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Sony Unveils New Hi-MD & NetMD Walkmans


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Please read this entire first post! It contains links at the bottom with GREAT pictures and more specifications of each unit.

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SONY UNVEILS NEW NET MD AND HI-MD WALKMAN DIGITAL MUSIC PLAYERS

SAN DIEGO, March 1, 2005 - Providing options for all lifestyles, Sony has once again expanded its selection of portable music devices with the introduction of its 2005 line of MiniDisc™ Walkman® digital music players.

For music buffs unwilling to be constrained by capacity, MiniDisc media provides removable, recordable, scratch-resistant and affordable storage for an infinite library of songs. The discs are small, durable and re-recordable up to a million times without degradation in audio quality.

The new MiniDisc line of Walkman players includes a hip, Psyc® Net MD model and several high capacity Hi-MD™ players. All of the players offer the extended battery life, compact design and sturdiness for which MD players are recognized.

With Hi-MD technology, users can record up to 45 hours of music on one disc utilizing USB high speed transfer. Removable, re-recordable Hi-MD media offers 1GB of storage on each disc for expandable music collections and virtually all PC data files.

The 2005 Hi-MD players play back both MP3 and ATRAC3® audio files, in addition to supporting WMA and WAV formats. And with the top-of-the-line MZ-DH10P model, you can even take digital images right on the device.

"Many musicians, journalists and digital music fans rely on the flexibility and durability of the MiniDisc format," said Allan Jason, vice president for portable audio products at Sony Electronics. "Our latest models increase the utility of the players and bring more advantages to our MD customers."

All of the models are compatible with Sony's Connect™ online music store and include both SonicStage® software and the MD Simple Burner application, which make it easy to import, manage and transfer music collections.

MZ-DH10P Hi-MD Walkman Digital Music Player

Taking MiniDisc to new heights, the MZ-DH10P model is the first Hi-MD™ Walkman player with the added benefit of a built-in camera and color LCD screen.

A 1.3 megapixel digital still camera (1280 x 960) with 4x digital zoom is incorporated into the unit, so visuals can be added to complement the music. A customized slide show with simultaneous music play back is viewable on the LCD and as an added bonus, album and cover art can be linked to the music and also be displayed. Images can be stored on MiniDisc media and reviewed, moved or deleted using the 1.5-inch color TFT LCD. The MZ-DH10P comes supplied with a charging cradle and will be available in May for about $500.

MZ-RH910 and MZ-RH10

The MZ-RH910 and MZ-RH10 models are designed to create personalized music masterpieces. Musicians can easily record their own tunes and upload their music onto a computer.

With a new slim design, the MZ-RH910 unit offers a digital amplifier and the ability to record from multiple sources. The line-in jack helps transfer and archive legacy formats to MiniDisc media, and the mic input is ideal for making personal recordings of class lectures or live music. The MZ-RH910 will be available in April for about $200.

The MZ-RH10 model steps up with a large six-line, self-emitting organic EL (electroluminescence) display, so sound-setting screens, track, title and artist can be viewed from wide angles and without a backlight. The unit can record from sources including mic in, line in and USB, and plays back MP3 and ATRAC3 audio files. When playing in ATRAC3plus™ mode at 64 kbps (kilobits per second), the unit provides up to 33 hours of continuous play back with supplied rechargeable battery combined with one "AA" battery. A remote control and file name indicator are also included. The MZ-RH10 will be available in April for about $300.

Psyc Net MD Model

Available in stereo black with orange highlights or electric white with lime green accents, the new MZ-DN430 Psyc Net MD Walkman is sure to turn heads. This unit combines the style elements of chrome and neon with the benefits of ATRAC™ sound and removable storage. Ideal for the active user, skip-free, G-Protection™ technology promises virtually uninterrupted music play back. With 56 hours of continuous battery life using just one "AA" battery and CD/MP3 transfer using USB high speed transfer, there is nothing to slow the listener down. Color-coordinated headphones are also included. The MZ-DN430 will be available this month for about $100.

MiniDisc Media

Standard MiniDisc media is available in 177 MB capacity for about $2 and can hold up to five hours of recorded on a Net MD player or up to 13 hours recorded in Hi-MD mode. One GB Hi-MD discs, which can hold up to 45 hours of music, are available for about $7. Hi-MD media can also store and transfer virtually all PC data files, including presentations, documents, photos and spreadsheets.

Links:

- Click here for more information on a new player-only unit from Sony, dubbed "MZ-EH930".

- Click here for real life pictures of the MZ-DH10P + MZ-RH10 [warning to dial-up]. Very nice pictures!

- Click here for the first screenshots from Sonicstage 3.

- Click here for Sony's official "Hi-MD Photo" page.

- Picture and specifications of the MZ-DH10P.

-- Click here for the forum's related megathread with more information, pics, and battery life!.

- Picture and specifications of the MZ-RH10.

-- Click here for the forum's related megathread with more information, pics, and battery life!.

- Picture and specifications of the MZ-RH910.

- Picture and specifications of the MZ-RH710.

[super megaedit by your friend, kurisu]

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WOWOWOWOWOWOWOW

The MZ-RH910 will be available in April for about $200.

I AM BUYING THIS^^^^^^

WOWOWOWOWOWOWOW

edit:

PICTURES!

The MZ-DH10P comes supplied with a charging cradle and will be available in May for about $500.

