DamnedIfIknow used our news submit to let us know that Microsoft has released a beta test version of Windows Media Player 10 which adds Janus support. Janus is a new DRM technology which allows time limit and subscription content to be transferred to Janus enabled portable equipment.
At the moment, unlimited music downloads through a subscription service such as Napster will only play on the PC the music was downloaded to. What Microsoft aims to do is to allow consumers to fill up their Janus enabled music and video devices also with their 'rented' music and video content. Janus would also allow time limited music such as to promote new music to be played on Janus enabled equipment.
Windows Media Player 10 also adds support for its upcoming Portable Media Center. This is a Windows Media Player equivalent for portable devices such as the upcoming Creative Zen Media Center. Other features of WMP 10 include automatic content syncing between a portable device and a PC such as music, video and photos and a Digital Media Mall which presents the user with a choice of online stores to obtain content from.
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Janus, which marries Windows Media DRM for Portable Devices and Windows Media DRM for Network Devices, is a key addition to the new WMP 10, which was released as a technical beta on Wednesday. It is part of Redmond's mission to extend the reach of Windows Media onto non-competing portable devices and home entertainment networks. With the integration of Janus to the revamped WMP 10, Microsoft (Quote, Chart) has added support for premium, DRM-protected content on a range of portable devices. "New devices will be coming that support this new DRM that enable a "fill-it-up" model for subscription-based content," the company said in a statement. In Roman mythology, Janus is the god of Gateways who could see both backward and forward in time and it's clear where Microsoft is heading with its new DRM twist. While mobile competitors rely on telco networks to push content to wireless devices, Janus will allow Microsoft to connect to portable devices via Internet-connected PCs. |
It seems like Windows is trying to get manufacturers to tie their portable devices with Windows such that if users use Windows Media content, they must get a Microsoft compatible portable player. This may become an upcoming issue for Apple as the iPod does not support Windows Media content and Apple does not offer any 'video iPod'. This could pose a problem if consumers get interested in taking video content on the move.
Then again, with Microsoft's strong interest in improving its DRM technology and trying to help fight piracy, I cannot see Janus enabled devices taking off that quickly. For example Creative's upcoming portable video player which uses the Windows Media Center platform checks files being transferred to check if they were downloaded illegally. DamnedIfIknow wrote: Hmmm......time to change the old OS to Lunix?
Source: internetnews.com
