RH1 release news for USA

[alrose312]

I was in the Sony Style store this weekend and I asked the sales rep (who was surprisingly knowledgable about minidisc) said that they just shipped all their minidisc players back to Sony Corporate (they aren't carrying ANY MD players in the store at this point). When I asked him what was going on, he mentioned that they still haven't decided how they want to market the minidisc yet. He said that with the RH1, they were thinkin of calling it the "VIBE". Anyway, until SONY sorts out its marketing issue, it's not likely that the RH1 will show up anytime soon in the US.

Ta ta

[Skradgee]

Interesting...

Really though...just start selling the damn units in the US! I understand that Sony wants to get the marketing right and sell as many as they can sell, but I'm getting sick of waiting...and might give in and buy one from Audiocube$.

[Rumz]

Interesting...

Really though...just start selling the damn units in the US! I understand that Sony wants to get the marketing right and sell as many as they can sell, but I'm getting sick of waiting...and might give in and buy one from Audiocube$.

Yeah I'm getting a little impatient as well. A few days ago people were saying U.S. release was imminent but that the color will be silver, and now others are saying that the ETA is indefinite. What gives?

So, for us impatient people, are there any alternatives to Audiocubes for getting our hands on a Japanese black RH1?

[Karmageddon]

well guys..

quick story:

I went to the Sony Store (here in Vancouver BC Canada) on Firday and lo and behold, I saw the new RH1...

Beautiful it was! No price was listed. I went to the guy and he said they just got it in like 20 minutes earlier. He looks on the computer. Turns out there are 7 on back order for the east coast and 4 that have been sold through online sales. The one I saw (and held!) is the only available model from the Sony Store in Canada. $359 + tax!!!

Anyways, i picked it up and boy is it light!!!!!

It is lighter than a full pack of cigarettes. and slimmer than I initially thought. Sony REALLY did outdo themselves on this model. It is their flagship model, for sure..

Just thought i would let you guys know that it is here in Canada now. But the Sony guy did say that it appears they weren't doing mass production runs of this model. He said once the model he had in the store was gone it oculd be 3-6 months for a special order to come in. ARGH!

I should be buying it this week, if I am lucky...

Any other Canadian members get a hold of this model?

BTW - The model I held was black and made out of metal!

Edited June 19, 2006 by karmageddon

[raintheory]

FYI...

Response from SoundProfessionals regarding the RH1:

Hello:

Thank you for contacting us. To the best of our knowledge, we are expecting the MZ-RH1 in either June or July.

The color will be silver. The black model will be in about a month after the silver one.

Best Regards,

The Sound Professionals, Inc

Sales Dept

So looks like they will be getting silver and black models, just they are getting the silver models first.

Depending on when they are available I may end up going for the silver because I can't stand waiting anymore! Plus I really need the Legacy uploading ASAP for a couple projects I am working on./

Edited June 19, 2006 by raintheory

[m15a]

I was in the Sony Style store this weekend and I asked the sales rep (who was surprisingly knowledgable about minidisc) said that they just shipped all their minidisc players back to Sony Corporate (they aren't carrying ANY MD players in the store at this point). When I asked him what was going on, he mentioned that they still haven't decided how they want to market the minidisc yet. He said that with the RH1, they were thinkin of calling it the "VIBE". Anyway, until SONY sorts out its marketing issue, it's not likely that the RH1 will show up anytime soon in the US.

Ta ta

do you (or anybody) know if sony style stores are selling minidisc accesories (cases, remotes, whatever)? in the u.s. that is. i'm in ny, btw.

[Rumz]

FYI...

Response from SoundProfessionals regarding the RH1:

So looks like they will be getting silver and black models, just they are getting the silver models first.

Depending on when they are available I may end up going for the silver because I can't stand waiting anymore! Plus I really need the Legacy uploading ASAP for a couple projects I am working on./

Thanks for the update, that is good news. I guess I have to wait no matter what, as audiocubes doesn't seem to have any black in stock right now anyways. Another month+.... argh.

[alrose312]

do you (or anybody) know if sony style stores are selling minidisc accesories (cases, remotes, whatever)? in the u.s. that is. i'm in ny, btw.

Not sure about the cases, etc - but they did have actual minidiscs in the New jersey store. It's worth a shot, you never know what's gonna still be on the shelves.

