tekdroid

what I dislike about http://www.solio.com is that they state nothing about replacement batteries when the internal Li-Ion poops itself thru too many charge cycles. So the life of the device is limited by the internal Li-Ion (most get 500ish charges before their charge-carrying capacity is noticeably reduced, and Li-Ion don't like higher temps so the lifetime of the device may be reduced even more in a device like this). It's also a bulky design (I've seen better designs that just flip open like a Nintendo DS that don't waste surface area on a dubious petal-like design) and not waterproof (something which I think is essential for anything that's left out in the sun to be sold around the world in different weather zones) ...and it's too expensive, IMO.

personally I trust MiniDisc longevity far more than flash (as long as its stored relatively free from dust). What I dont like about Hi-MD is how it uses FAT instead of UDF, and how sony encrypts everything, tho. Those are two weaknesses that can toss any media longevity arguments out the window (FAT is primitive for optical media like MD, and encryption and data retrieval don't mix unless you're Sony and know the inner workings of the encryption). With any sense from Sony, any new MD-like recorder will be free from SonicStage, like Sony's PCM-D1. SonicStage is only required to rip CDs and encrypt, really. Why do we need encryption? So Sony can save us from ourselves? Plenty of free apps can rip CDs and transfer. SonicStage is totally unnecessary, especially for a professional / semi-pro recorder that should be copy&paste, drag&drop.

worse yet (IMO) is the MZ-NH900 has exhibited button weaknesses through some use. The buttons stop doing what they're supposed to. This has been mentioned more than a few times on the forum. I personally wouldn't even consider the model on this weakness alone.

they are late with release, if we take previous years as a guide. But I doubt the MZ-RH1 will be the last model.

What is a cellophane security wrapper? According to various FAQs, the heat required to make the recording layer on MiniDisc susceptible to a weak magnetic field is 180 degrees celsius (maybe this varies with Hi-MD, but I doubt it). This sounds highly entertaining but I'm personally doubting it...

only serious ones, I think. Audio extraction from CDs, by nature, is prone to errors and inaccuracies because of the nature of the CD format. If you want a half-decent ripper (with, admittedly, a bit of a learning curve), start using http://www.exactaudiocopy.de with log file option. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exact_Audio_Copy

for PC games, mp3 is already dead, replaced with Ogg Vorbis on virtually every game sold for years now. Licensing costs for a sub-par codec have a lot to do with it. But I cringe when I hear so-called journalists over-dramatise things, as they do in this article's heading. MP3 isn't going anywhere anytime soon. http://www.mp3licensing.com

as far as i can tell, it reads more often in PCM mode, to keep the buffer full - but it's been a long time since i ever used ATRAC to compare intervals between whirring noises.

leave them as is and transfer to Hi-MD at any bitrate that sounds decent to you

Last 20min of the disc in Hi-SP would probably be more prone to errors than the rest of the disc. Just curious how old the disc was? Kept in dust-free storage, etc? When was the last time you had a recorder wipe out the disc. Was it on the RH1 or? Similar end part of the disc? I'm lucky to have never seen this yet but want to take precautions if i can..

Not true as far as I understand things. Laser goes into higher power with writing, attemtping to heat the disc layer in order for the magnetic orientation to be changed by the magnetic head riding above it. The magnetic head taxes the battery, too. Add those together and you have more power use. The magnetic head itself is designed to be as smooth as possible. I don't know but personally doubt it will have much (or any) effect on power consumption due to the fact that it's physically making contact with the disc. If it does, I'd imagine it would be very minimal versus the higher laser power and magnetic head's toll on the battery/ power source.

What are you referring to, specifically, when you say that? When you say record, what do you mean, exactly? MIC input? Or something else? If so, how will doing that give them a competitive advantage? Sony have done many stupid things with regards to software usability & digital rights restrictions and they are still stuck with sub-par, horrid usability (IMO), but making devices without a MIC input is not one of those bad decisions, IMO. Simply put, not all users require a mic input, so they are simply catering to that. The only current Hi-MD unit now has mic input, so I don't understand the problem. And the comparison with iPods is confusing to me given that iPods are out-of-the-box simply computer transfer devices.

