Hi-MD, Bye-MD?

[Menthol Moose]

One day, a company will make a flash based mp3/ogg player, with a quality (MD standard) line in encoding, with 2-4g standard memory,FM radio and encoding, runs for hours on a standard battery, with VCR timer recording functions, and one that isnt raped by DRM and uploading restrictions.

And it wont be sony.

[chester]

Although I ditched my MD a few months ago for a samsung 1gig player, I am sad to see it go. But Sony has its self to blame for many of the reasons HI-MD didnt take off. For me a huge turn off was the bug ridden sonic stage that made transfering MP3's just a torture session. With the samsung player its just drag and drop in a drive letter window. Uploading recordings was just as painful, and only after much feet dragging did sony give us multipul uploads and tools to do it directly.

I completely agree with you that the sonic stage software sucks. I tried to keep the most up to date version, but the new features I just didn't use. The software was slow, confusing at times, and I constantly ran into stupid problems. Sony should've gone the route of using a drive letter for the Players.

What about data storage? MD are basically cheap, safer CD-RWs.

[flashy400]

SONY!!!!!!! BAD BAD DOG!!!! Go back to your room and think about what the hell you're doing!!!!!!

After my sony Net-MD got stolen i bought a flagship SHARP Net-MD (IM-DR80), and its SO fantastic even without being a HI-MD. Even with the difficulties that come with having a not-so-common player, and still having to rely on sony's Sonicstage for Connect software, i have never found any other portable system that could do what it can. THE BATTERY LASTS 120-130 HOURS OF PLAYBACK!!!!!!!!! I'd love to see an Ipod do that!!!! (compared to it's measly 12hours) It has a full function remote, USB cradle, and SUPERIOR sound quality.

I'm sorry but getting rid of these things just won't hold up untill they give us another safe and reliable device that has the quality of our MD players. and WHAT WAS SONY THINKING with this stupid DRM that we all have to fight so hard....

If you do this......

Go To Hell Sony

[Langrath]

Some people have mentioned Qualia. Is this the new name for Sony's products, or what?

Georg

One day, a company will make a flash based mp3/ogg player, with a quality (MD standard) line in encoding, with 2-4g standard memory,FM radio and encoding, runs for hours on a standard battery, with VCR timer recording functions, and one that isnt raped by DRM and uploading restrictions.

And it wont be sony.

Don't be sure. Mindiscs are a little clumsy today, at least compared to flash player. But they were long before their time when the product was introduced. They can do it again.

Georg

[SimonMackay]

Hi everyone!

I have heard some people reckon that the MiniDisc format and its Hi-MD successor are worthless in both the audio and data contexts. The main issue that seems to be forgotten is the concept of maintaining backup data storage on a reliable medium. It seems to me that the CD or DVD format is the only one for the application but why isn't Hi-MD considered as an alternative, especially for small data collections. For photographers, the fact that the discs are inexpensive can come in handy with establishing an easily-manageable image-storage system. Think of using a Hi-MD Walkman alongside that MCMD-R1 card-reader and you mark up discs according to how you file your images -- according to each location or job for example.

As well, most of the MiniDisc or Hi-MD Walkman units in use are the recorder units which often end up being used for "field recording" activities and let's not forget the MD decks which do a lot of recording. This is because they work as a logical "next step" from the cassette.

I reckon that most people are buying the iPod simply because it is a _fashion accessory_ -- they have to have the unit with the white earphones and have to be seen with the white earphones.

I also fear that Sony will pull out of the quality AV scene and just end up like most of the Japanese brands -- either on a highly-reduced list of products, selling poor-quality rebadged Chinese goods just like everybody else, not researching any new consumer-electronics technology and / or simply off the consumer-electronics radar especially outside Japan. The rest of the world will end up being swamped with poor-quality Chinese-built equipment that only lasts a few years. This could easily happen once Sony loses it with its "identity technologies" like MiniDisc.

