UH OH...A BAD SIGN OF THE END...

[UMWOOFWOOFF]

I hope someone can please verify that I'm wrong, but our two Wal-Mart stores in southern Miami suddenly in the last two days have completely removed all blank minidiscs. They weren't put in any clearance section, nor moved to any other section of the store. I remember back in the day when high end blank cassettes were suddenly discontinued, and I searched every Wal-Mart I could find to purchase dozens of Sony ES cassettes in the clearance section.

An ex-girlfriend with whom I'm still friends is a manager of a Wal-Mart Supercenter. She was able to find out, that at least in her district, that the minidiscs were not only removed from the shelves but that they are being returned to the main distribution hub for sell-off because the prospects of them selling even at clearance prices would still pose a greater loss than returning them to their point of origin (similar to how CD's that are pre-ordered and don't sell to expectation are returned then sold by places such as "Big/Odd Lots"). One of my "things" that I do every time I got to a Wal-Mart across the country is just "check to see" if they have blank minidiscs. They've had them at the most obscure out-of-the-way stores in the middle of nowhere. I always knew the day was near...but not THIS near. I mean, they sell so much crap that you'd think NO ONE buys...but I guess MD is so far down the meter that we are all slightly blinded by how "do-do'd" our passion for this format really is.

Remember a couple years back when there was actually pricing stickers and dedicated shelf space for Hi-MD 3 packs for $9.95 that never appeared??????? Damb Sony. DAMB SONY.

Someone please check some local Wal-Mart stores and verify for me that this is at least, so far, just this district that has killed off their MD line. BTW, no more recorders exist at Wal-Mart of any kind.

The local Best Buy also has stopped selling any recorders, as well as Circuit City (who used to have a big MD display section up to about a year ago). Best Buy here no longer stocks blank MD media, and sale is limited to stock on hand. Circuit City still carries the Memorex and Sony blank discs, although the Premium Gold series has been discontinued here. Memorex, being recently bought out by Imation, has nixed the MD line-up as well (not that I'd buy their discs anymore, but they were seen everywhere, keeping at least a public perception of minidisc at stores like Target).

It's a very sad day...kinda like when you move out of town knowing you'll never see your friends again.

[Norick]

Yeah I know what it feels like. Here in Paris such thing started a while ago for some of our most famous retailers. Its the "mp3 player/iPod" generation. I guess stores aren't there to promote alternative solutions and give you the opportunity to choose between two rather different types of products: they'd rather focus on what's popular. I can understand that, it's just sad. Lucky for us, we still have some specialized retailers (especially Sony retailers) that will continue to sell minidiscs. Not because they really want to, but because Sony kind of tells them to.

I don't think it's the end. I'd say it's just attempted murder heheh...Minidisc is supposed to die every year, but still it survives. I guess it'll still be there. Just a little harder to get your hands on.

Edited June 8, 2006 by Norick

[Avrin]

An opposite thing is happening here in Russia. Standard 80-minute MD blanks started appearing all over Moscow during the last couple of months. The price range is 50-80 roubles (about $1.86-2.98) per blank. At the same time Hi-MD blanks disappeared even from Sony Centers (just two months ago they sold those for about $11 per blank). Though Hi-MDs can still be found in very few local shops for a nice price of 575 roubles (about $21.39) per blank.

Just yesterday I bought a really nice completely transparent (ah, this thing will never see a label attached) SONY "10th Anniversary Collector" 80-minute MD blank for 80 roubles in a small store, which specializes in pirate music CDs. They only had one of these SONYs, but lots of coloured 80-minute TDKs. Never saw any MDs there before, though I don't visit the store frequently, not being interested in pirate CDs. But yesterday I was just walking by, and MDs on display caught my attention.

Edited June 8, 2006 by Avrin

[The Low Volta]

An opposite thing is happening here in Russia. Standard 80-minute MD blanks started appearing all over Moscow during the last couple of months.

well, at least now we now where the wallmart discs are going just kidding!

