Justin42

How exactly does this work? Does it copy each new flash card to a new folder it creates on the MD? (the instructions imply that but don't specifically state it). I am really tempted to get one but am worried about what happens if I re-transfer the same card, would it overwrite files? Say, I take 50 pictures on a memory card. Then transfer to MD. It creates a folder "CARD0001". Then I take 25 more pictures (for a total of 75 on the same card). Does it make a second folder (CARD0002) with 75 total pictures, or does it re-transfer the same 75 into the CARD0001 folder? (does that make sense?) My concern is if I switch cards in my camera the numbering scheme doesn't always stay the same (but the folders in the card must have the same names due to the way the camera works). So I may have 2 cards with the pictures P0A00001.JPG on it. I wouldn't want to overwrite, so I hope it makes a new folder for each transfer whether or not it thinks it transferred already. Can you do any sort of maintenance (Deleting folders, etc) on the HiMD unit itself? (so you wouldn't even need to touch a computer until returning home)

Yeah, a few charge cycles should help, although it does seem kind of short. I don't know if I'd be wondering so much about the battery as possibly some defect in the unit itself causing the battery to discharge overly fast. Any of the newer MD units last pretty long. But try running it down (all the way) and recharging a few times and see what happens. Also, HiLP (if you can handle 64kbps music will make your batteries last longer since it gives the player less to do -- less data to read, fewer spin-ups to refill the buffer, etc. I don't think it's a tremendous additional amount but probably like 20% longer life or so?

Everything I've read is SonicStage is HORRIBLY slow importing MP3s-- it's not just importing, it's converting to ATRAC. Depending on how fast your computer is, I'd think it might take a few hours (at least...) to finish.

That IS talking about the Network Walkmen, unfortunately.... :/ But it doesn't rule out (or rule in) HiMD...

I've noticed some download managers don't like embedded attachments in message boards. Try without it, the file as is works fine...

Yep, worked here too. It said I had an older version of SimpleBurner, asked if I wanted to upgrade it, and then went ahead and did it. No problem at all. I'm listening to something in PCM right now... Thanks!!

I have to agree that Sony, for normally being so good at marketing (to the point of being scary, such as how much hype they had for the PS2 and now the PSP) never has seemed to have the slightest clue what to do with the Minidisc format. I remember when it first came out wondering why they were trying to make it a competitor to the portable CD player instead of really hyping up the recordability aspect. I think it was another thread, but someone here pointed out MDs existed for YEARS before the recordable CD became available to the average consumer. Had Sony bit the bullet, dropped the price a bit, and really played that up, we may have a very different format. And now they want to try to present MD as the ultimate portable music player. Not much different than the initial (failed) strategy. Does anyone in Sony (besides the engineering group) even know what a Minidisc unit IS or CAN DO? I fell in love with the format when I first heard about it (for recording) and it took me YEARS to finally get a unit at a decent price (for *my* budget). If Sony really learned its lesson (and this story is VERY good news), I still think MD could be a success with native drag and drop MP3 playback (do they seriously think people will pick MD over any of the million native MP3 players if they leave it in a DRM cage??), and dropping of the overly restrictive PC uploading rules. They're so concerned someone, somewhere may possibly be losing money due to MD "misuse" they're missing the fact THEY are the ones missing out... (and great point above, at least in the US, normal consumers do NOT buy MD, at least not now. They're catering to a market that wants what MD provides and will stick by it despite the draconian framework Sony provides. "Normal" consumers long ago turned their nose at living within those restrictions...)

Thanks for the replies. I was able to get the disc going again through the unit (I didn't specifically tell it to format, but it asked if I wanted to prepare the disc for audio or something like that [sorry, it was late, didn't write it down]). After that it worked fine. I transferred a bunch of stuff over via SimpleBurner again and all is fine. It's not plugged into a hub, but it was in via my front USB port.. I plugged it in via the back ports for now, I'll have to set up a 74 minute MD to be a sacrificial lamb tonight and see what happens if I try to push it a bit. I'm glad to hear this isn't a common SoundStage problem, at least....

