kaledi

I have installed CP manually like many of us and cannot use the auto update that is under the 'help' menu. Interesting thought about making sure that IE is the default browser. I will try this tonight. You def have to use IE6 to view the connect store in Europe, but Firefox will work in for the US store. The choice of (default) browser does not affect the use of Connect store through SS3.3 or CP, only when you want to brows to the store like any other web page.

I too have managed to install the connect player so thanks for all the pointers and intructions. Some comments and questions. 1. Is this the full installation - are all the components/modules present? 2. The connect store points to the US site not the UK one - interesting 3. You can't seem to be able to rip a CD into the lossless codec - can anyone confirm this 4. You cannot convert file format/bitrates - Can anyone confirm this?

Try reinstalling SS3.3 withour uninstalling the original installation. To do this just double click on the download installation file and when prompted confirm that you want to reinstall. I had some problems with transfers to Hi-MD and the above appeared to solve things. What was interesting was that on the second installation (reinstall) DirectX 9.0c was downloaded (even though it was already installed).

Called into a Dixons in Cardiff this afternoon and they had on display 2 A1000.The attendant suggested that they had had them for nearly a week and were expecting the A3000 within the next few days. Got a chance to have a quick play and have to say that I can't believe how small they are. The A3000 should not be too bug either; very tempted to buy one now. Connect player must be shipping with these units - anyone had a chance to use it or have available to download from somewhere?

Another interesting point and question. Hi-MD devices (and other ATRAC devices) support this new bit rate of 352kps, yet they do not support 320 kps nor the lower recently added bit rates. Further, you cannot rip a CD at 352kps. Anyone have any technical ideas to why this might be?

Actually, I'm not convinced it is a simple case of a lossless file + the compressed version bolted onto each. This is because normally, the file size difference between say a 64kps file and a 256kps file for a typical 4min track is more than 2mb (which is the file size difference of the respective lossless files). Moreover, when you transfer to a HiMD device, then the transferred, compressed file, remains in the optimised folder, suggesting that a conversion process has taken place. Therefore, I suspect that the lossless file is just that, but the various implementations of the lossless files have additional information to optimise the conversion process for their respective bit rate.

This is what I've found and posted on the Minidisc.org forum These new bitrates are confusing me a lot, but think I'm beginning to work them out. You can encode lossless at "256kps, 128kps, 132kps and 64kps" When you encode the same track into each of these formats you get slightly different file sizes - between 33.5 and 35.5MB for 4.08 track. What I have found though is if you want to convert your lossless files to a compressed bitrate, then the files are optimised for their associated compressed version and the conversion is almost instantaneous. Thus 256 lossless to 256 ATRAC3+ is very very fast but 256 lossless to any other ATRAC3+ is slower, but interestingly still much faster than conversion from ATRAC3+ to ATRAC3+ Same goes for other 'lossless' bitrates What isn't clear to me is why file sizes of the lossless files differ

CAn you tell us what the buttons down the left and right hand edge are for. Also any further information on the connect player software, specifically compatibility with older hardware and general availability? Finally, can you confirm that these players will play all new ATRAC3+ bit rates?