[StrangeByte]

i wish you success!!! but honestly, i doubt it. magicgate is an encryption that doesn't use just one step (ie the key is changed and to write or read the key you need to authenticate to the device, with is a much more difficult process to understand). Logging the usb stream would really help. I do not own a Hi-md unit so i can't try there have been tries to break the NetMD encryption (see minidisc.org main site somewhere) but it failed. ( again) edit: a bit offtopic, i know... but it's really important for me... i'd buy a himd unit just to try to reverse-engineer it (though i do not know much about cryptography - which could change)

the method using marcnet's program is a pure digital copy, although the file gets transcoded (unless you're using LPCM as recording format). There are currently still (warning: subjective impression) rare problems with "clicks" in the transcoded files, but this has been improved with every new version comin' out. the method discussed originally in this thread, using playback in ss and recording via total recorder is pure digital, too, assuming your soundcard provides the 'wave' control as source. This is realtime and the file gets transcoded, again if you're not using LPCM (btw anyone already knowing if the transcoding happens in ss or in the unit?)

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: someone really using hi-md for what sony is most afraid of? loooool!

:laugh: That was just my first thought too.... Regarding the firmware upgrades... i've heard somewhere in this forums that firmware upgrades over usb are possible but aren't executed (i think the thread was about netmd - however, himd must be the same) But that is not the problem (if you want to upgrade an old player to mp3 support).... the atrac[3[plus]] decoder is hardwired meaning no software upgrade possible... running a software decoder would be possible, assuming the cpu of the unit is fast enough (but i don't think so)

The only problem i can imagine is that you don't have 20 seconds recorded on the disc (meaning 40 in LP2 and 80 in LP4), however, i've only reset my unit once (mz-r900) and it worked.

Welcome to the MDCF. All Sony HiMD units play old MDs recorded in SP, mono, LP2 and LP4 format. Additionally, they play all new formats (atrac3+). Read here for more. edit: oh, i forgot PCM... :smile:

Hi there. I think Hi-MD is your choice if you need digital uploading to pc. There are 2 possibilities: hi-speed upload to encrypted and (currently) unusable OMG-files using SonicStage (read more about this crappy software in other threads) or realtime upload (also using usb) by recording the tracks using 3rd party software (for example TotalRecorder) while playing them back over SonicStage. This has no analog step but you have to add trackmarks yourself (TotalRecorder records to one single .wav-file) Another solution would be using a NetMD Home-deck with digital out using digital in on your pc for recording (in fact a very old solution). This is not possible for portable devices. I would, however, really recomend you to get a HiMD unit. HiMD units featuring a mic-in are the NH1, NH900, NHF800 and NH700 (for the portable ones) :smile:

Being able to search without registering is a very very important feature in my opinion! Many forums don't allow this - causing many users not to have a single post.

would it be possible to mod the card to have digital in, i mean that there is a digital in pin somewhere on the card?

The digital amp only affects sound coming directly from the output on your unit. Btw, welcome to the MDCF :smile:

Yeah. I made similar database experiments with OpenMG Jukebox 1.x some years ago (i think 2000!). The technology is still the same as with MemoryStick Walkman. I had no success, neither.

i know this thread is a bit old but as it's still sticky there's a chance of getting read. Does anyone know how to access the spdif-interface of a sound card directly (for output)? i know there must be a possibility because dvd-programs write the ac3-stream directly (or don't they?). As this works with any sound card (with digital out, of course), there must be some driver interface over directX or something... my goal is an application with that you can stack audio files (of any kind) that are then output over digital out. because i want to have direct access to every bit of the stream, setting of track marks is easy. this app should run in the bg, and playing audio over winamp or similar shouldn't disturb the recording. btw... does anyone know what happens if you play something back in winamp or mediaplayer while a dvd app streams ac3 directly to spdif?

I wouldn't say this... sony drm offers the same possibilities as windows media. furthermore, sony has a music label... micro$oft will do everything for money. Just that m$'s drm isn't as "obvious" as sony's. at least today. HiMD-Units are mounted as "mass storage devices" under windows. You can drag and drop data. But not music. HiMD uses FAT. Even for the music (encoded as atrac). You can't compare atrac and fat, because atrac (in case of HiMD) is one "level" higher. ATRAC "sits" on FAT. would be nice that way... possibility exists. But i think sony just doesn't want to make it easy to use mp3 in conjunction with md :whatever: [this is a personal believe] :grin: :grin: :grin: Yeah, would be nice. BUT: How about Sony you must use an open plug-in system for any app or md will die? :cool:

Nice look! The only cosmetic problem i've seen is that when i'm not logged in, the "in" in "Log in" is wrapped to the next line in the control panel although there would be enough space.

http://www.nanocrew.net/blog/ :grin: Jon Johansen cracked the drm from apple's iTunes, but is more prominent for cracking the css mechanism on dvds. He has done all this work to use proprietary drm on alternative OSes (linux) He was the first person i was thinking of when i started to worry about all this drm sh!t

An open documentated driver-interface to magicgate-drivers that allows 3rd party-developers to have secure access to the unit and develop alternative software. note to the unskilled: this does NOT allow to circumvent the drm stuff. edit: and i mean license free

You mean you imported the EAC-ripped .wav to SS and converted it to A3+256? Well, when you don't notice a difference in the two .wav files, but then in ATRAC3+ that sounds strange. the difference in the ripping process (ss vs eac) is not really affecting the classical "quality" (lossy compression artifacts), but rather ss could add pops or clicks because eac has a more sophisticated error correction and a error in ripping usually ends up as a "click".

honestly i don't think it's worth a "sticky"... if sony released source code according to drm in magicgate (and i mean without any keys - just to have an "open" system and make the name worth it) it would be a different thing...

sounds good... but i'm afraid that when you delete the tracks all the drm info on the hd is lost and you can't re-import them (though i haven't tried this with ss but made some similar experiences with openmg jukebox 1.0)

hmmm... anyone good experiences with usb monitoring proggies at all? which ones?

too bad... a "lame-like" quality switch would be nice :smile:

yeah yeah... the amp. well i totally forgot that, the codec-chip was just my first thought.. :cool:

veeeeeery interesting question... not only related to quality issues...

For the case that the NH1 has a new decoder this is possible. The latest improvement for MDLP is ATRAC Type S, as i know. If your old unit had an atrac type r chip, it is possible that it has an old decoder, and thus, sounds worse. however, i couldn't find the s1's specs... anyone else knows that? edit: read here for further details

Backup programs and similar won't help you... you would need direct access to the bitstream on the disc, and the supplied drivers don't allow access to that area (without authentication by, for example, sonicstage) :wacky: