MiniDisc - your designs!

[doomlordis]

OK , all you budding artists out there now is your chance to design the next Generation of Hi-MD. Just attach photos and Specs and we will maybe have a poll to pick a favourite!

This is an offical contest that ends on September 9th! Read more information about the prize and requirements, here.

I will get the ball rolling with the MZ-XH1:

Full magnesium body

15mm thick

Line in/out Optical in/out

Mic in

25 hours battery life with just internal battery (mp3 at 128kbps)

Improved MP3 playback

Standard Mini usb connector

AC is on unit (but comes with charging/docking station also)

5mw output on all versions

Backlit LCD

come with 3 line remote with record functions

USB on the go

weighs just 90g

Comes in Silver , Black and Red

[attachmentid=759]

Forrgive my lack of talent ( i used microsoft paint!)

Here is the black version of the MZ-XH1

[attachmentid=760]

Edited August 26, 2005 by doomlordis

[Christopher]

That's pretty keen, doom. I like this thread, how about I make it sweeter by making it a little more official? The staff will decide on a winner, and whoever we feel has the best graphical design and feature list combined will get 5 Hi-MD discs*! Please submit entries within two weeks, so we'll end this on September 9th.

I'll sticky this for the time being.

[doomlordis]

That's pretty keen, doom. I like this thread, how about I make it sweeter by making it a little more official? The staff will decide on a winner, and whoever we feel has the best graphical design and feature list combined will get 5 Hi-MD discs*! Please entries twithin two weeks, so we'll end this on September 9th.

I'll sticky this for the time being.

←

Good luck to all!

[greenmachine]

Until i get to learn 3d modeling properly (propably not within 2 weeks), a rough sketch - the md-pod:

[MZ-NH1]

Awesome idea mate! I got no idea about designing an MD, or the specs it should have So I will just sit back and admire the designs!

[doomlordis]

Ok my second and last attempt, again not the best at paintshop stuff , more Rolf Harris than Monet!

This is the MZ-XH100 Bluetooth Hi-MD Recorder.

The Unit is shown actual size, it has a couple of innovations, the first is that the remote slides into the top of the unit to add the display and when unit is in pocket you detach the bluetooth remote and just plug in your earphones.

The second innovation is that the unit is a slot loader, no opening required just slide in your disk.

All record functions are available from the remote.

Specs:

Weight 80g without remote attached.

95g with it attached.

Battery life is 20 hours with bluetooth on and remote detached , 30 hours with remote attached.

MP3, WMA and Atrac3,3+ and new Atrac Lossless compatible.

Mic in, Optical IN, Line out.

Usb on the go

AC on units base.

Mini Usb port on units base.

Docking Station.

7mw + 7mw output.

Windows/Mac drag and drop operation.

Comes in White, black and Red.

[attachmentid=769]

Here is a 3D picture of my design.

[attachmentid=823]

Edited September 3, 2005 by doomlordis

[big_raji]

The second innovation is that the unit is a slot loader, no opening required just slide in your disk.

I LOVE this idea, except that your design is waaaaay too thin. You need somewhere for the battery, mechanics, etc... and with Bluetooth, you're gonna need a bigger battery, AND a battery in the remote.

Of course, for a dream machine, it's perfect.

[doomlordis]

My phone had bluetooth and a very good battery life and is thinner than this, my design uses a small nuclear reactor for power so no worries!

Edited August 27, 2005 by doomlordis

[Andicillo]

After a few attempts (and based o n a non-sony Md design) finally I have the honor of introducing the New and Revolutionary:

MZ -ZH5000 Hi-Md Recorder-Player with Hi-Md Photo/Video with touchscreen

The Sony MZ-ZH5000 Hi-MD recorder is designed to create personalized music masterpieces. Musicians can easily record their own tunes and upload their music onto a computer. The MZ-ZH5000 features a digital 5.0 megapixel digital camera (with 3.0x optical/6.0x digital zoom) and large Full color VGA LCD touchscreen display, so Photos, Videos, sound-setting screens, tracks, titles and artists can be viewed from wide angles making it the experience of a lifetime. The unit can record from different sources including mic in, line in and USB, and plays back MP3/WMA/VAV/ATRAC3®/ATRAC3plus audio files. The MZ-ZH5000 provides up to 33 hours of continuous playback with its supplied rechargeable battery combined with one AA battery. A remote control and infrared port for quick laptop/cell phone transfers is included.