I would reckon that JEITA and other groups who represent the Japanese electronics and photographics industries should work towards supporting the MiniDisc / Hi-MD format as the magneto-optical removeable storage medium for these industries.

With regards,

Simon Mackay

[silence]

Shit! Look how many ppl r reading this topic 1st of all!

2ndly - THIS IS RIDICULOUS! I don't think Sony realise how disaterous their decision will be, if they decide to cut the MD's completley!

I think we need to get into contact ASAP with a major Sony exec or some1 who has major influence in Sony... and let them know how we feel and why!

even if all 18,000 members signed a petition Sony wouldn't flinch- the MD is dated technology and they just now realized

I am not trying to sound nasty by saying this... but for all the recordists who use MD's (including me) If MD's were scraped... then we would have nowhere to go! It is saught of ok for the people who use MD's JUST as players, as they can always go to mp3 players... but for the recordists, there is NOT A SINGLE product out there that would compare to an MD in recording quality and flexability!

YES THERE IS and it is called the M-Audio MicroTracker

Please correct me if I am wrong.

YES you are wrong

[lynel]

Dont know if this has been posted before, but looks like we made it to the news!

http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1900

Maybe now Sony will take note!

[MDrocks]

One general quesion: what does dropping the MD really mean? What about the users who have hundreds of minidiscs with recordings and music at home (like me)? As for dropping the further EVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT of MD I agree. In the last few years MD has finally reached the major aims:

1. SOUND COMPRESSION may be useful for some purpose, no doubt, but has always been an obstacle for MD to become acknowledged in a more "professional" user community (which again is important for a long time existance of a format). -> PCM recording is now possible! This has been a point of critizism for the MD I heard almost from the beginning in 92. It´s now solved and 90 mins of realtime recording are a decent success, aren´t they?

2. the PC CONNECTION which finally EXISTS in both ways. Sure, I have been tortured by SonicStage myself often enough, but this is a POLITICAL not a TECHNICAL problem in first line. The technique itself is working fine. It´s the restrictions that are stupid (and a major reason for this whole thread). So while for Ipod etc users SoS is nothing but one major bug, it is acceptable for musicians, theaters, journalists etc, who simply want to upload their field recordings. Still there might be a better solution, but again, it´s not the technique! -> No better way to get high quality field recs with a comparable tiny device!

I don´t wanna tlk about the many other advantages of MD which have been mentioned above.

As for me this is what Sony should keep in mind before abandoning the format. MD covers a niche, yes, but an important one, and one which will always exist . The technique has reached an excellent level as described above. The competition should be BETWEEN IPOD AND NETWORK WALKMAN, not between MD an Ipod or MD and Network Walkman. Would be like comparing apples to pears. As described above MD has reached an excellent performance.

So finally dropping the MD may only mean dropping development, and licensing the format away and/or offering a "final" series of MD products of HiMD products:

one or two portables (the requirements have been discussed in MDCF in a different topic)

a HiMD-deck

a car unit

and a professional portable (not just with a microphone bundle - professional users usually already have a mic or prefer to choose it one their own, but a TASCAM-standard like: with XLR, distinct recording buttons...)

[redimon]

Qualia was preposterous and overpriced, for people with more money than brains. AIBO was an engineers' indulgence. But minidisc actually had real-world uses.

Maybe we should count ourselves lucky that before Sony ditched MD, they almost got it right: high-capacity media, PCM recording, backlit recording remote (almost), uploading of original recordings that can shed the DRM. Even Mac compatibility. Years too late, it's a useful format, though it's still so technically convoluted that it could never compete in an iPod world.

The real villains in the minidisc saga--and they are as venal as they are stupid--are the fools at Sony Music: the ones who see a piracy threat in every new technology that might lose them a few dozen CD sales, but who don't mind wasting millions of dollars in payola to get Jennifer Lopez on the radio. If they had their way, CDs would self-destruct after two plays and you'd have to buy a separate copy of any song you wanted to hear in your car. It's their short-sightedness and greed, and their fear and contempt of their customers, that crippled minidisc and may now have killed it.

