UMWOOFWOOFF

They have ALL been disappointments; for the very fact that Sony never made a home deck or car deck. The format (Hi-MD) was dead from the start without home/car decks. I was the biggest supporter of MD with WAY too many home decks to count. I never jumped to Hi-MD due to the lack of a home deck/car deck. I'm sure there are a thousand people just like me. Sony killed Hi-MD from the get-go. Then, Sony gives the big send-off with the RH-1 (the last MD unit to be produced...even blank MD's are disappearing everywhere) with the ability to rescue your old MD recordings and transfer them to the computer so they're not trapped on an obsolete format. The biggest joke was Sony supposedly moving Hi-MD to their "professional products" section. Got news for ya Sony...without a rack-mount deck, this venture is POINTLESS. Sure, journalists and stuff might use the thing, but there are tons of options for that type of use that actually have manufacturer support, and you can actually buy them in stores (let alone no Hi-MD discs anywhere anymore). I chuckle at the blind people who talk about "fourth generation" and STILL the possibility of home decks...or those who talk about Sony "moving to the professional market". PUH-LEEEEEEEZ... So...the biggest disappointment? The fact that Sony killed this format. Pisses me off. A LOT. I've given up. Sadly, MD is dead. Bye bye doggy...

You are about 6 years too late... This ship is nearly submerged and people are scrambling for lifeboats...and you're trying to get into the mess hall to have a nice cold one. If Sony hadn't backed out, I'd say get a deck and record away. But, they never made us a deck. I'm happy with my legacy MD equipment. Hi-MD just never reached fruition, and now the life support plug is dangling out of its socket. There's literally nothing better to record on, but sadly, who wants to buy into a dream???

For curiosity sake, I just checked AMS, Guitar Center, Musician's Friend, Clearwater, and Music123 today... Either the stores have stopped carrying MD blanks all together, or they are on clearance sale evidenced by extremely long back-order dates, which I was told by more than one representative that this basically meant that once current stock is gone, that's it. Musician's Friend computer system simply assigns a strangely out of place extremely long back order date. I just got 4 packs of TDK's and 3 packs of Emtec's from Guitar Center for FIFTY CENTS A PACK. Bought a lens cleaner and a pack of old Basf MD's from Radio Shack for $2 each. Got a blue Hi-MD for $0.50 (only one they ever stocked). Bought a cardboard box of 20 2 packs of Maxell's from Rite Aid for $5. They had been removed YEARS ago and were just sitting in the back. Bought 10 packs of JVC Crystal discs from Sears for $10. The time is here, folks. Get the last that you can find. They are out there.

Read my last post...apparently Sony has had a change of heart and is pulling all remnants of MD out of the southeastern USA...looks like Canada is getting this treatment too... Consider yourself really lucky to have gotten one of these before Sony pulled the plug on MD for our continent.

My nearest Sony Style store here in Florida had a more bleak outlook. Seems they also sent all old stock MD equipment to Sony, however the manager here is NOT expecting it to return. His words? "They're done with it; its not coming back. We've been ordered to return all stock, and we were expecting the RH-1, but it seems like Sony's had a change of heart. They're not selling it here, and they've halted production past the first batch of units." So, I checked with my local Sony Broadcast and Professional office, and was told the same thing...the RH-1 is NOT coming, at least, to ANY division in Florida. I don't know if this counts for any other market, but its definitely a reversal for Sony, since the RH-1 was going to be the big "send-off" before MD was finally put to rest. Now, I guess we're not important enough to Sony for even THAT to happen. All of this beside the fact that all blank MD/Hi-MD media has been pulled and returned to Sony in this area. Let's face it, friends...we all need to stock up NOW and say a little vigil for our departed friend. I've got a ton of legacy MD equipment to last me for life. But, no Hi-MD since they never made a deck. I was going to get the RH-1, but I'm not buying into planned Sony obsolescence anymore. :'-(

Wow this thread is kinda funny. Doesn't anyone realize that the RH-1 is the final send-off? With MD's now gone from every major retailer in America, they aren't coming back. The stores tried, and kept MD for years...and it didn't move. More people buy Memorex mini cd-r's (for what purpose I have no clue) than blank minidiscs. Why else would Sony provide a way to upload legacy MD recordings? Further yet, why would you WANT to upload legacy recordings? What's wrong with PLAYING the discs as they are??? A format will not survive if its loyal users ABANDON it by uploading the discs' contents only to play that music on a computer or transfer it to a CD. Sony's final allowance to upload legacy discs is their way of allowing the MD customers to move on, get their music off their old obsolete discs, transfer the music to CD's or their Ipod, and be done with it. I'm not saying uploading legacy discs is a bad thing, but for all the fake supporters of MD using it only to transfer and play their music using another media while incorrectly claiming their allegiance to MD is one of the reasons this format is dead. Sony knows this; hence the big send-off. Why would they keep pursuing a format that most users here gleefully praise the final unit (RH-1) because of its ability to transfer music to another format?????? Most people here are HAPPIEST about the upload ability of the RH-1...and for what??? So they DON'T have to play their legacy discs anymore???? Isn't that the TRUE love of MD...actually PLAYING THEM????? Never in a million years would I be so happy with a new player because I could finally NOT listen to my old discs the way they were originally recorded! Its kinda like buying a new V8 400hp car and being all excited about it and claiming your love and devotion to it because it drives you to the corner...only to get out and catch the bus with everyone else!!!!! I just don't get it.