[jaylen]

He said that with the RH1, they were thinkin of calling it the "VIBE".

Ack, I hope not. The name, "Vibe," already belongs to a Pontiac, and boy, is that an UGLY car.

[Sony_Fan]

Ack, I hope not. The name, "Vibe," already belongs to a Pontiac, and boy, is that an UGLY car.

Hey, if they make some changes to the RH1 (more bass, more volume, playback of Mp3, wma, and other formats) it would be worth the wait. Imagine, a superior unit for the U.S. market. That's what Sony should do.

[jaylen]

Hey, if they make some changes to the RH1 (more bass, more volume, playback of Mp3, wma, and other formats) it would be worth the wait. Imagine, a superior unit for the U.S. market. That's what Sony should do.

You've got to be kidding. Making another RH1 specifically for the USA, where iPods (and other DAPs), PSPs, and music phones run wild? Where it's nearly impossible to find blanks, let alone an MD unit, anywhere (offline) in the nation? You're doing some heavy-duty wishful thinking, my friend. Besides, alrose312 said they are thinking of re-marketing the RH1, not re-making it.

What Sony should do is work on the marketing of MD, rather than switch their attention to making a different, special unit for a country that seems to be giving up on the format ever-so-slowly. To think that engineering a "superior US-only unit" would be a good/feasible idea is really quite Amerocentric, in my opinion.

[UMWOOFWOOFF]

My nearest Sony Style store here in Florida had a more bleak outlook. Seems they also sent all old stock MD equipment to Sony, however the manager here is NOT expecting it to return. His words? "They're done with it; its not coming back. We've been ordered to return all stock, and we were expecting the RH-1, but it seems like Sony's had a change of heart. They're not selling it here, and they've halted production past the first batch of units." So, I checked with my local Sony Broadcast and Professional office, and was told the same thing...the RH-1 is NOT coming, at least, to ANY division in Florida. I don't know if this counts for any other market, but its definitely a reversal for Sony, since the RH-1 was going to be the big "send-off" before MD was finally put to rest. Now, I guess we're not important enough to Sony for even THAT to happen. All of this beside the fact that all blank MD/Hi-MD media has been pulled and returned to Sony in this area.

Let's face it, friends...we all need to stock up NOW and say a little vigil for our departed friend. I've got a ton of legacy MD equipment to last me for life. But, no Hi-MD since they never made a deck. I was going to get the RH-1, but I'm not buying into planned Sony obsolescence anymore.

:'-(

[pata2001]

Hey, if they make some changes to the RH1 (more bass, more volume, playback of Mp3, wma, and other formats) it would be worth the wait. Imagine, a superior unit for the U.S. market. That's what Sony should do.

Yeah, we wish. IMO, Sony USA would probably neuter the US RH1 instead. Just look at the lack of Divx capability of Sony's latest portable DVD player, while the same exact model in Canada supports Divx. The music and movie industry still hold a tight grasp on Sony USA. The delays must be that Sony is switching the assembly line for a neutered firmware on the RH1 (eg. disable uploading feature, disable ELK remote compatiblity, etc). If Sony USA is thinking of "re-marketing" the RH1, then we should at least see some hints of US press releases or ads somewhere. Maybe Sony is not even releasing the RH1 in the US. They don't even release the NW-Axxxx and E00x players in the US.

Edited June 20, 2006 by pata2001

[Justin42]

This all seems too bizarre. There is definite pent-up demand for a unit, they'd be crazy not to release it here. I just wonder if demand is so much stronger than expected in the EU and Japan that they can't make enough units to keep everyone satisfied, so they're sending the US models back to help demand in the "stronger" areas?

It still seems totally idiotic.

Which means, given this is Sony, it's quite possibly true.

I really, REALLY want an RH1!!

[Norick]

I just wonder if demand is so much stronger than expected in the EU and Japan that they can't make enough units to keep everyone satisfied, so they're sending the US models back to help demand in the "stronger" areas?

If that can be of any help to you, the RH1 is NOT available in most EU countries. And even in places where it has be "seen" (UK, Belgium and some say in the Netherlands), releasing a couple of units here and there is not what I call an actual release. I don't know what's going on on the japanese market, but we sure aren't the luckiest chaps. Release date in France has been "officially" postponed from early june to mid july, but a Sony rep told me it might not be available until the end of August here in Paris. Online stores are pre-ordering it by the dozens but are getting more and more embarrassed as they have to mail all their customers about endless delays.

