willykyu

I'm shocked and hugely disappointed in the release of that "new" Sonicstage. Hum... where is the damn difference? just putting "some" of the CP features to match with -series is NOT what I call a real change! SS is still SS: WHERE IS UNICODE!??? well, again, SONY has made everything to fail. I was waiting for something really consistant, and hoping SS4 would include everything it had not that CONNECT player had! -No library synchro -No Unicode: the worst of all: impossible now to import any song ripped through CP in japanese! I even tried with applocale. How CP users are suppose to migrate from CP to SS??? -No folders creation and organisation when importing a CD (SS keeps on outting everything in the same place with album name... -No sort by albums in the atrac device window (still this awfull "album (by artist)" thing... really bad when you want to delete just one album with several artists...) -No possibility to add and delete tracks when player is not connected. etc. So Connect player stincks a lots with its lack of features, slow use, awful properties entries etc. but had some very important features SS didn't have. Now we have exactely the same SS as ever (I don't think AAC is a real new cool thing. It's natural to add new codecs, but it doesn't make SS something new). Then, of course still no new real wanted features Itunes has: -Constant folders organisation -Sound normalisation -cross fade play etc.etc. Well the only good stuff yesterday was the A3000 firmware uograde, wich is neat and shows us SONY works on the device to add some real new features (clock is great!) and improve its use (now it's fast and doens't freeze when navigating). SO I hope they'll continue (cross fading play when shuffle is on for example?) Well, hope to hear from SONY soon and see if they do something about the incompatibilities of Connect player ripped library and CP one... I'm sick and tired of ripping my CDs a thousand times because of unicode issues. SSCP=bad joke edit: I forgot. When they decide (in the next 20 yers...) to put unicode in SS, it would be nice also to enable the Kana search which is available on A-3000/1000 when connected to a Japanese SS or COnnect. It's a pain to find a Japanese album through "etc." section of the player... why not giving us the choice? a "Kana search" check box in the software or even the player would be perfect! Are they really thinking at SONY? I wonder. So much available, and they don't use it... edit 2: I don't know how I did that, and it's impossible to find out how to di it again, and I'm starting to wonder if it is related to SS4, but when right clicking on an album to change its properties a new sub menu appeared, one I never saw. And guess what, there was a "unicode " encoding option, with several choices I didn't undersatnd. Then I deceided not to do anything, and tried to make that contextual menu appear again, but no way... if somebody knows what it is...

What would be really nice is "Genre=> then choose -By Artist or -By Album"... But sure, the organisation could be netter thought... or at least could be have more choices.

It's only 12:52 here in Tokyo... be patient, and anyway, it will be announced on Atraclife Blog as soon as it is released.

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!! WOW ! can't wait for it!!!!

Don't be so negative! Sonicstage has been improved significantly since 2.0! So it is not as if the program was full scratch! What could be troublesome, would be the "cross over" functions between CP and SS... The only thing I wish more than anything is a TRUE unicode support, as it should be for years. Then, a better organisation of folders (a la CP or Itunes) when importing. And I just hope that it will be able to download from CP all the infos already used (Ratings, etc.). Now let's be patient, as we still could have some more surprises (I mean good ones...). I sure would love to have beta versions and send comments and bugs report to Sonictsage team...

Don't worry, only 4 days before Sonicstage CP (4.0) is released which will let you use the full potential of your A-608 walkman. About CONNECT player, no idea if they're going to continue its development, or if they're going to melt it with sonicstage in a future release. Then, if so, it'll be downloadable through sony and connect sites. But now, only Sonicstage CP has been announced, covering all the net walkmans (MD/FLASH/HDD and A series with their special functions).

Very easy: First pause the track pushing the "play" button, and then push backward or foward. The speed is now extremely fast. Then push play again and VOILA!

