Microsoft Deal Limits Verizon MP3 Phones

An anonymous reader writes "PCSIntel is reporting that the new VCast music system by Verizon may not be quite as positive as users were led to believe. Claims were made that the new software for this service would disable the ability to play MP3s on these phones. It turns out that the ability to play MP3s still exists but only because the software first converts it to the WMA format. This conversion, however, is not available for phones on Mac or Linux, leaving these customers unable to play MP3s."

Comments

seems to be a firmware issue?

[zegebbers]

Is it possible to downgrade the firmware to pre v05 so that you can play mp3s still ?

Netgear, Skype developing Wi-Fi phone

[luh3417]

This will soon make cell phones obsolete. Serves the greedy marketing-driven cell companies right. If only the Netgear-Skype wifi phone would play mp3's too. No greedy cell phone companies to stop them from adding that feature... http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/01/05/73605_HN netgearskypephone_1.html?source=rss&url=http://www .infoworld.com/article/06/01/05/73605_HNnetgearsky pephone_1.html

Re:Why do you put up with this shit?

[grumling]

Every other country in the world has sane mobile phone pricing and services. Why not the US?

Well, I don't know about pricing for phones in other contries, but here in the US, you have to sign a contract to get service, or pay a much higher rate and deal with a very limited phone selection (and I think you still end up signing some sort of implied contract). Verizon is the only provider in my area that has any sort of coverage once you get over the mountain, so that's what I have to use. I really don't want to move to an area with more carriers, so this is the choice I make. Once they get you in the contract (which has a lot of fine print that is hard to read when the customer service rep is wearing a tight low-cut dress), they tend to get a little more restrictive.

From the Customer Agreement:

Your Wireless Phone
Your wireless phone is any device you use to receive our wireless voice or data service. It must comply with Federal Communications Commission regulations and be compatible with our network and your calling plan. Whether you buy your wireless phone from us or someone else is entirely your choice. At times we may change your wireless phone's software or programming remotely and without notice. This could affect data you've stored on, or the way you've programmed, your wireless phone. Your wireless phone may also contain software that prevents it from being used with any other company's wireless service, even if it's no longer used to receive our service.

In the US, contract law trumps civil law. Besides, they'll just tell you to go somewhere else if you don't like it (they make $175 if you cancel the contract after the 15 day trial period).

I recently picked up a VX-9800 because I was looking for an all in one phone. I looked at the vcast services an thought they were nothing more than a marketing gimic to get press, but I tried it anyway (VZW always allows a 15 day trial period). Of course, they haven't upgraded the towers in my area, so it doesn't work. Still, I don't think I would bother with downloading music (or anything else) to it over their network. I have a 1 gig mini-SD card that will hold all my own content, already paid for.

Now if I can figure out a way to (easily) get .mp4 video on the thing from my cable box, I'll be all set. :)

Re:Fuck M$

[Anonymous Coward]

(Friend supplied answer)
The whole turning off the MP3 features of the chip inside the phone is not purely a Verizon call. This is mostly a RIAA and Microsoft idea. The Qualcomm IC supports hardware MP3 but one of the conditions for bringing to life the VCast Music Store was to turn this feature off. A lot of people will ask, "why?" And to that you will get absolutly no good answer, hell people make decisions everyday that I don't like/understand. Should we go witht he flow? Nah, if you miss your MP3 functions that badly then just ask them to FRU (field replacement unit) you a v04 phone.

Also your comment about how you would like hardware portability, please feel free to ask Verizon about any phone you'd like and their CSRs will be more than happy to provide you with a phone with equal features that works on the Verizon network. (Or something like that) As far as why networks won't allow cross hardware? Well crap that would mean storing a huge collection of firmware programs that are all different platforms. Hell I know we have BREW and J2ME and all that good abstraction stuff, but core features don't use that stuff. The demands on the already overworked three India guys that program all the functions in Verizon phones would kill them. It would be just a nightmare to try and support every single stinking phone. Hardware vendors aren't really making phones to be eaiser for the developer, I know hard to believe.

(My two cents)
At at rate... Please people stop using your phone as a freaking MP3/WMA/whatever player. Cell phones have quickly become a jack of all trades but a master of jack crap. If you really want an MP3 player go get an iPod or hell be retro and get a CD-player. I carry my phone with me and my iPod shuffle, both small enough not to be a cumbersome duo. This whole story is just some rant at something that really should just be a moot point, stop using your phone for this crap, stop buying into this crap, and you'll eventually not have to worry about this crap.

Slackjustyb (PS: Someone very close to me works as a CSR at Verizon. Who did help in some of my post, if that should mean anything to anybody.)

Re:Why do you put up with this shit?

[NotoriousQ]

It is not an even comparison there too.

For example, most companies in the US do not meter any calls made entirely on their network, even during peak times, plus they all nights and weekends are not metered as well.

I have recently signed up for a 2-year contract with South Pacific Railway International (SPRInt) for the whole family, For about $60 a month, I have received 3 new phones, 800 minutes (metered during the day incoming and outgoing) shared between the phones, free weekends and nights to anywhere in the US, and free calls to anyone on SPRINT (including all members of the family). We only end up metering 500 minutes a month, with total talk time of about 2500-3500 minutes (3 people incoming and outgoing).

So for about $20 US/month/person, I never think about the prices when I call on the phone. That is what I call a good deal. However, our phones are locked in, and play mp3 files for $4 a track, and new wallpapers are downloadable for about $2 a piece. Guess what we do: we do not download wallpapers or play mp3s on the cell phones.