1kyle

My remark was meant for the HARDWARE (Manufacturing). There's all sorts of content that can be delivered --but it's usually a One-off --once the initial take up has been done (initial huge growth) it then flattens off to next to nothing. As far as Camera phones are concerned -- the 3G operators aren't getting anything lke the volume they budgeted for and with more and more places banning these the public's infatuation with camera phones is likely to wane quite fast. And with the recent "Slapping" cases in the UK the public will become very wary of these --especially for younger children. Who also needs email and Internet on a tiny hand held mobile --might sound OK but it's not a biggie and like all these devices --if you lose it the more complex it is and the more functions it has then replacing it becomes impossible This also inhibits further growth once the market is saturated as the problems of upgrading become really severe -- By Upgrading I mean getting all your data and applications off the old device and into the new one -- and once you have Internet and other apps this is much more complex than just copying data -and if it's DRM'ed like a lot of music downloads will be then that's another whole hassle of moving stuff to another device. In fact there's a (hopeful) sign at last that people don't want 24 Hour MOBILE offices --why should they be "tethered to a boss" 24 hours a day --almost a 21st century version of Slavery. I'm glad people are now realizing it that mobile phones actually have an OFF switch and THEY are in charge not the phone. Actually a small phone that's JUST a phone suits a lot of people just fine. And why For G--'S sake would I want or need things like File Transfer when I'm on the tube etc. If I need a computer I'll use a Laptop with a DECENT size screen and a proper keyboard. And after 17.00 on a Friday until 09.15 on a Monday I DON'T NEED A MOBILE OFFICE -- that's what Weekends are for. (Or if you work at other times you still need a "Notional Weekend"). I really have to pity people when I'm travelling from Brussels to London on the Eurostar late on a Friday Afternoon and see all these "Suited bozos" rabitting away on mobile phones about pointless business meetings and what they are going to to next Monday, while I'm listening to nice music on a HI-MD player through some great Sennheiser phones with a glass of champagne in my hand and contemplating a great weekend. As for ring tones -- these are nothing to do with the operators -- just enterprising people who managed to use the existing capability within the current hardware. This again is CONTENT not the actual phones themselves. Cheers -K

Until DRM allows the PURCHASER of Music to back it up, play it on whatever device(s) the owner has including one or MORE computers, and restore said music WITHOUT having to logon to the Internet here's ONE customer who will NEVER even THINK of purchasing music from a download service --whatever the quality of the tracks delivered. It should still be possible to protect the content against illegal swapping or whatever. Aloso don't forget the 50 year copy right rule as well Some of the old 50's and 60's compilations are not that far off the 50 year limit where stuff becomes in "The Public Domain" so DRM'ing this stuff or otherwise restricting access will be Illegal in any case. D R M -- D(eath) to R(eal) M(usic). As soon as DRM gets sorted out I might review this again -- but "It ai'nt going to happen". Also SONY if you think the future is in Mobile Phone's --forget it --this market is already mature --just look in the UK wherere the number of outlets selling mobile phones has dropped enormously --there used to be at least 7 or 8 selling these on every high street in the UK --they are now charity shops. A substantial number of people even have 2 or 3 phones so not much growth there --and who's going to watch a video on a mobile phone for "Whoever's up there's" sake. Portable HD players DO have some part to play --but to be really useful the HD's need to be much more rugged and have serious capacities like 100GB and bigger -- and of course the bigger the disk the more inconvenience there is if it breaks, or you want to get a new one or it just gets lost. -- I certainly don't want to re-rip 600 CD's etc etc. These HD players also make it impossible for you to lend discs to colleagues --probably why the were introduced in the first place I suspect as a simple way of stopping people "borrowing" discs and recording them themselves. However there's nothing illegal about lending a disc to a colleague who might actually buy a copy if he likes it. Most people aren't "Pirates" --that buiness comes from very sophisticated groups in The Far East, Russia, China, and above all in Bangladesh where it's estimated about 8% of the entire country's GDP is made up of pirating Videos, DVD's, Computer Software and CD's. This dwarfs any amount of "Illegal File sharing" but it's a much tougher market to crack than worrying about a load of teens and pre-teens messing around on computers. I think SONY execs why not disguise yourselves as "Normal Users" and see what CUSTOMERS actually want. By giving CUSTOMERS what they want sales rise, profits rise and shareholders also get happy --elementary business 101. And please DO fix this DRM stuff --especially for people recording their OWN music. New products aren't always the answer --fixing what you have first might be a good start. Finally any SONY execs reading thiis --I could probably do a better job in predicting the market -- so why not email me --I'll do the job at 1/100 of the Salary you are offering your new guy (and I'll be really happy with that amount as well !!) and your company might actually make a profit and your customers will also be happy. Cheers everybody -K

