Best Buy, Real and SanDisk To Launch Music Service

M00NIE writes "Best Buy has announced it's going to join forces with Real and SanDisk to launch a new online music store. The new technology apparently makes use of Sansa music players that support Rhapsody DNA subscriptions." From the article: "As far as technical details go, Best Buy's new service is going to be identical to Rhapsody's current offering of WMA-protected audio files with the additional features provided by Rhapsody DNA. Rhapsody DNA is based on Real's Helix DRM and gives users the ability to access their content across different types of devices, and provides what RealNetworks describes as an "end-to-end music experience" similar to the closed ecosystem approach that Apple uses and Microsoft will be using with the Zune."

are the files usable?

[krell]

Are the helix files easily translated into more standard files that I could play on my existing hardware/players? There's no way I'm going to pay for crippled files that hardly play on anything.

Re:why?

[Anonymous Coward]

yes, the more mutually exclusive DRM systems, the better.

Re:Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

[SatanicPuppy]

Well, Microsoft isn't exactly a dotbomb phenomenon, but this whole Zune thing screams Gizmondo [wired.com] to me...Whole lot of hype on a feature rich platform, that will nonetheless fail to capture market share.

Okay, they're doing pretty well against Sony...Pried open a nice niche in the console market. But they're competing on their home turf there...Anyone want to argue that Windows doesn't dominate PC gaming?

But competing against Apple where the atributes you have to beat are Coolness, User Interface, and User Friendlyness? What the hell are they smoking? It's not going to happen, it's going to be like those damn Mac Commercials [apple.com]...the dividing line between cool and crap is very clear.