Why so much hype around RH1?

[RobA]

Ok, lets put aside all the joy that Hi-MD is going to have a third gen. It's great that sony is keeping the format alive, but lets look at the unit itself, it has severe flaws, it is definitely no dream machine.

1. No Jog Dial - Probably the best thing sony has ever put onto the minidsic player, how does sony expect us to browse through hundreds of songs and find the one we want? Pressing the next button constantly is NOT acceptable. I still can't figure out why this was ommitted.

2. 1 line OLED Display - 1 line? Give me a break, sony went from a 3 line to a 6 line to a 1 line. So now there is no jog dial and a small screen. Oh maybe it's an advancement to the nh1 and can use the 40ELK? Not, read on.

2. Not compatible with RM-MC40ELK - Now matters are worse. Not even is there not a jog dial on the unit and small screen, but now you can't even use a remote with a jog dial and big screen. I first thought this unit was gonna be the advancement of the nh1 and use the 40ELK to make up for the small screen and lack a jog dial, but with this remote not compatible, there is no way to browse through hundreds of songs quickly or have a bigger screen.

4. No AA attachment - Only compatible with rechargable batteries and the max battery life is 19 hours. Sony's MD units use to always be the highest in battery life, 56 hours at one time in regular MD. Hi-MD was still very nice with up to 35 hours on some units. But with no AA attachment, that is not possible here.

So all in all, this unit is most certainly not a "dream-machine" as it lacks the most basic and essential things that all Hi-MD units require. Again, it's great that sony is keeping MD alive, but they really screwed up with this unit and I hope there are more 3rd gen units than just the RH1, one that has all the essential features if they hope to gain more users. IMO, the rh10 is still the best hi-md unit out there, by far too, sony got it right with that one.

Edited April 9, 2006 by RobA

[raintheory]

All flaws aside, I have probably well over 100 standard MDs (ranging from SP/MONO days to LP2) that I am very much anticipating being able to upload to my PC to archive them.

I do think that the unit would be much better being in the very least compatible with the 40ELK and having an external battery attchment. Especially seeing as though this unit seems to be geared more towards MD's original purpose - recording.

Just my 2 cents though.

[The Low Volta]

ok, as far as I see it (and many like me interested in recording might agree)

1. no problem, this is handy for playback only...if I want a player, I'll buy a player...I want a recorder and the RH1 looks like a great recorder... no problem

2. it is positioned great for recording / it actually consitis of two parts (2lines or even 3 but next to each other) / as OLED is still in its infancy I trust a smaller display more than a big one / again this is only really for playback...did I already mention this wasn't intended as a player?

3. we have only heard this coming from a test of a possibly premature show-model...I'll wait for the final product to be launched before believing this / this remote was especially useful as it showed rec-levels in the dark...this unit does that by itself so no prob / again what you whine about is focused on playback... pfff I'm slowly getting tired of this but... it is a recorder!

4. wow...I almost got startled...you actually have incorporated the one real flaw: no AA-addon and other limits coming with a Li-Ion batt... but even now ppl here on the forums have pointed out a number of USB-powerpack that can let us record for a loooong time

so all in all the RH1 promises to be a great recorder and because it was intended to be one it might be a bit less suited for playback... ahh too bad, but there are a lot of alternatives for DAP's, but almost none for good/affordable recorders... glad Sony chose to cater for the recording amateurs on this one instance!!

you like the RH10 better ... great, as you've already got that one you are now $340 richer as you do not need to think about upgrading

that's all for me now folks...think I'm off to start a thread on "why so much nagging about what Sony didn't do... why not be glad for five second with what they did do? they listened to us, yay!"

[Qwakrz]

I think the 3rd point may be wrong.

If you look at the Japan website for the RH10 it lists the 40ELK as an accesory so it looks like its going to be the same as the RH10 in that the european model wont work but the Japan model will so all thats needed is the same hack as the RH10 to change the location the unit thinks its in.

[RobA]

ok, as far as I see it (and many like me interested in recording might agree)

1. no problem, this is handy for playback only...if I want a player, I'll buy a player...I want a recorder and the RH1 looks like a great recorder... no problem

2. it is positioned great for recording / it actually consitis of two parts (2lines or even 3 but next to each other) / as OLED is still in its infancy I trust a smaller display more than a big one / again this is only really for playback...did I already mention this wasn't intended as a player?

3. we have only heard this coming from a test of a possibly premature show-model...I'll wait for the final product to be launched before believing this / this remote was especially useful as it showed rec-levels in the dark...this unit does that by itself so no prob / again what you whine about is focused on playback... pfff I'm slowly getting tired of this but... it is a recorder!

4. wow...I almost got startled...you actually have incorporated the one real flaw: no AA-addon and other limits coming with a Li-Ion batt... but even now ppl here on the forums have pointed out a number of USB-powerpack that can let us record for a loooong time

so all in all the RH1 promises to be a great recorder and because it was intended to be one it might be a bit less suited for playback... ahh too bad, but there are a lot of alternatives for DAP's, but almost none for good/affordable recorders... glad Sony chose to cater for the recording amateurs on this one instance!!

you like the RH10 better ... great, as you've already got that one you are now $340 richer as you do not need to think about upgrading

that's all for me now folks...think I'm off to start a thread on "why so much nagging about what Sony didn't do... why not be glad for five second with what they did do? they listened to us, yay!"