A little thing I never realized -- is that if you use an NZ10 (and may be other Net MD recorder) for transferring music TO the MD from the computer it uses it's OWN power and not the power from the computers USB unit. I noticed this yesterday as the recorder stopped unexpectedly in the middle of a transfer. Putting the unit back in it's cradle with the power connected and then attaching the USB lead at the base (on the left hand side looking at the cradle frontways on) to the computer I could then continue. The HI-MD units seem to get the power from the USB itself (Can't confirm as I haven't had an empty battery on the NH1 HI-MD unit yet but the battery indicator doesn't even show when transferring music to MD on these). I always thought that the USB powered the units. Cheers -K

Hi - Volta -the reason I suggested encoding in Atrac3+ @ 256K was that IF Net-MD owners do get a HI-MD unit then they won't have to re-rip the music. There are also quite a few people like me who have both --I still like and use the NZ10 a lot -- The attachable battery feature is really great and have a bookshelf unit HCD-CP500MD --use better speakers however than the standard one's and a quality QS -MDSJB980 Deck which really does do the job at top notch quality. The ATRAC3+ @ 256 kbs nfo is there so people can use the same Library for BOTH types of machines Recording directly on LP2 --(although I'm not really sure) might be better (although Real Time of course) and as far as ripping directly from CD's via Simple Burner or using SS 3.1 -- I certainly can't tell any difference. If you've got around 600 or more CD' s doing it in Real Time is going to take you a LONG time --even with those players that will do it at 2X and 4X speed (digitally). BTW SS 3.1 will work with older Net-MD devices so it's worth downloading and installing it in any case. I got OpenMG Jukebox with the QS-MDSJB980 which I didn't install --however even the QS-MDSJB980 will work with SS 3.1 provided you install the DRIVER from the supplied CD. People seem to think in any case that the codecs in SS 3.1 transcribe better than the earlier versions so my remarks over LP2 still stand. I did make a typo in the original post -- If the quality of the original is not good of course you'll notice degradation in quality FAR more at any compression --so SP should be used in these cases. I used to use SP almost exclusively -- but with SS 3.1 and ATRAC3+ @ 256 ====> LP2 I find is more than adequate for pretty well all listening requirements on MDLP gear. I agree 100% with Volta however Don't use SP transcribed fom SS (Fake SP). Use this direct via the recorder. Cheers -K

Sony's WALKMAN' is a trademark / brandname probably worth more than the company itself -- like people saying 'Xeroxing' a copy . There is NO WAY that Sony will drop the "Walkman" idea so I would expect to see continued production of these units. Sony also has a lot invested in its music business -- so maybe a few rounds of Golf (The 'Laps are FANATICS on Golf) with the top brass might cause them to ease up a bit over the DRM crud which is hindering the development of MD. After all what's the point of havinh HUGE music resources if nobody is buying because of really stupid rules. LCD's are getting cheaper by the day --but Sony's VAIO laptops have the best screens of almost any laptop I've ever used and really do compete with Apple's Powerbook. I don't see SONY dropping the VAIO computer rage. Solid state walkmans -- especially if the media is Non removable have other problems as I've explained elsewhere -- not so much the technology -- but alos the sheer difficulty of managing the storage cards --the tiny cards are difficult to label, would get lost very easily etc etc. HD devices --you've got all your music in one place --not good if the unit gets broken, filled up or you buy a new one --in fact there would be a DISINCENTIVE to buy a new one until you really had to --so not a good marketing ploy in any case. Mobile Phones also don't represent the future of portable music devices either --especially if you have to get your music from the Internet -- there's enough problem with standard Downloaded purchased music and you've got the added problem then of mucking around with Sim Cards when your card is full. No I'm actually more optimistic over the future of the format than I've been for a while -- the size of the MD is just about perfect for easy physical handling and future capacity could go up to say 20GB per disc or whatever --then would also be useful for Computer data backup as well. Vheers -K

