Secure Digital and MP3

[Linus]

I read an old (July 2001) CNet article that says, "Secure Digital includes software that complies with Secure Digital Music Initiative standards protecting against unauthorized replication of copyrighted content. As a result, digital-audio files downloaded from music services, such as Napster, cannot be played on devices that use Secure Digital cards." A few questions come to mind:

1) Is this true? Can you only play MP3s you've created from your own CD collection?
2) If so, how do they know whether the MP3s come from your CDs or from a music service?
3) Are there any programs that can circumvent this so-called protection?

I'm looking at a variety of new toys, from PPCs to digicams, and the choice of storage format is going to be important. Thanks for any help!

[Linus]

I read an old (July 2001) CNet article that says, "Secure Digital includes software that complies with Secure Digital Music Initiative standards protecting against unauthorized replication of copyrighted content. As a result, digital-audio files downloaded from music services, such as Napster, cannot be played on devices that use Secure Digital cards." A few questions come to mind:

1) Is this true? Can you only play MP3s you've created from your own CD collection?
2) If so, how do they know whether the MP3s come from your CDs or from a music service?
3) Are there any programs that can circumvent this so-called protection?

I'm looking at a variety of new toys, from PPCs to digicams, and the choice of storage format is going to be important. Thanks for any help!

[Bob Anderson]

This doesn't directly answer your question, but I can tell you that I have been ripping my audio cds onto my home network (as WMA files), and then, using my wireless ipaq 5455, copying files from the network to my SD card, and have had no problems playing the music that was ripped on any number of different PCs I own. (Sorry for the run on sentence there!! 8O )

[pocketpcdude1024]

Any file will copy to and from a SD card, including MP3s from Napster, Kazaa, etc. :wink: The Secure Digital format is no more secure than a floppy - at this point.

[Jason Dunn]

Secure Digital cards have the ability to secure the content, but so far no one is using it - not the Pocket PC OEMs, not the content providers, etc. SD is a memory card format just like any other, with the exception of having a little "lock" button so you can protect your files from being written over by accident.

[Enderet]

I hear mp3s on my SD lexar card all the time...