maxthrusters

It turns off by itself. Just stop it from playing and it's off after a minute or so.

You can drag Mp3 files (or any other files actually) onto the A608 using Windows Explorer, but music files will not play. Such files can be moved to another computer since the player acts as a removable drive. To both transfer and play Mp3 files on an A608 you need to use SonicStage. You do not have to convert Mp3 files to ATRAC3plus uness you wish to have smaller file sizes or gapless playback. Note that tracks transferred with SonicStage are not transferrable to other computers unless you live in a country serviced by the Connect Store and have "authorized" the player and the computers. If you want to be able to transfer Mp3 files directly using Windows Explorer and play them on the A608 player, then return it for some other brand. Maybe you would find a Sandisk or Creative player more suitable for your needs.

I can confirm that the bug with LocationFree and PSP is now resolved. Previously I had to run setup on my PSP everytime to be able to access my set-top cable box. This is no longer the case. BTW to use LocationFree with a PSP you don't need to buy the high priced model that includes a display...just get the LFPK1 LocationFree Player Pack ($349.99CAN at Sonystyle.ca). The PSP is the display, and you can also use with a notebook computer.

There's no logo on the USA one? That is a strange situation. I wonder why they would bother including DivX for Canada's smaller market and not include it for the USA. I took photos of the back of my player, note the DivX logo etc.

I'm rather disappointed that there is no ATRAC support for the DVE7000S. My CDs are ripped in ATRAC3 yet SonicStage won't make Mp3 CDs from those files. Perhaps the Portable DVD silo doesn't talk to the Portable audio silo at Sony. Howard Stringer, where are you??

My player is Region 1, although the manual says it can indeed play region free DVDs too. PS I agree that a portable player should not have region restrictions. If you go back to the store you can verify DivX support by looking at the back of the unit for the DivX logo

I'm 100% sure about DiVX playback. Says so right on the box..in fact if you were inclined you could buy or rent DiVX films online as the player is indeed a certified DiVX player, with a device code for buying or renting at www.divx.com/vod . Personally I won't be buying or renting anything online as I have loads of things to watch already. As for JPEGs, there's a button ruight on the front (LCD Mode) that you use to toggle from 16:9, 4:3, and LCD Off. I just popped in a photo CD and you can apply those modes to photos. The photos on the discs I tried so far do not take up the full screen in any mode. The unit really should have a zoom or something (like the PSP does).

I bougth a DVE7000S yesterday at the Sony Store. It was $299.99CAN, minus about $60CAN in discounts that I managed to get. I'm quite happy with it so far. The sound from the dock speakers is much better than I had expected. Great picture quality with commercial DVDs, a bit slow starting up though. So far I've been able to play commercial DVDs, and a home made DVD that had some AVI files on it. These were downloaded TV shows made with the XviD codec (the player supports DiVX). I also converted a show on my VAIO from AVI to regular DVD format using Click2DVD and that worked fine too, although the result was not using the screen fully (I guess a 2hr movie requires a dual layer DVD to fit without compressing more). A video CD I had also played fine, but again it was compressed so no full screen. Maybe Sony should do a firmware upgrade (if that is even possible) to allow for enlarging the view. The kickstand seems a bit flimsy. The screen is highly reflective, so I have some doubts about using it outside in the sun. Overall I am quite happy with it.

I have had this error on two occasions. The first time was when converting Mp3 files on a removable drive to ATRAC3plus (Sonic Stage was looking for the F drive, and for some reason the drive had changed to G). The second time was when trying to import a CD where the song title was too long, too many characters (classical CD). Both problems easily corrected

