Question: What does Hi-MD actually do?

[dubwoy]

Hello new to the world of Hi md but have had many old school minidisc in tyhe past.

At the moment im travelling by bicycle from Alaska to Argentina and am looking for ways to lose weight one such way is to buy a hi md and get rid of all the cds im carrying around, as im often in interesting places with a desire to record thge sounds of these places an ipod, mp3 player is not really what i want.

Im also carrying around a slr camera and at times 20 plus films, it mounts up i can tell you, especially up some of the hills, anyway, so i would like to get hold of a digital camera, now im sure that as far as playback and record the mindisc is the way forward but could i also transfer digital images to an hi md, everything i saw until today lead to believe that i would be able to do so but ive just looked at sony,s website and they sell a special hi md that holds photos so this as put doubt into the picture, well if you could fill me in id be grateful.

Thanks in advance

[Richard]

The Hi-MD media is universal and can be used to store any type of data including photos. Any Hi-MD player will show as an external USB drive when connected to your computer and so with the USB cable you can store any files to a Hi-MD as you would with say a pen-drive.

What you may have seen is the MZ-DH10P - a Hi-MD player that incorporates a digital camera in the same unit. So as well as playing music, you can take snapshots. Be aware though that this is only a 1.3mp camera and so on a trip such as yours a dedicated digital camera seems like a better option with maybe a Hi-MD unit such as the MZ-RH710 or a 1st Gen RH900 for playback of music and field recordings. I advise against something like the RH10 / RH910 as they may be more susceptible to scratching & the like on such a trip.

Edited October 9, 2005 by richyhu

[Qwakrz]

Sony did make a media connector that you could plug a Hi-MD into, this would allow you to copy all the files off of a flash card onto a Hi-MD disc, I dont know what the model was but a search should bring it up.

I also agree that the NH1 or RH10P would not be suitable for you as they use a Li-ion battery and I know the NH1 requires the cradle to charge and cannot use standard batteries.

Reccomend the NH900 or RH10 but as above this one could get easily scratched.

[Richard]

Sony did make a media connector that you could plug a Hi-MD into, this would allow you to copy all the files off of a flash card onto a Hi-MD disc, I dont know what the model was but a search should bring it up.

That was the MCMD-R1 which simply allows you to copy data from memory stick and flash cards direct to a Hi-MD disk without going through a computer.

Works with:

Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick Duo(*1), Memory Stick PRO Duo(*1), xD Picture Card, Compact Flash, Smart Media, SD Memory Card, mini SD Memory Card(*2) and Multi Media Card

[veezhun]

how finicky are you about your recording?? if that is not of primary imprtance, i suggest the iaudio x5l. 20/30gb. in built mic for recording sounds.. USB on the go so that you can connect cameras and transfer photos to the device directly.

another alternative is the iriver 320/340 ( Non US model). this also has USB on the go, in built mic, i think you can also attach an external mic to record...

do explore all options before finalizing

cheerrs

[dubwoy]

how finicky are you about your recording?? if that is not of primary imprtance, i suggest the iaudio x5l. 20/30gb. in built mic for recording sounds.. USB on the go so that you can connect cameras and transfer photos to the device directly.

another alternative is the iriver 320/340 ( Non US model). this also has USB on the go, in built mic, i think you can also attach an external mic to record...

do explore all options before finalizing

cheerrs

Thanks for the replies much appreciated ill look into the i audio but i reckon the minidisc will be more versatile on the whole still it is not a closed case.

Recording from source is really a bonus and not the be all and end all so they may be possible for me, most important is battery options and versatility followed just by weight and compactness

[Christopher]

I think the MZ-RH10 (with some protective case) and the MCMD-R1 would probably be best for you; you get music, live recording ability, backlit screen, and ability to dump your pictures onto discs, etc.

Bicycle from Alaska to Argentina? Tell us more, it sounds very fantastic..

[dubwoy]

I think the MZ-RH10 (with some protective case) and the MCMD-R1 would probably be best for you; you get music, live recording ability, backlit screen, and ability to dump your pictures onto discs, etc.

Bicycle from Alaska to Argentina? Tell us more, it sounds very fantastic..

