Stream Your Audio to Your Windows Phone With Didiom Pro

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='https://www.didiom.com/about/about.aspx' target='_blank'>https://www.didiom.com/about/about.aspx</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Regardless of the desktop application that you play your digital music with, or how much storage capacity you have on your phone, Didiom Pro seamlessly scans your computer for audio files in the most popular formats, and maintains an encrypted channel between your computer and phone. What's more, when you add new audio files to your computer, Didiom Pro makes them available for wireless streaming and downloading to your phone in seconds."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/wpt/auto/1265220125.usr1.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></p><p>Being able to access all my music and podcasts on my Windows phone is somewhat appealing, but I don't get grasp their business model - the app is sold on a 99 cent per month subscription, of $9.99 per year. If the desktop component of their app is installed on my system, transcoding the audio to 128 kbps, uploading the bits to my phone...why the subscription fee? There's typically a subscription fee for applications that involve a server-side component; some sort of Web-based storage or service. I've tried a few of these audio streaming programs in the past, and while they're fun to use, ultimately the battery drain from a constant data stream takes most of the fun out of them.</p>

[aikon]

Jason - there must be a server-side component, otherwise how can you stream?

This is from their FAQs - "Do I have to have Didiom Pro Desktop running on my computer when I stream? Yes. Your computer has to be online, with Didiom Pro Desktop up and running. This way we can maintain an encrypted channel between your computer and phone, and eliminate the need to upload your audio collection to our servers."

If you go to http://www.didiom.com/company/profile.aspx, you will see that the service is "built on peer-to-peer placeshifting technology."

It's a web-based service, and if there are no audio/visual ads, I think a subscription model makes perfect sense.

[Jason Dunn]

Jason - there must be a server-side component, otherwise how can you stream?...Your computer has to be online, with Didiom Pro Desktop up and running. This way we can maintain an encrypted channel between your computer and phone, and eliminate the need to upload your audio collection to our servers.

They're saying that the streaming happens from your PC, and goes to the phone, so their servers aren't involved in the data transfer - so I"m not convinced this is a "service". You're using your bandwidth from your home/office for this, and your bandwidth on the phone, so what value to they bring to the table on a monthly basis?

Other Placeshifting companies such as Sling don't charge a monthly fee. What are these guys doing that's different?

[Steve Jordan]

So, while I'm off at the airport, or driving in my car, or vacationing in Maui, my computer, AT HOME, is still on and running?

Hello? Anyone out there heard about global warming? Buy yourself an MP3 player, and turn the dang computer off when you leave home!

[Jason Dunn]

So, while I'm off at the airport, or driving in my car, or vacationing in Maui, my computer, AT HOME, is still on and running?

That's a good point Steve - most people should (and by default, will) have their computers configured to go to sleep, so one has to wonder who this product is aimed at...