[Skradgee]

I don't see any for sale at walmart.com either. A search for 'minidisc' returns one result of a book which looks like guide to digital music.

[jaylen]

Someone please check some local Wal-Mart stores and verify for me that this is at least, so far, just this district that has killed off their MD line. BTW, no more recorders exist at Wal-Mart of any kind.

Not so over here, my friend.

It really depends on your region and/or country. Canada and the UK are reporting the same as you for their Wal-Marts and Asda stores (owned by Wal-Mart, I'm told), respectively. I have found 4 Wal-Marts in my area that have had 5 or more packs of Sony Color Collection MDs on clearance. They started off at $5 (for 5) and now they are currently $3. On top of that, these Wal-Marts also have the PSYC black/orange or white/green DN430 on clearance for $30 (down from $80). Each store had at least 4 downloaders, brand new in their blister packaging.

Best Buy here still sells Sony, Maxell, and Fuji MDs in 5-packs, 15-packs, or 8-packs. Circuit City has the Fuji and Memorex MDs. Frys has the blue, newer 1GB Hi-MD blanks ($8), Sony Color Collection 8-packs and 15-packs, the PSYC black/orange DN430 for $30, and the PSYC white/yellow/grey downloader (I forgot the model) for $60.

I don't see any for sale at walmart.com either. A search for 'minidisc' returns one result of a book which looks like guide to digital music.

http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=15874

Take note of the last 2 sentences in that post.

[danielbb90]

Argos UK had them on clearence last july!

[pissedoffpoet]

My local Walmart doesn't have MD units or blanks for sale anymore, but then my Walmart is absolute crap. They don't even have a ready stock of Creative Zen players or iPods, but they've got a ton of RCA Lyra's. Whatevs.

[UMWOOFWOOFF]

Man I was SO hoping I was wrong. I guess the official death is upon us.

Especially sad when you realize that Wal-Mart STILL sells mini-CDR's...you mean to tell me more people use THOSE than minidiscs? Or VHS-C tape???? That's REALLY saying alot for the state of MD I suppose. I kinda feel silly to continue to pursue something so dead and yet so perfect for my use.

Sad.

[Tunster]

Man I was SO hoping I was wrong. I guess the official death is upon us.

Especially sad when you realize that Wal-Mart STILL sells mini-CDR's...you mean to tell me more people use THOSE than minidiscs? Or VHS-C tape???? That's REALLY saying alot for the state of MD I suppose. I kinda feel silly to continue to pursue something so dead and yet so perfect for my use.

Sad.

Why panic when you can easily purchase MD/Hi-MD discs on eBay? Regardless of shops taking them off the shelves.

Continue your legacy into MD; why not when its the most unique format in the universe?

Edited June 8, 2006 by Tunster

[Sony_Fan]

I hope someone can please verify that I'm wrong, but our two Wal-Mart stores in southern Miami suddenly in the last two days have completely removed all blank minidiscs. They weren't put in any clearance section, nor moved to any other section of the store. I remember back in the day when high end blank cassettes were suddenly discontinued, and I searched every Wal-Mart I could find to purchase dozens of Sony ES cassettes in the clearance section.

An ex-girlfriend with whom I'm still friends is a manager of a Wal-Mart Supercenter. She was able to find out, that at least in her district, that the minidiscs were not only removed from the shelves but that they are being returned to the main distribution hub for sell-off because the prospects of them selling even at clearance prices would still pose a greater loss than returning them to their point of origin (similar to how CD's that are pre-ordered and don't sell to expectation are returned then sold by places such as "Big/Odd Lots"). One of my "things" that I do every time I got to a Wal-Mart across the country is just "check to see" if they have blank minidiscs. They've had them at the most obscure out-of-the-way stores in the middle of nowhere. I always knew the day was near...but not THIS near. I mean, they sell so much crap that you'd think NO ONE buys...but I guess MD is so far down the meter that we are all slightly blinded by how "do-do'd" our passion for this format really is.

