The end of the MD

[KHA]

Hello everybody,

I would like to talk about my main MD concern: I plan to keep using mini-disc for the next decades, but as the support is less and less selled, i am a little bit worried about the future of my music:

What i mean is i fear what could happenned in 4 years, when my last md player will broke-down, or when my onkyo HI-MD element may not work correctly... If i try to buy a new one from an european website, in 2012, i wont find any new model, even the 'old' ones won't be sold, so i will have to buy one on e-bay, but years after years, all my equipement will be unusable...

Don't you feel the same? There is no way i change of support because i believe in mini-disc, and allways will but i just can't stand the idea that one day, i will have no choice but to use an other support, which means transfert all my music...

It is kind of sad to think about it, and to realise that we like a condamned technology can make me seek.

Do you have any plan to avoid this problem? i could buy about 20 players to be ready for my life but... sound foolish...

In a second part, i would like to share with you my crazy imagination: just imagine some sci-fi story: ok tha'ts a litlle bit crazy but have a look at it:

Terrorists kidnaps the best hackers in the world and make them making the worst virus ever. Then they integrate this deadly virus by some way in most popular RSS feed contents. They let this virus go in most of RSS feeds for 9 months, the virus is sleeping at this time.

The 21 october 2013, 3PM, paris hour, the virus which is allready in all RSS readers in the world is launched. It infects also computer not connected this day, but connect at least one day for the last 9 months.

Most of people in the world get their computer and hard-drives infected.

I get to the point: Most of the human race is, by the time (end of 2013), keeping orginal music on their computer and hard disc system. Most of them lost all their music. (MP3 i guess lol)

FIRE IN THE HOLE: no one can find back his music as the peer to peer concept is dead (no seeders).

Panic in the world, the music disc majors chosen in 2011 to transfert all the music content on their private servers. But terrorists destroyed these facilities the day the virus came as music is evil for them.

End of the story: it seems there are only 30 000 people in the world who kept their music safe. Mini-Disc fans, few freacky geeks who protected their computer with some weird nuke radiation based system and 7 mummies who haven't connected their computer to the internet for 9 months.

What about that? Isn't scary?

Take Care

Greg

[kino170878]

If you talking about portable units, then I would definately agree that MD is on its way out. There is I think only one Hi-MD unit and one NetMD unit left both made by Sony. After those are gone I think that is it. There is a professional portable recorder by HHB which is still being made though.

When it comes to Hi-fi units and decks, you have more choice but only if you stick with MD and not Hi-MD. Every once in a while Panasonic, Kenwood, and even Sony seem to come out with products that have an MD slot but these are only available in Japan.

Tascam also makes professional MD decks and I think these will be made for many years to come. Sony have never officially said whether or not they have stopped or plan to stop production of MD decks like the JE480. Grab whatever equipment you can would be my advice.

[Syrius]

There's a reason why I have a Hi-MD player-only unit, and my RH1 and N900 are safely tucked away in storage.

[KJ_Palmer]

I've also got 'a few' MD units tucked away, so with any luck I'll always be able to play my MD collection. The original CDs are converted to Wav, MP3 and about half (at the moment) to FLAC as well, though, so there should always be something to play them on. It's getting to be a nightmare having to convert everything several times, but worthwhile in the end to safeguard the music collection. At least the MDs should be safe from the terrorists...

[Strungup]

I like the Storyline ........ BUWAHHHAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[sector001]

I have moved on...

[Syrius]

Traitor.

[Strungup]

Traitor.

Agreed , but with a more cynical sense than humor . Recently those who have left MD but hang around here just to play devils advocate , sometimes get overboard and is is disruptive to the continuity of the board ( Not specifically meaning Sector ) but there are quite a few .

[bobt]

As the Eagles so eloquently said

"You can check out any time you want, but you can't ever leave",

The leavers eventually see the error of their ways, they miss the feel of the disc, the clarity of the sound, and decide that being a sheep like everyone else is boring.

Ttfn

Bob

[Strungup]

As the Eagles so eloquently said

"You can check out any time you want, but you can't ever leave",

The leavers eventually see the error of their ways, they miss the feel of the disc, the clarity of the sound, and decide that being a sheep like everyone else is boring.