Sony has made marketing and strategic mistakes in the past (oh boy they have), but they have to clarify things on this one because it's getting ridiculous: of course they're not gonna outsell Apple's Ipod, but the demand is obviously here, and focusing on an upper class model-only policy for this 3rd generation of HiMD could also be a good thing. All they have to do is manufacture the damn thing...

Edited June 20, 2006 by Norick

[himd_anxiety]

Isn't it ridiculous and ironic that Sony should just now become nervously concerned about MiniDisc marketing in the United States?

You've got to be kidding. Making another RH1 specifically for the USA, where iPods (and other DAPs), PSPs, and music phones run wild? Where it's nearly impossible to find blanks, let alone an MD unit, anywhere (offline) in the nation? You're doing some heavy-duty wishful thinking, my friend. Besides, alrose312 said they are thinking of re-marketing the RH1, not re-making it.

What Sony should do is work on the marketing of MD, rather than switch their attention to making a different, special unit for a country that seems to be giving up on the format ever-so-slowly. To think that engineering a "superior US-only unit" would be a good/feasible idea is really quite Amerocentric, in my opinion.

I'm sure his motivation for suggesting a superior unit for the United States emanated, at the very least, in part from their long history of shafting America with inferior, anemic units. 600D was the only Hi-MD unit to be carried by major retailers here, for instance. Whenever it has come down to flagship and superior units, MD consumers have amost always had to find entrepreneurials and online stores and auctions. If it's not right in reverse, the status quo is just as flawed. I'm not going to be so sensitive as to take it as a personal affront to Americans, though.

[pata2001]

Let's play market analyst:

1. We thought the delay of the release might be due to Sony USA waiting for SSCP 4.0. Understandable, so Sony can skip SS3.4 for the RH1. However, SSCP 4.0 is out already.

2. Toshiba is delaying the S30 release in the US because they're waiting for WMP11 to be released. Sony updated the NW-Axxxx and E00x to support WMA. Maybe Sony is switching to WMP, and probably also the reason they didn't release the Network Walkmen in the US, yet?

3. Apple is gearing up with Nike, and with it, new firmware for iPod and new iTunes. Also, the rumor is Apple going to sell full length movies via iTunes. At the same note, Sony updated the new Network Walkmen to support AAC, albeit no fairplay DRM. Coincidence? The video iPod and PSP have similar support for video (both H.263 and H.264). Maybe Sony is waiting for this? Nothing to do with the RH1, but hey.

Let's see if the rumor flame spread quickly.

If you read the RH1 manual, it does mention North America, although it can refer to Canada only. So, back to my "market analysis," Sony USA must be gearing a new assembly line to neuter the firmware (c'mon, will the RIAA stand still with those uploading feature?), or they're not going to bother with the US market. Heck, sony USA did not even release the NW-Axxxx and E00x, while Canada got both. Sony flash players (E1xx, 4xx, 5xx)were quite popular (the fact they're even available at Target and Bestbuy), so if Sony USA skipped the E00x, maybe Sony USA gave up on the portable audio market in the US altogether. Gotta keep the music execs fat and happy, right?

On a more positive note, there is an RH1 spec for download at Sony USA: http://www.iq.sony.com/srvs/DocsConnect/do...d=70537&DL=true

Note there is no mention for uploading legacy recordings, only this:

Self Recording Upload Feature: Upon transferring a Hi-MD recording to SonicStage® Music Management System, you will have the option to save in .WAV format in a designated folder on your PC's hard drive. A file saved in .WAV format provides you with the flexibility to import the file into a music management application where you can manage the file, compress the .WAV file to another format, or burn the file to a CD-R/RW.

Remote is 38EL , and earbud is E808 So much for being high end, no E931.

Edited June 20, 2006 by pata2001

[Tunster]

We may be simply seeing SONY gearing up more units that anticipated selling. Especially if they've delayed mjaor stock exportation until July. Most UK stores (primarily e-tailers) only recieved a very limited number of units (3 - 4 each).

SONY probably wanted to see how quickly these went before jumping the gun. Who knows?

