Walmart Launches Music Store, 88 Cent Songs

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://musicdownloads.walmart.com/catalog/servlet/TourServlet?pageIndex=0' target='_blank'>http://musicdownloads.walmart.com/catalog/servlet/TourServlet?pageIndex=0</a><br /><br /></div><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/music_dwnld_pov_top_hdr.gif" /><br /><br />Walmart, perhaps the biggest name in bricks 'n mortar retail today, has launched their online music store. From a UI standpoint, it's a bit of a mess, because they've stuck it in with their online store. Looks like they're using WMA, and they've set up the DRM to allow you to download it to one other computer, back it up to two additional computers (what's the difference between a download and a back up?), make 10 burns to a CD, and make unlimited transfers to a portable music player. How does that strike you? Fair? Unfair? How does that compare with iTunes?<br /><br />Unfortunately, this is another US-only deal :roll:, so one of you will have to tell me more about this new service.

[Janak Parekh]

I thought this was out a few months. Did the "official launch" just happen?

--janak

[Jason Dunn]

I thought this was out a few months. Did the "official launch" just happen?

Hmm - I'm not sure. I hadn't heard of before today, so I assumed it was new. Better ask Russel. ;-)

[Suhit Gupta]

I thought this was out a few months. Did the "official launch" just happen?
I agree with Janak that it was announced a month or so ago. However I don't think it was implemented until now. BTW, the site is obscenely slow :(.

Suhit

[Jason Dunn]

Nope, seems that this just happened today:

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,115324,tk,dn032304X,00.asp

[crstbo623]

Jason, you are just going to have to move to the US, cause this is getting ridiculous. How are you supposed to be our gadget guru if you can't access the gadgets?
:silly:

[Gary Sheynkman]

88 cents: always low prices ALWAYS

:lol:

[Jason Dunn]

What's interesting about this is that the only site that I've used so far for buying audio tracks, www.puretracks.com, charges 99 cents Canadian, which is about 77 cents USD - so I'm already buying songs for cheaper than you Americans. :wink: :lol:

[Gary Sheynkman]

well at least we have summers unlike people in Canadia :drinking: :silly: :rofl:

just kidding, we love our 51st state

[Tim Williamson]

Jason, you are just going to have to move to the US, cause this is getting ridiculous. How are you supposed to be our gadget guru if you can't access the gadgets?
:silly:

Plus if you move here we'll even teach you how to spell Walmart! ;)

[klinux]

Seriously, Jason. You need to have a house too in US just so you can say you 'summer' in Calgary and 'winter' in San Diego or Miami or something like that! Best of both worlds! :lol:

[Suhit Gupta]

Seriously, Jason. You need to have a house too in US just so you can say you 'summer' in Calgary and 'winter' in San Diego or Miami or something like that! Best of both worlds! :lol:
I think the subscriber fees will have to go up for that to happen :lol:

Suhit

[klinux]

Maybe the money Jason saves ordering from Amazon US can offset it? :lol:

[Jason Dunn]

Maybe the money Jason saves ordering from Amazon US can offset it? :lol:

Hah! I can't order from Amazon.com - I have to get my friends on the US to buy and ship stuff to me. :roll:

[dhpss]

I bought a song from Wal-Mart, The process was painless, (format WMA128 w/Digital license) I can play on WMP9. But when I try to copy to my Toshiba PocketPC from WMP9, it did not work, a message saying the license restricts to do this. Reading the help file on both WMP and Wal-Mart, there is no mentioning about this?

The help on the Website WMP shows the supported portable devices with all the MP3/WMA players out there but no mentioning about PoctketPC. Any ideas?

[dhpss]

Subject: Walmart.com Support Ticket # 60632

Secure WMA files are not compatible with PDAs at this time. PDAs do not have DRM capabilities.

Thanks,
Victoria - Walmart.com Technical Support Associate
[email protected]

If this answer does not fully address your issue, please reply to this email with any additional details.
:(

[Jason Dunn]

Secure WMA files are not compatible with PDAs at this time. PDAs do not have DRM capabilities.

That's INSANE! 8O Let me ask around with my contacts at Microsoft and see if I can find someone who knows what's going on there.

[Tim Williamson]

PDAs do not have DRM capabilities.

I think she meant to say PalmOS PDAs don't have DRM capabilities... :roll:

(correct me if I'm wrong)

[possmann]

That is so a load of crock! I find it really hard to believe that WMP9 on the PPC would not support this file - especially since one of the reasons for creating that MS Plus! software package for XP desktops was so that you could easily transfer your MUSIC files...

This would stop me cold... There has to be a way.

[possmann]

OK - just popped onto the following site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/software/pocket/9Series.aspx

no where does it mention that DRM is not supported. This has to be a restriction imposed by WalMart... Why would it allow you unlimited downloads to your MP3 player and not a PPC device???

[Jason Dunn]

Still waiting for a response from my Microsoft contacts, but you're right, Pocket PCs absolutely support WMA DRM, so someone is dishing out false information - or Walmart is using a certain type of new DRM that Pocket PCs can't yet support.

[dhpss]

Additional info:

1-If I use WMP9 to copy to my PPC, it will work if the destination is in My Documents in main memory. The song can play normally. WMP9 will fail if I copy to My Documents directory located on CF or SD

2-If I copy to My Docs in memory first then copy it to CF/SD. The copy can be done but I can not paly the song....

:?

[Tim Williamson]

The joys of DRM...please die already. :2gunfire: (Funny, tonight I've already told two technologies to please die)

The problem these companies don't understand is that DRM is supposed to be consumer friendly and not be in the way of displaying/playing/copying their media for legal use.

Recently I've had a few incidents with DRM...the main one being that Windows Media Player will no longer play my DVDs, I'm forced to use another player. The only two things I can think of that've changed are that I recently updated my display driver and also I installed the latest Windows updates.

WMP comes up with this error: "Windows Media Player cannot play this DVD because a problem occurred with digital copyright protection."

The other DRM incident I've had is one of my coworkers has been trying out iTunes and she's been having trouble getting songs copied to CD to play correctly in other CD players. And now I hear about Walmart's online music service where you can only copy the song to ten CDs and the files won't even play on Pocket PCs even though they have DRM ability.

So basically there's no way I'll ever buy a DRM protected song ever. I'll just buy the CD if I want a song and this will allow me to copy and play the songs wherever and whenever I want without DRM getting in the way.

[possmann]

So if you store the song in main memory - which defeats the purpuse of the SD card to begin with - you can play the tune no problem.

If you copy or store the song into an SD card you can't play it. I just don't get it.

Why would I want to purchase and download a song that technically, I don't own after X number of copies (movie it around to other devices)? Where is my long term incentive?

Right now I copy all CD's I have and then just toss the CD itself in a rack somewhere never to use it again - unless a file gets corrupted.

I understand the music industry's concern - but what is to stop me from file swapping when I buy a CD? Why should it be different when I down load a tune? It really boils down to the idnividual responsible for legal use of the tune they pruchased whether it be from a CD they purchased or from an online download center.

I am very hesitant of the restrictions imposed upon me when downloading a tune. I expect to be able to copy it to whatever device I want to as many times as I want to - forever. And this whole thing about WMP9 not being able to play a tune from a storage card is just makes me sick.

When you burn a CD, copy the songs from your PC to your PPC storage card are you able to play the tunes via WMP9? If so - something is really hosed on the Walmart side - if not, WMP9 is really dumb.