And in the meantime, Sony sells countless VAIO computers with CD burners.

I've got 2 Hi-MD recorders. By the time they wear out, I expect that someone will have come up with an iPod Nano-sized compact-flash recorder that takes removable, cheap 100 GB discs; has a readable remote; gets MD-like battery life and treats its recordings as drag-and-drop files. For all I know, it will also be a cell phone and wireless PDA, a camera and a mini-accordion. I don't expect it will be by Sony.

I agree entirely. Down here in Australia the whole piracy issue is being blown out of proportion. Various surveys and statistical data confirm that while piracy is a minor problem, most consumers prefer to buy original commercial recordings. The problem is that companies like Sony spend so much money on developing media incapable of being copied that they pass the cost onto the consumer. Many consumers just can't afford the cost. When the average cost of a top 40 CD in Australia is AU$33+ (US$25, €20 or £14) is it any wonder that people would want to pirate the music, especially teenagers with less disposable income? Many people "try before they buy" by listening to pirated music before they decide to actually by original. If the cost of the original music wasn't so high in the first place I believe there would be fewer problems. If you treat customers like criminals, they'll act like criminals.

As for the MD format, I still think its the best thing since sliced bread. I love my MD walkman and would use it in my car if the car stereo actually had a line in jack. I've tried using the Ipod FM transmitter but doesn't provide great quality. I'm left to using my MD player when I'm using public transport or vegging out.

Love live the MD! (hopefully!!)

[MDrocks]

One general quesion: what does dropping the MD really mean? What about the users who have hundreds of minidiscs with recordings and music at home (like me)? As for dropping the further EVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT of MD I agree. In the last few years MD has finally reached the major aims:

1. SOUND COMPRESSION may be useful for some purpose, no doubt, but has always been an obstacle for MD to become acknowledged in a more "professional" user community (which again is important for a long time existance of a format). -> PCM recording is now possible! This has been a point of critizism for the MD I heard almost from the beginning in 92. It´s now solved and 90 mins of realtime recording are a decent success, aren´t they?

2. the PC CONNECTION which finally EXISTS in both ways. Sure, I have been tortured by SonicStage myself often enough, but this is a POLITICAL not a TECHNICAL problem in first line. The technique itself is working fine. It´s the restrictions that are stupid (and a major reason for this whole thread). So while for Ipod etc users SoS is nothing but one major bug, it is acceptable for musicians, theaters, journalists etc, who simply want to upload their field recordings. Still there might be a better solution, but again, it´s not the technique! -> No better way to get high quality field recs with a comparable tiny device!

As for me this is what Sony should keep in mind before abandoning the format. MD covers a NICHE, yes, but an important one, and one which will always exist (and where no one needs 40 or more GB of memory). The competition should be perceived BETWEEN IPOD AND NETWORK WALKMAN, NOT BETWEEN IPOD AND MD or MD and Network Walkman. Would be like comparing apples to pears. As described above MD has reached an excellent performance.

So finally dropping the MD may only mean dropping development, and licensing the format away and/or offering a "final" series of Sony HiMD products and keep it in the offer for many years:

- one or two portables (the requirements have been discussed in MDCF in a different topic)

- a HiMD-deck (many of todays MD users with big COLLECTIONS will sooner or later buy it, be sure)

- a car unit

- and a professional portable (not just with a microphone bundle - professional users usually already have a mic or prefer to choose it one their own, but a TASCAM-standard like: with XLR, distinct recording buttons...)

Edited October 3, 2005 by MDrocks

[silence]

Sony has to dump all the units it has before it has the guts to announce it to its loyal customers and dealers. For those of you who think that they will retain a certain model think again. Look at where the market is going.., although Sony has been known to do some pretty stupid things and disregard the trends.

You have to understand the Japanese mind to make sense of it - I don't claim to but my wife Sayoko does not make sense very often.

