NEW: Sony Hi-MD Walkman Players - MZ-EH70 and MZ-EH50

[Richard]

so ya i guess that would suck to be a someones first minidisc player

i wonder how many returns there will be wen people buy them and realize that they have no way of putting music on them

But surely if you don't bother to read the specs of a product before buying, then that's your own fault.

Edited October 14, 2005 by richyhu

[mmilovan]

I'm not so enthusiastic about these units have no mp3 support (it's not so wise decission, SONY), but after a week or so depression I'm happy again!

At least we can hope that other manufacturers of blank media will produce their HiMD.

[AMPlitude]

have no 2nd gen. hi-md anyways, so it wouldnt matter to me if they have no mp3 support...

i wonder what they're more like, the 2nd or 1st gen. hi-md

[indeego]

Sorry, in fact I doesn't matter if you own (or if I own..) a mp3-compatible Hi-MD Walkman, the question is what impression people will get when they hear "Oh, Hi-MD now supports Mp3, give me the Eh50 .. oh, there's no Mp3-Support, but my Rh10 does Mp3?! Why is that?" ..

[Rob F1UK]

Sorry, in fact I doesn't matter if you own (or if I own..) a mp3-compatible Hi-MD Walkman, the question is what impression people will get when they hear "Oh, Hi-MD now supports Mp3, give me the Eh50 .. oh, there's no Mp3-Support, but my Rh10 does Mp3?! Why is that?" ..

Hasn't this been discussed before tho? The MP3 (or lack of) trend the EH50 and EH70 continue is nothing new, or has everyone just fogotten about the EH930?!!!!

[Richard]

Can you please elaborate on your assumptions? Are you saying he smiled as if you are a loser for considering HiMD because the axe is about to drop, or because 3rd gen is on it's way?

Wouldn't these 2 latest players be considered 3rd Gen anyway?

[Rob F1UK]

Can you please elaborate on your assumptions? Are you saying he smiled as if you are a loser for considering HiMD because the axe is about to drop, or because 3rd gen is on it's way?

(I can't believe I actually wish to further more rumours & heresay)..

Stop fanning the flames!

As for UK Sony Centres - hahahahaha. They mostly don't really know what they are talking about. If 3G units were to arrive before the end of 2005 here, Sony would have already announced them, and as that hasn't happened we already know the answer.

If and when 3G does happen, don't expect it to reach the UK until around April/May 2006 at the earliest...

[Rob F1UK]

1G (2004 models) =

NH1

NH900

NHF800

NH700

EH1

2G (2005 models) =

DH10P

RH10/M100

RH910/M10

EH930

EH50

EH70

[bobdibest]

agreed no 3G just yet!

[LJM]

Those two new models look great, but I'm quite saddened to see they're not that thin. My MZ-RH910 (which is giving me no end of enjoyment) is nigh on 21mm thick, yet the second Hi-MD player displayed is only two or three millimetres thinner.

I'd get one if it wasn't for that.

[Syrius]

Makes me sigh with relief to see that Sony is not abandoning the format at least right now.

[Michael1980]

Wow, maybe HiMD is not dead as was expected.

Let's hope for the next generation.

[MDGB2]

I wonder if we will see these models outside Japan, but with a USB conection and/or line in.

Remember the NH600/D.

Mine has line in and an AC adaptor, other countries versions don't. Rasp.

[bobdibest]

i just dont understand, these units dont offer anything that appeals to what i belive the european and american consumer markets are demanding and getting (to an extent with apple)

it would appear the psp has firmware v2.5 out which adds support for file protected videos, ie here comes tv and movie downloads from connect, so why not introduce himd walkmans with that support? once again the films will be a gig or more which is expensive in memory cards. If less than a gig films on himd discs are far more economical, given the size screen of the psp and nothing else that himd walkman would be a smaller, thinner, better battery (probably) and lighter non-gaming alternative, and that way sony open the market to another deivce that, given umd playback capabilities sells more of their new format and promotes Its popularity. They need it to stick in a mainstream consumer market for it to work.

i personally would not buy a umd music album where my only listening ability is to trek round a heavy (compared to md walkmans) psp. if I could play it back on a 3rd gen himd player id consider it.

[Spare Tire]

I've been away for some time and isn't quite up to date. I hear people talking about umd and himd as if they were based on the same technology. Does anyone actually have technical papers to prove that they are? Cause i think it's more different than just an md in a different shell.

[hobgoblin]

well atleast it looks like sony isnt about to drop the format totaly.

yet i wonder if future players will work with the connect platform at all.

strange realy to make hi-md enabled players with no transfer ability as there are about zero non-portable hi-md devices available.

nah, give me a hi-md with the ability to play mp3 files straight of the data section. then ill buy it no matter the cost (allmost).

