Editing Microsoft PlaysForSure

{{Short description|Microsoft certification}}
[[Image:Playsforsure.png|right|Playsforsure logo]]

'''Microsoft PlaysForSure''' was a certification given by [[Microsoft]] to portable devices and [[online music store|content services]] that had been tested against several hundred compatibility and performance requirements. These requirements include codec support, [[digital rights management]] support, UI responsiveness, device performance, compatibility with [[Windows Media Player]], synchronization performance, and so on. PlaysForSure certification was available for [[portable media player]]s, network-attached [[digital media receiver]]s, and media-enabled [[mobile phones]]. The PlaysForSure logo was applied to device packaging as well as to [[online music store]]s and online video stores. 

PlaysForSure was introduced in 2004.<ref name="Branding"> 
 [http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39164619,00.htm Microsoft plans branding assault], [[CNET News]]
</ref>
In 2007, Microsoft rebranded and scaled back "PlaysForSure"<ref name="Slide13">
 
 [http://download.microsoft.com/download/a/f/d/afdfd50d-6eb9-425e-84e1-b4085a80e34e/CON-T418_WH07.pptx PlaysForSure Network Media Devices and Windows Vista (WinHEC 2007; 1.7 MB)],
  Slide 13, Retrieved 2007-12-14 from
 
 [https://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/media/DMD.mspx Digital Media Devices and the Windows Logo Program: New Directions for PlaysForSure Testing].
</ref>
<ref name="Slide32">
 
 [http://download.microsoft.com/download/a/f/d/afdfd50d-6eb9-425e-84e1-b4085a80e34e/CON-T419_WH07.pptx PlaysForSure Portable Devices and Windows Vista (WinHEC 2007; 3.0 MB)], Slide 32. Retrieved 2007-12-14 from
  [https://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/media/DMD.mspx Digital Media Devices and the Windows Logo Program: New Directions for PlaysForSure Testing].
</ref>
into the subset '''Certified for Windows Vista'''.<ref name="GrowingUp">
 
 [https://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/playsforsure/ PlaysForSure is growing up!].
  Retrieved 2007-12-14
</ref>

Microsoft's [[Microsoft Zune|Zune]] worked only with its own content service called [[Zune Marketplace]], not PlaysForSure. The Zune and PlaysForSure music were both Certified for Windows Vista, yet the Zune could not play PlaysForSure music purchased from the MSN Music Store.<ref name="ZuneNotPlay">
  {{
    cite web
      | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6120272.stm
      | title=Technology &#124; Zune problems for MSN customers
      | publisher=BBC News
      | date=2006-11-06
      | accessdate=2012-06-26
  }}
</ref>

Microsoft announced that as of August 31, 2008, PlaysForSure content from their retired MSN Music store would need to be licensed to play before this date{{when|date=June 2013}} or burned permanently to CD,<ref name="MS_Discont">
  {{
    cite web
      | last=Hutchinson
      | first=Lee
      | url=https://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080422-drm-sucks-redux-microsoft-to-nuke-msn-music-drm-keys.html
      |title=Microsoft to Discontinue PlaysForSure Support
      |publisher=Arstechnica.com
      |date=2008-04-22
      |accessdate=2012-06-26
  }}
</ref>
although this decision was later reversed.<ref name="JustKidding">
 [http://community.winsupersite.com/blogs/paul/archive/2008/06/19/msn-music-store-support-notification.aspx ]
  {{
    webarchive
      | url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124025750/http://community.winsupersite.com/blogs/paul/archive/2008/06/19/msn-music-store-support-notification.aspx
      | date=January 24, 2009
  }}
</ref>
With the exception of Windows Media Player, all of the PlaysForSure offerings were made or run by 3rd-party companies, while Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division developed and marketed the Zune.

