Thanks you all for the replies, that clears up my main concerns with the program.

To follow up, I bought a refurbed Rio Karma after deciding I'd rather have gapless playback than ratings transfer. I just need it to last until some non-defunct manufacturers "get it"...hopefully within this year.

This Wikipedia article may help explain it...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Transfer_Protocol

What is MTP?

Do you know of any MTP devices that MM does support both ways syncing?

I'm not sure if there's any, but MM should support such a device well.

So, I guess you mean it rounds down? So 2.5 stars becomes 2 stars?

Yes.

Jiri

jiri wrote:

First, on which players is MM known to sync ratings, playcount, and last played date/time information? Both ways? Does this work on any player that supports MTP? [Any] iPod?

It works for all iPods (both ways) and _can_ work for any MTP device supporting this. Note that some MTP devices support this feature only partially, e.g. only one way, etc.

Do you know of any MTP devices that MM does support both ways syncing?

jiri wrote:

Second, how does MM reconcile its half-star rating system with devices that only support whole-stars?

On synchronization to a device, MM rounds half-star ratings if needed.

So, I guess you mean it rounds down? So 2.5 stars becomes 2 stars?

First, on which players is MM known to sync ratings, playcount, and last played date/time information? Both ways? Does this work on any player that supports MTP? [Any] iPod?

It works for all iPods (both ways) and _can_ work for any MTP device supporting this. Note that some MTP devices support this feature only partially, e.g. only one way, etc.

Second, how does MM reconcile its half-star rating system with devices that only support whole-stars?

On synchronization to a device, MM rounds half-star ratings if needed.

Third, and I'm sorry if this question is off-topic, but how has MM been able to implement MTP support?

Windows Media Format SDK lets any developer do this.

Jiri

Hello, I have a few questions about how MM handles synching to portable devices.

First, on which players is MM known to sync ratings, playcount, and last played date/time information? Both ways? Does this work on any player that supports MTP? [Any] iPod?

Second, how does MM reconcile its half-star rating system with devices that only support whole-stars?

Third, and I'm sorry if this question is off-topic, but how has MM been able to implement MTP support? Is it an open spec, in the sense that anybody can implement it free of charge, without a license, and without threat of being sued if Steve Ballmer wakes up on the wrong side of the bed, or is it like the MP3 situation where the the only reason nobody is sued is disregard?