[attachmentid=770]

Full magnesium body

17 mm thick

Line in/out Optical in/out

Mic (optical) in

33 hours battery life with internal battery

Large full color VGA display can be viewed from wide angles

Multifunction Remote Control supplied (Rec button on remote)

Ni-MH Rechargeable Battery included

Sleek Design - thinner and lighter

Store 45 hours (approximately 675 songs) on one Hi-MD 1GB MiniDisc and up to 90 hours (approximately 1350 songs) on one NEW Hi-MD 2GB MiniDisc

Compatible with both Hi-MD™ and Standard MiniDisc media

High-Speed PC to MD recording at up to 300X Transfer Speed

Record and Playback Uncompressed Linear PCM Audio using the the line input for recording

Data File Storage - Store Transfer and SEE Presentations, Documents, Spreadsheets Videos and Photos

Archive Data with Low Cost, Removable Hi-MD™ Media

Music and Data Transfer Powered by USB

Plays Back MP3/WMA/VAV/ATRAC3®/ATRAC3plus™ Audio Formats

TOUCHSCREEN for easy Navigation

Windows/Mac drag and drop operation for easy Download/Upload

Alternate use of MDStage 5.0 for extra compression.

Built-in IRDA (infrared port)

Comes in Silver and Blue

[attachmentid=771]

Supplied Accesories

* Ni-MH Rechargeable Battery

* External "AA" Dry Battery Case

* AC international Power Adaptor

* Earbud headphones

* Digital Cable

* USB Cable

* Carry Pouch

* 2GB Hi-MD™ Disc

* MDStage 5.0 Software CD-ROM

* 1 mini digital microphone free (when buying a 5 color Hi-MD blanks pack)

Available EVERYWHERE soon. First 100000 units with 50% off as introductory price. Hurry don't miss yours.

Edited August 28, 2005 by Andicillo

[greenmachine]

With 20x Zoom it would look more like this, don't you think?

[D-EJ915]

^^ now that's what I'm talking about!!

Those designs are pretty cool. If I can get around to it today I'll come up with one for you guys.

[MZ-NH1]

Andicillo that looks bloody awesome!!!!

Love the screen!

[leonyuhanov]

20X zoom, tahts awsome!! man id buy that!

Bluetooth would be awsome on an MD but of little use, the tranfer speed is soooo slow!

I love the new models here pretty cool!!

Leon

[doomlordis]

The bluetooth is for wireless remote only, Bluetooth headphones are a reality and getting better.

Edited August 29, 2005 by doomlordis

[Andicillo]

Andicillo that looks bloody awesome!!!!

Love the screen!

←

Thanks MZ-NH1, I would love a unit like that as well

[AMPlitude]

andicillo, that is gorgeous

are you listening sony?

[MZ-NH1]

digital 5.0 megapixel digital camera (with 3.0x optical/6.0x digital zoom)

large Full color VGA LCD (AWESOME!!!),

plays back MP3/WMA/VAV/ATRAC3®/ATRAC3plus audio files.

33 hours of continuous playback with its supplied rechargeable battery combined with one AA battery.  A remote control

Some EXCELLENT IDEAS!

If only Sony were looking at this and acting on it!

Touch screen!, long battery life! all types of things can be stored... really good. Maybe also let the unit have like 10GB of HDD space internally... so we don't have to continuosly change the discs...

[migt]

I'm not so sure touchscreen is such a good idea. It adds bulk and you would have to put it on hold every time you put it in your backpack. And, what for?

