lokiz0r

http://www.sony.co.uk/view/ShowArticle.act...;site=odw_en_GB (this is also on the front page of sony.co.uk at the moment, if the link doesn't work) I know I just posted this in another thread, but there's some of the details. The A-810s seem identical to the A-800s (on features, anyway). I join the other posters on this thread on asking just what's so different with these 'new' models that can't be updated with a firmware update. Of course, the firmware update may be forthcoming - Sony may just be using the new model numbers in order to differentiate between models shipping with SonicStage or WMP, and will soon be giving the A-800s some new firmwares. One lives in hope, anyway. While I would try to find out something more official from a Sony Centre tomorrow, they're usually pretty clueless...

http://www.sony.co.uk/view/ShowArticle.act...;site=odw_en_GB (the link *should* work, but it's on the front page of sony.co.uk if it doesn't) Check the model numbers. NWZ-A815, 816 and 818. Looks like there's a brand new line to phase them out, which is really disappointing. Last thing I expected, too - what's so different in there? The features are exactly the same, after all. I'll call into my local Sony Centre tomorrow and attempt to get a slightly more 'official' line on this. Heck knows I want PlaysForSure support, no more SonicStage, etc. etc. yada. yada.

If you've got iTunes handy (yes, I know, I know), you can use it to re-encode your MP3's ID3 tags in V2.3, as compared to V2.4. Do this by importing your music, then selecting it all, right-clicking, and hitting 'Convert ID3 Tags...' Having the tags in V2.3 means Sonicstage will see any embedded album art, as compared to V2.4 where it won't! You can also use iTunes to find album art from the iTunes store (for the more common albums, at least), and manually store it in the tags (right click the album art in the mini window (bottom left) and copy, select all relevant tracks, right click, hit Get Info, and paste it into the Artwork window in the tagger). There are, of course, other tools to convert the format of your tags - J. River Media Center being just one (admittedly, it's paid software, but it is worth the money).