If you ripped the CDs using WMP they shouldn't be DRMed WMA files but you may have to enable WMA playbak in your PS3.

http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/music/filetypes.html

Check out the link for the setting to enable WMA playback.  Another option would be to re-rip them into another more portable format.  It would suck but at least you know you're safe down the road.

As for your IPod tunes you'r right but I don't think Orb or any of the other transcoders would help you there either.  From now on I'd suggest only buying non-DRMed music from iTunes or better yet Amazon.

Bryan