I just got my NH1 a few days ago and have been experimenting with it to determine what exactly it can do, what Soundstage can do, etc. The first thing I did was rip a bunch of CDs to it and have been listening to them for a few days. I decided today that I wanted to change some CDs around and had to make some room. (I am using the HiMD disc that came with the unit) I went in to delete them via SonicStage, and after deleting from 5-10 tracks successfully, I would go to delete a song and could hear the NH1 making noises like seek errors or the like (constant grinding) and the status bar never moved. The first time this happened, things eventually cleared up, and the disc seemed to have not deleted the last song I tried to wipe but had everything else. I noticed the battery seemed a bit low so I just recharged it for about 2 hours. Now, I tried to start deleting more songs, it did the same thing after about 5 songs (constant seeks, etc). Then, SonicStage did a full on crash (OMGJukebox.exe has caused an error and must be closed), I saw "DL-READ" flash a few times on the NH1, and now am getting the dreaded "Cannot record or play" error on the disc. I am using SonicStage 2.3, Windows XP SP2, and am completely up to date with Windows patches. Now, my concern is-- if I can't just do simple housekeeping.. what is going on? I don't think I restarted my computer after the first problem which may have been a dumb thing to not do. But the fact I can't even delete a few songs off the player without choking it up seems a bit unnerving. Am I just unlucky? I know SonicStage has a bad reputation, but is it THIS bad? Any ideas why this was freaking out? This disc literally was brand new with my NH1, I did one set of rips to it (using SimpleBurner) a few days ago, sent everything in HiSP mode, and this is the first time I've tried to manipulate through SonicStage. Should I just manipulate through the player itself next time? Am I just setting myself up for heartache??? I really like the NH1 and so many things it can do, but I'd really like it to function at least a part-time high-quality portable music player....

This may be ENTIRELY irrelevant (despite having used MD for years I'm just getting into the flow of technical info behind it but I remember reading somewhere that the MP3 playback of the Sony MXD-D400 deck (CD+Minidisc) took advantage of some shortcuts that the Sony engineers found, basically that anything that can decode ATRAC is more than powerful enough to decode MP3. I could be entirely wrong about the MXD-D400's MP3 playback circuitry, as well (it may use something different) but I remember being really impressed when I read that. (especially as MP3s on that unit sound better than just about anything I've ever played them on, I figured that was some of the ATRAC filtering circuitry being used) While that doesn't mean that the NH1 COULD be upgraded, I think there is at least a chance that firmware could be used to tweak it, since I think the ATRAC decoders are pretty flexible (we just don't see that on the user side)... I'm gonna hold out hope. [Hrm, just saw the Sony RCD-W500C CD Recorder that shares the chassis with the MXD-D400 also plays MP3s so I may have bad information... we'll see..]

That link was what I was talking about.. That's the ONLY place I've seen ANY mention of a new generation of HiMDs and there's not a lot of solid information about them yet..... :/ I guess I'm just concerned since I JUST got the NH1, in part because I hadn't seen a THING about anything new... and now there are suddenly rumbles but nothing solid (and with my luck, won't be solid til well past the return policy's end date .

That would be great if they would help us first gen HiMDers out too.... I *just* bought an MZ-NH1 with Christmas gift certificates and some coupons (finally moving up from a Sharp 722 portable to go with my home MD deck), and got a decent deal but have been a bit disappointed about the whole DRM issues and bitrate support in HiMD mode, which makes me really long for a way to play my 128kbps MP3s (fine for in-car use) that I've ripped over the years. I know it was never promised, but until you use SonicStage once you never quite know what a hassle it can be to re-rip and all that. Plus my home deck (MXD-D400) plays MP3 CDs and sounds INCREDIBLE so I have high hopes this news is true.... (I've always assumed they had some general purpose compressed-audio circuity that they figured they could adapt for the CD side of that unit) One thing I'm curious about is why it's taking so long to hear about the new units? They were apparently at CES yet nothing on Sony's page even talks about a new generation of HiMD. Please, Sony, bring us first genners to the MP3 party (if indeed a party is happening!)!! It sounds like there would still be DRM but at least it wouldn't involve a sound format conversion.... (adding injury to insult)