The MZ-RH10 will be available in April for about $300

The MZ-DH710 will be available in April for about $150

WOWOWOWOWOW (im not buying it, but hey tongue.gif)

Edited by The_Stamp
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I guess the DH10P is the replacement unit for NH1. Bummer, in that it's following the iPod photo's lead (and m-robe's camera). One supposes it'd look like the camera mock-up from last year's CES?

Personally, I'd preferred a pure HiMD Camera only unit.

Very nice to know that the players are going to be very cheap, matching the iShuffle's price for the 710 model. I think I'll get that to supplement my NH1/900 combo (or sell one off for RH10?).

And as for the color coordinated earbuds with NE430PSYC, they are strictly white with neon green walkman logo (with neon green earfoams to match)... Hmm, I wonder where they got that idea from?

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15 extra hours of battery life over the NH1 at 64k, I'll take it. Does anyone know if the RH10 uses the NH900 style gumstick or the NH1 style LiION stick? I think the DH10P would make for a good travel camera. If you have the option to annotate images with a mic recorded snippet it would present some very nice options for documenting trips or whatnot. Despite having a digital SLR I might be swayed to get one of these if I were traveling places where I wouldn't want to bring a big expensive camera and associated lenses, but still wanted to take decent photos and keep a vocal journal. Now let's see if Sony screws it up. They'll probably copy protect your images or something... biggrin.giflaugh.gif

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i am really excited about the new Hi-MD units and that they will support MP3...However it also states that it supports wma and wav files as well. Does this mean these files will play direct or that they will have to first be converted...converted to atrac i mean. If they have to be converted I'm sticking with my nhf800

Edited by Static
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Static: when they say it supports files, that means you gotta SonciStage'em (encode to their oh-so-glorious (carcasm) format)

the new hi-md will PLAY mp3 (not like last year.. it SUPPORTED mp3 wink.gif

Edited by The_Stamp
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They really should make larger disc sizes. With a camera now, your not going to go round with the MD JUST for the camera, so you would have music on the 1GB discs.... so then if it was me, I migtht have room for say 2MB of pictures sad.gif

PLEASE create larger discs Sony PLEASE!

Anyone got any pictures of the new MD with the built in Camera?

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What I like about this official press release is that while it talks about the fact that you can listen to your music on there, view album art, etc... it also emphasizes the fact that you can record stuff on them too (its original purpose). The DH10P ability to take pics and make a slide show sounds gimmicky, but an interesting idea. Go Sony. Let's hope that the upload stuff gets even more stable for people! smile.gif

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check it out... another article.

http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/200503/05-013E/

looks like yhey updated their hi-md page as well smile.gif

http://www.sony.net/Products/Hi-MD/

oooh baby. lots of bathroom reading material!

edit: some quick info:Spring 2005 marks the addition of another format for Hi-MD playback: industry-standard MP3 now joins LinearPCM and ATRAC3plus to offer a wider choice than ever.

New format supported from spring 2005

MP3*2 32~320kbps

*2 Playback is only possible on equipment with MP3 playback capability.

MP3: Common name given to MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3.

Sampling rate: 44.1kHz. Bit rates: 32~320kbps (fixed/variable).

edit2:

looks like we can record MP3 onto hi-mds!!

recording time: 5 hrs. 4 hrs. 30 min.

looks like we're stuck at 128kbps recording folks sad.gif

-----

Import music files stored in your computer

You can import music files already on your computer's hard disk into SonicStage - if they are in the MP3, WMA*1 or WAV formats - registering them in My Library for later playback and transfer. MP3 files are transferred for playback directly from Hi-MD*2.

*1 WMA music files with copyright protection cannot be converted or transferred.

*2 After transfer to Hi-MD, MP3 files can be copied to other computers but they cannot be played.

sad.gif looks like that the mp3s are DRM WRAPPED. booooo

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So markets for these units should include Japan.

What is interesting is the release date of March 10, which is in about a week, including SS 3.0. That means this stuff is fully baked and just filling distribution channels.

Also, the RH10 is being released in 4 colors, silver, black, blue and orange in Japan.

So I'll get to see these in person on March 13 with any luck!

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This is most brilliant! I would have to call home shortly to order either a black/blue version of RH10.

I totally agree with you, black or blluuee!

Does anyone know... I may have missed the info... whether RH10 is plastic or magnesium. If plastic NO! But I am surely going for that one. I am mad at myself for letting my nephew take my 2d gumstick battery when I gave him my MZ-N1.

I hated the remore, but hey! I always have my NH1's remote. My nephew will eat dust. I wont give that one to anybody.

Still the looks of NH1 is better than RH10, especially the charging craddle.

Is there a charging over USB, like Sony did with NW-HD3?

God! How am I going to wait for this one to be available in Europe! rolleyes.gif

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I totally agree with you, black or blluuee!

Does anyone know... I may have missed the info... whether RH10 is plastic or magnesium. If plastic NO! But I am surely going for that one. I am mad at myself for letting my nephew take my 2d gumstick battery when I gave him my MZ-N1.

I hated the remore, but hey! I always have my NH1's remote. My nephew will eat dust. I wont give that one to anybody.

Still the looks of NH1 is better than RH10, especially the charging craddle.

Is there a charging over USB, like Sony did with NW-HD3?

God! How am I going to wait for this one to be available in Europe! rolleyes.gif

According to RH10's specification sheet, the unit charges via USB.

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