==Overview==
There exist many tests to obtain PlaysForSure certification. The most commonly referenced requirements include the ability to play files encoded in [[Windows Media Audio]] or [[Windows Media Video]] format with  [[Windows Media DRM]] [[digital rights management]], used by [[Windows Media Player]] versions 10 and 11. For this, portable devices must implement [[Janus (DRM)|Janus]] (WMDRM-PD), and network-attached devices must implement an interface to [[Cardea (DRM)|Cardea]] (WMDRM-ND). However, other important requirements include time to synchronize a device with a PC, UI performance (time between pressing "play" and hearing music), gapless playback, and so on.

==Content providers that offered PlaysForSure-certified content==
Only audio content were ever offered by PlaysForSure content providers; although Microsoft provided a PlaysForSure certification for video content, as well as a variety of PlaysForSure-certified portable and network video players that could play PlaysForSure-certified video, if it were offered, no online store offered video content that would be certified to play on all PlaysForSure video players.
* SoundsRightNow.com
* AOL MusicNow (closed)
* [[Yahoo! Music Unlimited]] (closed)
* [[Spiralfrog]] (closed)
* [[URGE|MTV URGE]] (closed)
* [[MSN Music]] (closed)
* [[Musicmatch Jukebox]] (closed)
* Wal-Mart Music Downloads (switched to MP3)
* [[Ruckus Network]] (closed)
* [[PassAlong Networks]] (closed)
* [[Rhapsody (online music service)|Rhapsody]] (switched to MP3)<ref>{{cite web|last=Hutchinson |first=Lee |url=https://arstechnica.com/old/content/2008/06/rhapsody-ditches-drm-with-mp3-store-pats-itself-on-back.ars |title=Rhapsody's DRM-free music store offers little to excite |publisher=Ars Technica |date=2008-06-30 |accessdate=2012-06-26}}</ref>
* [[Napster (pay service)|Napster To Go]]
* [[iMesh]] (switched to MP3)
* [[BearShare]] (switched to MP3)

==Hardware vendors that support PlaysForSure-certified media==
{{div col|colwidth=18em}}
* [[Archos]]
* [[Cingular]]
* [[Cowon]]
* [[Creative Labs]]
* [[Denon]]
* [[Digitrex]]
* [[D-Link]]
* [[Ericsson]]
* [[iriver]]
* [[Kyocera]]
* [[Motorola]]
* [[Nokia]]
* [[Palm, Inc.|Palm]]
* [[Pioneer Corporation|Pioneer]]
* [[Philips]]
* [[Roku]]
* [[RCA]]
* [[Samsung]]
* [[SanDisk]]
* [[Sonos]]
* [[Sony]]
* [[Toshiba]]
{{div col end}}

==Software that can stream media to PlaysForSure devices==
* [[Windows Media Player]] versions 10 and 11
* SimpleCenter supports the media devices [[iPod]], [[Sony PSP]], [[Xbox 360]], [[Nokia N80]], [[Nokia N93|N93]], [[USB mass storage]], and PlaysForSure certified devices".

==Criticisms==
A 2005 court case strongly criticised the wording of a [[Microsoft]] licensing agreement related to portable devices.<ref>''[https://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/10/27/accidental_music_monopoly_bid/ Judge blasts MS bid to monopolize music devices]'', The Register, 27 Oct, 2005. Accessed 22 Aug 2006.</ref> The license prohibited makers of portable devices compatible with Windows Media Player from using non-Microsoft audio encoding formats. Microsoft indicated that the wording of their license was poorly written due to an oversight by a junior Microsoft employee. Microsoft quickly amended their stringently worded license agreement at the judge's behest.

==See also==
* [[Media Transfer Protocol]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.playsforsure.com Official PlaysForSure website]
* [http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39164619,00.htm CNET News Article on Plays for Sure]
* [http://createdigitalmusic.com/2006/07/31/mtp-portable-player-standard-microsofts-mclauchlan-sets-us-straight/ Response to MTP criticisms by Microsoft's Dave McLauchlan]
* [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/microsoft/2004074417_playsforsure15.html Seattle Times Microsoft ditches Plays for Sure]

{{MSN services}}
{{Microsoft products}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Microsoft Playsforsure}}
[[Category:Microsoft initiatives]]
[[Category:Computer-related introductions in 2004]]
[[Category:2008 disestablishments]]