Sometimes I wonder who decides what products are sold at the Sony Stores/Maison Sony in Canada. I also wonder what their reasoning is regarding their choices. Sony sells portable NetMD/Hi-MD players here, yet no Decks or Shelf Systems or Boomboxes that support MD in any flavour. Instead these offerings feature...cassette tapes! What is up with that? Two years ago I wanted to buy an MD deck. Since none were to be had at Sony Stores, I bought a clunker on e-Bay (1998 model, no MDLP). Last year I wanted an MDLP-capable model, so I had to import one from the states. This year I wanted a shelf model, preferably a Hi-MD model. I visited to the Sony Store and nothing had changed: no shelf units or boomboxes with MD. Just Cassette tape?!?! I bought a Sharp model on e-Bay. I'm guessing that this is all a by-product of the Sony "silos" system that CEO Howard Stringer claims to be reforming. I sort of imagine the MD guys at Sony huddled in a basement ofice somewhere, entirely focused on the Japan market when it comes to anything other than portables. Upstairs in a more elegant setting I imagine the Shelf System and Boombox guys enjoying corner office space with a nice view. Maybe the view is so nice that they are distracted and think Canadians are too stupid to realize that MD is so much better than cassette tapes. Maybe the MD guys are too worried about their jobs, being that the spotlight is on their colleagues in the flash/hard disk player silo (penthouse level perhaps?). Perhaps the answer is even simpler. Perhaps the feedback from the stores has influenced decision making higher up regarding MD availability. The grunts in the stores, unfortunately, are focused on commission sales. I have yet to find a Sony Store sales rep that has bothered to learn anything about MD or Hi-MD. "It's a great Mp3 player!" I was told when I went to buy my NH-1 (which of course does NOT play Mp3). When I ask (every time I go) about MD decks/shelf/boom units I am told "Oh, nobody wants MD in those...we had some a long time ago but nobody bought any". I'm thinking that if it is indeed true that "nobody bought any" it may well have been because the sales guys simply didn't understand the tech (and possibilities) of MD. That Sony doesn't do any marketing for MD probably didn't help either. It's hard to be enthusiastic about a product you don't understand, and when selling on commission. "It's such an old tech, from 1992. Why bother". Cassette tapes are a better alternative then? Hardly! Minidisc is a core Sony tech. It should be prevalent and high-profile in every Sony Store. Every component stereo should have a MD/Hi-MD deck. Every boombox or shelf system should have MD/Hi-MD. Every Car system should have MD/Hi-MD. Every VAIO computer should have a MD/Hi-MD slot. Finally, Sony needs to invest in training their sales guys about ATRAC, MD, and Hi-MD. Well that's my 2 cents.

I ended up with a fake Sony 128mb Duo awhile back. Was tearing out my hair trying to figure out why SonicStage wouldn't recognize it for use in NW-MS70D player...till I noticed the packaging was wrong (I bought a legit card around same time). Lesson learned: don't buy memory cards on eBay PS Other than not actually having openMG support the card worked great

Awhile back I bought a memory stick duo on eBay and could not get it to work with any ATRAC3 etc files. It worked fine for other files (for use with camera etc). Turned out the reason was because it was counterfeit, and could not support OpenMG. The packaging was almost identical to the real thing too. Why people would bother counterfeiting cards is beyond me. I don't buy memory cards on eBay anymore. Anyway, to get SonicStage to handle ATRAC3plus with your PSP you definitely need to upgrade PSP firmware. If you want to keep 1.5 (for the homebrew) then you can't use ATRAC3plus. I upgraded as the homebrew didn't interest me.

Here's my solution: Uninstall SonicStage from the PC requiring "authorization". Reboot. Uninstall OpenMG Secure Module/OpenMG Limited Patch. Reboot as directed. Delete any SonicStage folders in C:\Program Files. Do not delete folders in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\ as this is where your ATRAC files are. Advanced: Use a registry fixer program (I use CrapCleaner, google it) to scan registry for invalid entries. Don't mess with windows registry without knowing what you are doing though! Download and install the Canadian version of SonicStage 3.4 and re-import your files. DONE! Good luck!

I love my A608. Battery life is awesome on it! We just drove from Ottawa to Halifax and it played all the way hooked up to car stereo (20 hour drive). Connect Player still sucks for those who have a large music library (15,000 tracks in mine). If I hadn't already been into MiniDisc and used to SonicStage, with a library already in ATRAC3plus, I would have probably gone for iPod.

The only modding to my XBOX was getting the replacement power cord from MS lol

I love Sony toys, but I doubt I will be getting a Ps3. It seems I am not a console gamer, as I bought the original X-Box when it came out and over the past few years I've used it maybe for 10 hours total. Of course I still read the news about it as it comes out.