I'm -still- listening to Shadow of the Colossus wonderful soundtrack.　ATRAC3plus 352kbps. ワンダと巨像 大地の咆哮 大谷幸 1.プロローグ~古えの地へ~ 2.禁断の術 3.掟 4.黒い血 5.蘇生 6.巨像の気配 7.異形の者達~巨像との戦い~ 8.開かれる道~巨像との戦い~ 9.戦いの終り 10.偶像崩壊 11.緑の丘陵 12.荒ぶる邂逅~巨像との戦い~ 13.甦る力~巨像との戦い~ 14.湖畔 15.静寂~巨像との戦い~ 16.力への畏怖~巨像との戦い~ 17.ワンダの死 18.最果ての地 19.忍び寄る影~巨像との戦い~ 20.背後からの使者~巨像との戦い~ 21.反撃~巨像との戦い~ 22.鳥葬 23.閉ざされた都市 24.放たれた番人~巨像との戦い~ 25.絶望との別れ~巨像との戦い~ 26.祈り 27.駿馬 28.廃墟の門番~巨像との戦い~ 29.聖域 30.儀式の終焉~巨像との戦い~ 31.追っ手 32.復活の予兆 33.エピローグ~残されし者たち~ 34.希望 35.陽のあたる大地 36.記憶 37.荒野 38.大地の声 39.湿原 40.怒り 41.最後の戦い 42.最果ての地(Reprise) Also “Rez”-Gamer’s Guide to... ATRAC3 PLUS 320Kbps 1. Buggie Running Beeps - Keiichi Sugiyama 2. Protocal Rain - Mist 3. Creation The State Of Art - Ken Ishii 4. Rock Is Sponge - Joujouka 5. Fear - Adam Freeland 6. Boss Attacks - Coldcut And Tim Bran 7. Fg Gs - Ebz 8. Octaeder - Oval 9. Creative State - Ken Ishii 10. P Project - Oval and A LOT Véronique Sanson Zenith 93, in old ATRAC3 132Kbps (ripped it a year ago before going to Japan...but still sounds ok!) 1. Y'a Pas De Doute 2. L'irreparable 3. Toi Et Moi 4. Toute Seule 5. Le Temps Est Assassin 6. Seras-Tu La 7. Mariavah 8. Tout Est Casse, Tout Est Mort 9. Bahia 10. Les Delices D'hollywood 11. Panne De Coeur 12. Bernard's Song 13. Rien Que De L'eau 14. On M'attends La-Bas 15. Vancouver And 玉置浩二(I love his voice so much) Tamaki Koji's last album : PRESENT , ATRAC3 PLUS 192kbps. 1. Ｍｅｌｏｎ　Ｗａｔｅｒ 2. シェルター 3. 延長戦 4. いつもどこかで 5. 虹のラララ 6. Ｌｉｏｎ　（ａｌｂｕｍ　ｖｅｒ．） 7. ヒトリゴト 8. 夜想 9. 発散だー！！ 10. プレゼント 11. Ｈｅｌｐ 12. おいでよ　僕の国へ 13. やせっぽちの星

Wow, excellent, really! SONY needs people like you... but I wonder if they really care. Just a shame they don't, and a waste of everything. Keep on writing your thoughts. It's great.

Well, nobody saw the news I guess. GénérationMP3.com had the chance to see the new sony walkmans usb Key at a presentation in Paris, and Sony told them that they're going to make the A-1200 available in Europe in June, bundle with a new soft, mix between SS and CP, and stupidly called Sonic Stage CP. Does that mean we're going to wait for June to use our A-Series properly??? Here is the news

I was wondering this for a long long time too. No updates, now news about connect relaunch (which had to be out in March... hum hum). I'm really REALLY wondering what they're up to. I still don't use my A3000 as I don't have a decent software to use and transfer music, and organise it easily, with all the functions available (SS with Unicode would be the least they could do, as Applocale is messing up everything on a French Windows and French SS...). No updates either for Do Vaio/ Viao Zone for full compatibility with the last non DRM atrac files, etc atc. Is SONY sleeping? They give us reports on what they plan to do, on what they're doing right now, ask us questions etc. That's nonsense...

It would be great if they implement this in their excellent Vegas Video software too! maybe in a near released update? first acid, then Vegas?

OH MY!!!! I was SOOOOO busy at work I didn't notice it was your birthday!!!!!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY STGE!!!!!!!! Hope the best for you!!! (especially from SONY... we still can dream about this!)

We shouldn't have to do this AT ALL! Connect player should work as I-tunes, or even Sonicstage. There should be a lot more features and options etc. It's time and stress consuming. Connect Player is useless. And still no news about a new update of anything from sony Walkman. Wasn't March the month a the big Connect relaunch??? Shouldn't there be an update every month??? silence is pain...

I don't care how, when, etc. I'll get it the day it's available. I guess it'll be an Atrac jukebox (the ultimate one?) as there will be dowloadable music content available through connect service via PS3 apparently. I can only hope that there will be the possibility to plug any sony walkman to transfer music from PS3 and also rip CDs etc. Well, 8 months to go... (still 8 months... hearing Novemeber sounded closer than that...sniff).

3 centuries later, who's gonna care? certainly not apple and their future new products...

well, there's still a chance to upgrade the phone firmware then. I'm amazed of Sony Ericsson's answer "please convert those files in MP3"... hum, how to say this... first there's no way to simply do this, and then, once converted it's worse than before (I mean quality). This kind of answer is shocking, it prooves they're just making fun of conumers!