Of course I realize blanks can be bought online. So can NOS 8-tracks. My point was my depressing observation and ultimate realization of the symbolism of the discontinuation of minidiscs from reality stores. Not selling MD's at huge retail avenues like Best Buy, Circuit City, Radio Shack, Target, and last but not least, Wal-Mart (which IS the largest retail store in nearly the WORLD) is going to be such a HUGE blow to the profitability of this format that honestly there is no way it can survive and be profitable. I hate to sound negative, but its the sad truth. The plug's been pulled. The RH-1 is the big send-off, the last gasp to allow people to upload their MD recordings and transfer them TO SOMETHING ELSE (which quite honestly offends me; my whole love of MD is to use it as a recorder AND a playback device...to use MD to record something only to burn it to a CD or god forbid listen to it on a computer is blasphemy in my opinion and a kick in the face to real supporters and lovers of minidisc) while the format quietly goes away. I was going to get an RH-1 but I think I'm getting on the lifeboat before the ship pulls me down in the undertow when the last 15% goes under.

Man I was SO hoping I was wrong. I guess the official death is upon us. Especially sad when you realize that Wal-Mart STILL sells mini-CDR's...you mean to tell me more people use THOSE than minidiscs? Or VHS-C tape???? That's REALLY saying alot for the state of MD I suppose. I kinda feel silly to continue to pursue something so dead and yet so perfect for my use. Sad.

I hope someone can please verify that I'm wrong, but our two Wal-Mart stores in southern Miami suddenly in the last two days have completely removed all blank minidiscs. They weren't put in any clearance section, nor moved to any other section of the store. I remember back in the day when high end blank cassettes were suddenly discontinued, and I searched every Wal-Mart I could find to purchase dozens of Sony ES cassettes in the clearance section. An ex-girlfriend with whom I'm still friends is a manager of a Wal-Mart Supercenter. She was able to find out, that at least in her district, that the minidiscs were not only removed from the shelves but that they are being returned to the main distribution hub for sell-off because the prospects of them selling even at clearance prices would still pose a greater loss than returning them to their point of origin (similar to how CD's that are pre-ordered and don't sell to expectation are returned then sold by places such as "Big/Odd Lots"). One of my "things" that I do every time I got to a Wal-Mart across the country is just "check to see" if they have blank minidiscs. They've had them at the most obscure out-of-the-way stores in the middle of nowhere. I always knew the day was near...but not THIS near. I mean, they sell so much crap that you'd think NO ONE buys...but I guess MD is so far down the meter that we are all slightly blinded by how "do-do'd" our passion for this format really is. Remember a couple years back when there was actually pricing stickers and dedicated shelf space for Hi-MD 3 packs for $9.95 that never appeared??????? Damb Sony. DAMB SONY. Someone please check some local Wal-Mart stores and verify for me that this is at least, so far, just this district that has killed off their MD line. BTW, no more recorders exist at Wal-Mart of any kind. The local Best Buy also has stopped selling any recorders, as well as Circuit City (who used to have a big MD display section up to about a year ago). Best Buy here no longer stocks blank MD media, and sale is limited to stock on hand. Circuit City still carries the Memorex and Sony blank discs, although the Premium Gold series has been discontinued here. Memorex, being recently bought out by Imation, has nixed the MD line-up as well (not that I'd buy their discs anymore, but they were seen everywhere, keeping at least a public perception of minidisc at stores like Target). It's a very sad day...kinda like when you move out of town knowing you'll never see your friends again.

Hi there...pardon my Hi-MD ignorance, as I never made the plunge from standard SP; mainly because of the lack of a deck or car units. But, the RH1 had me interested as they brought back SP recording. On the second generation when they abandoned 13 years of legacy MD loyalty I basically became disinterested. But, the RH1 got me interested again. However, while looking over the dutch review of the RH-1, under "editing options" it only lists move or erase. Did Sony get rid of the combine/divide editing options on Hi-MD? If this IS available, what units will allow me to combine/divide in the exact same way as standard legacy MD's? If this is only capable via Sonic Stage, please tell me, as I hate using a computer for my music. The true value of MD was that you could make amazing profesional edits without a computer, mainly by using a combination of divide/erase/edit, etc. If Sony has gotten rid of the full editing capabilities of MD with Hi-MD (and again forgive me for discovering this so late in the Hi-MD game) then you can definitely count me out. Thanks!

