Fairplay opening up? Tempest in a teapot?
A number of articles have discussed apple "opening up" Fairplay DRM. I think this rumor is based on a program apple's been building up to for a while. If so, afaik it's not a big secret, and it's not as big a deal as some are thinking.
It's about iPod accessories that plug into the bottom of the ipod - docks, car stereos - probably not networked devices (It's unteresting the the article linked above says the EVA8000 supports fairplay content, but the Netgear site specifically implies it doesn't. I'll assume not for now) or other more interesting scenarios. In fact, the devices don't even get to decrypt the content.
To understand the new scheme for these devices, you need to understand the old one. Previously, an ipod dock or car stereo that plugs into the ipod and use a "two wire" solution - one that carries command-and-control (volume up, down, skip, etc...), and one that carries the analog audio. This solution is simple, but has some disadvantages in sound quality, susceptibility to interference, etc.... But it does let the accessory "play" fairplay content (in fact, the ipod is decrypting and playing it).
The new scheme requires that the accessory manufacturer include an "authentication" chip that certifies this device is a good partner, is paid up on licensing, and won't record the audio that it's about the recieve from the iPod. Accessories with the chip can then run a "one wire" solution in which the ipod decrypts the fairplay and then sends the PCM digital audio over to the accessory for playback. This is less secure (theoretically someone could grab the pure digital audio, but in practice probably won't) but it does let the device do the digital-to-analog phase.
I'd assume this "premium" solution costs more, either in a higher license fee or in buying the authentication chip - but I don't know. Apple appears to be using some other additional features (album art, new commands) as additional carrots to get folks to sign up for this.
So, is this opening up fairplay DRM? You be the judge. But it's certainly not the grand opening up that will enable licensing and playback in other software, hardware, and/or competing devices that some are speculating.
19 Comments:
Woah, woah, woah, weren't the Softies at CES instead of MacWorld? NetGear showed the damn device streaming over the network there? (That's clear from all the articles on this and the device; don't know why you simply make the opposite conclusion based on existing documentation when it's a new device.)
Anyway, this is a rumor.
Again, is it not pathetic that a Zune blogger is spending all of his time discussing Apple rumors?
I thought you didn't want to speak badly of the competition? Do you think making up your own nonsense about the competition, claiming it's nothing, and then asking your commentors for their opinion actually doesn't get read on our radar as slagging the competition? as FUD?
But let's get to the meat:
"So, is this opening up fairplay DRM? You be the judge. But it's certainly not the grand opening up that will enable free licensing and playback in other software, hardware, and/or competing devices that some are speculating."
Huh? Who the hell is speculating this is free licensing? Did you read the article? Since when was PlaysForSure free? It never was. No one thinks opening up, whether or not it is achieved, should be free. It should be LICENSED. That's what it means.
However, does enabling Sonos, Netgear, and many products (including the XBox) that couldn't playback FairPlay tracks a big deal? A good thing?
Yes.
fair point on the "free" comment. I didn't mean as in beer, but as in freedom. I removed the word.
I should add - if it's true that this new program enables sonos, etc... to access fairplay content over networks, then you're right - it's different from the program I heard about at macworld and it's more significant.
How would it be different?
The point is: if you just provide simple analog access to the iPod FairPlay tracks are already playable.
If you want direct access to the PCM digital audio as well as user control (navigation, track info, album art), you may now be able to get a license.
How is NetGear or others gaining access to this different from Sonos gaining access to it?
anonymous, it's "different" because one is a hardwired "dock to physical Pod" solution and one is a (unconfirmed) network "work with iTunes & FairPlay" streaming solution.
I'm confused. I was at Macworld and I sure don't remember Netgear hyping "FairPlay" support for their streaming box. I guess I missed it?
anonymous, your wrong on both accounts. The NetGear product is already showing wireless streaming. Once Apple opens devices to direct access to the digital signal, the docking device, whether its wired physically to speakers or has its own wireless transmission to speakers, is fully capable. That's what we are talking about. I have no clue why David sees some difference. I'll wait for his response.
NetGear was showing it at CES, not MacWorld. Maybe I confused you. I know David went to MacWorld, but there were plenty of people David could talk to from Zune who were at CES that he could ask.
They didn't license Fairplay from Apple.
Here is the comment we got: "They use proprietary technology which allows it to transfer the music, but declined to provide any details."