SP or HI-SP (newer HI-MD players only) -- Virtually indistinguishable from CD / original GOOD quality source --even when using top notch cans like decent top end Sennheisers. Unless you are an absolute fanatic no need for PCM (again HI-MD units only) and want to store the music / recording on your computer for further processing / archiving --in this case convert PCM to loseless FLAC for storing on your computer. LP2 -- 99% perfectly OK for listening -- assuming the Original is GOOD QUALITY to start with. If your original is not of high quality you'll notice the degradation far more. For listening on the move --trains, cars, plains, cycling, jogging etc. LP2 is more than good enough subject to the proviso above. I'd suggest however that you rip your CD's to 256Kbs ATRAC3+ and then transfer to MD via SS rather than record LP2 direct ( or use Simpble Burner V2 - )downloadable from this site if you don't have the latest version. LP4 -- Fine for copying sound, Radio broadcasts (AM), Internet Audio streams The BBC for example have copies of broadcasts you can download FREE and listen to later --often LP4 is fine for this. MP3 -- unless the sort of music you like just sounds like being enclosed in a steel cage while Road drills are being used on the outside and all you want to do is listen on Boom Boxes or not even listen but just FEEL the vibrartions of an incessant BOOM BOOM type of noise I'd tend to forget anything to do with MP3. Everybodies ears are different but the above tends to be a typical consensus from MD users. People who use OTHER devices such as those supplied with White earphones would probably disagree -- but we are talking about MUSIC aren't we. Cheers -K

Well here's ONE firm who haven't given up (Don't look at the price --this is PRO gear designed for Studio use) --OK Not Hi-MD but in a Studio not so necessary http://www.tascam.de/en/index.html Cheers -K

Why not 1) Vinyl ===> WAV direct using Total Recorder / other recording program 2) WAV====> FLAC 3) FLAC ====>CD-R Simultaneously Import the WAV music file into your Library with SS ATRAC3+ @ 256kbs (Doing this simultaneously will speed up your Workflow). Upload to MD from the library via SS so you've got your vinyl on MD. After you've processed the original WAV just delete it to recover your disk space. Your Vinyl record is unlikely to be as much as a CD (approx 800MB WAV file for a 70 min CD recorded at 44,100 16 bit) Cheers -K

Solid state may well be the future (certainly not fixed non removable mechanical HD players). The media will have to be removable as per cameras and card readers --but currently 6GB seems to be the maximum size of a solid state card for current uses and at over 260 USD a pop will have to become a lot cheaper. Non removable storage is not likely to displace removable media whether MD's CF cards or whatever as 1) it won't have enough capacity, 2) what do you do when you get a new device 3) if the device gets broken / stolen etc. To those who argue that 6gb is enough -- I disagree --especially if the media is NON removable -- when it's full you have to keep deleting and copying music. I just want to be able to pop in a disk and away I go. A removable solid state player will definitely be the way once the media becomes relatively cheap --but it's got a long way to go yet. But : From a purely physical thing also --tiny solid state media will be hard to label and identify which card you need. To put ALL the music on one card has the same disadvantages as with a HD device. Sometimes miniturisation isn't the best solution -- not necessarily from a technical point but just from praticability / useability. BTW as far as film is concerned the latest crop of high end Pro DSLR's (Canon 1D2, 1Ds2 etc) give a FAR better dynamic range than film can give you and less noise (aka grain) as well. You with decent Noise reduction software can get some stunning astronomy shots with CMOS. You might enjoy this website http://www.schursastrophotography.com/auroramain.html Cheers -K