The RIAA should have no say. All they'll do is pressure the american companies to keep music safe. If this is a problem in american, then obviously, Sony have a problem releasing the RH1 unit. Maybe they're working on a temporary firmware fix to stop that?

The American market is tough with the RIAA always overlooking the music industry and products that effect it. This is why the iPod is so favourable because iTunes is the control over an individuals music.

[Norick]

SONY probably wanted to see how quickly these went before jumping the gun. Who knows?

I sincerely hope you're right on that one. And imo they should have picked up on it by now: e-tailers and Sony centers in the UK are significantly pre-ordering it, the Sony Center in Bruxels also has quite a good demand, etc...

Isn't it one of those days when you REALLY wish you were some kind of big Sony executive, endowed with the power to just say: "Yeah, let's launch the baby on a wide basis!"?

[lamewing]

Yeah, we wish. IMO, Sony USA would probably neuter the US RH1 instead. Just look at the lack of Divx capability of Sony's latest portable DVD player, while the same exact model in Canada supports Divx. The music and movie industry still hold a tight grasp on Sony USA. The delays must be that Sony is switching the assembly line for a neutered firmware on the RH1 (eg. disable uploading feature, disable ELK remote compatiblity, etc). If Sony USA is thinking of "re-marketing" the RH1, then we should at least see some hints of US press releases or ads somewhere. Maybe Sony is not even releasing the RH1 in the US. They don't even release the NW-Axxxx and E00x players in the US.

I wouldn't suprise me to see Sony change the firmware and remove the kanji and kana capabilities. WHY? If we don't use that part, fine, but SONY, STOP WASTING TIME and sell the thing as a RECORDER. Ha, we will probably never see it here, just like with the A-series players. I just don't understand what Sony is trying to accomplish by ignoring the U.S. market. It is obvious that this device isn't going to compete with Apple's brainchild. I just HOPE Sony UNDERSTANDS this and instead just sells the recorder to the recording crowd.

[raintheory]

Heads-up for SoundProfessionals Pre-Orders...

They have the M200 (black model with sony mic) listed on their site now, 1st shipment expected in July ($399).

The RH1 (silver model with free soundprofessionals mic) is listed for shipment in June and is $100 less than the M200 ($299).

I think I'll be fine with the silver model myself.

Edited June 20, 2006 by raintheory

[Rumz]

If you read the RH1 manual, it does mention North America, although it can refer to Canada only. So, back to my "market analysis," Sony USA must be gearing a new assembly line to neuter the firmware (c'mon, will the RIAA stand still with those uploading feature?), or they're not going to bother with the US market. Heck, sony USA did not even release the NW-Axxxx and E00x, while Canada got both. Sony flash players (E1xx, 4xx, 5xx)were quite popular (the fact they're even available at Target and Bestbuy), so if Sony USA skipped the E00x, maybe Sony USA gave up on the portable audio market in the US altogether. Gotta keep the music execs fat and happy, right?

Here's why I disagree with your conspiracy theory. From what I see on the U.S. side of things, the RH1 is being marketed to professionals. Sure, there are a bunch of us enthusiasts who can't wait to get our hands on one, but Sony really doesn't look like they're going to market this as a mainstream consumer product. Easy enough to not carry it at Sony Style stores that are geared towards consumer electronics, etc.

I've heard a lot of comments about the RH1-- those who like the RH10 complaining about it being the worst MD unit ever, and those who love the RH1 especially for its prowess as a minideck / recording unit. It seems pretty clear to me that that's where this is geared.

So why would Sony *need* to "neuter" the firmware if they're selling this to professionals and not marketing it to music listeners? They'd only be hurting sales for their niche audience, because there are so many people who use it as a recording medium that have discs that they've been wanting for years to be able to upload digitally.

The RH1, IMO, is in no way competing with any other DAP -- not ipods, not flash players, nothing. Maybe in Japan, but certainly not in the U.S. I'm sure Sony's focus to compete with iPods and the like will have to be their own flavor of flash players, hard drive players, and video players. The RH1 is for a smaller crowd so why expect some massive release? If this thing is sellling like hotcakes in Japan, perhaps it's just a simple function of catching up production-wise.

I could be wrong, but I really doubt we'll see a firmware change to remove the ability to upload legacy recordings.

