Digitalway MP3 player & compatible websites

Factual Questions
1

I downloaded Napster only to find that the tracks I bought will not transfer onto my Digitalway MPIO player. Before I try other sites does anyone have any suggestions for a legal website that has a great selections of music (I was disappointed with Napster) and will transfer it on to my player?

2

Its kind of convaluted, but here is what I found…

Napster -> Windows Media Player -> MP3 Player.

This site says Napster does not support your player…
http://www.napster.com/compatible_devices/
…however it does say that the files you downloaded are WMA files.

Amazon.com says that your player will play WMA files…
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00008V6NI/ref=e_de_a_td/002-4494542-0158451?v=glance&s=electronics&n=507846&vi=tech-data
…and that your MP3 player came with a plug-in for Windows Media Player.

I’m guessing that the plug-in allows Windows Media Player to transfer files to the player.

So, to recap, Napster provides WMA files, but does not connect to your MP3 player. Your MP3 player came with a plug-in for Windows media player. Windows Media player can play WMA files and transfer them to your MP3 player which also can play WMA files. So stay with Napster for legally downloading songs, then have Windows Media Player Import the WMA files and download them to your player.

-whew-

That’s assuming you are on a Windows Machine. As you didn’t state in your original post, that is what I am assuming. However, the Amazon.com site also says that your MP3 player came with a plug-in to iTunes, so if you are on a Mac, switch to iTunes.

3

Not all WMA files are created equal. If the files from Napster are encoded with some DRM scheme (as I believe they are), the player may not play them, even though it’ll play unrestricted WMA files.

4

That is true. I re-read the napster link above and it does say, “secure WMA files”.

That being the case, (to the OPer) you may want to return your player and get one of these…

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9Series/GettingStarted//Personalization/CoolDevices.asp

…that microsoft sez will play files downloaded from Napster, therefore they will play secure WMA files.

You might also investigate getting a firmware upgrade, www.mpio.com.

5

Thanks for all the advice. I actually ended up calling Napster and asking them why the files wouldn’t transfer, their answer was that you have to download the track, burn it on to a CD, and from the CD transfer it on to the player. What a hassle and a waste of time! I then went to Real Rhapsody to see if that site would work, I think they did have a somewhat better selection of music but considering you’re paying $10 a month I think it falls short. Anyway, the files wouldn’t transfer either and when I called they gave me the same method as Napster. Needless to say I have cancelled both services, I can’t believe they make it that difficult.

6

I’m surprised they told you to do that, since it violates their own terms of service:

7

It just goes to show that nobody reads the terms of service for anything.

8

The Napster rep told me do precisely that just as a method to get the songs onto my player. But what a load of bull! You figure once you have paid a dollar for a song it is yours to do what you want with.