Remember a couple years back when there was actually pricing stickers and dedicated shelf space for Hi-MD 3 packs for $9.95 that never appeared??????? Damb Sony. DAMB SONY.

Someone please check some local Wal-Mart stores and verify for me that this is at least, so far, just this district that has killed off their MD line. BTW, no more recorders exist at Wal-Mart of any kind.

The local Best Buy also has stopped selling any recorders, as well as Circuit City (who used to have a big MD display section up to about a year ago). Best Buy here no longer stocks blank MD media, and sale is limited to stock on hand. Circuit City still carries the Memorex and Sony blank discs, although the Premium Gold series has been discontinued here. Memorex, being recently bought out by Imation, has nixed the MD line-up as well (not that I'd buy their discs anymore, but they were seen everywhere, keeping at least a public perception of minidisc at stores like Target).

It's a very sad day...kinda like when you move out of town knowing you'll never see your friends again.

As far as I can remember, I've never seen MDs at Wal-Mart. So this isn't surprising. Besides, most MD users buy blanks online.

[ZosoIV]

Not surprising, since MD has almost completely fallen off the radar with the general US public. Remember, MD never took off in the US, and its populace are smitten with iPods (and the like) and have been for some time now. I've always purchased my blanks online, as they're significantly less expensive than those purchased in B&M stores (such as Wal-Mart).

I attend graduate school in an area with about 120,000 people and the only store that carries any sort of MD blank is BestBuy. Even when I'm home in the Chicago area, I never see anything MD-related, either. I don't even think Target or RadioShack carry blanks anymore. The 1GB Hi-MD discs never appeared on store shelves, and MD players are now impossible to purchase off-line, as Wal-Mart was the last place I knew of that carried them.

Edited June 8, 2006 by ZosoIV

[Qwakrz]

Used to go through this alot when I worked in a few IT shops.

Stock gets recalled by the manufacurer so that it can be sent out to places that need the stock desperatly.

It may just be that the supplier has a big order or some other target to reach and has offered to take them all back for a full refund so it can supply its other orders. This would then make it pointless for the shop to put them on clearance as they get more by returning them.

Personally it does not matter if the shops stop selling blank discs as Ebay is always there and the blank discs seem to last for ages (not had any faulty in the 10+ years I have used Minidisc).

The only thing that would make me stop is if all my equipment broke that I use the discs on.

I just hope, if this is the end, that I can get an RH1 (or more likely 2) before it goes.

[RobA]

I really hope the blanks aren't gone, they were in my local walmart last month. I guess I have to take a trip and see.

[UMWOOFWOOFF]

Of course I realize blanks can be bought online. So can NOS 8-tracks.

My point was my depressing observation and ultimate realization of the symbolism of the discontinuation of minidiscs from reality stores.

Not selling MD's at huge retail avenues like Best Buy, Circuit City, Radio Shack, Target, and last but not least, Wal-Mart (which IS the largest retail store in nearly the WORLD) is going to be such a HUGE blow to the profitability of this format that honestly there is no way it can survive and be profitable. I hate to sound negative, but its the sad truth. The plug's been pulled. The RH-1 is the big send-off, the last gasp to allow people to upload their MD recordings and transfer them TO SOMETHING ELSE (which quite honestly offends me; my whole love of MD is to use it as a recorder AND a playback device...to use MD to record something only to burn it to a CD or god forbid listen to it on a computer is blasphemy in my opinion and a kick in the face to real supporters and lovers of minidisc) while the format quietly goes away.

I was going to get an RH-1 but I think I'm getting on the lifeboat before the ship pulls me down in the undertow when the last 15% goes under.

[ZosoIV]

I still ask: why is this so surprising to everybody? It's 2006 and your average American doesn't give a hoot about MD's anymore; they didn’t in 1996 or 2000 either. MD was never popular in the US to the extent that it is/was in Japan; I'm a musician and have known many other musicians who had no idea about them or think that they are a "new" format if they see them today. So, to expect that stores will keep carrying media for an all-but extinct format in the US is silly - stores don't waste shelf space on products that nobody buys.