[jadeclaw]

I've been away for some time and isn't quite up to date. I hear people talking about umd and himd as if they were based on the same technology. Does anyone actually have technical papers to prove that they are? Cause i think it's more different than just an md in a different shell.

It is quite different.

HiMD is extended MD-tech and the High-capacity discs cannot be stamp-pressed like CDs or DVDs.

UMD is miniaturized DVD-Tech and high capacity UMD-discs can be stamp-pressed like DVDs,

thus allowing the mass production of prefabricated discs.

Plus, the use of DVD-tech allows for a higher capacity as well - giving 1.8GB per disc.

[Continuity]

I remember when I was in Japan (this was quite a while ago) that having a player only unit was actually not a bother at all. It's what got me interested in the format.

There was always the pre-recorded MDs, and those little vending machine kiosks that you would select songs to fill an MD, pop in a blank and it would fill it after swiping your method of payment. Would love a music store that holds the masters and makes copies of your choice on the media of your choice.

I still have some of those MDs lying around somewhere, having songs I picked pretty much at random since I couldn't read Japanese. Kind of funny even that some songs had a mixture of Japanese and English in the titles. Would do funky things on my LCD display.

Don't know if those kiosks are still around, but I still wonder as to the value of a player only Hi-MD unit. I thought the main selling point is cheap removeable storage for schoolteachers and such as well as being a music unit.

Then again, I don't even know if they still release new pre-recorded albums on MD anymore. Maybe it's for families who will get one recorder at home (something like the DS-HMD1 or an RH-10) and then get low cost units for all the family members. Unit breaks down and you have a huge library? Get a player unit.

Anyhow, to sum it up, just curious as to how people use their player only units these days and if anyone actually has any here that can share =)

[Ishiyoshi]

Let's keep the thread to topic. After all, this is a news thread; and if you wish to share your thoughts about "what could have been ..." or "what should ..." --> post them here.

[sallymae_hogsby]

Am I the only one who's a bit suspicious about the release of these players? Especially the fact that they don't play the mp3s that can be transferred to disc via recent recoders. I'm wondering if Sony is just trying to get some money back on the expenses that went to developing these players before Sony decided to give up on MD as a consumer format. These players seem to be unreleased leftovers from last year.

The "new" Kenwood and JVC MDLP players seem even more suspicious. Why not even bother to release Hi-MD? It's like everyone is dumping their unreleased consumer models while there's still a consumer base that will still buy players. (Obviously they can't expect to new customers to buy players.)

I'm looking forward to Sony's new direction of "pro" models of MD gear, which makes a lot of sense, since the market for a DAT replacement is still wide open. I haven't been convinced that the rumors of MD being dumped as a consumer format aren't still true. I wouldn't be surprised if we're just going thru a "glorious sunset" of unreleased MD consumer models, before the dark sets in.

[AMPlitude]

Am I the only one who's a bit suspicious about the release of these players? Especially the fact that they don't play the mp3s that can be transferred to disc via recent recoders. I'm wondering if Sony is just trying to get some money back on the expenses that went to developing these players before Sony decided to give up on MD as a consumer format. These players seem to be unreleased leftovers from last year.

The "new" Kenwood and JVC MDLP players seem even more suspicious. Why not even bother to release Hi-MD? It's like everyone is dumping their unreleased consumer models while there's still a consumer base that will still buy players. (Obviously they can't expect to new customers to buy players.)

I'm looking forward to Sony's new direction of "pro" models of MD gear, which makes a lot of sense, since the market for a DAT replacement is still wide open. I haven't been convinced that the rumors of MD being dumped as a consumer format aren't still true. I wouldn't be surprised if we're just going thru a "glorious sunset" of unreleased MD consumer models, before the dark sets in.

agreed!

[tekdroid]

Am I the only one who's a bit suspicious about the release of these players? Especially the fact that they don't play the mp3s that can be transferred to disc via recent recoders. I'm wondering if Sony is just trying to get some money back on the expenses that went to developing these players before Sony decided to give up on MD as a consumer format. These players seem to be unreleased leftovers from last year.

The release of these models can only make sense in the Japanese market, to me. Anywhere else they just wouldn't sell enough to be viable bringing them out and supporting them.

As for their competitors mostly releasing MD models... I doubt most are prepared for the investment but limited market of Hi-MD. Sony's Annual Report 2005 states:

Sales of headphone stereos declined as a

result of a significant decrease in the unit shipments of both CD

format and MD format devices due to a shift in demand towards

hard disc- and flash-based memory players. Worldwide shipments

of CD format devices decreased by approximately 3.68

million units to approximately 7.28 million units and worldwide

shipments of MD format devices decreased by approximately

1.44 million units to 1.92 million units. Sales of home audio

declined primarily due to a contraction of the market. On the

other hand, overall sales of car audio increased slightly due to

strong sales in the European market and Other Areas.

