ZosoIV

Bits are bits - as long as the player is able to retrieve the data off the discs within the limits of error correction, there will be no impact on sound quality. When things go bad with digital, you get a signal with glitches and pops and noise, not lower subjective quality (like something being less "crisp" or what have you).

All Hi-MD recorders let you transfer recordings made on the unit itself to your computer. Only the RH1 will let you transfer recordings made on non Hi-MD units.

OK - another possibility is that your soundcard is outputting something other than 16-bit audio at 32, 44.1 or 48kHz. For example, if you try to feed the recorder 24-bit audio, a compressed bitstream, or even 16-bit signals at the wrong sampling rate, the recorder won't recognize it.

The MZ-RH1 might just do the trick - though I currently don't have one to check if it does A/B playback. I would not recommend doing that on a player anyway, but rather, upload your recordings onto a computer and use software to play it back (which will allow you to go back and forth to your heart's content).

Is there even a "red light" shining at the end of your optical cable? It sounds like your PC is not even outputting audio through the S/PDIF cable is your MD is saying "no signal." You may have to play around some more with the sound properties in Windows - and make sure that in something like iTunes, the volume slider is all the way up. Also, try playing the audio in a different program entirely (like Foobar 2000), as iTunes had problems with my optical out if I remember correctly.

The only Hi-MD unit that will allow you to upload legacy MDs (i.e., those recordings made with your N10) is the MZ-RH1. While it will upload live/voice recordings made with a NetMD player, it will not let you upload anything you put on Net MD discs with a computer. It sounds like what you are trying to do here is upload interviews, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Anybody have an excellent or near-mint MZ-N910 they'd like to get rid of? (And an orange one at that?) This is the one legacy player I've always regretted not snapping up for my collection when I had the chance. I'm located in the US and willing to pay a reasonable price for the item and shipping through PayPal. PM me if you can help!

In the 10 years or so I've had MDs, the only problems were with Memorex discs that would exhibit dropouts and whose shutters would fall off, and occasionally a dropout or two on a Sony colors disc. Otherwise, a very reliable medium compared to non-enclosed discs like CDs.

"Fake SP" from Sonicstage is most certainly not LP2 wrapped up to look like SP - it's LP2 that was decoded to PCM, sent to the player, and encoded into SP. The reason why it takes so long is because of 1) the data rate of PCM is 175KB/sec or 1411.2kbps, which is more than 1/2 of the transfer rate of old NetMD players on USB 1.1 (which was about 2.5Mbps (megabits, not MB), and 2) the ~ 22MHz LSI chip inside the player probably could not encode Type-R faster than about 2x even if it wanted to. More importantly, ATRAC3 is a completely different codec than ATRAC, with different sized long blocks (1024 samples vs. 512) and four QMF filterbanks instead of ATRAC's 3. Thus, ATRAC decoders would have no way of properly decoding ATRAC3 even if it were "disguised" to look like SP, just like MP3 decoders can't handle MPEG-4 AAC.

Does it make a differece? I was under the impression that ALL tracks transferred via NetMD (simple burner included) are exempt from uploading.

The problem, though, is that Hi-MD never appeared to be geared towards playback-only purposes, like an MP3 player, but rather, recording analouge signals, like concerts or LPs. The RH1 was especially notable in that regard - it's not well suited for use as an MP3 player with its one-line, title-less screen and lack of a group button. So in all, I'm doubtful that a market exists for another Hi-MD playback-only unit. I do believe that the RH1 was the format's swan-song. Sony might also be cutting back on 1GB blank production because regular old MD discs also work on Hi-MD recorders, and those are still relatively plentiful - it's not like people throw them away or anything. So, it's not like Hi-MD players would be media-less if the 1GB blanks were suddenly to disappear. That said, I am getting out the MD world soon - while it has been a great ride, they no longer meet my needs (Hi-MD included). I don't think this means that others have to follow suit - I mean, people still use reel-to-reel tapes and listen to 78s, and how long ago did those "die?"

Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it. If the market isn't even there in most places for blank discs, why would Sony even bother with another recorder? They didn't even advertise the RH1.

NetMD units can't upload, period. You'd have to use the new RH1. The problem is, it sounds like you transcoded MP3 files to NetMD discs using RealPlayer. If your recordings were LP2 or LP4 transfers using Real or other NetMD software, no uploads are allowed, for copyright reasons. Remember, your MP3's don't really exist on those discs: transcoded, copy-protected ATRAC copies of those MP3's do. Even the RH1 will not let you upload those recordings transferred by NetMD software - you'll have to do it in realtime. They will also likely sound very poor if re-compressed again to MP3, especially if they were 128kbps MP3's transcoded to 66kbps LP4 for your NetMD.

