

RealNetworks raises serious questions about Apple's tactics with iTunes













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RE: Not really...
By snakeInTheGrass on 3/23/2011 12:19:21 PM , Rating: 0
They took the DRM off of the iTunes music a few years back already. I understand avoiding buying iTunes content prior to that (hell, or even now if you want lossless CD quality or better), but I used my iPod for years before that with my own ripped CD content (both mp3 and AAC), so I'm not sure music is the best example of Apple making a walled garden at this point. AAC certainly isn't Apple's own codec. (It's Advanced Audio Coding, not Apple's Audio Codec...)

Video is another matter, though we can thank the content producers for that - I don't think Apple gives a crap about adding proprietary DRM beyond the fact that they have to in order to be able to sell/stream movies and shows since they can't get content contracts without agreeing to that. You can't copy a Netflix show out of their streaming walled garden to your hard drive and watch it when/where you want either unless they enable it in their own app or someone else hacks the DRM, I'm sure Microsoft (whether relevant or not) isn't making the XBox streaming DRM free today either.

So sure, blame Apple for things they either aren't even doing to the content, or that they - and every other player out there - have to thanks to the MPAA, etc.

Apps... well, there you have the fact that Apple isn't trying to make iOS for other hardware. That's their choice, and consumers can vote for what they like there. (Or are you pissed if a Windows app won't run on Linux too?) But really, subjugated? Not so much.