Save for a comparatively small minority, Americans are not interested in MiniDisc, or arguably even removable media when it comes to audio. The average Joe just wants a single device that can hold all of their music. The average Joe doesn't do any sort of recording - recording was something people did to shift music from LP's or CD's onto another type of media, namely the cassette tape. With the advent of HDD or flash-based compressed music players, the average Joe isn't going to be bothered with swapping discs, using SonicStage, and waiting for 500KB/sec download times. In short, the average Joe doesn't need or want MiniDiscs, and Wal-Mart has responded by pulling them. Remember, other stores did it a long time ago.

Thankfully, for those of us Americans who do use MD, there will always be a plentiful supply available on the internet, and at least that’s just a few dollars more of my money that won’t feed the Wal*Mart beast

[garcou]

I will not forgive Sony not giving us a hImd car unit...(and full size deck)

[Odyssey]

The Walmart and Best Buy had crap quality MDs here and I never looked at Circuit (jump on you ) city.

I have bought my MD's from the internet for ever now.

I am not sure why the big concern, the us market was not too hot to begin with but MD's are very hot in Japan and Europe. They will be popular and available for quite some time.

If you are so concerned about the MD's, STOCKPILE THEM! buy them and store them for future use.

No one knows where the MD will go now that the MZ-RH1 and MZ-M200 are coming out. Face it, these two units are the greatest leap ahead that SONY has made since MD's came onto the market.

It is true that the market that SONY is looking at is changing a bit, a bit more PROFESSIONAL in nature but that makes the future of the MD brighter.

But when you talk about these generic stores discontinuing MD disks, well, what are you thinking??? THe MD does not make or break by the mere existance of WALLMART!

You have one of the most advance recording systems known today so ENJOY IT. USE IT and ignore these stores that drop product lines because they can't make megabucks from them. "Ever see how Radio Crap drops products off the shelf? Notice they are selling Cell Phones now?" BTW, I would never buy a MD from Radio Crap, I don't trust their product.

So get on line and start buying the MDs and store them for use later. Enjoy your gadget and have fun and don't sweat the small stuff.

O

[jaylen]

I didn't even know that Wal-Mart even had MD blanks until someone posted about the clearance. I was actually surprised to see the blue 1GB Hi-MD blanks at a huge chain electronics store here (Frys Electronics) and they opened up less than a year ago. It's nice to know I can have them on hand, not have to wait for shipping, and not have to pay for shipping, but the best bargains and variety for MD are really found online and sometimes with patience.

[Ipaqman]

Our local Walmart south of Boston had the Sony MD 5 packs on the clearance rack last week, so I picked up a couple of packs for $5 each. They have had MD blanks and Net MD units available for some time. However, recently, they have revamped the entire portable music area (Ipods and Creative) and I don't recall seeing any MD units.

[Avrin]

Heh! The price of HiMD blanks in Moscow just dropped from 575 to 387 roubles (about $14.33). Something is going on here...

[nathantw666]

It is true that the market that SONY is looking at is changing a bit, a bit more PROFESSIONAL in nature but that makes the future of the MD brighter.

FYI, I was walking on the street the other day and there was a film crew recording something. I noticed the camera was marked Betacam. It appears that Beta is still being used even to this day. I'm sure minidisc will be the same.

[Mikami]

It's a very sad day...kinda like when you move out of town knowing you'll never see your friends again.

Not, if you move to Japan ! You and your Minidisc friends can always be together, here!You will be able to see them everywhere and everyday here! You can see them at seven eleven stores, groccery stores, department stores and anywhere else!

In Japan, however, Burger King is dead. I guess there will be no return of the King, here .

Bye bye,

Mikami

Edited June 9, 2006 by Mikami

[atikin]

FYI, I was walking on the street the other day and there was a film crew recording something. I noticed the camera was marked Betacam. It appears that Beta is still being used even to this day. I'm sure minidisc will be the same.