I'm sorry to see such a nice site as this going through the 4 stages of grief. (or better known as"How much longer until I feel good again")

Feel free to choose the stage you find yourself at:

Denial

Depression

Anger

Acceptance

The quicker we go through them the better we will feel

Kurisu said it clear enough that the MD is dead ( without saying it )

We can...

Wait for the next ATRAC encoded, idiotically-encrypted software crippled wonder from Sony.

OR we can move on to flash based - no moving parts, drag and drop technology from more switch-on manufactures -

Bye Sony

[plainsman]

First of all, hello everyone =) I am from the island of Singapore, a small city state just south of Peninsula Malaysia in Southeast Asia.

I have been a big fan of MiniDisc since I was given a Sharp MD-MS702 back in the summer of '97, i have loved MD over the years, started a fan site in 1998 (which died sometime in 2000)

Personally, I've always felt like MD never really took off commercially except in Hong Kong and Japan. Still it has never diminished my passion for it, as a musician I love the recording feature, and so much more I am sure all of you fans know in big and small ways.

With regards to Sony's recent moves, I think what a company CEO would do is, speak about the biggest issues facing his company such as the playstation, HD TV and so on. I don't really feel hurt that Sir Howard did not mention about the minidisc, except mention the Network Walkman, which I believe is being position as the centrestone of the fight against Apple for the MP3 player marketplace.

I think if Sony loses the MP3 player fight, the console fight and the electronics fight, it will probably be reduced to a much smaller company than it is now. I think it is trying now, to be more focused than ever.

Sure, some of their moves have been really crap. They had such a good advantage with MD for the longest time, if only they had enabled drap n drop MP3 together with ATRAC support from the start and placed the 'choice' in the hands of the consumer things would have been so different for them now. In fact, they had so many chances, but it seemed like they blew it all till now all thats left to do is to simply duplicate Apple's efforts and try to beat them (i observed the similarity of the new software interface, emphasis on hard disk, flash memory-based player, and Sony Walkman vs. Apple iPod concept)

As for Hi-MD, my guess is that they will marginalise but keep it alive for a long while more. Going by the history that some of you have said, that Sony continues to sell cassette tapes even though hardly anybody uses a cassette player/recorder (or has one) I think Hi-MD blanks and accessories will be sold for a long while yet (short of a decade maybe?)

Thing is, technology does get dated some day. MD has been around for a long time, and if flash-memory recorders (as well as media prices) keep falling like they do now, Hard disk players keep getting better battery life and higher capacities, it appears that finally it will be squeezed out. I am sad, and I will always support MD, but I think the time has come for it to be retired to the illustrious hall of wonderful geek treasures that could have seen a longer, more dominant reign.

warm regards

[CliveH]

I just hope that if Sony DO decide to drop MD, that the format media will still be available and that other manufacturers realise that it still sells. If minidisks are available, there's no reason why it can't go on as long as the cassette tape has.

One question, why does Sony STILL insist on selling mini and midi stacks with a cassette player/recorder fitted? I know of hardly anyone who still uses cassettes, more likely CDs and MP3. If they had put a minidisk deck in all their systems, the format might have taken off a bit more. Perhaps it's just a case of too many formats.

A colleague at work and I are some of few who extol the virtues of MD, whilst the others' iPod batteries and screens are failing, and moaning about the cost of replacing/repairing these items. I still think the removal media format beats the HDD any time.

Incidently the BBC use minidisks for their jingles and announcements, shouldn't someone from the broadcast media be getting involved in the debate?

Clive

[littlefox]

My personal worry is that I wouldn't be able to replace my NH900 if and when it craps out on me (and it will; every device with moving parts does). It's unlikely that MD units will become completely unavailable, considering that Sony's home market of Japan still has a pretty substantial amount of support for the format (so I heard), but there's always the outside chance that they will do it anyway. I'm not a professional audio recorder, so it doesn't make much sense to me to buy a professional unit at absurd 'professional' prices.

Maybe I should stockpile a unit or two.

