Windows Digital Rights Management 9 on N73 Music Edition — Nokia N71, Nokia N73 and Nokia N75

lovesign 26 Dec 2006, 11:55

I just downloaded a few tracks from the UK HMV store (free Xmas promotion) and sync'd them to my N73ME using Windows Media Player 11. I didn't use the Nokia Music Transfer app as it said it was unable to handle these tracks. They are in WMA format and are protected by DRM but every time I sync them to the phone and try and play them back I get an error message that says "Unable to play selection. Operation cancelled" Also, everytime I sync, it loses me another "life" as I have a maximum of 25 syncs per track !

I am assuming that this is to do with DRM as the tracks play fine on my PC. I've looked in the Activation Keys folder and nothing appears there.

I know the N73 supports OMA DRM 1.0 & 2.0 and I assumed (rightly or wrongly) that with the N73's support for WMP and the fact there is a WMP driver, it would also support Windows DRM9.

Can anyone clear this up for me ?

Many thanks,

Rob.

N/A 27 Dec 2006, 14:28

At least the original N73 phone software (firmware) had no Windows Media DRM support. I don't know if later firmware versions or the "Music Edition" version is any better in this respect.

lovesign 27 Dec 2006, 15:26

N/A wrote:At least the original N73 phone software (firmware) had no Windows Media DRM support. I don't know if later firmware versions or the "Music Edition" version is any better in this respect.

No, I'm running the Music Edition and it doesn't have it. From the research I have done, I can only find a promise by Nokia to provide Windows DRM9 as part of a future firmware update.

It's ok though. All I have to do is burn the tracks and then rip them back as MP3's and the licence is gone. Not necessarily legal, but I paid for the track and should at least e able to use it.

I think Nokia, who seem hell bent on challenging Apple for the MP3 player market, need to address this ommission sooner rather than later.