[veezhun]

i dont want a camera or touch screen lcd... i want

1. digital out

2. heavy duty battery for long recording

3. 5 gb discs

4. a recorder that does manual levels and remembers them

5. OLED with colours

6. magnesium body

7. abilty to record in the new bit rates of atrac3plus

8. ability to edit tracks even from sonicstage.. the editability is very important..

edit: adding picture as required by law

[attachmentid=794]

cheers

Edited September 1, 2005 by kurisu

[leonyuhanov]

Bluetooth headphones would have to use the next gen bluetooth version to get full stereo with 0 loss, which woudl be totaly kick ass. I would so buy one if it had bluetooth headphones!

current bluetooth audio is pertty crapy, try it with a bluetooth headset and a bluetooth computer, its like listening to music through your mobile.

As for teh remote, thats a good idea, but it would make things a bit expensive, awsome, but expensive, and MD doesnt need to get any more expensive

Leon

[Andicillo]

I'm not so sure touchscreen is such a good idea. It adds bulk and you would have to put it on hold every time you put it in your backpack. And, what for?

←

Well there's always the "HOLD" button that can lock the touchscreen when it's inside a pouch or a pocket. What for? Easy navigation, use of multimedia and making the format more compatible with EVERYTHING.

[KrazyIvan]

Okay. I am not really good at computer design but I can sketch. I'll have to scan in my sketch tonight. As far as specs, here goes:

- Model Name: MZ-RHSD1

- Magnesium alloy body available in Blue, Black, Silver and Orange.

- Li-ion user replaceable battery.

- 2GB Hi-MD discs + SD memory card up to 1GB (most likely would be some MS based technology but this is my design, right?)

- Line input/output, optical input/output, Mic in.

- USB 2.0 Transfer to SD card

- Ability to transfer between SD card and Hi-MD disc without a computer.

- Drag-n-drop via Explorer or Mac equivalent

- Slot load disc mechanism

- Ability to record in PCM, Hi-MD, MDLP, Legacy, and MP3 (up to 320kbps) modes.

- Gapless recording in any mode.

- No DRM (well, actually, user selectable DRM to be compatible with download services.)

- Full color EL (white) backlit high-res, color matched screen screen (user selectable) ie If the unit is black, the screen would have white text with a black background. User can change the colors.

- Bluetooth enabled Remote with all functions available from the remote

- Volume control is a "rocker" switch. If button is held down for more than two seconds it will ramp up the volume gradually.

- "Play" button is also a scroll wheel.

- 7 band user selectable EQ with memory for 5 user editable presets.

- When in record mode the screen will switch to a red background with white lettering.

- Full editing capabilities plus TOC cloning possible for all formats.

- Ability to record in "linked" mode. If you run out of room on Hi-MD the unit will switch over to SD card automatically. It will also warn the user 5 minutes before space runs out by default. This is also user selectable (in 1 minute increments) as far as the lead time warning that the unit gives you.

Okay here is mine. It's not a pretty drawing but you get the idea:

Edited September 1, 2005 by KrazyIvan

[Andicillo]

Sorry to be fussy but this was supposed to be a "design contest" and not a wishlist... (anyway your suggestions have all been very creative)

Think of it

Ahhh if just sony was looking at our forum

[Christopher]

Sorry to be fussy but this was supposed to be a "design contest" and not a wishlist... (anyway your suggestions have all been very creative)

Think of it

Ahhh if just sony was looking at our forum

←

Your completely right -- any submissions without some sort of drawing, no matter how crude, will not be accepted.

[greenmachine]

I'd even say all these phantastic specifications are irrelevant. Let's focus on the design. Submit your ideas concerning features to this topic.

[JKIM]

HI-MD mostly standard specs, new internal clock display and remaining battery time indicator

Blackberry compatible

"CustomSensor" Allowing customization of "Sony Virtual Button Map", essentially replaces hard buttons with user-friendly 'CustomSensor' pad.

Native MP3

firmware upgradeable

Naming convention not established at this time

tentatively designated "Hi-Text" or "Walk-Berry"

User customizable 'ScreenPlate' protects screen and decorates with choice of 5 'ScreenPlate' border colors.