It might also be possible for Sony to drop mp3 support if their 'pro focus' of MD is to be believed. Right now, with the players not being able to play them (and their recorders offering a custom-made (cough) frequency response on playback..) I can only guess that Sony is:

*very afraid of mp3

*will possibly drop mp3 from future models

They love selling MD units as native mp3 to encourage sales, but I think they want to test our reasonable assumptions on what mp3 'support' really is.

Back on topic:

These players look fresh, but again, I think their market is simply Japan.

[bobdibest]

We shall see, we shall see.

for now ill stick with NetMD and an Ipod, when Sony get serious about HiMD ill consider it

[AMPlitude]

We shall see, we shall see.

for now ill stick with NetMD and an Ipod, when Sony get serious about HiMD ill consider it

sony might jsut give up on hi-md, nobody knows...

[robmill]

Hummm,

I can actually make sense out of an HiMD Player unit, if in the wings, Sony plans on releasing a Component HiMD recorder.

I ususally listen to my NetMD in the car via an FM Transmitter, so I really have no need for the recording or drag and drop functionality of a Recorder, at least when I am walking around or driving. So, a player does make sense in that manner.

I actually find recording on my MiniDisc hand held unit to be rather ackward. I tend to use my Component unit to record most of my music to MiniDisc.

As for MP3 compatibility, I could care less. Don't use MP3 at all.

Robert

[Mikami]

sony might jsut give up on hi-md, nobody knows...

No, Sony is not going to give up on Hi-MD. The black and pink MZ-EH70 sold out at a large store in Kawasaki today and today was only the first day! The other units have been going quickly, too. A lot of Japanese customers clearly do not care much about MP3 and have been sold on the idea of HI-MD. HI-MD is here to stay for a while. No, one in marketing would want to cut Hi-MD or MD when home and portable units are still selling, and people still have years of old MDs they still want to listen, too. I have feeling that a new Hi-mD recorder may be out before or around march of 2006 if not sooner. MD is not dead it is very much alive and kicking!

regards,

Mikami

P.S.

The units are nice, light, and metal, too!

A new new sony servey was posted at the link below please check it out and take time to fill it out(it is only in Japanese, right now, but a machine translation might help you fill it out):

https://mg02.e-mediagate.com/question/sonyd...8/pasp_1108.cgi

Edited November 10, 2005 by Mikami

[theblueraja]

No, Sony is not going to give up on Hi-MD. The black and pink MZ-EH70 sold out at a large store in Kawasaki today and today was only the first day! The other units have been going quickly, too. A lot of Japanese customers clearly do not care much about MP3 and have been sold on the idea of HI-MD. HI-MD is here to stay for a while. No, one in marketing would want to cut Hi-MD or MD when home and portable units are still selling, and people still have years of old MDs they still want to listen, too. I have feeling that a new Hi-mD recorder may be out before or around march of 2006 if not sooner. MD is not dead it is very much alive and kicking!

regards,

Mikami

P.S.

The units are nice, light, and metal, too!

A new new sony servey was posted at the link below please check it out and take time to fill it out(it is only in Japanese, right now, but a machine translation might help you fill it out):

https://mg02.e-mediagate.com/question/sonyd...8/pasp_1108.cgi

I enjoyed reading that hiMD boost ... I sure hope it's true... which may finally mean an in-dash hiMD player for the car some day.

At any rate, if any web-wiz people can provide a link that automatically translates that survey, I would love to participate. Thanks.

[Christopher]

I don't think it was ever said that MD was completely dead, but more or less slowly becoming a Japanese-only format that will probably follow limited distribution levels like cassette -- maybe. It's excellent to hear that it's selling so well, regardless.

[AMPlitude]

both units supposed to be out starting today?

[Ishiyoshi]

both units supposed to be out starting today?

Yes, indeed - retail debut in Japan.

[tekdroid]

No, Sony is not going to give up on Hi-MD. The black and pink MZ-EH70 sold out at a large store in Kawasaki today and today was only the first day!

The question is: how many did they order?

[MDGB2]

MD will always have a higher "kwaii factor" than any solid state/HDD unit.

I just like individual discs...

[AMPlitude]

when will they get to the US? or will they get here at all?

[wombat]

It seems to me that Sony has forgotten about their spirit and philosphy that enabled their domination in the 80's and (perhaps) much of the 90's. Being inflexible and not giving consumers what they want will ALWAYS send any corporation to its grave - there are numerous historic examples for them to study.

Obviously, their product (HI-MD in this case) should AT LEAST match their competitors in features, ie full mp3 and wma support, color screen, and compatible interface with car-audio and docking station with good quality speakers and sub-woofer. In fact, if they want a product like the HI-MD to survive, they should exceed these basic requirments - ie, they should give us at least a reason to buy their stuff.