I don't get it. This Walkman/phone thing deosn't convince me 100%. Imagine you use the same bettery power for calls and to listen to music. Well, you spet a day listening to your favorite tunes, and then, a very very important call comes: OH MY, my battery's dead! HAHAHA But seriously, if the battery is very very long, why not. And even so... What shocks me the most probably, is that these SONY's phones don't play atrac !!!! this is NONSENSE! how are they hoing to sell their tunes in atrac on SONY's phones? how are people are supposed, loyal to sony, use this function if all the ripped cds are in ATRAC? are these phones not for usual sony users? at least, ALL SONY devices should have atrac enabled. They can't kill this cool gapless format, which in my opinion sound better than MP3! Someone has to explain why? I guess this is one more proof of that sony's several parts (vaio, wlakman, phones, games) aren't melting at all!

Vaio zone (euro name) or Do Vaio (japan and US name) is the multimedia reader/recorder for recent VAIO PCs. You can watch TV, record programs, listen to the music from atrac/mp3 or CD, watch your pics and read Videos DVDs. You can control the program with the special sony VAIO remote. This application is good, but there are numerous features missing, and the same old issues still remain today, whereas sonicstage has been improving constantly for a year or two now. Vaio Zone/do Vaio still doesn't read non protected ATRAC and can't rip CDs with the new atrac bitrates from Sonis Stage 3.3 and 3.4. The search function is very, very limited, and could be divided in several steps instead of one unique long list (alphabetical, then by genres and by recently added and not listened yet). That's to bad, for it is quite cool to control your music from your bed with the remote, and the program is fully unicode with nice letters. It is time for SONY to regroup all the software sections from VAIO to Walkmans, because all of this half badly/well made softwares are pissing me and probably a lot of consumers off!!!! Just compare Vaio Zone/Sonicstage/connect player softwares, and cry! who could think they're all from SONY? And of course Vaio Zone/Do Vaio updates are as rare as ever! once a year I would say.... terrible, really. Sometimes I'm just dreaming to work for them and fix every little thing, adding more features and correct as oddities as EVER!

I guess only Sonicstage has the privilege of being tested. Sonicstage 3.4 is really good, in my opinion. It lacks of foreign languages display feature, wich is its main bad point. But the rest is ok for now. So if it is in testing phase, let's hope it comes out soon. What abour the connect store relaunch? what will be the software? a brand new one? an evolution of Connect player? connect player 2.0? or a new version of Sonicstage, renamed Connect player? Can't wait to know and to use my stuff I bought last november!!!

So well, it's been almost a month without any news of updates for Connect player, or even a tiny info about what they're going to offer in their re-re-re-re-launch of Connect service. No news either about this Sonicstage A series full compatibility version. It's really annoying. I haven't transfered music for at least 2 months because of software issues, and I gave up. 70% of my CD are japanese, applocale crashes SS everytime I want to use jap infos, so I have to get along with these useless "??????". Connect Player is, even with its latest update, useless, slow and badly thought, not even capable of gapless playback, etc. So, I'm really tired of waiting for the holly grail of sony software, running fine, perfectly unicode, full of cool features etc. This march re-launch should provide a brand new Connect Player (3rd one!!! another update?), for it should be the only official Connect player we could download from connect sites, compatible with full range of sony's walkmen, PSP and e-reader etc. We don't even know for sure that this promising service will be the same for all countries (a la itunes store), available at the same time, etc. Sony is awfuly quiet whereas it is critical for them! A series walkman are not even available in US! I'm quite sure they won't ever be! and SONY's gonna stab us in the back puting a new device on the market in the US, with video playback capabilities! So if anyone know something about what's going on, please tell us!!!

Me too! never saw somebody with one in Tokyo. I'm impressed that the 400/500/600 type are so popular here, as I really often see (more and more) people having the sony flash walkman. I also saw some people with the "round" ones too. SONY flash players seem very popular here. it is also common place to see in a Tokyo train wagon 3 or 4 teens at the same time playing PSPs. But NO BEAN at all...

Nero recode could be really coo if they implemented 16:9 sized videos, AVC for PSP bitrates, and subtitles anabled option from DVD... also, it would be nice to store videos correctly named on a hard drive with its thumbnail without connecting a PSP. There's a lot to do with this soft about PSP video conversions. It's far from perfect. Too bad, for it is easy to select dvd content from it. Maybe I did not see how to do it? I use Image converter 2 plus and PSP media manager. Psp media manger is cool to organise psp videos easily. although there is not a lot of options, AVC conversions are good, and in PSP media manager, it's 16:9 and 4:3 auto. But no possibility to rename a converted video or change its Thumbnail. Only PSP VIDEO 9 allows this. But I find its use not really convincing. If only SONY could upgrade with the same options from PSP video 9its PSP media manager...

I agree! here is a post on the subject "A new simple burner needed" I also think that it would be cool to have an option to burn cd directly to an atrac device. It would save space on the PC, and we could also burn directly in high kbps codecs and in pcm (but sony should previously add the feature on HDD players...)

Sure! happy to know everything's fine. Just one little advice: Try not to buy in mass on Connect, as their brand new site is out on March, with new contents (videos, e-book), and we can expect new bitrates or options. One or two months to wait!