pitdroidtech

Want! However I just bought a Sony CMT-BX3 - supports normal, mp3 and atrac cd's; atrac music players via usb; mass storage compatible mp3 players via usb; mp3 on usb drive via usb; any analog source via line in - BUT not MD by usb or SE Walkman phone by USB. Oh, and fm/am radio.

not too recently, I got an NH600 for $40 (Australian) - brand new - run out sale. Now I'm waiting to see an RH1 at a similiarly priced runout sale (I'm pushing the proverbial uphill I think)

*record audio from music DVD's via the DVD Player optical output (a lot simpler than ripping audio from the DVD via PC) *record audio from set top box optical output (if it has it) (great when there's a good concert on TV)

I just bought two 200GB SATAII drives for $50 each. I was pretty happy with that. I also recently bought a HDTV USB dongle - damn nice. GREAT for capturing stills from favourite movies (and records video quite nicely too).

Last movie I saw was on TV - Wedding Crashers. I'm not sure if this is a good thing, but man the character of Isla Fisher (nymphomaniac stalker) really does it for me. Oh where can I find a gal like Isla Fisher who wants to hump me all day everyday and won't take no for an answer?

I realise this is probably a little off topic, but Nero only takes over your computer if you install the InCD package - simply deselect InCD on install and no problem. If you don't install InCD, then nothing Nero runs unless you actually go to the Start/Programs menu and select it. Personally I find Nero one of the less obese Burner softwares available. (in case you aren't aware, you don't need InCD particularly - WinXP includes natively the ability to write to a CD/DVD as if it were a large floppy) Nice PC btw, groovy :-)

I've read several reviews on the CX300's and also comparisons with the ep630's from Creative. They seem to be the same headphones (though the creative has a straight plug, the sennheisser a right angle plug). There seem to be quite a few people claiming they use the same driver and are essentially identical. This pleased me as they are cheaper than sennheisser yet I've always been impressed with sennheisser. So I bought a pair of ep630's and indeed found them to compare to my SE HPM-70 headphones (based on Sony EX71 or EX51 depending on who you speak to) the same way reviews compared the CX300 to Sony EX71's. The EP630's are certainly better than the HPM-70 headsets, but there is also an appeal about the HPM-70's that keeps bringing me back to them. I think it's the grooviness that aeriyn refers to in her initial post with regard to the EX71's, so I lean towards thinking of the HPM-70 cans as basically repackaged EX71's. There is just something appealing about them, even though the EP630's have much higher fidelity and clarity. I vasililate between my hpm-70's and ep630's as the mood takes me. Of course the extra length of the ep630's doesn't help. The hpm-70 is basically a fastport (SE phone connector) to 3.5mm extension, with the headphone themselves only having a lead of 20cm or less. HPM-70 3.5mm lead + ep630 = A LOT OF CABLE

can you burn non-drm stuff?

haha, what a crack up

Yep I'm happy with mine. Find I don't use the job dial a great deal for general listening. Mostly it's track advance or volume. I also find my NZ505 remote works well for the basics. I agree on the sound. It also pairs well with atrac, I'm very impressed with HiSP recordings of analog sources.

Good price. I was shocked a couple of weeks ago to spot an MZ-NH600 in my local electronics store for $39. I grabbed it right quick. My first HiMD unit too. The cheapest I've seen the MZ-NH600 anywhere else (new) is $100. Can't even get any decent models in Brisbane -I'm looking at paying $600 to buy direct from Sony (for the MZ-RH1), which I'm not gonna do unless it's my only option.

Get a HiMD unit, so you can easily copy the recording back to the computer as data. Otherwise you will be constrained to realtime line out to line in recordings (and associated signal loss unless you have an optical or TOS input on your soundcard). As to recording time, if you use HiSP mode (atrac3plus 256Kbs) on the recorder, you will get almost 8hrs recording on a 1GB HiMD disc and 2hrs 20min on a standard 80 minute disc. If you use HiLP mode (atrac3plus 64Kbps) you will get 34 hours on a 1GB disc and 10hr 10 min on a 80min disc. If you want to use the highest quality, linear PCM (1.4Mbps), with no compression, you will get 1 hr 34min on a 1GB disc and 28min on a 80min disc. You can of course swap discs easily if you do so at a break in the music before the disc runs out. This would mean you would need to keep an eye on your watch. For comparison, atrac3plus @ 256Kbps is roughly equivalent to mp3 @320Kbps (though we are speaking apples and oranges somewhat). atrac3plus @ 64Kbps is similiar to mp3 @ 128Kbps. Linear PCM is uncompressed 44.1Khz digital audio.

no, but good idea. I'm thinking of recording some audio files to minidisc from the computer via line out - I downloaded some "free" DRM protected tracks via a Sundail-Mail promotion, but the tracks are completely forward-locked; you can't even rip them to CD or record the audio stream to wav - they are completely locked down. They will only play via Windows Media Player (atleast itunes et al, you can burn a cd). The way I figure it, if it's for my own use, then "fair use" rights still apply, regardless of whether I paid for it or not. I paid for the internet time to download them, for the paper I bought for the download details, and all the associated time I invested in sourcing the tracks. So therefore I think I have the right under the "fair use" provision of copyright law to copy the tracks to minidisc

Jean Michael Jarre popcorn? I'll have to check that one out

Britney Spears, Blackout. (just for a complete change of pace from Pink Floyd!!)