Yeah, right. The press is really, really bad.
So, it looks like their are using either a reverse engineered FairPlay solution or (most likely) just piping iTunes' audio output remotely... like Linksys Music Bridge or Logitech Wireless DJ. These solutions can play DRM content, too... anything the PC can play... without dealing with licenses.
I guess we'll see.
To one of the Anonymous (before the last comment), you honestly don't see a difference between a iPod docking solution and "just working with iTunes" without an iPod and a physical connection?!
Who said Sonos is a "just iTunes and work solution"? Sonos is excellent for its docking capabilities. It already docks to the iPod, but doesn't stream FairPlay tracks because they want to be able to have user control and info available to the user via their base station and remote. I thought you were differentiating between wired speakers and wireless speakers... which is what the NetGear product is doing.
I was wondering when someone would suggest that NetGear isn't a licensee. (As I said, this is still just a rumor.) However, I don't see where you can draw the conclusion that they are NOT using FairPlay.
Also, it's clear that they aren't just piping audio because they allow user control of the iPod.
My own suspicion/rumor, however, is that NetGear may be one of the first DoubleTwist licensees. Which in turn has motivated Apple to pursue this extension of the "Made for iPod" program to stem off that threat. But those are just my own guesses.
Hey!
How 'bout some Zune news? :)
Any word on the skipping issue?
Ah, I guess that's where David got confused as well about Sonos. Why I don't know: we are talking about docks, and Sonos gear has docks. No, I'm not suggesting anything different -- just that anything with a dock, which Sonos and NetGear and a ton of solutions have... Sonos being the most compelling, will get access to FairPlay tracks and will have full access to user control, info, and art.
If your Sonos is connected to your computer and other components and is streaming throughout your house with remote control, why would it matter if your iPod is docked to your PC or to the Sonos base station? It wouldn't. I don't know why naming them made anyway jump to any weirdo leaps.
Wait - Sonos makes iPod docks? Pointer? I hadn't heard of that.
If Sonos is able to play back fairplay tracks on the Sonos system over a network, that would be a big change.
But so far the Netgear thing appears to all lead back to one article and discussion with a salesman in the Netgear booth. I'm assuming that's just unfounded rumor at this point, but if I'm wrong and apple announces a new program then I'd retract my assertions.
I'm sorry, David, I was using the term loosely -- it's central to the Sonos strategy to allow music players to "dock" to the system. Currently this is jsut through mini headphone jack, but considering that Sonos has approached Apple before to license FairPlay, considering they are willing to pay any license fees necessary for compatibility (Rhapsody, PFS, Zune), and considering they have a high margin product, if this rumor is true, I'm certain they would get onboard.
Remember all of this is rumor and speculation. We are talking about future possibilities.
As for clearing up the issue, the two stories are independent of each other but have become linked together. The rumor started to appear, and since the NetGear device now has FairPlay compatibility, the two are rumored to be linked. The rumor did not start solely from the NetGear demo.
The NetGear people refused to say who was providing the solution, only making the comment already quoted. Since they did say proprietary solution, it seems to be that it can be presumed that it was not an inhouse reverse-engineering as one suggested.
"I'm assuming that's just unfounded rumor at this point, but if I'm wrong and apple announces a new program then I'd retract my assertions."
Again, why are you posting on this anyway? The "Zune web" is a flutter with the fact they finally realized that around 40% of Marketplace content isn't sharable. I know that's not a temptest in a teapot. I know that's reality. I also know it has to do with Zune.
So why are you FUDing about an Apple rumor?
fyi, I don't really think of this as a Zune blog (it's explicitly not), it's a "me" blog. I'll post on what I find interesting. Sometimes that's zune, sometimes the industry, sometimes personal stuff. Feel free to tune out.
No thanks, I'll just continue to call you on your bullsh!t.
We have some seriously confused people that don't understand iTunes vs. PHYSICAL iPod CONNECTIONS!
Hey David, check it out. The pirate/scammers are jumping on Zune:
http://www.zunereactor.com
NetGear press release
TheRegister artice
NetGear's so called FairPlay support is audio only as well as Windows only. To a software engineer it's obvious how NetGear implemented this.
The rumor was originally published by tech.co.uk who not knowing much about technology assumed (and you know what they say about assumptions...) that NetGear must have licensed FairPlay from Apple.
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