Media Transfer Protocol

Unlike the USB disk protocol, MTP does not handle sectors , but files . Thus, the player that connects as a flash drive, fully trusted the computer; connected via MTP - independently responsible for the storage and integrity of data and, thus, can play some tracks simultaneously with the recording of others, prevent protected songs for which there are no rights, etc. ^[4]

Benefits

• Independence from data storage. The player can store its information not only in a standard computer file system like FAT32 or NTFS , but also, for example, in a SQLite database.
• Because of the transactional record at the file level, the MTP device does not need “ safe extraction ”; it can be turned off at any time without losing data. The device itself rolls back (cancels and returns to the initial state) the transaction if it turns out that the connection was gone (the device was disconnected, the computer hung, etc.).
• Native support for tags, covers, ratings, etc.
• Access by password.
• Remote play music on commands from a computer.
• Ability to use information from MTP devices in third-party applications - for example, for “ scrobbling ” ^{[ Unknown Term ] the} compositions played on the device to the Last.FM service.

Disadvantages

• The complexity of the protocol.
• Low speed associated with transactional access.
• In Windows, MTP is not a file system , but is supported at the application software level — therefore, the “favorite file manager” will not work. Requires Windows Media Player 10th version; to support Ogg Vorbis - the 11th. Antivirus also does not scan the connected player.
• The player may refuse to store a particular file. Therefore, for example, to transfer the archive.7z file on the player, you have to rename it to archive.7z.mp3 .
• Built-in copy protection support.
• The file can be overwritten only as a whole and at the time of the beginning of the recording the size should be known - therefore, you cannot work with the MTP device as flexibly as with a disk.
• There is no multitasking - while one operation is performed, the others cannot be performed.

Device side

The format is popularized by Microsoft's leading partners Creative Technology , Intel , iRiver and Samsung . Here is a partial list of manufacturers supporting MTP in their players (according to the English Wikipedia):

• Archos (not all devices)
• Android , starting with version Honeycomb 3.0 - all devices. Many manufacturers, for the convenience of users, also allow you to connect as a USB-drive . Android has an MTP extension that turns it into a full-fledged file system.
• BlackBerry 9500 series
• Canon 400D (XTi)
• Creative Technology Zen (not all devices)
• Cowon (not all devices)
• Part of Fujifilm digital cameras
• Harman / Kardon GPS810
• Intel portable media center
• iriver H10 and later
• JVC media players
• Motorola mobile phones
• Nikon D40 / D40x , D80 , D300 , D700 , D2Xs / D2Hs , D3 and some Coolpix
• Nokia mobile phones
• Palm PDA with PocketTunes Player
• Pentax Digital Cameras
• Philips GoGear
• Samsung Electronics Yepp and Juke
• Sanyo Xacti CG65
• Sandisk sansa
• Sony Ericsson mobile phones
• Part of the Sony Walkman
• Part of Sony Cyber-shot cameras
• Toshiba Gigabeat
• Transcend T.Sonic
• TrekStor vibez

By the way, Microsoft Zune does not use MTP, but its modification.

Desktop Software

• Windows Media Player 10 and up
• Windows Vista and up
• libmtp ^[5] and Linux GPhoto : Amarok , Audacious , Banshee , Gnomad2 , Nautilus , Qlix , Rhythmbox .