Indeed.
You do realize, don't you, that converting from one lossy compression type to cd format and then back to another lossy compression type (mp3 or whatever) entails a loss of fidelity and audible artifacting?
This is just another example of Microsoft screwing both its customers and the partners who signed on to the "Plays for sure" (so freaking ironic in light of this article!).
People forget that when you play with microsoft you always end up geting burned.
“entails a loss of fidelity and audible artifacting?”
Sure, but at 256k that loss is so limited as to not be of any use, not to mention many people use far less than 256k. (I’m an audio/video processing specialist who writes such software for cable companies and video surveillance systems.)