How much you wanna bet that Sony will f**k up with Blu-Ray as well.......

LP4 encoded via SonicStage is harsh because the lowpass is a bit higher than the value used for hardware encoders. LP4 is so bit-starved that even trying to encode 1kHz of extra bandwidth will strain it and make encodings sound metallic or harsh. I've noticed the same for LP2 as well: LP2 sounds really "sandy" or rough sounding in SonicStage, but not as much when encoded on unit.

I wouldn't be surprised if Sony discontinued the discs (I mean, we are talking Sony here, I wouldn't put it past them), but the fact that they would be discontinued the same year as the RH1 came out baffles me. That's like a car company coming out with a new model and then yanking all production on parts a few months later. If true, looks like I picked a good time to finally leave the MD world.......

I find it hard to believe that Sony would discontinue Hi-MD production considering that they still make Beta tapes, and elcassettes were being supported long after they were left for dead. Again, source please.......

No highs, no lows, must be BOSE.

SP: Usually sounds as good as a CD. LP2: Usually sounds as good as a clear FM station or a good tape. LP4: Usualy sounds like a 50-cent K-Mart brand Type-I tape that got caught in a vacuum cleaner

"Linear" simply means that representable values are on a linear scale, so 12 is half of 24, etc. This is in contrast to other forms of PCM that decimate or divide the signal to save space, like ADPCM or DPCM. ADPCM tries to represent audio with less bits by "adapting" to the signal through varying levels of quantization, whereas differential PCM (DPCM) only stores the *difference* between samples. ADPCM introduces noise, and as a result, a lower signal-to-noise ratio than LPCM. Oh, and believe it or not, the basic concept behind PCM goes back even further than WWII: I remember reading about somebody playing around with a mechanical sampler who was able to "sample" and transmit multiplexed phone transmissions at 3000 or 4000Hz......and that was around 1900!

DVD-RAM is probably the best optical media of the CD/DVD family to store things on: tracks are written concentrically, discs are hard-sectored, and there is a very high level of error correction applied. They are pretty slow, however. Plus, the media is expensive and suffers from compatibility issues with many drives. Just don't burn your stuff to Blu-Ray or HD-DVD....yet. Not until the market determines which one will win!

I'm selling off the remainder of my MD gear! I bought a used (but excellent condition) MZ-RH1 from a board member about a month or two ago and have basically never used it. I also have a nice silver MZ-N505, plus an excellent condition MDS-JE530 Deck (with Type-R DSP). All this stuff sits and gathers dust...the only MDs I still use on a daily basis are in my car, and I'll be pulling and selling that deck (Kenwood KMD-44 MDLP Player) when I have the time. With a 30GB iPod for portable use, and a DVD-audio player + 96/24 recording capabilities built in to my Intel Mac for archiving LP's, I just don't have a need for MD anymore. I'm finally throwing the towel in for good when it comes to MD, though I may hang on to my trusty old Aiwa AM-F70 for sentimental reasons. So, here's the deal: MZ-RH1: Black, excellent shape, some signs of use on screen, otherwise flawless. Will include 6 Hi-MD blanks (3 unopened) and all original accessories. Asking price: $225 + shipping. MZ-N505: Silver, excellent shape, works perfectly. Comes with USB cord and that's about it. Will throw in a few blanks to get you started. $30 OBO + shipping. MDS-JE530: Excellent condition, a few scratches on top, and eject button requires some pressure to work. (Or, just use remote). Has Type-R DSP, optical ins and outs, 24-bit DAC. Includes remote control. $85 OBO + shipping. Kenwood KMD-44: MDLP car deck, works great, faceplate show minor signs of use, but otherwise would be great for any car! Standard size J deck (1 DIN) fits most vehicles. I haven't pulled this yet, but will take offers. I will include photos later on, when I have the chance. PM me with any offers or questions. I only accept PayPal and would prefer US or Canadian buyers, only.

Sadly, that MZ-B100 is probably more popular and well liked at the UN than Bolton ever was

The only discs I ever had problems with were Memorex, both in terms of shoddy shutters and numerous disc errors. One five pack I bought in 2000, in fact, had FOUR bad discs - each one would say "TOC error" when trying to save something. I've not been impressed with any of their products, actually - I used to have quality-related problems with their audiocassettes back in the day. "Is it shit, or is it Memorex?"

A clear FM signal with no analog noise, excellent channel separation, and no processing would have more in common with 32kHz PCM than Hi-LP. Remember, the main downfall of Hi-LP is he barrage of awful digital artifacts (ringing, pre-echo, noise) that it introduces into the audio. Those, IMO, are FAR more annoying than the analog shortcomings of FM.