Recording and uploading; how fast, how good?

[mr O]

I'm looking for something to record lectures (about 45 min) with 16bits/44.1kHz (I guess you can chose mono when recording a Hi-MD, am I right?). I’m now looking at Hi-MD, and wonder some thing about it.

1.About this *.oma file I get from SonicStage, can I handle it like a normal file and save it on a CD/DVD to use the himdrender program on it later?

2. If I record a PCM file (45 min, 16bits/44.1kHz, mono, ~250MB) on a Hi-MD and want it to my PC as a .wav file and use SS and Render, will this affect the sound quality off my file?

3. How quick is the "faster than real time" uploading from the Hi-MD for a 1 h PCM ? 2x, 5x, 50x or what?

4. Lets say I have 3 or 4 lectures on my Hi-MD disc (say 1GB data) and want it as .wav files (or possibly only one big .wav file) on my PC. How long will it take to do that if you're used to the programs (SS and himdRender)?

This is interesting and I hope Hi-MD is what I'm locking for

[dex Otaku]

The answers to most of your questions are here and have been for some time. Please feel free to use the 'search' box and check the FAQs at minidisc.org.

The short answers, though:

1. .oma is the file version of Sony's DRM'd container format for audio tracks. As such, it is basically not usable by anything but Sony's software. But - yes, you can use HiMDRender to make .wav files of them.

2. No.

3. PCM transfers on average between 2-3x realtime.

4. 94 minutes [a full disc] / 2.5 = about 38 minutes to transfer the audio. Rendering it with HiMDRender depends on how fast your computer is, but will likely only take a few minutes.

[xeroxide]

I'm looking for something to record lectures (about 45 min) with 16bits/44.1kHz (I guess you can chose mono when recording a Hi-MD, am I right?).  

For a disk formatted in Hi-MD mode, only PCM, Hi-SP and Hi-LP modes are available, for other modes to be available, one must use the older md format. Hi-LP is good for lectures though

1.About this *.oma file I get from SonicStage, can I handle it like a normal file and save it on a CD/DVD to use the himdrender program on it later?

any analogue file recorded on a hi-md may be transfered to pc. SS copies it to a folder ("C:Documents and SettingsAll UsersSonicStagePackagesHi-MD" by default) so it's just a matter of using himdrender proggie to convert it to wave.

2. If I record a PCM file (45 min, 16bits/44.1kHz, mono, ~250MB) on a Hi-MD and want it to my PC as a .wav file and use SS and Render, will this affect the sound quality off my file?  

Not that i am aware of, it'll still be damn good quality for 1 channel audio.

might i ask why pcm in mono? wouldn't you be better off using hi-sp stereo?

for lectures, i use hi-lp, its good enough for voice recording (pretty decent actually). Just be aware of the fact that the format you choose for your md will decide the modes you can record and play.

sp, lp, lp2 and lp4 require the disc to be in the older md format (so you cant use the 1gb hi-md discs) - not sure if pcm can b done in this mode but i don't think so.

pcm, hi-sp and hi-lp require the newer hi-md format

[Qwakrz]

One thing to remember is that...

You can only transfer recordings made with the disc in Hi-MD mode back to a PC using USB. You CAN'T transfer recordings made in netMD mode back to a PC using USB.

You can however transfer all types of recording using the old analogue cable route.