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DRM Reduces Battery Life

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the sucks-in-multiple-ways dept.

gr8_phk writes "An interesting article over at C|Net claims that playing DRMed music can reduce battery life up to 25 percent. Yet another reason to stick with plain old MP3 files." From the article: "Those who belong to subscription services such as Napster or Rhapsody have it worse. Music rented from these services arrive in the WMA DRM 10 format, and it takes extra processing power to ensure that the licenses making the tracks work are still valid and match up to the device itself. Heavy DRM not only slows down an MP3 player but also sucks the very life out of them."

16 of 296 comments (clear)

  1. More reasons DRM sucks.. by GillBates0 · · Score: 5, Funny
    In addition to sucking the life out of batteries, DRM has been recently found to cause cancer, kill puppies and make Baby Jesus cry.

    More on these exciting discoveries at 11 (TM).

    --
    An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
  2. DRM suxx0rs by tedgyz · · Score: 5, Funny

    WTF? Do they do a license check after reading each bit?

    --
    "No matter where you go, there you are." -- Buckaroo Banzai
  3. And Shrinkage by notestein · · Score: 4, Funny

    And DRM causes Shrinkage.

    --

    www.bannination.com Two things float to the top he

    1. Re:And Shrinkage by eclectro · · Score: 3, Funny

      And DRM causes Shrinkage

      ...of your wallet.

      --
      Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
  4. Re:You don't say! by ackthpt · · Score: 5, Funny
    Adding CPU-intensive tasks such as encryption/DRM parsing requires more CPU, therefore more power, which therefore drains batteries at an increased rate.

    This is why I play NetHack rather than World of Warcraft.

    oh, and because it's free as in beer, too

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  5. Re:A Link != A Casual Link by AKAImBatman · · Score: 3, Funny

    In that case, we have the perfect product for you! The P-P-P-Powerbook can play a lifetime of silence, and never requires a battery change! Due to popular demand, we'll soon be following up with the more compant i-i-i-iPod! All of the same great features, but in a smaller package!

    Buy yours today!

    --
    Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
  6. Ah, finally... by moochfish · · Score: 4, Funny

    Finally, a true "iPod Killer."

    1. Re:Ah, finally... by TubeSteak · · Score: 3, Funny

      Don't let Chuck Norris hear you saying that...

      If you can see Chuck Norris, he can see you. If you can't see Chuck Norris you may be only seconds away from death.

      --
      [Fuck Beta]
      o0t!
  7. Re:Is this an objective story? by rocketpig · · Score: 1, Funny

    In Soviet Russia, DRM drains you!

    Sorry, somebody had to say it.

  8. Re:A Link != A Casual Link by Al+Dimond · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yeah, but where are you going to find a storage device capable of holding 1,015,384 perfect studio recordings of 4'33"?

  9. Re:Wrong! by Kohath · · Score: 5, Funny

    You people with your facts and scientific methods.

    You must be a DRM supporter. We don't cotton ta that 'round these parts. Are you on the payroll of a record company?

    I also suspect you may weigh the same as a duck.

  10. Re:Wrong! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Who are you who are so wise in the ways of science?

  11. Re:Nobody mentioned OGG by bloodmusic · · Score: 5, Funny

    As everyone on Slashdot knows, playing Ogg Vorbis files actually charges your battery.

  12. Not so! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    My MP3 player doesn't play WMA with DRM, so DRM increases my battery life almost infinitely.

  13. Re:Comparing MP3 to WMA in general isn't useful th by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny


      All my foes are spelling or grammar Nazis.

    And I think you lack the understanding of what it means to be a Nazi. They didn't just go around correcting people. It was a little worse than that.


    All my foes are spelling, grammar, or Nazi Nazis.

  14. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 2, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion