Navio makes good on promise to "unlock iPod"
By Evan Blass 
posted May 23rd 2006 12:30PM
posted May 23rd 2006 12:30PM
It looks like Navio Systems have made good on their promise to open up the iPod to non-iTMS content, at least according to a report by Business 2.0, which says that the company is planning to enable its customers to offer iPod-compatible, copy-protected videos by the end of June. Although the details of Navio's methodology are not entirely clear, it seems that their engineers have deconstructed Cupertino-neighbor Apple's FairPlay DRM in order to create a separate-but-equal copy protection scheme that content providers can use to offer their own encrypted products to iPod owners. You'll remember that RealNetworks employed a similar tactic with their Harmony technology, which allows songs purchased from the RealPlayer Music Store to play on iPods, and which Apple did their part -- albeit unsuccesfully -- to thwart by way of firmware updates. Will Navio's technology spark a similar firmware arms race? Only time will tell, but we can't really see Steve and friends just sitting back listening to Beatles tunes while other players start eating away at iTunes' market share.[Via iLounge]
Wow does this mean I can finally use PlaysForSure with my iPOD - YaHoo!!!
Um...am I the only one who buys from non-DRM sites and imports into itunes? I've not bought music from apple in ages!
Mika, songs can be found on eMusic and all but as far as video goes, quality content is only available on iTunes.
Why Navio would like for us to think that there is anything out there worthwhilt having on the iPod is beyond me..
Can any of you guys read?
"which says that the company is planning to enable its customers to offer iPod-compatible, copy-protected videos"
Where does this say anything about music?
"but we can't really see Steve and friends just sitting back listening to Beatles tunes while other players start eating away at iTunes' market share."
Steve Jobs would have to listen to the Beatles on something OTHER than an iPod, since no Beatles tunes are available on the iTunes store. I wonder what he uses - a ScanDisk? Steve's not a iChimp, is he?
there is some seriously stoopid people on here - aye todd
Todd,
You just have to convert your CDs to MP3s to play on the iPod. I have my entire Beatles collection on my iPod. Who needs iTunes.
Bob/Usman - I think you missed the sarcasm in Todd's post. I am sure the orig post mentioning the Beatles was trying to be equally cute.
Although I don't pay for DRM files, I welcome the ability to play other's DRM files on my iPod....from a consumer POV, why not? I think Apple's stronghold on content is a bit, um, un-Apple (at least the Apple I used to know).
well, it's maybe a new idea but similar gadget was already seen before.
http://leatherclub.tripod.com/
also not afr from this tree is the apple
http://members.fortunecity.com/ontario1
and also is from states it doen't make a difference. And:
http://ostrichleather.tripod.com/
and thats make a difference after all. Just need to think more like outside the box, but who is interested in it?
Isnt it equally valuable to enable other hardware to support fairplay content?
just a cotton-pickin' minute... somebody "deconstructed" FairPlay??!!?!?! ain't that a violation of the DMCA? i thought that reverse engineering was outlawed under that piece of useless-cattle-excrement piece of "legislation".
OTOH, battery life goes to hell in a handbasket watching videos on an iPod. i watch mine on my pocketpc using TCPMP. after trimming commercials, an episode of 24 less than 90mb... audio is a tad wonky -- you get some "wooshy"-ness because it gets stripped down to mono @ 22khz the way i do things... but its watchable. i put 10 or 11 episodes on a 1 gb CF card to tote around so I can catch up....
After dealing with all the problems the songs i bought from Real got (aka, not actually frickin' working on the ipods...either of my ipods) I'm gonna sit this one out lol.
Maybe I'm missing something here, but didn't the article say the whole purpose of this was to let owners of iPods be able to use content from other services (like Plays for Sure) on their iPods.
Why would Apple have a problem with that? You aren't breaking their DRM ... just tricking the other content into thinking its on a Plays for Sure device.
CharlesJR
I believe that Apple gave up on thwarting Real's Harmony technology awhile ago. My iPod has never ceased to work, even with the latest iPod firmware. Remember, better iPod support leads to higher sales. The whole reason why I decided to buy an iPod was because it would support transfer of tracks purchased from the RealPlayer Music Store without any loss of quality.
Props Crispy! :)
The 'problem' is that this will let people buy videos at places other than iTunes. If this was allowed to continue some other companies' service could control video the way iTunes does music. Apple will stop this, since its great for consumers and bad for Apple's iTunes business.
I think Apple would prefer not to include others into their party b/c:
1) They don't want to limit the sales/penetration related to iTMS. Although Apple does not make much profit directly from iTMS content, the more visitors/eyes, the more people see the Apple logo. Also, this allows Apple to better control their message.
2) The more FairPlay DRM files that consumers own, the more likely they are to stick with the iPod.
uummm...
got a question,
Wasnt there a free Linux based OS for Ipod???
can someone give me some info on it, plz?
thanks in advance
Personally, I use Cucusoft's iPod conversion suite to rip entire DVD's to my iPod's format. Earlier tonight I watched some Veronica Mars (season 1), and some Scrubs (season 3) that I had ripped on my home pc earlier today. Also loaded on my device are a bunch of videos downloaded from Google Videos where you can download any video in iPod format.
I have not had to make a single purchase through ITMS for music OR movies.
Yeah, I put a bunch of my DVDs on my iPod too (not all of them yet, ran out of space on my PC hard drive). Although I don't use the Cucusoft program, as you have to pay for that... DVD Decrypter + Videora iPod Converter work well, both are free. Combine that with a TV and a video out cable, and it makes the 5G iPod pretty handy.
Forget iTunes, and anyone else who would charge you for this stuff. If they start offering full-length movies at a good quality (meaning good on a TV, not the small iPod screen), then I might be interested.
Will Bittorrent work on it then?
OyoyoY123, the Linux iPod (which even enable video playback on the Nano) is here : http://www.ipodlinux.org/
And Linux rules!
--
"The romance without finance is a damn nusiance."
but this could be a good thing, I know many a people that will not touch an ipod if it can't play music from other stores.
perhaps the loss of music sales will be overcome by the increased ipod sales
just a thought
Linux indeed rules
Good article about Navio. Linux and the ipod are a match.
http://www.ipod-repair-guide.com
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