[himd_anxiety]

Let's play market analyst:

1. We thought the delay of the release might be due to Sony USA waiting for SSCP 4.0. Understandable, so Sony can skip SS3.4 for the RH1. However, SSCP 4.0 is out already.

2. Toshiba is delaying the S30 release in the US because they're waiting for WMP11 to be released. Sony updated the NW-Axxxx and E00x to support WMA. Maybe Sony is switching to WMP, and probably also the reason they didn't release the Network Walkmen in the US, yet?

I'm not persuaded that was why they never released the NW-A series in the U.S. Initially, it seemed that they wanted to eliminate all the heinous bugs before re-entering the huge, Apple-satured market U.S. market. Now, I believe NW-A will never be released in the U.S., as possibly indicated by the price cut. These price cuts are generally seen in the advent of a new player. I'm sure that dense though Sony can be, it knows it cannot simply re-enter this market with only WMA, MP3, and ATRAC 3(plus) capability when Toshiba, Samsung Creativ, and Apple are offering larger storage space; video capability; rich, large, and luminous color screens, downloadable TV shows; image display; downloadable news, and built-in planners. Of course, none of those has a player that does all that (despite that some are close), but collectively, those are there features. Here's Sony with this leaden, HUGE, oddly shaped player with a monochromatic screen and NO video capability. Not as though Americans understood that the NW-A sounded better or had such a luxuriant battery life. Nor do they really care. In short, I think Sony deliberately kept the NW-A out of America to forestall another embarrassment and will release their next player here. It's nothing new really. I don't believe I ever saw the NW-HD5 at a major U.S. retailer. If I did, I might have seen fewer than eight units altogether. I believe the last player I saw at a major retailer was the NW-HD3. Sony USA needs to give in and start marketing its products on television aggressively.

[Rumz]

Heads-up for SoundProfessionals Pre-Orders...

They have the M200 (black model with sony mic) listed on their site now, 1st shipment expected in July ($399).

The RH1 (silver model with free soundprofessionals mic) is listed for shipment in June and is $100 less than the M200 ($299).

I think I'll be fine with the silver model myself.

I spoke with Sound Professionals today and they don't know for certain the colors-- the only thing they seemed confident in is that the RH1 and M200 would be different colors (so one black and the other silver). Otherwise, their best guess is that the M200 will be black and the RH1 silver.

If you ask me, I'd still pay $400 for a black M200 that comes with a mic rather than paying even more than that for an imported black RH1 from audiocubes.

[raintheory]

If you ask me, I'd still pay $400 for a black M200 that comes with a mic rather than paying even more than that for an imported black RH1 from audiocubes.

I agree with that, I'm just not sure that the Sony Mic and color black would be worth $100 more than a silver one with a SoundProfessionals mic. To me anyway.

[Rumz]

I agree with that, I'm just not sure that the Sony Mic and color black would be worth $100 more than a silver one with a SoundProfessionals mic. To me anyway.

Call me superficial Actually I spotted one other e-tailer that had the M200 listed @ around $350, but I don't know how solid they are. SoundProfessionals seems to have a good rep and hence more trustworthy to buy from.

Edited June 20, 2006 by Rumz

[raintheory]

Call me superficial Actually I spotted one other e-tailer that had the M200 listed @ around $350, but I don't know how solid they are. SoundProfessionals seems to have a good rep and hence more trustworthy to buy from.

Okay superficial.

I have dealt with SoundProfessionals myself quite a few times, definitely good people.

[Justin42]

Woah, the Soundprofessionals RH1 price just went up to $348.

Glad I ordered last night..! (when it was still $299)

Is the unidirectional or omnidirectional better for recording at concerts and the like? I picked unidirectional, since I wouldn't want the stuff not coming from the stage. (I've never even actually recorded anything like this, I just had to make a choice when I ordered.. the only thing I'd see myself recording via mic is at a show or something!)

[pata2001]

Here's why I disagree with your conspiracy theory. From what I see on the U.S. side of things, the RH1 is being marketed to professionals. Sure, there are a bunch of us enthusiasts who can't wait to get our hands on one, but Sony really doesn't look like they're going to market this as a mainstream consumer product. Easy enough to not carry it at Sony Style stores that are geared towards consumer electronics, etc.

