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You cannot transcode DRM-protected media in Windows Media Player 11

Article ID: 925706 - View products that this article applies to.

SYMPTOMS

Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 may be unable to transcode digital rights management (DRM)-protected media to fit on a portable media device.

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This behavior may occur because DRM-protected files cannot be converted to any other format. This behavior may also occur because DRM-protected files cannot be re-encoded in the same format by using a different bit rate.

This behavior may occur even if you obtain a license from the content provider to copy the files. This behavior also applies to music that has been copied from an audio CD to Windows Media Audio (WMA) files by enabling the "Copy protect music" option.

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WORKAROUND

DRM-protected Windows Media Audio files and DRM-protected Windows Media Video files cannot currently be transcoded. To work around this limitation, use one of the following methods, as appropriate for your situation.

Method 1: Disable the "Copy protect music" option, and then re-copy the content

Right-click the Windows Media Player toolbar, point to Tools, and then click Options.
Click the Rip Music tab.
Click to clear the Copy protect music check box.
Re-copy your music.

Method 2: Disable transcoding

You can disable transcoding for a device if the device supports playback of media files in their original state. To do this, follow these steps:

Right-click the Windows Media Player toolbar, point to Tools, and then click Options.
Click the Devices tab.
Select a device, and then click Properties.
Click the Quality tab, and then click to clear the Convert music, pictures, videos, and TV shows as required check box.

Method 3: Disable the "Copy protect music" option, and then burn and re-copy the content

You can burn content to an audio CD and then re-copy that audio CD to non-protected Windows Media Audio files or to non-protected MP3 files. To do this, you must have the rights to burn DRM-protected music to an audio CD. After you burn and copy the media, Windows Media Player can transcode the media for your device.

Note When you burn content to an audio CD and then re-copy the content to a Windows Media Audio file or to an MP3 file, the quality of the audio may be reduced. This reduction in audio quality is especially noticeable when you use a reduced bit rate compared to the bit rate that is used in the original file.

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