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voodoo · Oct 19, 2003, 02:55 PM

How did I miss this? and what the **** is apple thinking with that. Streaming is not copying.

ps. I saw this mentioned on ars tech.

pps. there are only retards at ars apparently

voodoo · Oct 19, 2003, 03:32 PM

Let me rephrase the original post:

1. Is it true that you have to have an authorized computer to listen to streams of m4p files in iTunes?

2. If true why on God's green Earth have you people been silent about it?

3. What is the logic of locking streams on the 3 authorized computers? Other than blind greed that is.

Angus_D · Oct 19, 2003, 04:06 PM

I'm sorry, I don't understand what the problem is here? Do you own more than 3 computers which you want to listen to your music on, on the same network?

midwinter · Oct 19, 2003, 04:31 PM

Originally posted by Angus_D:
I'm sorry, I don't understand what the problem is here? Do you own more than 3 computers which you want to listen to your music on, on the same network?

I do. I just noticed this little gem, too, and it's going to be interesting to see how much of a pain it is to deal with.

voodoo · Oct 19, 2003, 04:55 PM

Originally posted by Angus_D:
I'm sorry, I don't understand what the problem is here? Do you own more than 3 computers which you want to listen to your music on, on the same network?

Every member of my family has a Mac. My sister and brother, my mother and father. Makes us 5.

3 isn't cutting it.

It is silly for sure, but it gets even cloudier when you try to descern the reson for having to authorize a computer that is receiving an m4p stream because then streaming = copying. So why stream? You can just copy and it'll be less strain on your LAN. Streaming of course, ISN'T copying. There is NOTHING left on the computer that receives the stream when the song stops playing. It is a bit by bit request from the autorized machine.

I think this is abyssmally stupid because in NO WAY does LAN streaming encourage pirating because it is IN HOUSE. You don't need to copy the streamed song. Agh.
However since Apple has made it thus 2 members of my family would have to be left out. M E G A S T U P I D. How does this compare to an actual CD that I buy? It doesn't does it? I can stream the m4a files to as many PCs/Macs at home as I darn well please and my LAN can handle.

I was mildly shocked when I realized this because it is so out of character of the FairPlay DRM. Then I thought, maybe this is somekind of relic from the Internet streaming option iTunes USED TO HAVE. But since it doesn't any more, this rule should also be eliminated. Agreed?

nickm · Oct 19, 2003, 10:21 PM

It may sound pithy, but if you're whole family likes listening to the same music, then buy a CD. No one is forcing you into the iTMS.

icruise · Oct 19, 2003, 10:38 PM

Originally posted by nickm:
It may sound pithy, but if you're whole family likes listening to the same music, then buy a CD. No one is forcing you into the iTMS.

Or just burn a CD from the iTMS and re-rip it. I'm sure that this was imposed on Apple by the RIAA (these are the same people who want you to pay royalties if you have a radio playing in a store, remember).

voodoo · Oct 20, 2003, 06:02 AM

Originally posted by nickm:
It may sound pithy, but if you're whole family likes listening to the same music, then buy a CD. No one is forcing you into the iTMS.

um yeah. thanks for pointing out the obvious. I wasn't looking for a 'solution' to this, rather I wanted to descuss it.

this was NOT a troubleshooting question. next.

Angus_D · Oct 20, 2003, 04:02 PM

OK, I see that this is a bit odd... Apple is running a double standard.

voyageur · Oct 20, 2003, 04:21 PM

Originally posted by voodoo:
Let me rephrase the original post:

1. Is it true that you have to have an authorized computer to listen to streams of m4p files in iTunes?

Well, according to this knowledge base article that just appeared, you can share music with up to 5 other computers on a LAN. They don't need to be authorized.

iDriveX · Oct 20, 2003, 04:27 PM

VooDoo-

Here's just some tidbits to add to the discussion.

1.) This wasn't present in iTunes 4.0 (Not sure about 4.01 where they removed the internet streaming). I had many people listening to my stream just for kicks and none of them had to be authorized.