Sorry I meant ONLY if you've got 60/74/80 min disks in the unit. In this case at least on the NH1 if the disks are NEW it will default to HI-MD mode --you have to set the player to MD mode (for SS taransfer in SP/LP2/LP4). If the disks have already been used then it should sense MD mode. Sorry for the confusion. Flac lossless compression seems fine also (although extra steps in your workflow when you need to make your music 'Playable' ) but probably good for archiving. I keep 99% of my stuff in ATRAC3+ @ 256kbs --as I haven't got anything to play the music on that I'd notice an improvement over HI-SP on anything else . Lp2 also doesn't actually sound too bad if the original source was recorded properly in the first place. I agree calling MP3 and Music in the same sentence is a bit of a misnomer. Why does the cruddiest stuff always seem to get to be the most popular Betamax Vs VHS OS/2 Vs Windows MP3 vs any other format you could name. Cheers -K

That's what people are saying about FILM --but apart from Niche markets such as B&W, or Medium Format (4 X 5 Hasselblad etc.) digital rules the roost (even in Hollywood). As a Pro photographer I can genuinely say that around 99% of my colleagues never even THINK of using film anymore. For long term professional archiving these days Optical media (large Jukebox type systems) are being used -- particularly DVD-RAM in casettes --has very long term longevity and doesn't suffer problems tape has. DVD-RAM is still available for consumer use (particularly in Cam corders and DVD recorders although being a bit more expensive doesn't have quite such a following as the DVD+ and DVD- formats --but it does have a great advantage in that you can watch any part of the disk while SIMULTANEOUSLY recording on another part. Wind up radios are used a lot in developing nations --but this is not where the main markets are. Tape currently is the only feasable medium for backing up large volumes of data --but for permanent archive these are dumped as soon as possible to DVD-RAM or other optical media. As for Online music stores most people I know who've tried these and got over the novelty only need one piece of DRM hassle and they all say NEVER AGAIN. A lot of people also find "Crap-Pods" don't yield the quality or flexibility ond once the "kewl" factor has gone they will look for something a bit better. I think MD will actually survive -- just think what would Sony sell for it's portable players if it did pull out. There's a market out there willing to spend serious money om decent products -- the old way of 100,000 consumers for 6 markets is being overtaken by 100,000 markets for 6 consumers now --and that's what the Internet etc does. I recommend people to have a read of this http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4118770.stm particuarly the section Millions of Markets Sony is not going to survive as a company just by making CCD and CMOS chips for digital cameras. Cheers -K

Depends on what unit you have --on 1st gen units you need to set Disc Mode (in the Menu) to MD mode (default is HI-MD) then SS will give you the SP/LP2/LP4 options. I don't know about 2nd Gen units --my Hi-MD unit is a NH1. As far as 1GB Hi-MD discs are concerned --again you pays your money and takes your choice --but as you can get 80 Min discs for less than 1 € each (around 60p or approx 1 USD) I'd go for a pack of 200 80 Min discs unless you really need the 1GB disks. You can reformat to HI-MD if and when you need to. Cheers -K Cheers -K

Mobile Phones are NOT the future - the market has matured so there's not really much more NEW growth in that arena. Boring, predicatable and not a huge amount to be made here anymore. Who wants to watch video on those tiny screens anyway and not all portable music needs to be managed through computers (With a Mobile phone sim card you'd need a card reader or whatever to get the music off / on to the Sim card --and what happens when it's full -- do you have to buy a New sim card ?? --Not the future of portable music. VAIO's have excellent screens so there's life in that end of the market -- The Sony VAIO laptop is about the only serious player for Laptops that compete against the Apple "Powerbook" in the Imaging / Photography business (where Macs are still predominately the rule). I've got enough equipment and blanks to keep using MD's for MANY MANY years even if Sony (which actually is quite unlikely to do) abandons MD's. Nothing else even comes close for portable recording and large capacity disc devices --if you get mugged or it gets broken imagine ripping a 60GB Music library again. --In fact getting a New device is a pain with these HD units -- You have to transfer all the stuff to a new unit. With MD you just pop your disks into the new unit. I can't really see Studios going back to using cumbersome DAT again for recordings. What they really need to do is sort out the DRM crud and open up the MD hardware to it's FULL potential -- that will make them SERIOUS big bucks. Cheers -K

