Sony ditches ATRAC for iTunes and Windows Media formats

 

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By Ross Burridge in Berlin

Posted on 30 Aug 2007 at 10:11

After years of operating a closed shop with its own DRM and audio formats, Sony has chosen the IFA show in Berlin to "open up" its Walkman product line.

In a move analagous with Creative's announcement yesterday, the new NWZ-A810 and NWZ-S510/S610 players will support 'PlaysForSure' Windows Media technologies, as well as non-secure AAC files - the default format for importing CDs into iTunes - MP3 and non-DRM WMA formats.

This opens up the Japanese giants latest players to the highest profile online music stores, including the new iTunes Plus service - although not Microsoft's Zune store.

Sony is also finally ditching the much-maligned Sony Connect transfer software, bundling Windows Media Player 11 with the new products.

Sony's Connect store, which uses the company's proprietary protected-ATRAC format, is also for the chop in Europe, as is the ATRAC format itself, which won't be supported by the new players.

Specific timing of the closure isn't given, with the company saying it will be based on "customer demand", sometime after March 2008.