ROMBUSTERS

if possible record SP (on the unit itself) via a digital input

it would probably be very similar to the actual medias read/write speed keeping in mind the seeking and initial spin-up needed to write. Also fragmentation will slow recording down because the unit will need to seek

if your burning MP3s or WMAs there will still be gaps even on the CD itself

why not just use SonicStage or SimpleBurner and transfer them digitally but at faster than realtime? In fact the current Atrac encoders within SonicStage are better than those found on 1st gen units

granted, but why has no previous version of SonicStage done this? Surely not that much has changed in regards to the database storing between two sub-versions of the same major-version

Anyone else notice this? -Start SonicStage 3.2 -Open up task manager in windows and look at the processes (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) -Find the 'Omgjbox.exe' running process and select it -Now go over to SonicStage and close it via the [X] or File > Exit -Go back to task manager and notice that not only does SS 3.2 not close but it continues to use system resources and access the HDD (a closed program should not be using any CPU %) It does this for about 10sec on my computer before finally stopping. Anyone know what its actually doing during this time? My original thought was clearing the temp files created during transfer however it does this even when no transfer is done.

are you familiar with how SonicStage opperates? SS basically consists of three stages: importing, converting, transfering Importing allows you to add files on your HDD or network to SS library. Once these files are added you can go onto the next step. -in your case you need to import the WAV/MP3 files into the SS library (check out the SS help if you dont know how) Converting is usually done on the fly although you can do batch converting ahead of time. -to do converting ahead of time right click on the selected files you wish to convert and click 'Convert Format', then select a netMD useable format (i.e. LP2 (Atrac3 132kbps) or LP4 (Atrac3 66kbps) -to do the converting on the fly you just do nothing at this point until prompted to during the transfer proccess Transferring the audio is done pretty simply. While SS is running (or whenever you feel like) connect the MD unit to your PC through USB. SS will find it and be able to interact with it. Highlight the Transfer tab on the top right of SS and click NetMD. -Once the netMD unit opens select the files you wish to transfer from your library (left side panel) and click the right arrow in the middle of the screen. You can see the end result as SS updates the contents of the disc in the right side panel. -If you have no already converted your files it will either prompt you to do so now or start converting in a predefined bitrate (I believe the default is LP2 132kbps). You can change this under the options (click the 'Settings' box under the right/left arrows in the middle of the screen).

Sony's motto must be 'better safe then sorry' then again that's probably the reason we get crappy default batteries with our units (can't spend money everywhere i guess)

the one i saw was about $10~15CND (cant remember exactly) but included both lense and recording head cleaning discs

have you tried using the other device to record and then playback on the first device (i.e. reverse order)? As it might actually be the second unit destroying your discs (seems you only have a problem when you put it into the second unit)

netMD units can only playback legacy MD discs (60/74/80min) in SP (292kbps), LP2 (132kbps) and LP4 (66kbps) modes. Inserting a HiMD disc into the unit will cause the unit to display HiMD, show a full disc (of nothing), and not allow you to record to it or edit it at all

yes, very many fixes and unlimited uploading are among a few

that's what I assumed I just wansn't sure if there was an (semi-)official timeline they were on

Kraft makes everything you eat. No joke, if you think they don't make a certain product you can be darn sure they own the company that does. Dell is the #1 PC maker in North America for a reason. Cheap, good systems with great warrenties that cover literally everything (see: i can accidentally drop my laptop out of my 5th floor window and they will replace it for free) Sony makes great electronics with style (I love me my Sony Grand Wega HDTV). Now if only they could get their software/music/movie businesses to run like their electronics/games ones they'd be unbeatable

A+ for Sony

yes you can, but only for the files on your PC. Simple Burner still adds DRM When you transfer the file to your MD even though the PC file has no DRM, the MD version of it will

I was wondering if Sony has a record of a certain date to release their new generaton of products accross their broad spectrum of devices (MD included). Does anyone know when they might be doing this? Early next year? Late this year? Sooner? Later?

when you use SimpleBurner it slaps a big DRM tag on all of the files saying that no matter what they're not going to be uploaded. The same could be said for SonicStage however with the second you are never out of reach from your audio as you might be if you lost a CD or something

what bitrate is the MP3 in? if its a very low bitrate no matter what you do it's always going to sound bad transcoded. However using your netMD you could convert the MP3s to WAV, then split them up into smaller chunks, then convert those chunks to LP2 (best sound available to netMD users through USB) and transfer over that way

yes so to recap this kind of tree isn't possible: Artist | ------------------------ | | | CD1 CD2 CD3 however all hiMD units are able to read the meta info on the transfered songs and and split up the songs into groups based on Artist/Album/etc In fact using this device method you do not even need to use MD's group feature at all and it even makes no difference what order you transfer or place songs onto your disc

ya this way the disc tragest all the pieces of the optical block (the laser lense and the recording head)

Well ladies and gents I've had a revelation. I've come to understand just why Sony would go and release SonicStage 3.2 with added bitrates that hardly any current models (and no future models as of yet) support. In fact the answer was sooo obvious it just didn't hit me until now. I mean we even have threads already written about it. Want to know what it is? Want to know why Sony suddenly allows for un-DRM omas? Let's ponder if you will: what current Sony unit supports Atrac but not SonicStage? Still can't get it? I'll give you a hint: it's three words long and its written the same forwards as it is backwards. No? Still nothing? What if I said it was for Sony's most famous brand of products, the PlayStation brand, and that said unit was a portable able to playback both MP3 and Atrac? That's right my theory is Sony has released SonicStage 3.2 purely (at the moment) to allow users to create un-DRM Atrac oma files that they can then drag and drop onto a memory stick to load onto their PlayStation Portables. Until now the PSP was not able to playback Atrac files because of the limits of DRM causing Sonys great PSP support to be for not. In fact I'd go as far as to say that the recent PSP firmware update (2.0) might even add support for more than just a video codec, it might expand the Atrac/3/+ audio codec to accept the new bitrates. Now being that I don't own a PSP all of this is purely speculation however I urge one of the forum members that owns this device to test this out and see just how much the PSP can handle with the new firmware.

it sounds like it may actually be a problem with the disc itself, have you try using other discs (both HiMD and legacy 60/74/80min discs?)

as long as you start a recording session while the battery level reads ok you should be fine (i.e. when the device is off but still in quickMode) press Pause + Rec and it will start recording without reading the battery levels (in my tests anyways) once its in this state it wont turn off unless left going for a long period of time while not recording anything. Just remember the closer you get to the bottom of the battery the more risk there is that you can lose your entire recording

Well in that case has anyone attempted to play the CD side of a dualdisc in their PC with success?