Hi true --but it saves re-ripping again so the actual degradation say in going from Atrac3+ @ 256 kbs ===> WAV ===> Atrac3+ @ 256 kbs is not very significant so long as it's only done ONCE. After you've converted to WAV and re-imported into the library at say ATRAC3+ @ 256 you delete the WAV files generated. I agree if you are using lower bitrates then you are likely to notice some loss --however I only ever use ATRAC3+ @ 256 and some (but not much) PCM. Transferring some tracks also from the "Merged library" at LP2 to an 80 Min disc sounds identical to an 80 min LP2 disc made before merging the libraries --and this is on GOOD gear. So long as your music is recorded at a decent bit rate to start with a "merge" like this won't cause any noticeable degradation --as before so long as it's done ONCE. Cheers -K Cheers -K

Thanks for your post -- very interesting I don't do any professional recording but do professional photography and can see a parallel -- some of the Hype over 5, 6 and 7 Mega Pixel consumer grade point and shoot cameras really makes me laugh - especially when I hear a salesman saying --look this Canon tiny pocket size Ixus or Canon S70 has almost the same nr of pixels as 3,500 GBP professional 8MP camera (Canon 1D Mk 2) therefore should be almost as good at 1/10 the price --- absolute twaddle !"!!!!!. Pro gear of any sort is usually an order of magnitude above consumer stuff so I'm glad you described how good some of the older analog stuff was. I agree a lot of the older CD's have a sort of "indefinable" sound quality about them compared to more recent recordings. Some of the original Moody Blues albums for example (these guys actually PLAYED instruments --didn't let the Computer do all the work) had as much care in the Sound Engineering as full blown Classical symphony orchestra recordings. A lot of modern stuff is probably "Dumbned Down" to accomodate typical Ipod / crap-pod MP3 rates for the "MTV" generation. Maybe there was something after all in people who said they actually preferred Vinyl (never went that far myself). Cheers -K

Hi there --yes Tape streamers ARE expensive --but if you DO have one this method is fine. Whilst HD is cheap --this also gets a problem if you find yourself regularly backing up 200 GB or more of data --OK this won't hit home users for a while --but if you start doing some professional work you'll be surprised how quickly disks fill up especially photos expanded to TIFFS for press and large video / audio streams. At the present time --expensive though they are (around 600 GBP for an entry level reliable DDS system and over 1000 GBP for "Juke box like " storage) it's the only reasonable alternative for the volumes of data we have to handle until the new 28 - 50 GB blu-ray dvd's come out -and by the time they do they probably won't be of high enough capacity either. I can get around 120 GB of MY data on to 1 tape cartridge (200 GB compressed cartridge) which is fine by me --. The Audio compresses slightly again to about 1.32 on the tape. (You don't lose anything as this is Lossless DATA compression). But DON'T GET A CHEAP ONE (Travan etc) --cheap tape streamers are WORSE than useless. Sony / HP etc are all good makes. This solution I know is not for everybody. Cheers -K

Well done I've been using MD since it started and am glad people are discovering it more and more --in spite of "Crappods" and Sony's best efforts to hobble the best use of the medium with D(readfully) R(ubbish) M(usic) crud. Glad to see a place like this where intelligent discussion, and thoughtful answers are the norm and that it hasn't degenerated into a slanging match that you see so often over the Net. Thanks -K

Don't Backup to DVD's directly -- You'll have to keep loading DVD's --especially once your library grows to 50 GB or more This method works fine --For those of you that have Tape streamers. 1) backup ist using SS backup to some hard disk space somewhere --You'll have to do this as backing up without first using SS backup will render your library unuseable on restore. 2) NOW use the computers backup program (SONIC Backup My PC, --nothing to do with SONY or SS BTW), Dantz retrospect or whatever) to backup to your tape streamer. Select the SS Backup data folder you've created when you used SS. 3) delete the HD backup to recover your HD space. Now you can just let it run unattended. For RESTORE, Move to a New Hard Disk, New computer etc. 1) Load your Tape steamer tape and restore using DANTZ / Backup my Pc or whatever to Hard disk. 2) NOW RESTORE THAT data using SS to your Library. 3) Delete tha Hard disk backup so you've recovered your HD space. --You've still got the tape cartridge backup if you need to restore again. While I know a lot of you don't have libraries that huge yet -- I'll bet it won't be too long before you do --especially if you save your music at PCM or 256 kbs so this topic WILL rear it's head and with DVD's currently only 4.7 GB you don't want to be hanging around the computer feeding it with an endless stream of DVD's while doing your backup. Hope this also is of use to some of you out there. My Music library currently is around 64 GB. I already had a tape streamer as I'm a Professiona Photographer and have to back up vast quantities of photographic files regularly --and DVD's didn't cut it for me a while ago. Far too small capacity for Archive although I do backup to DVD in chunks --unfortunately you can't back up "Part of a Music Library" with SS --It's all or nothing. Cheers -K

