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Tunster

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Everything posted by Tunster

  1. also, I'd recommend http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sony-Hi-MD-blank-dis...6QQcmdZViewItem on eBay as well. 5 for £25 aint bad .
  2. I bought a RM-MC33EL off eBay from China for $27 USD for my N510 (wanted to relive it until the RH1 arrived). Not bad for £15. Definately authentic. But.... for some reason, eBay removed the item (as it was on Buy Now) just after I purchased it (and the user!). Very weird. Got it in the end anyway .
  3. I've just done it to my unit and done it quite sucessfully. You only get a little boost, but its enough to make me happy now I have the full 5mW+5mW .
  4. Nope. If I rename the non-DRMed files as *.omg, SS4.0 won't recognise it. From what I see, unprotected files (without DRM) won't transfer. Not for me anyway.
  5. Well.....I've given this plugin a hell of a test through. Using it through Sound Forge 8.0, you only get the normal list....48kbps,64kbps,96kbps,128kbps!,132kbps ATRAC3,160kbps!,256kbps,320kbps,352kbps and the list of Atrac Lossless list you get in CP 4.0. Now, there was a couple of things I wanted to mess around with. Playing it in winamp and seeing if it would import into SS 4.0. First off, I downloaded the winamp atrac plugin from this site and at first, it wouldn't read the *.aa3 files. But I thought the original format is *.oma or *.omg. I renamed it *.oma and it worked! Very nicely too. Very impressed that the ATRAC Lossless could knock off 10MB off the original WAV file losslessly! Now the test. I encoded a 128kbps ATRAC3plus file. I kept it as a *.aa3 file and dragged it into SS 4.0.....it worked! Recognised with no problems. But there is some badish news.... None of these unprotected files will upload onto my RH1 with SS4.0. It just says its prohibited to do so, regardless if I rename the file to *.oma or not. shame really. Will just have to let SS4.0 do all the work.
  6. Thats not really right. Let me explain. The HiMD format uses FAT32 (or FAT16, can't remember!). This is why windows can read it and Sony have allowed you to normal files on there. With regards to what you were saying, thats on the audio. They're still raw files on the FAT partition. Like a hard-drive, you could have the same thing with music within one big file. In theory, that should make it less fragmented as there are less files and data won't be stored randomly across the disk so much. I don't know how the disc is stored on the HiMD disc, but windows "assumes" its totally defragmented, when it probably isnt.
  7. Brilliant news! I hope Sony really take on the legacy of MD higher (sure they may have some surprises up their sleeve ). With the news of non-DRMed ATRAC (news about the plugin) and the SDK coming out soon (which I predicted may happen), we could see some drag'n'drop MD players on the way or something similiar. This shows Sony are not hanging up their boots yet on MD.
  8. Who knows? I've been waiting for this to happen. I not along said this in a post and the SDK (which I hoped for) is now coming out . Just think of the possibilities. Maybe give AACplus a run for its money in terms of streaming . I wouldn't be surprised if people are reverse engineering the plug-in right now .
  9. The biggest difference is that AAC is supported. So if you have any AAC/M4A/3GPP audio files, sonicstage can now support them and transcode them into ATRAC (for MD stuff) or upload them entirely onto their flash/HDD based network walkmans that have a firmware update to support AAC playback. You can also rip CDs into AAC as well. Probably quicker navigation around the program too without crashing. Have a peek at the news topic about SS4.0. http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=15758
  10. Just don't bid until the last dying minutes. Don't reckon many people will have seen it.
  11. This is why I can't stand people making the iPod look like the best thing since sliced bread. MD could of gone a long way if it was marketed and developed for the average joe. ATRAC is closed-sourced and unfortunately, Sony haven't lent out SDKs/source-code to the open-source world for people to tweak on it. Formats used on todays HD DAPs are available as open-source encoders (except WMA) and easy to encode without DRM limitations. The design of the MD units (especially 1st/2nd/3rd Gen Hi-MDs) and the colaboration of SS was not attractive enough. As MD enthusiasts here, we all love the designs with is all niché with the format. Average joes like simpleton designs. MD hasn't really gone that way (except for the NetMD units possibly). Other things SONY could of taken MD into their advantage is that its re-recordable and much more sterdy. SONY could of leased out out this technology cheaper and possibly........got machines in stores that you could download music to (NetMD tech...but quicker!) instead of the CD. As much as MD has many positive aspects and features that stamp down on any other DAP, it has its fallbacks we all love to put up with .
  12. We may be simply seeing SONY gearing up more units that anticipated selling. Especially if they've delayed mjaor stock exportation until July. Most UK stores (primarily e-tailers) only recieved a very limited number of units (3 - 4 each). SONY probably wanted to see how quickly these went before jumping the gun. Who knows? The RIAA should have no say. All they'll do is pressure the american companies to keep music safe. If this is a problem in american, then obviously, Sony have a problem releasing the RH1 unit. Maybe they're working on a temporary firmware fix to stop that? The American market is tough with the RIAA always overlooking the music industry and products that effect it. This is why the iPod is so favourable because iTunes is the control over an individuals music.
  13. Anyone in the UK desperate for one? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sony-Minidisc-Record...1QQcmdZViewItem This eBay item is starting off at £175! 6 days left on the item with no bids. Bag a bargain while you can .
  14. Why on earth is Windows 2003 your fav OS!? It's a server OS, not for general use for public use. Thats probably why it doesn't work with SS4.0. I'd recommend you reinstall to XP. Can't see you getting any benefits from Windows Server 2003 .
  15. Hold on a minute; in another post, you said you had one here referring about the buttons...... http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=15839 Unless you want another one or have got a silver one..............if you have a silver one, why do you need a black one as well? (only assuming)
  16. Tunster