Am I just pointing out the very fundamental basic here?

I mean, they have even stopped producing acceptable earphones, like mdr-e484, 575, 747, 848, 868 etc (and no matching color) for their Hi-MD players. I hope they'll lift their game. The latest Hi-MD models and in fact the latest A3000 HD player certainly have not, in my eyes, improved their position.

Equipment: MZ-NH1

Phones: Sony mdr-e888sp, mdr-e848lp, mdr-e747, mdr-e484

[Gangstah]

It seems to me that Sony has forgotten about their spirit and philosphy that enabled their domination in the 80's and (perhaps) much of the 90's. Being inflexible and not giving consumers what they want will ALWAYS send any corporation to its grave - there are numerous historic examples for them to study.

Obviously, their product (HI-MD in this case) should AT LEAST match their competitors in features, ie full mp3 and wma support, color screen, and compatible interface with car-audio and docking station with good quality speakers and sub-woofer. In fact, if they want a product like the HI-MD to survive, they should exceed these basic requirments - ie, they should give us at least a reason to buy their stuff.

Am I just pointing out the very fundamental basic here?

I mean, they have even stopped producing acceptable earphones, like mdr-e484, 575, 747, 848, 868 etc (and no matching color) for their Hi-MD players. I hope they'll lift their game. The latest Hi-MD models and in fact the latest A3000 HD player certainly have not, in my eyes, improved their position.

Equipment: MZ-NH1

Phones: Sony mdr-e888sp, mdr-e848lp, mdr-e747, mdr-e484

i agree....Sony has just gone downhill now...no wonder why ipod is kicking sony's ass everywhere in the world except for japan because japanese people will stick to their japanese products and they will always regret buying products from outside even if it's much better...just like the ps2..i really hope they fix up the HI-MD

also i hate the fact how sony overprices everything...its so stupid..they're laptops are always overpriced and you never get anything out of it..their TV's are no doubt amazing but i still think they're overpriced compared to some other DLP cheaper TVs which have excellent quality...and finally when it comes down to HI-MD..they say that is has cheap expandable discs? since when....i live in Canada and a 30GB video ipod is about $380...and a HI-MD disc is about $10...now buying 30 of them to equal the ipods capacity would be $300...which is fairly close to the price of an ipod...and then also u have to buy a good player which has only half the features of an ipod...(Downloaders Only)...for about $200..then overall price to get an Ipod equivalent from Sony or close would be $500....now am I saving money or losing money? this would explain why HI-MD is dying in Canada...you can no longer find players in futureshop or best buy. ...Sony should make players compatible with maybe 4GB HI-MD discs for the same price then we would REALLY be saving on a lot money through HI-MD...also they should incorporate stuff like HI-MD video somewthing similar to ipod video..which would no doubt give a good punch to apples face....Sony has the potential...but they're not willing to do anything about it...i hope they change their ways tho cuz i really like the HI-MD

Edited December 27, 2005 by Gangstah

[hobgoblin]

hmm, i wonder, can hi-md support the datarate needed to play back a video?

[tekdroid]

...and finally when it comes down to HI-MD..they say that is has cheap expandable discs? since when....i live in Canada and a 30GB video ipod is about $380...and a HI-MD disc is about $10...now buying 30 of them to equal the ipods capacity would be $300...which is fairly close to the price of an ipod...and then also u have to buy a good player which has only half the features of an ipod...(Downloaders Only)...for about $200..then overall price to get an Ipod equivalent from Sony or close would be $500....now am I saving money or losing money?

http://www.minidisc-canada.com/shopexd.asp?id=675 (with mic input)

You do indeed pay too much for your blanks, but these are not entirely fair comparisons, either.

The MD unit is a high-quality recorder, first and foremost. iPod isn't.

iPod does do other stuff, though.

Apples & Oranges, really. They do share some traits (playback of music), but both are very different machines. I think it would be more fair to compare with Sony's flash and HD-based units since they have more in common with equivalent iPods.

hmm, i wonder, can hi-md support the datarate needed to play back a video?

depends on the video's bitrate, format and resolution. I've played vids downloaded off the net from MD. No super-resolution highly detailed stuff, though. Likely won't cope with those.

[bland10000]

Are you copying the file to hi-md in the data-drive manner and then accessing the file via computer? You don't mean that you are watching a video via an md-display do you?

[tekdroid]

Are you copying the file to hi-md in the data-drive manner and then accessing the file via computer? You don't mean that you are watching a video via an md-display do you?

via computer of course

To get vaguely back on topic, if Sony see demand for new players in the Japanese market, I think new recorders can't be far off.

[pauljones52]

I wouldn't be surprised if we're just going thru a "glorious sunset" of unreleased MD consumer models, before the dark sets in.

I like that description lol