If you've got two computers and want to MERGE the music in the libraries (note this is DIFFERENT from Copying a Library to a different machine which I've described on another thread) then you can do it as follows. 1) -- I don't have any purchased music -- only my own recordings both digital and analog and ripped CD's / DVD's so no DRM crud either. 2) convert all the tracks which only exist on 1 computer to .WAV -- and store the output files on a shared network disk (say an external USB disk) if you don't have a network. For example if Library a has 75 albums in it and Library B has 60 albums in it convert to WAV all the albums in library B that don't exist in Library A and store on the external Hard drive / Network drive. 3) Now Import these into Library A (you can import MUSIC FILES (.WAV). 4) Next backup Library A with the SS backup tool --Backup to the external HD / Network drive. 5) Ensure the Disk is now plugged into the 2nd computer. If you are using a Network disk ensure the Disk is accessible to computer B. 6) Connect to the Internet -- You'll need a few seconds of Internet connection as the next step verifies the "Restorability" of the Library --as there is no purchased music in it Authentication will pass. 7) Restore the library to computer B. The original library on computer B will be deleted and be replaced by the one you backed up on Computer A. Now you've got ALL your music on two different machines and you haven't lost any rights etc etc. You can use either library for uploading or all normal SS functions. Hope some of you find this useful. Note it DOES work with your own recordings, ripped CD's and ripped DVD's. I don't purchase music from download stores so I have never had Validation problems on restore. Cheers -K

I'm sure then it's to do with the quality of the original CD recordings -- I have some quite old CD's which are AAD (mastered from old Analog / Analog / Digital) and these definitely don't sound as crisp as DVD sound ripped from some movies (Not DVD-Audio discs --just "Bog standard DVD movie sound tracks"). so to all intents and purposes 16 bit @ 44.1 kbs is as good as you are likely to need (or hear) on non sprofessional studio class equipment. Thanks -K

This may have been covered before but visiting this again --considering the normal quality of a lot of CD's I really would be hard pushed to tell the difference between playing the CD on a decent CD player and playing the ripped tracs from SS using ATRAC3+ @ 256 (On the computer with SS). Now when transferring to MD I find HI-SP and LP2 also pretty indisinguishable also from the original CD. Recording your own music is a different ball game but for typical CD's IMO using PCM is just wasting Disk space. Now DVD's seem to be a lot better -- CD's I know use 44,100 @ 16 bit but there are a lot of CD's made using AAD / ADD (older re-masterings from tape / Vinyl). Even some of the early DDD types weren't that great soundwise either. Does the DVD sound use a higher bit rate or do they actually take more care with the recordings. Ripping DVD's might make the use of PCM much more worthwhile but even at HI-SP they sound pretty good (still copied to MD from SS using ATRAC3+ @ 256). Apart from your own recordings is PCM really worth using. In my case I'm not so sure anymore. Cheers -K

Really crazy system but a 2nd Gen digital copy of an MD can be made by plugging the optical OUT into a DAT recorder --I had an Old at least 7 years old portable AIWA DAT recorder which I've just uncovered in a Spring Clean and copy to DAT tape (found a few tapes as well). Then the digital output from the DAT into the optical input of say an NH1. The SCMS on the MD only seems to check if it's going into another MD unit --doesn't care about the optical in on a DAT recorder apparently. This MD can also then make 1 further digital copy (from the MD unit's optical out). Not sure how useful this info is --and only minds as twisted as mine would bother trying something like this out --but if you MUST have multiple digital copies of MD's particularly LP2 / SP and haven't got a computer conveniently to hand it works. BTW the batterry for the old AIWA looks exactly like a standard stick of Dynamite !! --surprised the old AIWA machine still worked without any dropouts etc. Cheers -K