You recommend the rh10 what are the advantages of this model over the nh900, im a bit confused i will write more soon about what im doing but i have to ngo to work, cycling the length of two continents isnt cheap, im currently in Korea saving pennies to finish the trip off i got as far as Mexico before i broke my bike in half, ill explain and finally ran out of money.

Tell you later take care all

[The Low Volta]

You recommend the rh10 what are the advantages of this model over the nh900, im a bit confused

you can always check the minidisc.org equipment browser or the reviews section here on MDCF for full descriptions of these models... but in a nutshell:

the RH10 has 2 big advantages over the NH900:

- it plays MP3's natively (so no reconversion needed as opposed to the NH900 which converts them to Atrac3+)

- it has an OLED (organic light emitting display) which means it is the only HiMD model (except for the camera one) with a lit display on the recorder... and the OLED really is beautiful (though the NH900 comes with a backlit remote RM-MC38EL)

the NH900 has some advantages as well:

- even though the RH10 is aluminum underneath, the cover is a plastic coating which isn't really scratch/scuff resistant, while the NH900 is half aluminum (front) half (strong/hard) plastic (back)

- if you can find it, it will probably be cheaper than the RH10 so you can spend some on the RM-MC40ELK remote which is 3-line and backlit and works wonders with the NH900 (works with the RH10 as well, but with less features... can't keep the backlight permanently on nor display artist/album/track-info simultaneously)

one thing to keep in mind: only the Japanese RH10 comes with an LCD remote (and charging cradle, which won't be of any use on a bike ) so the N-Am, European and world models etc come with a limited non-LCD remote

hope this helps

[KJ_Palmer]

Just to point out, the RH710 doesnt have a microphone input. You'd need to use a powered mic through line in for ambient recording, which might not be the best thing as its entails extra expense/bulk.

The RH10 or RH910, or the older NH900 would seem to be the best choices if you opt for Hi-MD. They can all use a gumstick/external AA combination which may prove advantageous in the long run..

[Sparky191]

how finicky are you about your recording?? if that is not of primary imprtance, i suggest the iaudio x5l. 20/30gb. in built mic for recording sounds.. USB on the go so that you can connect cameras and transfer photos to the device directly.

another alternative is the iriver 320/340 ( Non US model). this also has USB on the go, in built mic, i think you can also attach an external mic to record...

do explore all options before finalizing

cheerrs

I think the big advantage the HiMD is the amount of recording time you have per AA battery. Compared to a HD player, even if it has a AA battery back, they usually don't last very long.

[lamewing]

how finicky are you about your recording?? if that is not of primary imprtance, i suggest the iaudio x5l. 20/30gb. in built mic for recording sounds.. USB on the go so that you can connect cameras and transfer photos to the device directly.

another alternative is the iriver 320/340 ( Non US model). this also has USB on the go, in built mic, i think you can also attach an external mic to record...

do explore all options before finalizing

cheerrs

I also have a X5L, and while it is a great player with many options, the recorder is purely for voice. Even on high sensitivity the range is very limited and you get quite a bit of HDD whine. I just (today) using my X5L for class lectures and instead switched to a RH900 and a The Reactive Sounds Delta mic. MUCH MUCH better choice.

[rash]

Excuse me, MD fans, but I dare to suggest another device...

Dubwoy, please visit www.archos.com and find Archos Gmini 402 Camcorder.

This portable media player equipped with 20 Gb HDD and can...

- play music (mp3 & wma)

- play videos (DivX) and view photos on 2.2" colour built-in screen

- record audio (compressed or uncompressed wav) via built-in mic (or external mic on optional remote)

- edit recorded audio using device itself

- load pictures to/from digital camera via USB Host connector

- record videos & still images through built-in 1.2 Mpix camera

- display videos & photos on TV via AV-output

Gmini 402 graphics operating system features file browser, so you can easily copy/move/rename/delete files directly on the device without PC (and - thanks God! - without SonicStage). So you can connect your digital camera (or any other device that conforms USB Mass Storage Class standard) and freely copy files between two devices. Yes, you can connect even a Hi-MD device!..

Weight is just 160 g. - pretty good for a traveller, I presume.

MD fans, please, don't kill me!..

[smilesalot2u]

That was the MCMD-R1 which simply allows you to copy data from memory stick and flash cards direct to a Hi-MD disk without going through a computer.