So why would Sony *need* to "neuter" the firmware if they're selling this to professionals and not marketing it to music listeners? They'd only be hurting sales for their niche audience, because there are so many people who use it as a recording medium that have discs that they've been wanting for years to be able to upload digitally.

I could be wrong, but I really doubt we'll see a firmware change to remove the ability to upload legacy recordings.

Well, then explain the delays. This is just a fun speculations, just like those market analysts popping up every couple week or so predicting what the next iPod will be. We're speculating about the reason for the delays, not about how Sony will market the RH1. Even if Sony will only market RH1 to pro users, then why does Sony take its time to release the product? The only reason that makes sense to me (other than sony won't release the RH1 in the US at all), is the neutered firmware, since it will take time to switch the assembly line. Software (SSCP4.0) is ready. Manual is ready. Hardware design is ready. Packaging design is ready. What's holding it then? You can see the marketing brochure from Sony USA, and there is no mention for uploading legacy recordings at all. As for it might be hurting sales argument, "screwing the customer" is Sony's middle name, with countless of history notes of Sony in the past. Regardless of the market of the RH1 is intended for, the RIAA will not be happy, and we know what the music industry arm of Sony has done in the past on the electronics branch. Sony neutered US D-NE20 firmware to disable kanji capability, so it is not impossible for them to switch assembly line just to do something stupid.

We'll see. But isn't it fun to speculate? There too many iPod rumors, but no Sony ones.

It's nothing new really. I don't believe I ever saw the NW-HD5 at a major U.S. retailer. If I did, I might have seen fewer than eight units altogether. I believe the last player I saw at a major retailer was the NW-HD3. Sony USA needs to give in and start marketing its products on television aggressively.

The difference is that Sony did release the HD5 officially in the US. It was available from Sonystyle, at Target, Fry's, CompUSA, etc. The NW-Axxx was never even mentioned in Sony USA website, although it was presented at a show (I forgot what show, CES?), and Steve Jobs saw it too.

Isn't it one of those days when you REALLY wish you were some kind of big Sony executive, endowed with the power to just say: "Yeah, let's launch the baby on a wide basis!"?

Yeah, if I was a Sony exec, I would just streamline all product lineup for all countries to have the same lineups. It's a waste of time and money to micro adjust product lineups on every different region of the world. Just translate, copy and paste Sony Japan product page, simple. Not only that, it saves money on the assembly line since they're only making/packaging 1 version of each product, not multiple versions just for specific regions. And here we have Sony crying foul for loosing money and the portable audio market. Go figure.

Edited June 21, 2006 by pata2001

[bogon07]

Yeah, if I was a Sony exec, I would just streamline all product lineup for all countries to have the same lineups. It's a waste of time and money to micro adjust product lineups on every different region of the world. Just translate, copy and paste Sony Japan product page, simple. Not only that, it saves money on the assembly line since they're only making/packaging 1 version of each product, not multiple versions just for specific regions. And here we have Sony crying foul for loosing money and the portable audio market. Go figure.

"One version for the whole world" would be the quickest & easiest cost saver that Sony could implement.

They already have World Tourist models for some products anyway.

[lamewing]

"One version for the whole world" would be the quickest & easiest cost saver that Sony could implement.

They already have World Tourist models for some products anyway.

Many companies do this. Cowon (iAudio) from Korea does this and goes so far as to allow you to add any firmware update without issue. PLUS, their players can display Kana, Kanji, Hangul and Chinese. AND you can go into the menu settings and change the radio frequencies to match Japan, U.S., Europe, Korea, etc. NOW that is streamlined. WHY can't a company like Sony see the value and ease of making a single product for all markets???

[pata2001]

WHY can't a company like Sony see the value and ease of making a single product for all markets???

Read my sig.

[Rumz]

Well, then explain the delays. This is just a fun speculations, just like those market analysts popping up every couple week or so predicting what the next iPod will be. We're speculating about the reason for the delays, not about how Sony will market the RH1. Even if Sony will only market RH1 to pro users, then why does Sony take its time to release the product? The only reason that makes sense to me (other than sony won't release the RH1 in the US at all), is the neutered firmware, since it will take time to switch the assembly line. Software (SSCP4.0) is ready. Manual is ready. Hardware design is ready. Packaging design is ready. What's holding it then? You can see the marketing brochure from Sony USA, and there is no mention for uploading legacy recordings at all. As for it might be hurting sales argument, "screwing the customer" is Sony's middle name, with countless of history notes of Sony in the past. Regardless of the market of the RH1 is intended for, the RIAA will not be happy, and we know what the music industry arm of Sony has done in the past on the electronics branch. Sony neutered US D-NE20 firmware to disable kanji capability, so it is not impossible for them to switch assembly line just to do something stupid.