Volta here's my exact reply from the other thread, as it implies the same thing here too:

I know HiMD is great for recording and that this unit is obviously aimed for at recording but what I like about past units (like my rh10) is that you have options. The recording features are there if you need them, but so is great playback. HiMD targeted both recording and playback needs perfectly with past models. This one only recording and nothing for playback. Sony should have kept it half and half. But that's why there is the rh10, which is far better than any ipod (god I hate ipods). I love MD and will never leave the format, it's essential to me, I just wish sony would not target only recording and continue to target both recording and playback like they have done in the past. Hopefully the 3rd gen will have more than just the rh1.

[SaturnNyne]

think I'm off to start a thread on "why so much nagging about what Sony didn't do... why not be glad for five second with what they did do? they listened to us, yay!"

Well said. The RH1 isn't quite perfect... but if it were perfect I guess it just wouldn't be Sony. But this time they've done more right than I've ever seen and what they screwed up on is pretty minor, so this is the unit that will finally get me to move to hi-md after a couple years of ignoring it and hoping Sharp would get into the act.

[Richard]

Volta here's my exact reply from the other thread, as it implies the same thing here too:

I know HiMD is great for recording and that this unit is obviously aimed for at recording but what I like about past units (like my rh10) is that you have options. The recording features are there if you need them, but so is great playback.

That is why the RH1 has an improved HD Amp so it will also sound great on the playback front. It also has improved MP3 playback, so it looks like it beats the RH10 hands down there as well.

[RobA]

That is why the RH1 has an improved HD Amp so it will also sound great on the playback front. It also has improved MP3 playback, so it looks like it beats the RH10 hands down there as well.

In the mind of someone looking for a player the loss of a jog dial and a small screen is unacceptable.

[Richard]

In the mind of someone looking for a player the loss of a jog dial and a small screen is unacceptable.

I guess our priorities are different, but I'm generally more concerned about sound quality over jog dials. I think as others have said the RM-MC40ELK will actually work as intended on this but we will just have to wait and see. Small displays are generally not an issue - it is actually what the unit is capable of displaying on them that matters. But again if you are bothered by this it can be easily remedied with an lcd remote.

[jaylen]

In the mind of someone looking for a player the loss of a jog dial and a small screen is unacceptable.

Sounds like you need an iPod. (kidding)

I think the hype is good. Sure, it's a letdown for some of us seeking more options and a new player-only. But it will resurrect all those oldschool MD users who are used to uploading via real-time. Once those types of people are sucked into the RH1 and Hi-MD, maybe Sony will tempt them (and us) further with a new player-only and/or deck. It's like a drug - give them a little taste of the good stuff and they'll come back for more.

[SHion]

I'm too proud to buy another sony born out of damn business strategy.

I will not suck their socks. Keep it.

They will definitely come out with more crumbs little by little with more and more features

that we poor suckers can't ignore.

They just want our money that's it. I'm sorry but with their bloody strategies it definitely appears so.

Quite different from other companies.

Just my 0.2$ though.

Edited April 9, 2006 by Shion

[1kyle]

If you actually look at what the product is designed to do then there's no hype at all.

After all would you buy a Ferrari (assuming the right 6 numbers came up) and then complain that it wasn't suitable for Off Road travel or hadn't got enough luggage space for 4 kids camping gear.

As others have pointed out on this thread there are many play back options now if that's your primary purpose.

I'm not sure I would want an RH10 type of screen in the middle of a recording session but viewing the recording levels as shown on the introductory pictures looks a great idea, as is a proper LINE OUT and I'm sure the 5 line remote supplied with the NH1 will still work properly. (IT works fine with my UK RH10).

My only regret is that I'd prefer a genuine Drag and Drop for files so I could use other programs for file transfer such as NERO or whatever. Direct AAC (MP4) support would also be great but I can manage without that since if you've got PCM then transcoding shouldn't be a problem.

I'm not worried about exterbnal battery as the built in battery will last far longer than any recording session I'm likely to want. In any case bring a spare one. Small enough to carry with you in any case.

As far as "Hype" - what hype.

I haven't seen any Sony ads or press releases apart from those on this Forum.

From Word of mouth there is GENUINELY a lot of interest in this product but that's not due at all to Sony's now legendary poor marketing strategies.

Sony generating hype I don't think so. The marketing division would have a real job organising a Prayer Meeting in the Vatican or organising a "Booze up" in a Brewery.

Cheers

-K

[Roamer]

I can only second raintheory , The Low Volta and others recordists. My only complain is about the battery and I still hope the RM-MC40ELK will work properly. I too have over 100 live recordings waiting for digital transfers, so I will need definitely need this HiMD.

I was not much interested by the 2nd gen. units that mainly offered me mp3 playback (I don't need it).

But if the RH10 suits you better, then fine. Different people have different needs.

[jaylen]

As far as "Hype" - what hype.

I haven't seen any Sony ads or press releases apart from those on this Forum.

