Hungerdunger

After a couple of trouble-free years I've suddenly got problems with SonicStage (3.3) Normally when I click on the Transfer button at the top of the screen I get a drop down list - "Hi-MD, Create an MP3 CD, Create an ATRAC CD, Create an Audio CD", and within about 15 seconds I can see the track listing on the MD. For the last few days nothing appears there. I can hear my Hard Drive working away, but nothing happens on screen. On a couple of occasions I've left it alone for over 15 minutes and when I've comne back the Hi-MD is shown, but on other occasions it is still blank. The only major things I have changed on my PC recently are that I have started using Broadband to access the internet, and as part of that I uninstalled my old 56k modem, and I then re-installed it when I realised I needed it to send faxes from my screen. The Hi-MD is recognised by Explorer as a drive, so I presume there's no problem with the connection, and that is backed up by the fact that some times it does eventually load. When it does load, things still aren't right. I can't get SS to play any of the tracks on the Hi-MD, although if I try to transfer a track from the computer it will normally work. Has anyone experienced this odd behaviour, and if so do you have any solutions?

My ears aren't very discerning, so if I tell you that 64kbps sounds ok to me when I'm listening on the move with earbuds, it may not actually mean very much. However if you visit http://minidisc.amulation.com/hi-md_faq.html you'll see in the answer to question 13 that Sony themselves claim that ATRAC3+ @ 64kbps is roughly equivalent in quality to ATRAC3 @ 132kbps and to (original) ATRAC @ 292kbps. At the end of the day it's really down to your ears; the environment you're listening in, and the relative importance to you of quantity vs quality.

I've read somewhere (but can't find the source right now) that these batteries do have a fixed lifetime (I believe in the region of 3 or 4 years)and that the amount of use they have has little effect on the length of life. I wonder if this is why my cell phone manual tells me to keep the battery in the fridge if it's not going to be used for a while (suspended animation?!)

Without meaing to sound rude, have you actually read the manual which presumably came with the NH1? You will find that the only Edit function that can be carried out on the recorder is Formatting a Hi-MD disc. All other editing has to be done via the remote. This is all laid out in pages 29 - 31 of the European edition. It has nothing to do with being in advanced or simple menu mode.

I bought the European version about five weeks ago, and the problem was fixed on it - assuming it ever actually existed on the European version.