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there also could be something wrong with the anti-shock feature on that unit which causes the lens mechanism to keep mistracking...it was a general fault on many of the MZ-E500 players (i've experienced skipping/stuttering on this unit even when it was flat on a stable table...) so if it isn't dirty MD's that's causing it it could be something mechanical...i don't think there is an MD cleaning kit for the actual MD Disc since the materials that the MD is made out of is very different to that of a normal CD...try cleaning the lens with a lens cleaner or something and see if it work...if u'v tried this to no avail then this problem has gotten me stumped if it's nothing mechanical either...

hmm very true NRen2k5...but i think these 8cm CD-RW's are seen more as a novelty item than that of practical use (coz this is how it's seen here in Aus)...not many shops stock up on them as compared with MD's, (which still is kind of over priced here but is more cheaper than those CD-RW's...) since MD's are starting to take off when sony started releasing cheaper units to the general public...

that's fair enough...i mean it's not like u can only be on MD board if you own an MD (e.g. the lock you out sumhow if u done own one)...soo yeh...as u and neo_md are gaining knowledge about different aspects of new MD's, it's good 2 learn about these different units before finally purchasing one...

looks like an interesting unit actually...but one thing that i don't get is how can it record digitally to the computer if the MD unit does not have an optic (toslink) out??? from reading up on the specs i figured out that this unit does NOT upload the music digitally...it can only go from PC -> MD digitally but from MD -> PC it is done through analogue connection thru the MD's Line Out/Headfone Out jack as mentioned here...sorry to burst the bubble but from what i am seeing this is not the next big thing...

only japanese N710 and elsewhere (Aus is one of these places) have the N710 unit with an output level of 5mW x 2...i think it has something to do with the law there about having the output level capped to how many dB max...not too sure...

As kurisu has said above your best bet for a digital copy of your recorded files is through and MD Deck...get one with an optic out...i think here in aus that would be the MDSJE780 (RRP A$999)...and i also agree with kurisu about getting the Sharp DR7 recorder since they're live recording far surpases that of sony units...u can probably pick one up from Minidisc Australia...they import from Singapore/Japan i think and their prices are relatively good...soo check that out since it is a very good site for getting parts not available in aus yet...=) in terms of mics i'm not too sure where to get the "stealth" ones but the smallest i've seen is something that you can clip on to your shirt...sorry if i've repeated wot kurisu said...

hehe...that's good 2 hear... 2 bad i can't say the same about my cuz's unit...would'v been good if we could fix it that way...other than go to sony and get the unit repaired... :?

NRen2k5 i understand that u don't like the PS2...i own both a gamecube and a PS2...quite frankly i'm happy with the PS2 because as you said they have the licensing of such great games (like the Final Fantasy Series which i've been following ever since the very 1st release) and other great titles...it's not really the hardware issue here...of course the PS2 is indeed less powerful than that of the xbox and gamecube but yet it still holds its own...but then again every one is entitled to their own opinions... :wink:

hehe...so they did reply... jk jk...um yeh i agree with that part about the time taken for the repair...my friends have gotten their digital camera repaired by minolta and it took them ages to get the units back soo i would'n be too surprised if they take their time fixing your unit...but i wish u the best of luck...and it's nice to see that they'll fix it free of charge... :? my cuz got hit with a massive fee and it was STILL under warranty!!!

i'd do it through a digital toslink connection from my computer...but otherwise analogue will do...but if you're lazy and want to use netmd transfer instead record the radio station that you are currently listening 2 as a wav file (many recorders allow you to do this) and then transfer it across thru sonicstage...

yeh seems to me like either ur batts stuffed and u need a replacement (this is hard to find since u need to go back to a sony repair shop)...and by leaving the power plugged in while the battery is fully charge does limit its life...(i've seen many laptop batteries go flat this way...) best bet is for you to head down to the nearest sony retailer and ask if they have a repair service center which will be able to change the battery for you...

yes that's true it's hard to find one outside of japan...but you might be lucky...i think they sell it in Aus @ Sony Central/Sony Style...oh well...but as expected would any thing from Sony be sold cheaply??? :wink:

that's usually the SCMS kicking in...as u'v noticed it won't allow you to copy protected CD's (and/or MD's) digitally through toslink...it can be done through analogue however...NetMD's will allow you to make digital copies easily since the computer will by-pass the SCMS...but recording through NetMD with say SimpleBurner will not allow you to record in SP, only LP2 and LP4...if you want to make an exact digital copy you can do it via the computer's toslink out with the CD playing in the CD drive...(this works for every CD that's i've tried anyways...)

yeh that's actually quite true (i think?) because the DR7 unit my friend has was also made in Malaysia as is my DS8 player...i haven't checked other models yet but i am pretty sure that the ST880 is as well...the lower end Sony units are also not made in Japan (i don't exactly know where it's made because i don't own one) though the flagship models are still being made in Japan....i read up somewhere that this is going to change since Sony's production line is being moved to China or something.... :? so i wouldn't be surprised if MD's started being made in China in the not to distant future...