The Beta format became strictly professional. Most TV/Movie devices use the same Betacam cassette formfactor: Betacam SP (last analog); Digital Betacam; HDCam (the one Lucas used for StarWars). But as far as I know in the movie industry only few the sound professionals use MD and rather as a backup in case something is wrong with their DAT tapes or HDD recorders. Last time I was participating in the shooting the sound guy used HDCAM camera's two sound tracks as main recording media.

[MZ-1]

At least MDs are a *reusuable* resource and, if taken care of, should last many, many years. The discs will probably outlive working examples of the recorders.

Paul

[Top Cat]

An opposite thing is happening here in Russia. Standard 80-minute MD blanks started appearing all over Moscow during the last couple of months.

Same here in Kiev.

The city's renowned open-air electronics "Radio-market" is filled up with all brands of 80's priced around $1.30

They even can be found in "big" stores for $2-3, but salesmen usually have no idea what those discs are - when I ask them to show me MD's they usually ask back: "those discs for video?"

As for Hi-MD's - I'm now probably the only seller of this kind of media in the whole country

http://www.stereo.org.ua/News/Latest/himd-sale

[jaylen]

FYI, I was walking on the street the other day and there was a film crew recording something. I noticed the camera was marked Betacam. It appears that Beta is still being used even to this day. I'm sure minidisc will be the same.

Um, not quite right.

Read this thread, starting at post #88.

http://www.audiotstation.com/forum/showthr...ghlight=beta%27

[doclloyd]

I stopped in my local SonyStyle store (Woodfield Mall - in the Chicago burbs) and they didn't have any MD units out... a week or two ago they had the DH10P out for less than $300. No carrying cases, no RH910 or RH10 either. Still had blank MD's, of course. But it was disconcerting to see even my local Sony store not stocking the units.

[Mikami]

Doclloyd,

(1) Sony's MZ-DH10P and MZ-RH10 ceased production in May.

(2) The Sony portable MD units being produced, that are also being sold, currently are: The MZ-RH1, MZ-EH70, MZ-EH50, MZ-N920, and MZ-E520.

(3)The MCMD-R1 is also still in production.

(4)It does seem disconcerting

(5) I hope they get the MZ-RH1 in stock soon.

regards, ,

Mikami

[Avrin]

This is really sad. And I should probably get another RH10 as soon as possbile.

[Avrin]

The price of HiMD blanks in Moscow continues to drop. They already sell for 249 roubles (about $9.21). The price more than halved in a week!

Edited June 17, 2006 by Avrin

[Avrin]

The fun continues! HiMD blanks are already 221 roubles (about $8.18). Almost time to buy!

Edited June 17, 2006 by Avrin

[himd_anxiety]

I have been to Wal-Mart and can confirm that, indeed, no traces of MiniDisc were present. I honestly have only ever seen two retailers with Hi-MD products in Buffalo, NY, and they were Best Buy and Sears. All they ever had was the MZ-NH600D. Neither ever had the media. In Washington, D.C., I could always find Hi-MD equipment at specialty shops. That remains the case. Circuit City has entirely abandoned MiniDisc and all but done so to Sony, too. Circuit City always seemed the major retailer most interested in selling the format, carrying several units and stocking large quantities of the media. They even sold cases for the unit and the media. I've been into Mini Disc since 1998, and it's been a great ride. I plan on getting another MZ-NFH800 and another player with a better screen some time soon so that I have them at my ready when my current 800 begins to fail. MZ-NHF800 is not as well constructed as it might be, but it's truly a tremendous player.

I still get tacken aback at the reality that it sounds distinctly crisper, more pristine, and louder than my HD5, which I expected to sound AT LEAST as good. I actually fluctuate between the two just for the sound at times.

[jaylen]

I'm finding that minidisc blanks (both standard 74/80 min and Hi-MD) are still in stores - Best Buy, some Circuit Cities, Frys Electronics, and some Wal-Marts. What's getting harder to find here are the recorder/downloader units. I've only seen the RH910 at SonyStyle and the cheapy PSYC DN430 downloaders are here and there. (I joined the MD world June 2005 so I'm not sure how much of a change this is to begin with.)

