Verizon's VCast Disables MP3 Playback

Verizon has confirmed reports that its new VCast Music application disables the ability to play MP3s on phones used with the service. The company said the change was done to simplify the use of VCast, and not to remove features from the device.

This is not the first time Verizon has been caught red-handed in attempting to remove advertised features from phones on its service. Unhappy customers have already sued the company for taking out Bluetooth features on the Motorola v710 handset.

According to the carrier, Windows Media Player 10 will transcode a user's MP3 library into the correct Microsoft format and then transfer the song to the device. While most will not notice the difference, audiophiles will likely hear the degradation in quality that is a side effect of transcoding.

However, such a requirement also causes problems for users of Macintosh or Linux based machines, as these users would have no native way of getting songs from their libraries onto the device.

"Verizon clearly stated the music player would support mp3s stored on users' PCs," mobile phone enthusiast site PhoneScoop wrote on Monday. "It is impossible to force the phone to add MP3 files to its music library from the device."

The carrier claims that its actions are not restricting functionality. Instead, it said that having two formats would unnecessarily complicate the user experience.

Verizon's VCast music service is offered initially on two phones, the LG VX8100 and Samsung a950. Song downloads cost $1.99 USD each to the phone, or 99 cents to the PC from where they could be transferred to the phone via USB.

Instructions to restore MP3 functionality to the LG VX8100 have already appeared on the Internet, however doing so may void the manufacturer's warranty.