[alexl37]

My story, FWIW:

I bought a minidisc recorder (MZ-RH10) after dithering around for a long time, trying to find a portable player/recorder that would record in stereo from a microphone. The recording quality meant a lot to me, and all of the recorders that I'd seen would either record in compressed mono, GSM or other low-fi format. I'd recently upgraded my Playstation 2 and felt that on the whole, things were going well between me and Sony: there was a local shop available, they knew what they were talking about and I wasn't conned into buying something that I didn't need.

So, into the shop I go, and I consider all of the options - finally buying the MZ-RH10 because it's on offer, with £50 knocked off the RRP. In retrospect, I should have asked myself why this was, but I was happy with it - it'd do everything that I wanted: it'd record from a microphone and it'd even play my mp3s (I already have a couple of Zaurus PDAs that'll do that, so it wasn't important).

Two weeks later, my friendly Sony retailer closed down, and a couple of months after that, I hear the news that the minidisc format is to be discontinued. I feel as if I've been left in limbo; I can continue to use SonicStage to transfer my recordings from the minidisc and I can go on recording - but how long will these discs last and where can I get more? And then there was the debacle with the equalizer settings and the missing text when editing titles. Thanks to this site, I've fixed those issues - but it hardly inspires me with confidence when a large, professional corporation like Sony lets these things slip through the net.

[Hrograth]

Typical Sony!

Ive ben using my MZ707 to record our Band practice sessions and some gigs and the quality is excellent. Its hamstrung by Sonic Stage and as I have a slow internet connection haent been able to allocate 3 hrs to try to download it to see if its compatible with my MD.

I also have a NR70V CLIE - also excellent and a market leader imho - which they've also dropped with very little consideration of the large customer base.

. . . . therefore the MD will probably go that way too - hopefully it'll be replaced by a 160GB hard drive recordable device - but maybe Sony have too much of a stranglehold on the music business to allow mere musicians to record their own music.

harumph!!

by the way i'm waiting for a colour version of the Psion Revo to come out - the old REVO+ was the best PDA Ive ever used . . .

[Leon]

edit - I just don't belong here. Someone please wipe this post. takk.

Edited October 3, 2005 by Leon

[Antoni]

Hi MD should live! In any case someone should let out MD technics. If it is white at Sony will are absolutely bad. Other firms can buy the license and technology MD.

[jazzywench]

As a private music teacher, I am extremely concerned about the potential demise of the MD. I have a MZ-700 (bought second hand a few months ago) and have teamed it up with a sony mic and am very pleased with the results. My pupils love the fact they are recorded quickly and with such good results! I cannot afford to be off buying new equipment every five minutes, especially when I'm happy enough with what I've got. As for Sonic Stage, I just ignore it for live recordings and use Audacity teamed with WMP which works perfectly.

Sony need to sort this out pronto. It was mentioned earlier how radio people use mini discs for jingles, they also use them for field recordings, I remember being interveiwed once and being amazed the the portability!I know many muisicans who use them for gigs because then their backing tracks never skip. What are we supposed to do if the format becomes defunct?

PS, I actually still use tapes for instant recording of exercises for pupils too, rubbish quality but at least it's instant!

[Superbaldguy]

Maybe Sony can keep some of its more popular MD models (both legacy and Hi-MD) in production a few more years - that can't be too expensive to do, can it?

I am simply going to wait and see what he "official" word is before I continue to speculate.

[Fast Eddie]

I seriously doubt sony will drop MD. Trust me on this.

[batfastad]

If this does happen, maybe sony would release the source to the open MG format

To me this problem seems like it's of their own making

I don't think there would have been an ipod in sight if sony hadn't insisted on OpenMG and atrac with the NetMD devices

Imagine just drag & drop mp3 support with NetMD 3/4 years ago!

Can't say I'm too surprised at this news though. HiMD just seemed too little, too late. A last ditch effort by sony to make a bit of money

Though I stll bought a nice MZ RH10 :lol:

Edited October 3, 2005 by batfastad

[Doerthe]

...BUT WHY????