Optical in/out

Mic-in

Remote/dual headphone jack

Line in/out

USB 1.1/2

SS no longer necessary - drag 'n drop music files

e-book/mp4 capability

games avilable in future firmware revisions

1GB flash memory installed

Edited August 31, 2005 by JKIM

[Ishiyoshi]

Thanks for the effort, however, please keep all picture entry no more than 800x600 if possible.

[JKIM]

Thanks for the effort, however, please keep all picture entry no more than 800x600 if possible.

←

Done.

[The Rule]

That is too cool, JKIM.

[MDGB2]

Here's mine...

[attachmentid=793]

Hehe....

Edited September 1, 2005 by kurisu

[LJM]

Knocked that up in PSP, and labelled it just for you

[Andicillo]

Nice design, LJM!

[hobgoblin]

im voting for one of the slotloads.

or hell, how about a 3,5" internal drive version?

son of the floppy

ok, i know thats no design but i just love the idea of a 1GB "floppy"

Edited September 1, 2005 by hobgoblin

[big_raji]

I've been using my current Hi-MD unit as a "floppy" for quite awhile now. That use inspired my design. I'm working on the front of the unit, but I've finished the important part.

Please note that I have absolutely NO PHOTOSHOP SKILLS. I do, however, have a few CAD skills.

[attachmentid=835]

This is the RH920.

This is the top view of the unit, while it is inserted in the 3.5" adapter in the PC. The adapter itself has a female USB header connection to connect to the motherboard, and has an optional adapter to turn it into a male type-a USB plug to lead out the back of the PC (with provided rear slot cover) and into a USB port. The front of the adapter has an eject button on the right, with a "Link LED" and a "Busy LED" above. The Link LED flashes while charging the unit, and remains solid when the unit is charged. The adapter has guides that conform to the tapered edges of the unit, as well as a "guide rail" that fits into small "guide slits" on either side of the unit. This ensures that the unit is always installed properly into the adapter.

While the unit is inserted in the PC adapter, it operates as a removable drive. You eject the discs with the slider switch on the unit itself. To remove the unit, push in the "Eject Unit" button on the right side of the adapter.

The top of the unit has a slot loading mechanism for the MD's, Line-out/Headphone/Remote jack, Optional Optical Line Jack on the High End Unit (RH20), Mic/Line-In jack, and Disc Eject slider.

The bottom of the unit has a proprietary port for the unit to connect to the adapter, as well as a standard mini-USB port.

The sides of the unit are bare, except for the "guide slits" for the adapter, and a lone HOLD switch on the right side near the bottom and the front face of the unit. The left of the unit has holes for mounting an optional "AA" battery adapter.

[attachmentid=830] [attachmentid=833] [attachmentid=834]

The face of the unit has a 5-Line monochrome LCD display with green backlight on the left side of the face. This display is upgraded to a 5-Line color OLED display on the high-end unit. (RH20)

There is a jog-dial interface on the right side of the face (notice the raised up area) identical to the current RH910/RH10 units. The jog-dial is near the top of the unit, for greater comfort while holding the unit in your right hand. The jog-dial is close to the middle of the unit so that you can hold it in your left hand as well (with thumb coming up from the bottom or top left of the unit) without blocking the LCD screen. It also has a volume rocker button below the jog dial, as well as the other standard buttons (Stop, Record, Pause, Menu/Search) and an Audio button to choose the Audio Mode of certain jacks. There is a clear window on the bottom of the face to show the inserted disc.

The unit has a matte-metallic black finish on front and back.

The back edges are beveled to give the unit a much smaller feel when holding it. There is a door to insert the NH-10WM/14WM gumstick battery. The reason for the thickness is to allow for the slot load, display, jog dial and buttons, battery, motor, and all the jacks. There was also no reason to try to make the unit significantly thinner than the height of a 3.5" drive (about 1")

There's a remote included with the RH20.

I tried my best to make this a feasible unit, both in features and in price. My dream unit is everything I want at a good price that I can afford to buy, hence the lack of fancier features.