Perhaps my way of doing things will help you decide what to do. I try to balance sound quality, file size, and compatibility with my various devices as follows: MD Deck: only play ATRAC3 (LP2 132kbbs preferred, as the other bitrates too low)Hi-MD Recorder: only play/record in PCM, ATRAC3plus (prefer Hi-LP 256kbbs), and ATRAC3 LP2 (prefer Lp2 132kbbs), can transfer in PCM/ATRAC3/ATRAC3plusHi-MD Player: can transfer in PCM, ATRAC3, ATRAC3plus, Mp3. Listen at home with headphones or plugged into deckFlash Player: can transfer in PCM, ATRAC3, ATRAC3plus, Mp3. Listen on the goVAIO Notebook: Can play anything, however for Sony software files must be PCM, ATRAC3, ATRAC3plus, or Mp3. Some Sony VAIO software requires ATRAC3/ATRAC3plus to have Copy Protection set to enabled. Rarely if ever listen to directly.So, given all these possibilities here's what I have done: All music on my VAIO notebook is either Mp3 or ATRAC3 132kbbs, copy protect set to enabled. All music on my non-Sony desktop is either Mp3 or ATRAC3plus 256kbbs (NO copy protection, sick of re-ripping CDs). If the music is classical I rip in ATRAC3plus at 256kbbs regardless of which computer it goes on. I don't use ATRAC Advanced Lossless as I don't listen to music from any computer itself, and the files sizes are huge. If VAIO Zone could use ATRAC files without being copy protected I would be quite relieved. I transfer music 'as is' to my devices. ATRAC For Hi-MD I prefer the 256kbbs, for flash player the 132kbbs. Otherwise the Mp3 file is used, I don't transcode anything unless I have to. My preferred Mp3 bit rate is 320VBR however my collection has lots at lower bit rates. I don't like the sound of lower ATRAC bit rates, and higher bitrates seem to sound the same to me. 48kbbs was probably included just for marketing purposes or spoken voice. 64kbbs might be acceptable in high noise environments, like riding on a bus. I replace my Mp3 files with ATRAC ripped from CD now and again, but not lately given my negative view of CDs these days (rootkits, lawsuits, etc). Of course that's a whole other topic in itself!

According to Sony Connect support I wrote awhile back to complain about this same issue, Connect Canada is to launch "soon". Of course what "soon" means is anyone's guess

I just bought a VAIO notebook recently. I'm not happy that VAIO Zone won't handle non-DRM ATRAC files. There's no way I want to re-rip all of my CDs yet again. Latest version of SonicStage for my VAIO is only 3.3 too, although I installed 3.4 anyway. No new version of Zone is available it seems for me. VGNFS745PH

EZero: you could get a Canadian one, we use the same radio frequencies as in the USA. Euro or Asian ones would be different FM. I think all the A series here are still exclusive to the Sony Stores/Maison Sony (and sonystyle.ca), but they don't ship out of Canada.

I am on the 30 day trial for Tag&Rename right now. So far it works great! I wanted to try it as MusicMatch (which I normally use for tagging Mp3) crashed on me awhile back and corrupted several album tags. So I needed something else to fix it, as interestingly enough WMP, SS, and even Creative's Media Centre do not actually write any tags "to file", they add them to their own proprietary database or something. Anyway give Tag&Rename a try. Perhaps you can fix all your files within the 30 day trial, like I did.

I picked up a Sony walkman recently, the AW-608. On order is a Sony VAIO notebook too, FS745P/H. My first ever laptop!

I have the distinct impression that none of the money actually gets to any artists. I recall reading last year (somewhere) that most of the money at that time was used for "administration", the relatively small remainder going to the largely non-Canadian record labels.

I am having the exact same problem! It happens with my MZ-NH1, MZ-DH10P, and even my AW-608 (atrac/mp3 player, not MD). Transferring one album at a time works fine...but more than one and it just hangs as others have described. Even with EVERYTHING shut off (virus scanner, firewall, everything) it still happens. SS 3.3 Win XP Home SP2

I'd love to see a general forum on all things Sony. I'm planning on getting that M2 hybrid camera soon, and I have been eying VAIO laptops too. The new e-book reader looks nifty too.