I just ask myself and I can't understand.. they are killing one of the best things they did!!!!!!!!!!! I can't understand!!

Why?

Because thesedays it only counts what SELLS not what is good or bad.

In the company that I work in it's just the same...................

[simon.giesen]

Simple:

1) MD is the only decent sounding cheap portable recorder.

2) Unlimited storage. Disc full? Just pop in a new one.

3) Higher reliability. Media is protected by a shell and I never had any disc failures.

But I had a lot of CDs fail in the last few years.

4) Higher running time per battery charge.

Depending on model, running times of up to 80 hours are possible.

Show me a HDD-based player doing that.

5) Cheap media.

6) Easy editing of recordings.

Hi jadeclaw,

please allow me to comment on your statements:

1) well, look at Sony's Network Walkmans. The NW-HD5 was rated as the best sounding mobile player by cnet recently.

2) 20 GB and more should be enough. I had a Vaio Pocket 40GB but I sold it and bought the HD5 - even it has less storage capacity it's ok, because I love not all my CDs same.

3) it has to be proved, I don't know.

4) The HD5 has the same running time.

5) As well, I paid 260 Euros for 30 GB, try to beat this by buying MDs

6) Most recording enthusiasts are using computers nowadays. So no problem to transfer the stuff to a HDD-based player afterwards!

[Mikami]

Is MD dead?

This question is not unlike this one: are cassettes dead?

Yes, some people wish cassettes were dead (like me)but they are very much alive. Both Sony and Panasonic (as well as others) continue to manufacture cassette players and cassettes. And occasionally improvements on the portable cassette players are still made. One can find cassette players that are far thinner, cooler, more colorful, and made out of some neat alloy. Now, MD is far far far better than cassettes ever were and ever will be.(Funny it was someone from Sony who claimed MD would kill cassettes and it has some. Now they say MD will die, maybe not.) So, does anyone really doubt that MD will not still be produced but, maybe not advanced much any more.People still want to listen to their records, cassettes, laser disc, and MiniDisc! Now, MiniDisc has far more practical uses recordingwise than the others and I doubt it is going to fade away anytime soon.

To summarize I think:

(1) MiniDisc will probably not evolve anymore

(2) MiniDisc will also probably not die either

(3) MiniDisc player models will probably still be made

Don't worry be happy! It is all for good and maybe prices will go down,

Mikami

P.S. Actually, Sony did not say MD was going to die, yet. oops my mistake

Edited October 3, 2005 by Mikami

[The Low Volta]

Hi simon...

please allow me to comment on your statements:

1) well, look at Sony's Network Walkmans. The NW-HD5 was rated as the best sounding mobile player by cnet recently.

2) 20 GB and more should be enough. I had a Vaio Pocket 40GB but I sold it and bought the HD5 - even it has less storage capacity it's ok, because I love not all my CDs same.

3) it has to be proved, I don't know.

4) The HD5 has the same running time.

5) As well, I paid 260 Euros for 30 GB, try to beat this by buying MDs

6) Most recording enthusiasts are using computers nowadays. So no problem to transfer the stuff to a HDD-based player afterwards!

1. he said recorder, that's something else completely than a player
2. why are the 60gb models selling so well then?
3. it's been proven amply by ppl throwing the discs into the wall or driving over them
4. couldbe, but it's no recorder
5. I paid €20 for 5x1gb so a quick sum gives 30gb for €120 so for €240 (still less than your price) I have got 60gb...KO I think
6. yes, but it would be funny to you see me walking around at a QOTSA concert with my laptop to record

[Doerthe]

What could prevent music editors from making prerecorded Hi-md?

no ability of glass mastering?

The market isn't large enough...........

[chester]

Hi simon...

please allow me to comment on your statements:

why are the 60gb models selling so well then?

A good majority of people think bigger=better.

I don't think tapes vs md is a good comparison. As far as I know, tapes and their respective players sold greatly for their lifetime. So did CDs. MD's just didn't take off like a lot of people wanted/thought they would. As sad as that is, it's the truth.