    Hi-MD

    When I rip CDs into SS, I encode them as 320kbps AAC. AAC @ 320kbps is pretty damn transparent so transcoding down to 192kbps ATRAC3+ is a very good result and shouldnt harm the end result. I'm fed up of my HD DAP. All I want is to carry the music I really like and not worry that I'm going to lose it all. Just wait until everybody's iPods start to crumble with HDs backing out with heavy use.
  17. 192kbps is absolutely brill for saving space but keeping quality. So far, I've got 8/9 albums on a 1GB disc at 192kbps ripped from CD, and I still have 40% of space left. Very impressed so far coming back to MD and being a HiMD virgin, lol.
  18. Must agree! I did notice this when first playing around with unit. You can't go wrong with Sony's dedication to prove quality products.
  19. Also, people recording using older legacy/MDLP units (like we have at our radio studios), I can now record my shows using MD and upload it straight after show when I get home with my RH1 .
  20. Those three main advantages also made me move the RH1. The HD Digital Amp is absolutely pheonominal! Hooked it up only analoguely upto my hi-fi system and bass response is superb, even made the downstairs table shake . For a playback unit, its a SQ heaven .
  21. Sorry to hear that you found it disappointing zahg. Not everyone is going feel the joys of the RH1 but, it is your opinion at the end of the day. But let me reverse and explain why they are positives rather than negatives. The features and where they're accessible make complete sense. For example, playback features are sensibly kept to the remote of the unit. Why? Well, being a very recording orientated device (like most high-end MD units are), the recording feature doesn't need the playback features. This is playback info, equaliser etc etc are etc etc. It would of been silly to put the titles etc on both the OLED and remote. To be honest, if you're gonna go record something; maybe a concert, you do not need to take the remote with you. You can't use the equaliser to record, don't need titling features, no need for bookmarking etc. I could go on. As much as the playback features have been seperated from the unit and this is annoying for you, I personally think this is good. You couldn't pile all the info on the OLED and its kept the design of the RH1 really sleak . I like to keep my unit tucked away so its hidden and safe, unlike iPod users . As I've already said, the playback features are kept to the unit. Assuming you use it for playback, why would you want to keep getting the unit out to look for info on the unit? Thats why Sony included the remote with the unit. Again, playback feature..... and sensibly kept to the remote. This has actually been the same with all the units that have equiliser. (anyone correct me if I'm wrong). You can't use equiliser for recording and why would you want to modify the true sound of recording? If you haven't grouped your tracks, you can use the group +/- buttons to skip 10 tracks a time. I think it only remembers if the unit goes to sleep and then press play to wake it up. When you take the disc out, it does reset the settings. I think you've got it wrong also, the recording settings are only remembered when you take the disc out and put it back in. That saves time for recording people . For me, it is dead perfect; both recording and playout. The factors that you have been describing are logical from Sony. They are slightly annoying, but its no good to overcrowd the unit and make it look ugly.......... which it certainly isn't.
  22. It all depends in what equipment you have and if its in MD/Hi-MD. As you said you have a hi-fi, there probably isn't going to be any easy round this without more expensive of finances. Obviously, you can record all those 500 albums in real-time from the output of your hi-fi into the line-in of your soundcard. But this is going to take a HUGE amount of time. The only practical way would be purchasing the new MZ-RH1 hi-MD Portable Player/Recorder. If your music is in SP/MDLP, there's a possibility you can upload them directly to your PC. But, the only caution is if you've made those minidiscs using the NetMD USB method of recording it to your discs. You may not have done though. Give us more details, and we'll be able to help further.
  23. How could I guess that was gonna come from you? We need Sony to ditch the DRM rubbish and make omg/oma files free from it so we can drag and drop them. Put them in folders maybe, but allow the play to create itself a ID3 type database for quick access (lets call it a titling tag database). Sony can there release SonicStage as a pure encoding tool or Sony could develop drivers so it will encode on the file when you drag and drop to the bitrate you wish within the windows explorer.
  24. 99% is marketing in terms of the iPod. Attractive and catchy adverts with pop music made people go out and look at it (after 2nd/3rd gen). If Sony really wanted to make MD really popular, they would of poored loads of money into advertising like Apple did. Any company with a sucessful product (Microsoft, Apple, Ford, etc etc) has to. For some reason, Sony refrained; especially in the American/European market where the iPod capitalised and growed quickly. Sparky, I don't wanna get into any petty argument, lol. We do have very different opinions. But right from the start of the iPod, I personally didn't want to fall into the "fashion" accessory trap. I love my gadgets, and they have to more different than the "average joe" product . This is why I love MD so much. I just felt and knew there was always something better than the iPod. I did find it with the Cowon iAudio M3. It just had a more dynamic sound compared to the iPod which I find with all of them........a bit flat and dull. I don't knock all of the iPod down. I do like the click wheel (really makes use of the ID3 DB idea, thats what set that off nicely). But thats it unfortunately.
  25. The iPod was definately not the first player to have a ID3 Tag Database and why should that make it the clever killer feature? Were they clever when making the iPod shuffle? No.....Any bog standard player shuffles music. All it is clever advertising. There really isn't anything special about the iPod. You think how muvh money has been poored into researching MD compared to Apple making the iPod? Any company with enough money can design and put together something like the iPod. Thats why there are so many on the market today. There really isn't any justice in the world for MD. Being a fantastic 1990s revolution leading on from CDs/Tapes, Apple have really snatched Sony's masterpiece of MD. I just hope Sony has learnt from its mistakes a few years ago not unleashing the NetMD technology with freedoms we now have from the RH1. The RH1 is certainly a great player. Why not with all the features and flexibilty you have it?
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