2.) Not defending either side (and I know you'll understand that)...But I think colleges might be largely to blame for this. In a "normal" situation, you have people like yourself, or me, who have several computers and maybe even a main server, which the music is stored on. I think this was the original intent of the "Digital Hub" strategy. Your house is a subnet, either through a wired or wireless connection. In this situation, things are fine. But at College, you have 3 or 4 DORMS of people on the same subnet, a lot of them with iTunes (now that it is Mac and PC) and you also have programs that can record a stream. College students, as proven in the past, are resourceful when it comes to saving money. It is very easy to initiate a stream and record it. This would be the new "Wave" of file sharing. It's one extra step, but hell, I remember when I was in college I had friends that would rent DVDs from Blockbuster and spend 24 hours of 100% CPU time to rip, put together, and then burn a DVD onto a set of like 10 CDs just so they could watch it anytime they wanted.

My question is this though:

Let's say you have 5 computers (or more) in your house. And you authorize all of them (is this even possible?), can those computers (1) Be all authorized at the same time, or (2) is it that those computers cannot play the song at the same time as the other computers?

I seriously doubt all 5 computers would be playing a song at the same time, or even 2 for that matter. In fact I doubt more than 3 computers would even have iTunes open at the same time. So when does this come into play:

1. When you try to authorize more than 3 computers?
2. When more than 3 authorized computers open iTunes?
3. When more than 3 authorized computers try and recieve a stream?
4. WHen more than 3 authorized computers try and play the same song?

voodoo · Oct 20, 2003, 04:30 PM

Originally posted by voyageur:
Well, according to this knowledge base article that just appeared, you can share music with up to 5 other computers on a LAN. They don't need to be authorized.

Well, if that kbase article covers the m4p files as well then I'm a happy camper! 5 is an arbitrary number but it really should be sufficient for most families.

geekwagon · Oct 20, 2003, 04:41 PM

Originally posted by voodoo:
Well, if that kbase article covers the m4p files as well then I'm a happy camper! 5 is an arbitrary number but it really should be sufficient for most families.

Unfortunately, it doesn't. This drives me crazy as well as I have 5 computers too:

Powermac at home
Powerbook 17" on my desk at work
Powerbook 12" that goes with me everywhere
Wife's iBook
A PC running iTunes for Windows

I can't have them all authorized at the same time, and when someone tries to stream a file that requires authorization it asks for an authorization. I also copy my iTunes library between my laptops and if the computer isn't authorized, it won't sync to my iPod.

Sucks to be me, I guess. 3 authorized computers would be fine probably, but it would be nice if I could at least stream to my other machines..

dtriska · Oct 20, 2003, 04:47 PM

Originally posted by voodoo:
Well, if that kbase article covers the m4p files as well then I'm a happy camper! 5 is an arbitrary number but it really should be sufficient for most families.

You still need to authorize for purchased music: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93365

Ratm · Oct 20, 2003, 05:04 PM

voyageur · Oct 20, 2003, 05:39 PM

I think two things are being confused here. As I understand it from the new knowledge base article (and if I'm wrong, please correct me), if you're on a LAN, you can share your music to up to 5 other computers. These need not be the same as "authorized computers".

However, you may only install the purchased song file on 3 computers (called "authorized computers").

::maroma:: · Oct 20, 2003, 06:21 PM

I think there could be one of two reasons for this.

One is that Apple just plain overlooked this. They didn't think about the problems with purchased music from iTMS and streaming your music between other 5 computers.

The other (and I think more probable) is that the RIAA imposed this on Apple. This could've been part of the deal. As stated above, it is very trivial to record a stream of audio. One could easily write a companion app to iTunes that does this seamlessly and make it even easier, even though there are plenty of small apps that do this already.

While I don't agree with the reasoning here, I think that the RIAA is to blame on this issue. They are notorious for making these rules that have no real basis. Let's just hope that they loosen their tight little panties and realize that the world isn't out to get them and ease up on some of these silly rules and regulations. (assuming of course that they are the ones to blame)