From Word of mouth there is GENUINELY a lot of interest in this product but that's not due at all to Sony's now legendary poor marketing strategies.

Exactly. Definitely not due to Sony. I think the "hype" that RobA is referring to (or what I referred to in my last post, at least) is the "hype" among forums like MDCF and T-Board, not Sony advertising.

[The Low Volta]

I think the "hype" that RobA is referring to is the "hype" among forums like MDCF and T-Board

hm, not instigated by a corporation but by the fact that it actually can do what we've been asking for ... I guess that's called genuine interest as 1kyle so aptly put it

and shion

I'm too proud to buy another sony born out of damn business strategy.

but not too proud to sell a malfunctioning NH900 'just as new' on ebay (as you admitted yourself)... you know the one about the pot and the kettle?

[jaylen]

but not too proud to sell a malfunctioning NH900 'just as new' on ebay (as you admitted yourself)... you know the one about the pot and the kettle?

LOL. Kind of ironic, but I found the quote below very fitting for that.

They just want our money that's it.

Today, I told some friends (one was a former Sharp MD user) about the RH1 and its release and they weren't too interested in buying it. But, they were curious about what it looks like. It's a small step in spreading MD beyond this forum, I guess. Is there any hype about the RH1 in Japan since the iPod had its "invasion" over there (according to a thread title here)?

Edited April 10, 2006 by jaylen

[SHion]

LOL. Kind of ironic, but I found the quote below very fitting for that.

Irony taken

Nothing I can reply to idioms.

Besides we live in a money mechanism. Every gear must spin therefore.

[Justin42]

2. Not compatible with RM-MC40ELK - Now matters are worse. Not even is there not a jog dial on the unit and small screen, but now you can't even use a remote with a jog dial and big screen. I first thought this unit was gonna be the advancement of the nh1 and use the 40ELK to make up for the small screen and lack a jog dial, but with this remote not compatible, there is no way to browse through hundreds of songs quickly or have a bigger screen.

Massive snipping, but it HAS been confirmed that the RH1 does indeed work with an RM-MC40ELK and initial reports to the contrary were due to lack of time to "play" with the unit.

http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?s=&sh...indpost&p=94761

[1kyle]

Massive snipping, but it HAS been confirmed that the RH1 does indeed work with an RM-MC40ELK and initial reports to the contrary were due to lack of time to "play" with the unit.

http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?s=&sh...indpost&p=94761

There's no reason why the "base" functionality of the remote won't work as the standard display feature is common to most models even going back to PRE-Net MD.

You probably won't be able to get all the remote functions to work such as keeping the backlight on all the time or switching it off. The equaliser functions also *may* or *may not* work as well.

The only remote that really only works in the unit(s) it's designed for it the one I have with the RHF-800 (FM radio).

The pins are larger so it won't physically fit into other models than those which have the radio in the remote.

Cheers

-K

[Richard]

You probably won't be able to get all the remote functions to work such as keeping the backlight on all the time or switching it off. The equaliser functions also *may* or *may not* work as well.

Well just to confirm this one more time all of the above do work on the RH1 we tested them with.

[jaylen]

The only remote that really only works in the unit(s) it's designed for it the one I have with the RHF-800 (FM radio).

The pins are larger so it won't physically fit into other models than those which have the radio in the remote.

Cheers

-K

It has also been reported (by doomlordis) that the radio remotes, 37lt and 39lt, work with an NH800 (radio Hi-MD unit) and will give radio function to an NH700 (non-radio MD unit).

Edit: MiniDisc Aussie states the non-Hi-MD NHF810 also uses 39lt.

So, you never know with these Sony remotes. It's good that people like doomlordis, richyu, and MDfreak are able to do some first-hand testing of remotes.

Edited April 13, 2006 by jaylen

[1kyle]

The radio remote which came with the NHF800 won't physically FIT into any of the other MD units I have.

I hope to try the other remote when I get the RH1.

With the RM-MC40ELK on the RH10 I certainly can't get all the functionality that I can get when it's plugged into the NH1. Codec won't display and you can't alter the back light settings from Auto Off.

Equalizer doesn't work either with the remote. (RH10 has been "Hacked" so full equaliser works in Native Mode).

I haven't tried everything but guessihg I'd say that around 90% of the functionality is available on the RH10. Probably enough.

I would like this remote to work with the RH1 as a 5 line display is certainly of use on playback.

On Record it's not important. Being able to monitor the recording levels IMO is more important and is easily seen on the RH1.

Cheers

-K

Edited April 13, 2006 by 1kyle

[jaylen]

The radio remote which came with the NHF800 won't physically FIT into any of the other MD units I have.

Cheers

-K

But, my point (which you've missed yet again) is your original statement that the "NHF800 remote only works in the NHF800" is false due to new info (actually, it's not that new) by a forum member. Basically, it seems like radio remotes can be overlapped among different models while retaining all their function, not just 90%. So, the upcoming news by richyu/MDfreak about the 40ELK + RH1 looks promising for those who do want to use a nice 40ELK with their RH1. Keep in mind, not every Hi-MD user will be using the RH1 as a field recorder.