Hi-MD Restriction: Import only once

[fatmuttony]

On my MZ-RH710, I can't import tracks stored in Hi-MD format from my MD-Player to my PC more than once. Why is this restriction in place? Is it a technological restriction, that is, something happens to the data after it's transferred once, and the PC can't read it after this? This seems very unlikely.

Or, is it some restriction that's supposed to work against privacy? This seems more likely, and I just want to know if I should be genuinely angry with Sony.

[bland10000]

Sounds like you are using SS 3.0 or 3.2. Upgrade to 3.4 as there are no upload restrictions.

[edit] look toward the top of the page for the link "downloads" and follow that to get 3.4.

[fatmuttony]

Sounds like you are using SS 3.0 or 3.2. Upgrade to 3.4 as there are no upload restrictions.

[edit] look toward the top of the page for the link "downloads" and follow that to get 3.4.

Hey, thanks for the tip. Will do as you advise...

[A440]

WARNING:

Once you have uploaded something once with the older software, that's it. Uploading it again may result in the unit completely erasing it.

For material you uploaded on versions before 3.2, the way to make a digital copy is in realtime: playing it back through your PC with SonicStage controlling it, and recording the output of your soundcard with Total Recorder, which captures whatever is coming through the soundcard.

http://www.totalrecorder.com/

Standard Edition ($12 US) is all you need. Make sure it's recording at a high bitrate by changing Total Recorder settings if necessary.

[fatmuttony]

WARNING:

Once you have uploaded something once with the older software, that's it. Uploading it again may result in the unit completely erasing it.

For material you uploaded on versions before 3.2, the way to make a digital copy is in realtime: playing it back through your PC with SonicStage controlling it, and recording the output of your soundcard with Total Recorder, which captures whatever is coming through the soundcard.

http://www.totalrecorder.com/

Standard Edition ($12 US) is all you need. Make sure it's recording at a high bitrate by changing Total Recorder settings if necessary.

Any idea why this restriction exists in the first place? Is it a technology thing? Or a DRM thing?

[eriktous]

DRM

[fatmuttony]

I knew it. So, what's the logic according to Sony? Why the one-time-only allowance?

WARNING:

Once you have uploaded something once with the older software, that's it. Uploading it again may result in the unit completely erasing it.

For material you uploaded on versions before 3.2, the way to make a digital copy is in realtime: playing it back through your PC with SonicStage controlling it, and recording the output of your soundcard with Total Recorder, which captures whatever is coming through the soundcard.

http://www.totalrecorder.com/

Standard Edition ($12 US) is all you need. Make sure it's recording at a high bitrate by changing Total Recorder settings if necessary.

Can't you just hook up the MD to the computer with an audio (aka mini-to-mini aka 1/8th inch-to-1/8th inch) cable, and control the MD Recorder with the Recorder's on board buttons, and record using a recording software like Voice Recorder (Windows) or SoundForge?

[eriktous]

So, what's the logic according to Sony?

It's best not to use the words 'logic' and 'Sony' in one sentence.

I guess Sony did this with the intention of preventing people from making digital copies of copyrighted music. What they failed to recognise is that there are far easier ways of copying music (simply ripping cd's on your pc, for instance), and that they were shooting themselves in the foot with this (or better: Sony Entertainment was shooting Sony Electronics in the foot).

However, diminishing profits now seem to make them re-evaluate all this, and they are opening up the minidisc format.

[Psyence]

Does anyone know how to reverse the restriction? I have quite a lot of music on my computer and I wouldn't like to transfer it all again from cd's.. My 1Gb disc full of music broke due to a computer crash so I couldn't do the Sonicstage's recovery thing..

So does any one know what would help?

Edited March 7, 2006 by Psyence

[1kyle]

Yes --do the following BEFORE UPGRADING to SS 3.4 (Only 100% solid if you've got no "Purchased" misic --i.e ripped CD's etc).

1) Backup your library using the Backup facility.

2) NOW uninstall SS 3,3 or whatever version you have.

3) Install the new SS 3.4

4) using SS 3.4 use the RESTORE library facility

--Note you will need an Internet connection for a few seconds before the restore starts.

If you've got purchase music the restore *Should* authenticate the recovery if it's going to be restored to the same computer it originally was downloaded to. I've never purchased downloadable music so I can't verify --but for CD rips etc this method works 100% everytime.

Added --note for backup you will need disk space equivalent to your current library --an external USB HD disk is often a good place to store the backup. --Once you've restored you can get rid of the backup to free disk space.

If your library is only 1GB in size you could could use a USB stick or a "Card reader for CF cards" to store the backup on --but re-ripping only 1GB's worth of music shouldn't take long --at atrac3 256 that's only around 5 CD's !!.

Cheers

-K

Edited March 7, 2006 by 1kyle

[Supernova]

WARNING:

Once you have uploaded something once with the older software, that's it. Uploading it again may result in the unit completely erasing it.

Tell me about it...

I transfered the files with Sonic Stage 2.1, as I realise that I couldn't convert them to .Wav with it, I upgraded to Sonic Stage 4.0. i tried to transfered the files and it erased them! I was about to cry.

Now I'm a little bit better, but I'm still wondering if there's anyway to get those files back. Does anybody know anything about that?

[raintheory]

Tell me about it...

I transfered the files with Sonic Stage 2.1, as I realise that I couldn't convert them to .Wav with it, I upgraded to Sonic Stage 4.0. i tried to transfered the files and it erased them! I was about to cry.

Now I'm a little bit better, but I'm still wondering if there's anyway to get those files back. Does anybody know anything about that?

You could use MarC's HiMD Renderer to convert the OMA file that was uploaded to WAV.

[Supernova]

You could use MarC's HiMD Renderer to convert the OMA file that was uploaded to WAV.

Actually I accidentally delete the .oma files before the software deleted them form the MD...