany). It was designed to greatly reduce the amount of data required to represent audio, yet still sound like a faithful reproduction of the original uncompressed audio to most listeners. In popular usage, MP3 also refers to files of sound or music recordings stored in the MP3 format on computers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mp3
Quote from: katdillon on December 20, 2005, 11:41 AM NHFT
What's an mp3?
MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3
MPEG=Moving Picture Experts Group ..... it is a family of standards used for audio/video info in a compressed digital format
Caleb, I hate to tell you, but as it's been demonstrated, there's no market for that ;). There are a billion DRM-cracking apps out there for various platforms. Now if you can take those MP3 players, hack the firmware, and make them do other cool stuff for cheap, then we'd be getting somewhere!
You could try contacting creative labs about bulk orders of unmarked muvos
They are really convenient, just a little USB stick that shows up as a drive in Windows, mac or linux. They require no software, small enough to wear with a neck lanyard, really durable and cheap too. Also they take regular ol' AAA batteries so the battery life stays the same for the life of the unit - around 12 hours at medium volume.
I use rechargeable AAAs that only get about 6 hours, to save a little $$
I second the notion regarding Linux. Something I've always been curious about is how other libertarians and liberty-lovers think of copyright and intellectual property law. Do you support a brief copyright and patent period for the benefit of the public commons or a long one (or seemingly perpetual, as is now the case) to ensure the maximum property rights?
James
Quote from: b1ueemu on May 12, 2006, 10:34 PM NHFTSomething I've always been curious about is how other libertarians and liberty-lovers think of copyright and intellectual property law. Do you support a brief copyright and patent period for the benefit of the public commons or a long one (or seemingly perpetual, as is now the case) to ensure the maximum property rights?
Copyright? Patent? You mean, like having thugs from the government go and attack people for daring to compete with me? No, I don't support either.
To steal someone's property, you would have to deprive him of it. If I build a widget and you see it and build your own, you haven't deprived me of mine. I still have it. "Intellectual property" is a nonsense notion. If I don't want you to build your own widget, I should let you look at it. Or, if I want you to look at it but not build your own, I should make you sign a contract declaring that you will not, in which case I could go after you for breach of contract if you did.
Joe
iTunes will play 'protected' files and also will unprotect them if you follow the right import process.