i think i agree with Guest...the headfones uses a 4 conductor plug as compared with the normal 3...the 4 allows it 2 seperate the L and R sounds into 2 channels each as opposed to having one for each L & R and one that is split between the L & R channels...(so effectively having 1.5 channels???)

hehe... it's cool d00d...so long as we got the point across hehe...

did you originally check out the files from your PC? because if you didn't the file doesn't exist on your computer and with sony's DRM/SCMS crap it won't allow you to "check in" the file to your PC...you are basically forced to record through the MD -> PC in realtime using the soundcard's inputs if you recorded say a live concert from a mic onto your MD...

ahh ic...hmm...budget seems reasonable enough...i'm sure u'll be able to find at least a N710 unit in singapore/HK for that price (mayb? not 100% sure)...out of those two...hmmm...well besides the fact that the main LCD on the S1 is backlit, it is bulkier and runs off AA batteries...which can be both a pro and a con for the unit...for me i'd still go with the 610 since it's small enough to fit in my pocket and have a non-backlit remote to navigate through the tracks...the S1 i don't think comes with one so if you wanted to change tracks and all you have to do it on the main unit...if you're holding it in your hand most of the time this is fine...but i mostly tend to leave the main unit in my pocket and the remote does the rest...

rest assured that i'll try and post any ideas that come to mind regarding this topic... yep i do have an ipod...it's working very well for me on a pc running win xp pro...very convenient as a portable hard drive as well as an mp3 player...very small and light as well...though battery life doesn't compare to that of MD's (then again there is a difference in the amount of power needed to powering up a whole hard drive (whether it be a small, thin 2.5" laptop one or not) and powering up the motor of and MD unit...) but IMO it's pretty worth it if you can stretch the budget...only warning i have is that hard drives inevitably crash soo you gotta make sure everything is backed up just in case (ware as for MD's this won't matter)...

i would'v thought the hack for the NF610 is similar to the one's used on the Nxxx series....not entirely sure tho...

depending on your price range (which i don't kno atm) i'm not too sure what i can recommend you (tho the N710 is a pretty good option since it has a mic input as well - might come in handy though no radio/tv function, get the NF810 for this)...both of these units can transfer at speed of up to 32x i think...the NF610 is bundled with sonicstage and the s1 with openmg (both are similar programs)...if you do indeed get either of these units you can use other programs such as simpleburner or realone player to transfer music from PC -> MD instead of using sonicstage/openmg....in terms of which is better i would have to say it depends on what you do...if u live an active lifestyle and like to come in contact with water a lot then i suggeset you get the S1...otherwise if you want something relatively small and can fit in a small pocket nicely then go for the NF610...

ah yes...well realigning the head does take a bit of patience and trial and error i suppose...basically the recording head should be this thin dangling thing that sits on top of the MD disc when the shutter is open (inside the unit) this should be able to line up with the lens below...(you may need to half open it and just squint to see) but what we did was take the whole unit apart (including the main board) and aligned the head ourselves by kind of gently pushing it back into place....not too sure on how the R500 unit looks like since i've never ripped one apart before...the curcuit diagrams in the service manual seem to help a bit i think? it'll help you locate the parts and what you need to do to open the unit up...(i'm sure u'v already looked @ this) but otherwise if i come up with an idea on what to do next i'll be sure to post it up here... :wink:

yep ur right the portable MD Recorder that had an optic out was the MZ-R1 (released back in 93)...it's pretty hard to track one down these days but then again you might be lucky enough to find one....if it were me i'd stick with a deck...but i would'n mind buying a working R1 as a collector's item...

hmmm...from what i know there is only one way to access the service mode and that's has been mentioned on the forums...(though i could be wrong) i'm sure sony would probably flash the bios or something if all else failed??? not too sure...

the N1 was a good unit IMO...even though it did have its flaws it remains loyal to me...the N10 as well is a good unit in its own right but i do have a few complaints to make about my unit...one is i feel that the sound output is somewhat thin and lacking (even with the EQ controls tweaked) as compared to my N1...as well the N10 maybe lighter and transfer faster but the cradle is very annoying since u can knock it off accidentally plus the battery life aint something you can brag about (its relatively good but i still prefer my N1's battery life) the control layout you need to somewhat get used to as well...the remote and the unit's control layout have been redesigned...not a problem but the annoyance of the jog dial being on the left hand side annoys me a bit coz it took a while to get used to since i'm right handed, also the contrast of the characters in the LCD isn't as readable as the N1's IMO (the N10's LCD display seems more light)...otherwise no complaints about either unit...it's your call which unit u want to get...they're both good units overall...