The market isn't large enough...........

If I could get my hands on any original MD or Hi-MD Linkin Park, I would. But then again...that's just one person.

[Cyberman]

2) 20 GB and more should be enough. I had a Vaio Pocket 40GB but I sold it and bought the HD5 - even it has less storage capacity it's ok, because I love not all my CDs same.

It´s not only a matter of storage capacity. The ability to switch media is an advantage as well.

I like to carry two MDs with me - one with music, one with language lessons.

Sure, I could put both on one medium, but then I´d have to separate the content somehow. That´d require more complex editing before use, or skipping those tracks I don´t want to hear.

[chester]

I agree. I have over 100gb of music on my computer, but each genre, group, and cd has it's own folder+subfolder(s). It's easier to find what I'm looking for that way. CD & MD or bust...

[marctronixx]

the MD format died years ago. it went the way of the DCC.DCC was supposed to replace the cassete, but due to high cost of the media and the units and lack of promotion, it fell on deaf ears. the same was tru about MD. it never caught on. then a few years ago right around the xplod debut, sony tried to revamp the MD for the newest money spending generation. it did catch on a little to the early adopters but it never really caught on. again, due to the late promotion and short scarce supply of the media and high cost. people just didnt get it. the DAT was also in the same boat.

I have 3 DCC units... paid $900 USD for 2 back in 1993 and 99 dollars USD for one when phillips discontinued it and J and R music world were getting rid of them. i have 2 DAT recorders and enuff media to pass it on to my son.. the same for DCC and MD.

my point: regardless if the manufacturer drops the ball on a piece of equipment, that doesnt mean the format is DEAD. as long as someone is still using it it wont die. how many people here by a show of hands usee DCC and have an ample supply of media? i have tons of media for it and head cleaners. the format is still going strong as i see it.

anybody here have a old antique car. like a 57 chevy or thereabout??? the manufacturer of said car stop making it years ago but someone out there is still rocking one. just drive down your street to see an old antique car. is that dead? nope.

the three stooges died years ago. i am probably the biggest fan having everything they have produced on disc and psp. as long as *I* remember them and play their works... they will never die...

knowhatimsayin'?

[theblueraja]

The second one is not the DH10P - it is a concept Hi-MD camera. It records photos on to Hi-MD, but does not play music I think.

http://www.minidisc.org/part_Sony_Hi-MD_Camera_Concept.html

You all SEE that beautiful photo??!! See? THAT's what I've ALWAYS wanted; a hiMD player w/ a WINDOW to SEE the disc in side spinning! Too bad that was only a concept (not to mention a CAMERA).. get me an RH10 with half the body CLEAR, and thinner and... wait, production is done, what am I talking about? Oh yeah, this forum used to be a place of DREAMS and WISHES... now it's an obituary column.

[chester]

What's neat to think is that somewhere, Sony has all these old concept models locked away probably never to be seen again. I'd love to get my hands on that MD Camera if it was a working concept.

[theblueraja]

What's neat to think is that somewhere, Sony has all these old concept models locked away probably never to be seen again. I'd love to get my hands on that MD Camera if it was a working concept.

YES!!! Excellent point! Let's go raid the warehouse now

[Audiofil]

Why am I not supriced about that news? Is it because the large economy loss Sony had made this year? Yes it`s because of that. Sony have trouble with some of their products, incl. MD so I´m not supriced, but I think it sad, the MD format is something I like very much, sounds very good, are very easy to make good recordings and you can store all the music in discs, something you can`t do with Mp3-players on a cheap way. I hope I can buy discs some more years so I can continue recording music without buying a DVD-burner or use the computer, who are not so good recorders as the HiMD I have.

[gjkendall]

Unbelievable.....after taking advice from this forum, I have ordered a rh10...it's going to be shipped any day now!!!!!

Do I cancel?

Do I turn to the dark side?