Differences between recording quality of Hi-MD recorders recording in PCM seems to be nil to me (at least the first-generation ones I own). It comes down to features, size, usability for recordings (and of course mic choice and placement). People have tested Hi-MD units from past and present and commented on their low-noise pre-amps, etc. All I know is this format satisfies my requirements. Of course we always want more, but I haven't found anything better for recording for the price and size, really. I have no real reference point outside of Sony but others have tried similarly-priced recorders and found them coming up short, overall. Whether it's sound quality, battery life, pre-amp noise, in-built mics, size of unit, bugs, price, etc... So for me it's a case of living with some minor MiniDisc-related weaknesses for all the good it brings. I personally wouldn't spend gobs of cash on anything that restricted the ease at which I could make a recording on the go. The best stuff is caught unobtrusively, IMO.

Laser power (read and write?) has probably been cranked up due to the fact that the MZ-RH1 spins at a higher top speed than its predecessors. Compare the specs in the manuals versus the older models top speed. Faster speeds probably necessitate higher laser power at higher rpms to get the disc read/written to reliably. Just a guess but sounds likely, IMO.

Was this said for effect to justify the google ads or...? Who knows. As far as I can tell there's no twilight of the site (judging by how many people are browsing at any one time). Format. Maybe. Unless people have just stopped buying from sponsors and ad revenue has experienced downward pressure, I'm personally doubting it. Edit: ah, the original post has been edited.

The ability to capture sound and light always fascinates me. In my opinion, one of man's greatest achievements. Before it we were painting and re-enacting events and passing on tales verbally from one generation to the next to tell stories (we still do). Now we can tell them easily and with great accuracy. So I will always be interested in any devices that let the common man tell stories with light and/or sound. Still cameras, video cameras, audio recorders... Hi-MD is one of those. I like the fact that it has the basics covered: *extra power wherever you are travelling and however long you stay makes sense: it's a small extra battery away (not dumbified bring-it-to-pc to-recharge). *audio inputs: MIC, LINE IN and OPTICAL for recording flexibility *units are small enough not to get in the way too much *Hi-MD is really a self-contained CE device rather than a computer device first. This means a lot, especially in the removable storage department. There is no requirement for a PC as you would if your storage became full or you wanted to change what you were listening to or recording on. Of course it would be nice to have more storage, but it's great that it's removable and not embedded. Major point to me. *editing flexibility on the disc *good reliability in my experience (as long as the buttons don't crap out first ) So IMO there really isn't an all-round good recording (and playback) format out there like it. It let's Joe tell stories rather than have to listen to listen to the crap out there. It's a tool of creative expression, just like a camera. It's nice.

one of the better transparent designs, IMO. Packaging is quite fresh, too. I like the unpainted shutter.

The case looks like it really may protect the phones. Hope the cable gives you no more trouble. Those are the things I fear with Sony phones, really (any phones). Just stuff falling apart and/or daily use making things crap out early. Interesting stats on China! Hope you get a lot of use outta them. Thanks for updating with pics!

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archiv...1/26/2003290837 nearly all Hi-MD models are Made In Malaysia. Several models have button weaknesses and other issues that reveal themselves with some use (that have been discussed on this forum).

When recording extended sessions in ATRAC, I guess. But I never do that, personally. I suppose it has some utility, tho. But I know if I bought the thing, it would be left at home 99.99% of the time 'cause of it's size alone.

has it been discussed why this is the case? Avoiding Dolby royalties on SP? There must be some financial reason why they don't use true SP in SonicStage. Or is it something else? I remember when ATRAC first came out, Dolby caught Sony out and made them pay royalties for their patented tech (which was breached even tho Sony insisted they developed their codec independently), so the Dolby licensing text was seen on second-gen and later units. I can only assume it's to avoid payment of royalties of some kind on SP, which Hi-SP has side-stepped, perhaps?

I would have to agree. What a pain to carry... The only advantage I see is the unit can be used with different devices, and I suppose the popularity of AAs. Ideally, Sony really needs a new, current Hi-MD unit with integrated AA.

The units came out in 2004, it hasn't even been 3 years since release Or did you get an advance release?

Keep in mind most MD units offer 5mW outputs which might not drive some higher impedance headphones well. You also may not mind the transcoding, who knows? If so, I would grab a 99 dollar MZ-NH600 from www.minidisc.com.au (but it has no mic input). Comes with some useful accessories, though. Hard to beat for Hi-MD playback, though. You can also consider ripping CDs to linear PCM, but it's expensive given that Hi-MDs now go for 11.95 RRP here...

You are not alone. Australia has a very similar situation. Hi-MD only available at a few real retail stores. Plus a nice new expensive price over double what we were paying before as a nice new gift from Sony.