This is the problem of all mp3 players, really. If we want accessibility, we
have to lose the ability to play protected content. For example, many of the
Iriver players natively support the protection, but if you reflash with
Rockbox, an accessible firmware that gives some voice to the players, you
lose that ability. I am curious how they natively get that support, if MS
doesn't license to anyone? With Apple, you must use an Ipod, which isn't
terribly accessible unless you get a shuffle, if you want portable Itunes
store content playback. Also, that's the only protected format the Ipod will
use. It would seem that any protection scheme has to be the apple way in
order to protect effectively. Since Apple is the only place that knows how
to play and produce protected Itunes files, Itunes and the Ipod are the only
things that would ever know how to decode it. If you license the technology
to others, the potential exists for specs to leak out and for everyone to be
able to make or decode everything, which means no protection.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Travis Siegel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS X by
theblind" <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 10:13 AM
Subject: Re: Accessibility
It would be great if apple could develop a wma player that handled wma
encrypted content. The problem is that Microsoft owns the technology,
and doesn't license such technology to other companies. If you want to
play encrypted wma files, you *have* to use microsoft's wma player.
This means windows media player. Unfortunately, the version they no
longer make for the mac does not support their latest encryption. This
means, if a company uses that encryption, you just plain *can't* listen
to it on a mac no matter what you do. This is unacceptable to me. I've
already complained to the company that makes the recordings, but they
can't do anything aboout it. Their solution is to purchase the mp3 cds
which cost more than twice the price of the wma files. This too is
unacceptable. If you have another suggestion, or another company that
makes a wma player, then by all means, send it along. I'd be glad to
give it a try.
On Jan 18, 2006, at 7:21 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Hi everybody,
Regarding Microsoft not upgrading windows media player for the mac,
wouldn't it be better if each company developed their own resources? In
this way, we wouldn't have to worry about cross platform, and Apple
would be able to give us the mbest accessibility possible in their
products.
Thanks.