The death of this format will be realized if Sony doesn't at LEAST release SOME kind of semi-pro deck. Otherwise, Hi-MD will ONLY be regulated as a transition medium to get recordings from your portable recorder to the computer, only to be put on ANOTHER format (probably CD) for ACTUAL USE. This format can NOT survive if its limited such a way. MD was designed to be LISTENED TO as well. I HATE burning CD's...they NEVER last, they ALWAYS end up skipping/chirping, the edit points are NEVER exact, etc.; What the hell is the point in recording something on a great MD recorder only to upload it to a computer, edit it on a computer, and burn a CD? I think it is DEGRADING to slap MD in the face like that. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO RECORD HI-MD'S AND THUS PLAY THE DISCS I'VE RECORDED ON MY DAMN STEREO WITHOUT A F****N' COMPUTER AROUND ME! I use MD for everything, ESPECIALLY playing the discs back! 99% of what I listen to is from MD. To disgrace this format (with its wonderful native editing capabilities) by regulating it to essentially a faceless digital initial recording device to transfer music to a damn computer unused to its full potential pisses me the hell off! Also, what the hell is the point of having removable media if YOU CAN'T REMOVE THE MEDIA AND PLAY IT ON OTHER EQUIPMENT? There is NO logic in this! This scenario DOES pose the argument that a flash or hard-disc recorder IS more beneficial if Hi-MD recorders are ONLY used to get recordings to a computer! Why would you have to remove the media? THERE AREN'T ANY OTHER DECKS/BOOKSHELVES/CAR STEREOS TO PLAY THEM IN! You're not going to "use" MD to actually listen to your final copy if its regulated to "just" the inital sound recorder only to be bastardized by a computer and CD'R's. If this is ALL most Hi-MD users want out of Hi-MD then such a rewarding and all-encompassing perfect format should not survive if it cannot blossom to its potential. Basically, it makes absolutely NO SENSE to only offer a removable media portable recorder IF YOU CANNOT PLAY THE REMOVABLE MEDIA ANYWHERE ELSE. THIS IS ABSURDITY AT ITS UTMOST IGNORANT. Also, if Sony "thinks" Hi-MD will go semi-pro, without ANY kind of deck, it will NOT succeed. Absolute bottom line. Sony, build ANY deck. Otherwise, MD WILL die. Sadly.

I am new to posting on the forum. I have a question that I am flabbergasted that it hasn't been asked yet in these 13 pages so far. The initial post lists the RH-1 with a "battery life" table which mentions battery time while recording in legacy formats. I know this has been asked before in other forums (with no clear answer) before this announcement was made on the 23rd, but what I must know is: DOES THE RH-1 ACTUALLY RECORD IN LEGACY FORMATS, SPECIFICALLY SP (LIKE THE 1ST GENERATION)? Since Sony (well, maybe they HAVE changed-we'll see) seems to not care to provide a car or home deck, I still demand SP recording ability. I don't care to use this unit only as a "transfer medium" to upload music to a computer and burn a CD. MD succeeds on so many levels to just use it as a way to get old SP discs or new live recordings to a computer. I play MD's as my main source of music on a stereo like the old days. I have wanted to get into Hi-MD the same way I am into legacy MD in so much as using it as a tape recorder; i.e., miles away from a computer. So, without a deck, I've stuck to legacy SP. But, I want some of the advantages of Hi-MD (specifically PCM) but I absolutely hated the fact that the second generation gave the big "F.U." to us legacy supporters ($32000 in legacy equipment anyone?) by killing legacy SP recording (which is still an AMAZING triumph of compression as far as sound quality). Also, the newer bitrate recording options excite me (especially the improvements over Hi-SP). But, in subsequent posts regarding the RH-1 I have seen no mention of any additions of bitrate choices-including lossless-via real-time recording (i.e., again, without a computer). The lack of anyone asking a question such as this, and specifically no mention of any such a direct recording improvement leads me to believe, sadly, that this unit can only do Hi-SP or Hi-LP natively without a computer in regards to Hi-MD recording modes. I hope I'm wrong. So, again my main questions are: 1) CAN THE RH-1 RECORD IN LEGACY SP? 2) WHAT ARE ALL THE ACTUAL NON-COMPUTER DIRECT RECORDING MODE CHOICES? Thanks! Sorry for the caps, but I've read this forum for hours and can't find my answer! PS...LOVED THE POSITIVE RESPONSES OVER AT ENGADGET!