Sony is killing ATRAC, its proprietary format for music files. Here’s a brief news article about today’s death notice.
This isn’t important – no one every downloaded any files from Sony’s store in the ATRAC format. (The store is being shuttered, too.) I find it amusing for two reasons.
One, because I get a kick out of Sony’s extraordinary list of failed formats: ATRAC, Betamax, MiniDisc, Sony Dynamic Digital Sound, HiFD, Multi-Media Compact Disc, UMF disc for PSPs, Memory Stick and Super Audio CD.
Two, because grown men in suits who are paid a lot of money thought it would be a good idea to give a proprietary music format a name that rhymes with “eight-track.” Honestly, it just slays me.
Here’s some background information about Sony’s failed ATRAC format, and the terrible SonicStage software and Sony Connect store that went with it.