I will do some playing with a photo editing program to add some detailed full color pictures later. The full color pictures will show a clear window along the bottom of the face of the unit. This will show part of the label on the minidisc, as well as showing the minidisc spinning (for discs that have clear cases)

EDIT:

I think this really showcases the device as a MiniDisc player, rather than a large portable music device. Seeing the disc definitely adds to the cool factor, IMHO.

Edited September 5, 2005 by big_raji

[AMPlitude]

good work big raji

[Christopher]

Keep it coming! There's only three days left.

[Asia]

Model Name: MZ-SH1

- Magnesium body

- Li-ion battery.

- Line input/output, optical input/output, USB2, FireWire, Mic in, . (through device AND cradle)

- Video files PlayBack feature (Mpeg1/2/4/AVI/Dvix/WMV/Real)

- you can listen to music while you browse the media file or look at picture (diaporama or not)

- USB host compatible

- Vu-meters both on screen and remote

- PCM, Hi-MD, MDLP, SP, and MP3 recording modes available.

- No DRM

- Full color OLED screen, with UNICODE feature

- Bluetooth Necklace New version of the Remote 40k/Headphone

- Sensor Wheel button ( as Ipod)

- 7 band user selectable EQ.

- Full editing capabilities

- Time Stamp

- new Memo/Clock/Agenda feature (Agenda + pics)

[big_raji]

good work big raji

←

Thanks!

[attachmentid=859]

Model Name: MZ-SH1

←

Wow!

How did you create that picture? That's amazing!

I've really got to learn 3D modeling...

Edited September 7, 2005 by big_raji

[Petter156]

I think he modified a picture of the Qualia-line MD player.

Qualia products

[migt]

MZ-HAV1

[attachmentid=862]

[attachmentid=863]

MZ-HAV1 on cradle

[attachmentid=864]

MZ-HAV1

Hi-MD Portable Audio-Video Recorder

• 3.5” 16:9 Color LCD Display

• 9-Way Navigation Joystick

• SD/MMC/Add-on Slot

• Backup Single-line Backlit LCD

• One-handed operation with either hand

• USB 2.0 and AC connection on unit

• Slot-type disc loader

• Full Drag and Drop

• Adjustable stand (15º, 35º , 50º), which folds up into the unit

• 7-Band EQ. User EQs can be stored on either the unit (5), the MD, or and SD/MMC card.

• Cradle with USB 2.0, Firewire, Detachable speakers, and AC

• Basic PIM (Personal Information Manager)

Main LCD Display may work in both in 16:9, 4:3, and 4:3 with sidebar modes. After a user-set amount of time, the main LCD turns off and the Secondary (Backup) LCD starts displaying the track info. The 9-Way joystick allows easy navigation of the menus. The SD/MMC/Add-on slot provides easy transfer of files from cameras, mp3 players, PDAs, and camcorders to Hi-MD. Additionally, it fits the Hi-MD Add-on cards, which may add additional functions, codecs, and possibilities (such as a camera, for example). The bottom of the unit has a proprietary port which connects to the cradle. The advantage of the proprietary cradle port, is that while providing all inputs and outputs plus Firewire, it leaves most of the on unit connections open.

Supported Codecs:

-----On unit:

• ATRAC 3+ (Rec/Play)

• ATRAC 3 (Play Only)

• MP3 (Rec/Play)

• PCM (Rec/Play)

• MPEG4 (Rec/Play)

• JPEG (View)

• TXT (View)

• PDF (View)

-----As Add-on Cards:

• ATRAC 3 (Rec)(included with unit)

• MPEG1/2 (Rec/Play)

• OGG Vorbis (Rec/Play)

• Flac (Rec/Play)

• AVI (Rec/Play)

• JAVA

• 3.0MP Camera

• Bluetooth

• And more

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Textured Version (Magnesium):

[attachmentid=866]

Finally got the time to (almost) finish texturing. Buttons aren't fully textured so you can't see which is which. The button layout is the following:

/----!-----\ You get to the menu by pushing the joystick in.

/_FR_!_FF_ \

\ PL / \ ST /

\ \ / /

\___!___/

Edited September 7, 2005 by migt