I cannot believe I decided to go with HIMD, and days later Sony may well be dropping it!

This has really annoyed me!

[lcotta]

Life is too short for DRM.

Second that! I have, erm, tolerated Sony's DRM and unnecessarily complicated D/L procedure only because MD gave me solid performance as measured by the ultimate testing device. My ears. I know, it won't make much of a test instrument... too biased!

Anyway, there's tons of crappy MP3 players around, and lots and lots and lots of hoops to jump through in order to listen to a legitimately-owned piece of music. Sony's is not the absolute worst around, but it's not that hot either.

The best I can hope for is some kind of "Netscape-effect", i.e. Sony dumps MD but at the same time gives full access to the technology so users can at least support themselves, and possibly create an "Open" MD community.

L.

[stoo]

Woah. That's a long thread to read in one go.

Bit too much to get a good idea what's speculation and what's real - until the official bad news gets delivered.

As for many others on here, I can't see alternatives in the curent marketplace for some of my uses of MD.

I've got a MDLP hi-fi deck that I use to record my vinyl onto - often 2+ hour long mixes, and radio shows of similar length. (And I only found out that Hi-MD could upload WAV to PC while reading this thread! Now I've gotta go buy one! )

Having the ability to have MD players in the car, and a walkman as well made it very convenient for me to use MD for nearly all of my non-prerecorded music needs.

But if it disappears.....? Well, I guess a recordable IPod equivalent, and a paranoid backup strategy will be just as good in most respects, possibly even better in a few.

That said, I'm not looking forward to the day I get pushed into replacing all of my MD kit when the last irreplaceable bit breaks..... so lets hope the rumours of MDs departure are a bit overblown.

If Sony were to just give up on the impossible MD vs. Ipod battle, and just consolidate the range to a decent HiMD hifi separates deck, a decent HiMD car stereo, and a recordable HiMD portable with a radio... I'd be a very happy chap.

[imzu]

Right now there's a very slim chance that Hi-MD may even see a third generation, and if it were, it would probably be the definitive last. I'm not so sure anymore that the Connect Player will even support MD.

Oh calm down and have a cup of tea!

There's still a huge and viable market in MD in Japan and the resale market everywhere else. People say tape is dead but I still see Ferric and Chrome tapes being sold in shops.

Personally I regard my investment in Hi-MD as a wise one. I benefit from using and enhancing the capacity of my existing MD media, I get great battery life, it's reliable, robust, sounds great and I can record and I'm so used to SS now that I can easily enjoy music or podcasts delivered through teh interweb.

[carlesraf]

Hi guys

I can't believe it....

Years ago my cousin tells me how good sound this format (in the age of cassettes), but isn't until the 199x that I bought my first MD walkman (the mz-n505).

I remember my first inpresion...very good quality,very good runtime whit just one battery, good to donwload music from pc and very aforable media. But this model fucks me....the blank disc error came in few months...so...the first question returme.....I bougth another MD or an mp3 player? afert thinking I decide to bought the mz-n710...and...I was superious... aluminium shield, mic alowed, one battery gum-pack that allow many hours in one word espectacular!! only one thing....the european version has got a very reduced amp, so when I carry on the tub (underground) or bus, the noise of the ambient can't heard my recordings.

At this point I decided to pass all my music in MD format, so I have at last 100 MD whit many and many hours of my music, but not only this , I bought a MD-Deck (the MD-JE480) to lisent whiout phones and for the comveniecne of remote control.

So that's the point I have all music in MD format and every CD music that I buy I convert into MD.

My last "baby" was the MZ-NHF800 (directly inported from USA), and form my is perfect, at same this I can carry all my university stuffs and and my music plus i can upload my own recording and after transferd to CD or some what else.

So, for my is the best "gadget" that I colud never bought, it's so pleasen to don't depends of the computer to transfert music and also is the aforable MD cardtige (2€ a 80minutes) that it can fit about 5 hours in one ....

If this AD is confirmed it would be a sad day for MD users :(

(sorry for my poor english)