I was working in Helsinki a while ago and it annoyed me too --just as the Premiership was coming up to its climax. This was due to "Smart Assed US type Laywers" working for the Premiership. --However they did have a lot of live football via CANAL + and loads of Sports Bars to watch the matches in. However OT -- If you can turn a Satellite Dish round to 28 deg E. ALL the BBC domestic stations and CHANNEL 5 have been Unscrambled since June last year and are often way ahead over what's on offer in most of Europe --No viewing card needed either --totally FTA. To tune in you'll need a Universal LNB and get the frequencies from "Google". You don't need a "Sky Digibox" -- as these are now FTA stations any decent satellite receiver such as HUMAX etc will pick them up --provided as noted -- You've tiurned your dish round to 28.E (Most of W.Europe uses the Old Astra satellite at 19 Deg E or "Hot Bird" at 13. deg E.) and you use a universal LNB. I think the Radio stations might be blocked as they are carried on the SKY feed --but I could be wrong there --perhaps somebody could try it and post the results. Must get back to work now !!! Cheers -K

BBC Radio 3 (The Classical Music Service) uses 192K which is fine --I like a lot of Classical Music anyway here's an extract from the BBC's technical department --------------Start Extract---------------------- What bit rates does the BBC use for the national radio stations on DAB? Some listeners have expressed an interest in knowing how the BBC manages our national DAB multiplex, including the varying bit-rates on our national radio stations: All values measured in kilobits per second (kbits/s) Radio 1 - 128 JS Radio 2 - 128 JS Radio 3 - 192 S * Radio 4 - 128 JS ** Radio Five Live - 80 M 1Xtra - 128 JS 6 Music - 128 JS BBC7 - 80 M BBC Asian Network - 64 M BBC World Service - 64 M BBC Data services - 24 The multiplex departs from the above configuration to account for special circumstances. The principal changes, for Radio 4 and Five Live Sports Extra, are outlined below. * When BBC Five Live Sports Extra is on air either Radio 4 drops to 80 kbits/s mono or Radio 3 drops to 160 kbits/s joint stereo. **Radio 4 split for Yesterday in Parliament and Daily Service: Station 0800 - 0900 0944 - 1000 Radio 4 80 M 80 M Radio 4 (secondary services) 64 M 64 M Data services 24 M 24 M All values measured in kilobits per second (kbits/s) Five Live Sports Extra is a part-time service. To accommodate it, Radio 3 or Radio 4 gives up some of its capacity; Sports Extra is transmitted at 64 kbits/s mono. ---------------------End Extract----------------------------------- So it would appear that the quality is at least comparable to LP2 which is acceptable 99.99% of the time. Other stations might use higher or Lower bit rates but the BBC usually sets the standard in the UK. The Radio 3 @ 192 bit rate is very acceptable as well. Cheers -K

Fed up with buying "Compressed Downloaded Music" with all the DRM stuff that goes with it. Well why not try using DAB Digital Audio Broadcasting - Radio --at least in the UK and most of W.Europe. Where I am there's about 50 stations on it currently. DAB quality is often (but NOT Always so check first what programs are in Hi-quality) ) very reasonable -- often better quality than SKY Satellite Radio stations and some SONY DAB radios such as the XDR-S1 actually have an OPTICAL OUT as well as a Line OUT and Line In on the back (marked MD-LINK). OK Real time but you can get some great stuff from DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting -Radio) and can copy it to MD . The DAB stuff has Text and works really well on to MD. The MD you've made can then be copied digitally Once as per the normal "Digital Copy' but you can upload into a computer as a WAV file and do whatever you want with it. Just another potential FREE legal source of music for you without any stupid play restrictions. The Music Industry thought DRM would "Save its Bacon" -- in fact it's the Death Knell for the Old type Music Industry --although they haven't realized it yet In fact perhaps we should label all DRM'ed music as D(efinitely) R(ubbish) M(usic). Cheers -K