[culp4684]

Um, not quite right.

Read this thread, starting at post #88.

http://www.audiotstation.com/forum/showthr...ghlight=beta%27

Take a look what is still available from J & R Music:

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=10197

I ain't worried...

[jaylen]

Take a look what is still available from J & R Music:

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=10197

I ain't worried...

Uhh, no offense, but why did you quote me? What I was talking about has nothing to do with MD dying out, but rather the comment about BetaMAX being the same as the BetaCAM being used by TV stations. Please click on linked threads before you quote and reply. Thanks.

[Karmageddon]

Well it appears the format (Hi-MD) is doing well here in Vancouver BC Canada.

The Sony Store (from what they tell me) are still stocking about 5-7 units and most are selling quite a bit.

On the other hand though, London Drugs, which used to be a major carrier of MD/Hi-MD/NetMD players/recorders has STOPPED selling any and all players/recorders in favour of the 1 GB Flash/HDD players by Sony (and even those are of limited stock)..

Mind you, LD still has NUMEROUS and NUMEROUS amounts of blanks, from TDK, Sony and Maxell. Most of the LD outlets that sell Hi-MD blanks just can't keep them in stock. They usually are about $10.99 CAN but they go on sale alot for $7.98 CAN and when that sale happens all outlets (3 near where I live) always sell out within days of the sale (which is also advertised in flyers)

Hi-MD blanks are a hot commodity here. I really don't see this format dying off completley. It just won't be available to the average llistener/purchaser in "average" stores.

Edited June 19, 2006 by karmageddon

[culp4684]

Uhh, no offense, but why did you quote me? What I was talking about has nothing to do with MD dying out, but rather the comment about BetaMAX being the same as the BetaCAM being used by TV stations. Please click on linked threads before you quote and reply. Thanks.

I didn't really need to click on that link...if you read a little further, I'm actually a part of that thread.

No offense intended, I really didn't understand what you meant by 'Um, not quite right" and the theme of that whole thread is about blank discs being reduced in price to sell until they're all gone. I was just trying to make a point that you can still purchase Beta videotape blanks, so why worry? I apologize if I misunderstood...

[UMWOOFWOOFF]

For curiosity sake, I just checked AMS, Guitar Center, Musician's Friend, Clearwater, and Music123 today...

Either the stores have stopped carrying MD blanks all together, or they are on clearance sale evidenced by extremely long back-order dates, which I was told by more than one representative that this basically meant that once current stock is gone, that's it. Musician's Friend computer system simply assigns a strangely out of place extremely long back order date.

I just got 4 packs of TDK's and 3 packs of Emtec's from Guitar Center for FIFTY CENTS A PACK.

Bought a lens cleaner and a pack of old Basf MD's from Radio Shack for $2 each. Got a blue Hi-MD for $0.50 (only one they ever stocked).

Bought a cardboard box of 20 2 packs of Maxell's from Rite Aid for $5. They had been removed YEARS ago and were just sitting in the back.

Bought 10 packs of JVC Crystal discs from Sears for $10.

The time is here, folks. Get the last that you can find. They are out there.

Edited June 20, 2006 by UMWOOFWOOFF

[jaylen]

I didn't really need to click on that link...if you read a little further, I'm actually a part of that thread.

No offense intended, I really didn't understand what you meant by 'Um, not quite right" and the theme of that whole thread is about blank discs being reduced in price to sell until they're all gone. I was just trying to make a point that you can still purchase Beta videotape blanks, so why worry? I apologize if I misunderstood...

The person to whom I was saying, "Um, not quite right" made the same (honest) mistake as the person in that T-Board thread - mistaking BetaCAM for BetaMAX. So, I was not questioning their analogy of "Beta" and MD, but rather just pointing out that there are 2 kinds of Beta, as discussed in that T-Board thread. Hope this makes it clearer to you.