We'll see. But isn't it fun to speculate? There too many iPod rumors, but no Sony ones.

Yeah I know you're having fun, but there are enough people around yelling "the sky is falling" who miss the humor of your post Why did it take a couple months for Nintendo to release the DS Lite in the U.S. after releasing it in Japan? As far as I know they just couldn't keep up with demand in Japan, and from what I hear the RH1 is doing quite well in Japan and thus that market becomes a priority for production, I'd think. It's technically been released in the UK but with very limited availability... surely the shortage there isn't because they've decided after an initial few to handicap the firmware some more, and surely the lack of availability there has nothing to do with the lack of US release, huh? It could be a marketing issue (not having decided what they want to do yet-- doesn't make sense, if it's going the pro audio route then there wouldn't be a lot expended on marketing anyways) or it could be a manufacturing issue-- perhaps they don't have much in the way of resources allocated to the production of this model so it takes longer to build up enough stock to release it here. There could be firmware issues as well (maybe not quite so severe as chopping off the legacy uploading leg), who knows. I just don't see the RH1 as a major product release for Sony, so I dont see them really caring that much when this gets to US shores, etc.

As far as the RH1 goes... I don't see how this could make the RIAA any more upset than an iPod can except that in this case Sony is the one providing the software to copy music, rather than a third party as with the iPod. If anything it's not the RIAA so much as it's Sony Music that would be putting up a fight there.

iPod rumors are more fun anyhow. When is that touch screen video iPod coming out, anyways?

Edited June 21, 2006 by Rumz

[Norick]

When is that touch screen video iPod coming out, anyways?

Well, considering Steve Job's burning desire to distribute full-length movie on ITMS, I'd say tomorrow at about 6pm. Be prepared.

Edited June 21, 2006 by Norick

[raintheory]

Another SoundProfessionals Update:

They have responded and confirmed to me that the RH1 and M200 differ in color (RH1 being Silver, M200 being black). Also they stated that they just received word that the RH1's are coming in next week!

It's a shame that the price for the RH1 through Soundprofessionals just went up $50 yesterday (from $299 to $349), the M200 should be in about a month after the RH1 and is going for $399, comes with a sony mic.

Rumz (aka "superficial") will be pleased that he will not have to spend an additional $100 dollars for a black unit! Only about $50... though he has to wait another month.

Better get on it though before they raise prices again!

Edited June 21, 2006 by raintheory

[lamewing]

Read my sig.

And Cowon (iaudio) does well with its players in the foreign sector, while Sony finds itself languishing in many markets. Sony USA is wrong then.

[Rumz]

Another SoundProfessionals Update:

They have responded and confirmed to me that the RH1 and M200 differ in color (RH1 being Silver, M200 being black). Also they stated that they just received word that the RH1's are coming in next week!

It's a shame that the price for the RH1 through Soundprofessionals just went up $50 yesterday (from $299 to $349), the M200 should be in about a month after the RH1 and is going for $399, comes with a sony mic.

Rumz (aka "superficial") will be pleased that he will not have to spend an additional $100 dollars for a black unit! Only about $50... though he has to wait another month.

Better get on it though before they raise prices again!

Actually got away with spending about $300 for a black one.

[raintheory]

Actually got away with spending about $300 for a black one.

Score!

[Karmageddon]

In fact - the one I bought for $399 CAN at the SOny Store here in Vancouver is black as well. MMM, black metal. can't complain!

Funny how Canada would end up with some units right away (although not very many..maybe under 25-50???) but the USA would not get a single one and it would cost $50 more just to make it black?

I wasn't given an option. I was told all they had was black!

and its not the 200 model with the Mic. I have to buy that seperatley :-(

[reefbeef]

Actually got away with spending about $300 for a black one.

Could you enlighten us as to where?