Works with:

Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick Duo(*1), Memory Stick PRO Duo(*1), xD Picture Card, Compact Flash, Smart Media, SD Memory Card, mini SD Memory Card(*2) and Multi Media Card

Thanks for the info I just purchased one to copy my cameras xD card to my RH 10, got a great deal to only 56 bucks with shipping

Smilesalot

Some people say "Grin and Bear it", I say "Smile and Change it"

[Archivist]

Thanks for the info I just purchased one to copy my cameras xD card to my RH 10, got a great deal to only 56 bucks with shipping

And I can tell you that it works very nicely. It is a touch slow - don't be expecting a 1gb card to be copied in seconds, it's more like minutes. You will also find that it chews up batteries rather quickly. But if you are in need of a virtually unlimited photo storage device that does not tie up your camera and has that added 'can hook up with my Hi-MD' factor, the flash reader is a great buy.

~Archivist~

[dubwoy]

Thanks for all the advice im ordering a nh 900 today all your help is much appreciated.

Ill fill you in on what im up to since some of you seem a bit interested. My nam eis rich and ive spent the best of the last 8 years travelling around our planet, about 3 yrs ago i met a guy in Laos wjo had cycled around the world finding his wife in the process, id just taken to cycling around SE Asia, as soon he told me that you could cycle AK to Arg, i was pretty much hooked it just seemed so cool to me.

Well i went home UK and did alkot of research too much i got my knickers in a twist thinking i needed this and that, all rubbsih, all i needed was the nerve to get going.

Last June i flew to Vancouver cycled up van. island and cayght a ferry to AK ( it has a hot but short summer), from Haines which to me was equal in ascetic appeal to the himalayas i crosed back ointo Canada and then did a long loop,(600miles) part of the longest sinle road in the world ALCAN highway., back into AK.

Cycled up to Denali and then pretty much turned around and headed out o\f AK just before the first frosty nights. Whilst in AK i met nothing but good vibes all the way, got some good work which helped financially whilst bringing into to contact with soime first class folk, stayed at someone orchard for 3 weeks and basically became part of the family it was hard top leave, met 2 mad texans aged 70 and 69 they were so funny, probably the funniest people ive ver met i still laff at the things they did just for fun.

On the way into Canada as i said on the longest single roda in the world i was faced with 1300 miles of nothingness as they had bad forest fires that yr i could not see the mtns and nearly went crazy, i actually thought i was seeing cyclist coming my way but as i got closer i would realise it was a tree or the like, never underestimate the power of solitude combined with wishful thinikng.

Mind you about 500kms from the end of the road i got stuck in bad rain and a car stopped to offer help at first i refused as i wanbted to test both me and the rain gear out, the car drove off it was a woman, then 10 mins later came back....use your imaginations.

Due to the lateness of my departure from AK ( I luv that place and the people) i got stuck by the first snows of the canadian winter coming out of edmonton after saying good by to my kindly driver, wink wink.

About 4 hrs into it another woman she offered me a ride, the icy winds were enough to put you off your food so i accepted thats how imet Jane, she was a lama farmer and had just ridden horseback across 2 provinces with her 2 grandsons, i stayed with the family for just over a week, it so soo cool, met beaver trappers goldminers and a old english chap that had been there for 50 yrs and done more than you could imagine. Then i wne to Banff where i was lucky in 2 respects io was thining that i would need to go toChina to teach for 6 mths but managed to get a job, best of all imet anna marie, weve been together pretty much since, i cnat believe how lucky ive been .

I left Banff mid jan and flew to San Fran alone cycled down the coast and then across to Death valley , Mojave and Jioshua tree whilst there i got an email from AM saying to find her a bike she would be meeting me in San diego, so that what i did.

Weve been together since March, cycled Baja California, headed back to Usa met 2 of the best people ever Dean and Leilas and cycled utah, now we are in Korea earning cash to finish the rest of the trip. We are working for 6 mths and then leaving our boss should be shot and leaving wont be hard at all especially with prospect of heading ionto Central am amd Sth am.

This is a pretty long email but believe me it is pretty breif, thanks again ill tel you more if i aint bored the pants off you all. Take care.