HDMusic Store

By uavKim Wilson • Posted: Jan 21, 2009

HDGiants unveiled their new HD MediaStore application during CES. While HD Giants has an online presence accessible to anyone (with Microsoft IE only), this new application was specifically designed for easy integration with top media servers running the Vista Media Center. It allows Media Center customers to purchase and download music in the WMA lossless format directly from their MCE Vista entertainment centers.

This MCE app is a ready-built solution for HD Giant's hardware partners who want to simply installation on their media server products. They've also make a Software Developer Kit (SDK) available for hardware partners who want to customize the store. For example, Qsonix will build the store into their Q110 products that uses an exclusive touch screen user interface.

All music and videos are delivered in a WMA lossless format and are completely DRM-free. Music tracks cost $1.29 and complete albums run $15.29. Videos range from $14.99 to $39.99 depending on the resolution. However, even at the highest resolution (1080p @ 20mbps), I'm not sure how the cost can exceed that of the most expensively priced Blu-rays.

In the HD MediaStore, consumers can preview all content before purchasing and they will be able to browse and purchase both the music and video stores simultaneously.

HD Giants is the only digital entertainment company that delivers lossless music from all the major labels. There are lots of places to find lossless downloads but the selection is usually limited, based on the website's affiliations.

However, the limitation with HD Giants is everything is in the WMA format. People complain about iTunes closed system, so this isn't much better. Either align yourself with Apple or align yourself with Microsoft. Pick your poison. That said, at least HD Giants is offering lossless audio, something that still is not available through iTunes, even though Apple has their own lossless format.

Comments

Submitted by Glenn on January 23, 2009 - 4:43pm.

So now they're calling lossless music, equivalent to CD quality, "HD" music? This holds no appeal to me. WMA lossless? No thanks, especially at those prices.

Submitted by Stephen on January 24, 2009 - 10:26am.

Just tell them to go away. Microsoft only in this day and age, ridiculous! 5000 down, 88,000 to go, of course if they actually do it their employment numbers just revert back to last Jul y's numbers.

Submitted by Dave on January 26, 2009 - 5:07am.

So how long does it tkae to download a movie and how close to Blu Ray is it?

Submitted by Colin Robertson on January 27, 2009 - 12:05am.

I just wish they would improve their current system first. Every time I've used MG (three or four times), it has been a giant pain in the ass (pun intended). Their wonky DRM seems to lock every track after purchasing an album, which I have to manually go through each track and re-type a password for, which, because of a bug in IE or WMP, I have to clear the cache in IE for EACH TRACK. I already hate using IE and WMP as it is, if they want me to ever buy music from them again (at the premiums they charge), they're going to have to remove this limitation, as well as sell me DRM free tunes in a variety of formats (why no FLAC or Apple Lossless?). They ought to have a simple web interface like Amazon or HD tracks that's compatible with other browsers like Firefox, Chrome, or Safari.