Ttfn

Bob

Last night , I recorded , Big R Radio from the Internet onto TAPE >>>>> Sony TCD 5M then wandered around the House with my WMEX9 Walkman and TAPE >>>>

with my headphones cranked up banging my head to some 80"s Big Hair .......... Even though I have no hair left to swing around like that

But that TAPE , sounded way better than any MP3 player I have heard

Fat , Punchy , HUGE Drums , Big Bass , and A DJ that had a song lineup that sounded like he was thinking it was a Friday night , and it was still FM Radio and the Net wasnt around yet .

This one's a Keeper .

You want a copy BoB ?

On MD of course!!

[bobt]

Last night , I recorded , Big R Radio from the Internet onto TAPE >>>>> Sony TCD 5M then wandered around the House with my WMEX9 Walkman and TAPE >>>>

with my headphones cranked up banging my head to some 80"s Big Hair .......... Even though I have no hair left to swing around like that

But that TAPE , sounded way better than any MP3 player I have heard

Fat , Punchy , HUGE Drums , Big Bass , and A DJ that had a song lineup that sounded like he was thinking it was a Friday night , and it was still FM Radio and the Net wasnt around yet .

This one's a Keeper .

You want a copy BoB ?

On MD of course!!

Sounds good to me.

Thanks

Bob

[Levanel]

I'd probably get a HiMD deck as the final solution to my MD needs. But unless Sony (or any other company) release a new MD unit, I'm quite worried about my RH1 breaking down as it is the last unit made..

[philippeb]

I have a dozen of minidisc decks (and I stick to legacy MD's).

My decks are maintained or repaired by a French company named Service Technique Audio Video (www.stav.fr), which I highly recommend.

I also have a Sony TCD-5M cassette deck and a Revox B77 tape deck.

[Strungup]

YAHOOO another TCD-5m owner

ME TOO , I love mine , I am looking for Metal and type 3 tape anywhere I can find them .

[ShriDurga]

What i mean is i fear what could happenned in 4 years, when my last md player will broke-down, or when my onkyo HI-MD element may not work correctly...

On the other hand, you could be dead tomorrow. Things come and things go. Enjoy your MDs while you can and worry about replacing them IF that situation ever presents itself.

[bobt]

On the other hand, you could be dead tomorrow. Things come and things go. Enjoy your MDs while you can and worry about replacing them IF that situation ever presents itself.

Great reply, plus there are enough chances to get extra equipment.

I do like the live for today though, life changes fast.

Bob

[tekdroid]

End of the story: it seems there are only 30 000 people in the world who kept their music safe. Mini-Disc fans, few freacky geeks who protected their computer with some weird nuke radiation based system and 7 mummies who haven't connected their computer to the internet for 9 months.

What about that? Isn't scary?

Not scary enough

...except those people who haven't connected to the net in 9 months

Back-ups onto other optical media are easy enough (especially if everything you record is lossless on Hi-MD). Units that sound like some MiniDisc units can sort-of be found. There's no real match for classic hardware, though, which is sad, but that applies to everything from houses, cars, to cutlery to everything that was once designed and manufactured and no longer is. The magic gets trapped in time, never to return.

Here's my concern:

Imagine Sony never making a unit that matches the capabilities of MiniDisc in their portable audio line-up, becoming a 'me-too' copycat instead of an innovator as we have always (usually?) known them.

Now that is scary.

[brian10161]

Not scary enough

...except those people who haven't connected to the net in 9 months

Back-ups onto other optical media are easy enough (especially if everything you record is lossless on Hi-MD). Units that sound like some MiniDisc units can sort-of be found. There's no real match for classic hardware, though, which is sad, but that applies to everything from houses, cars, to cutlery to everything that was once designed and manufactured and no longer is. The magic gets trapped in time, never to return.

Here's my concern:

Imagine Sony never making a unit that matches the capabilities of MiniDisc in their portable audio line-up, becoming a 'me-too' copycat instead of an innovator as we have always (usually?) known them.

Now that is scary.

Very true in all aspects. They just don't make stuff like they use to. Stereos I don't think are rated the same anymore, cars aren't as powerful as they use to be, and stuff just overall isn't the quality it use to be.

They have made a lot of improvements, but they have also made a lot of "deprovements" (if thats a word, you get what I mean though).

I still use my MD player, and I will try to use it as long as I can. I have 1 main unit, my N510, and a backup as of now, MZ-NF520D. When my NE410 arrives, that will be kept in storage. I ordered it brand new still in the package, so maybe there is still hope in the future, I don't know. All I do know, is I'm trying to get as many discs, and players as I can to save for the future.

I doubt it, but I hope MiniDisc makes a return someday.

/Brian