Question about MS70D's Memory Capacity

[jimharvey2k]

I've got a nw-ms70d 256mb player with duo expansion slot. I know the technical specs say this only takes origional duo magic gate sticks which go up to 256, but has anyone tried it with larger duo pro cards. If so, does it work?

This is an awesome little player, which is only just starting to go out of date. This would keep it alive. Anyone got any suggestions?

[maxthrusters]

I like my MS70D so much I just paid $137CAN to get the memory stick duo latch door fixed!

To answer your question, the MS70D can only use the white (old, now discontinued) or dark blue (current) Memory Stick Duo cards. The dark blue one comes in capacities of 64mb and 128mb. There might be such a creature as Memory Stick Duo Select, which would have a capacity of 256mb, but it's really a 2-in-1 card with an A-B switch ( two 128mb areas on one card: cannot access both areas at once). I've never seen the Duo in the Select format.

The black Memory Stick Duo PRO cards do NOT work, in any capacity. The black/red "high speed" Memory Stick Duo PRO cards also do NOT work in any capacity. In either case you get the error message "Format Error" when inserted.

The above was the case until the release of the PSP. Apparantly the 32mb Memory Stick PRO card that came bundled with the PSP does work with the MS70D. Don't let that fool you into thinking the other black sticks will work, because they won't....I've tried.

One might ask why. The answer, I would imagine, relates to letting lawyers from Sony Entertainment into the Sony Electronics design meetings. They came to their senses for the release of the PSP (which allow ATRAC3plus OR mp3 on Memory Stick duo PRO), but since they don't do firmware updates for older products (MS70D, Cliés, whatever) we are expected to buy a newer product instead.

Hope this helps.

[jimharvey2k]

I'm pretty sure its to do with the way the magicgate system works because no duo cards carry that brand anymore. And yeah I knew about the dual card, but thats not really that much use. Its a real shame, because its held up so well.

[maxthrusters]

They still sell the 128mb Memory Stick Duo (the blue ones) at the Sony Store here in Canada, which are the ones you'd want for a MS70D. The 64mb ones I haven't seen in quite some time, probably discontinued. Perhaps they have them at a Sony Store near you.

[HEARDATBEAT]

Hi I'm new here and I just bought a new NW-MS70D and I wanted to clear this up.

I can't use the new 1GB cards on it?

if not what about the sandisk ones or is there no hope and i have to stick to the 128mb.

[Guest Stuge]

Hi I'm new here and I just bought a new NW-MS70D and I wanted to clear this up.

I can't use the new 1GB cards on it?

if not what about the sandisk ones or is there no hope and i have to stick to the 128mb.

Welcome to AtracLife!

Read this

I don't think 1gb SanDisk sticks will also work

[HEARDATBEAT]

thank you for the greeting

so no one has tried the sandisk ones?

what about the PSP ones

Edited October 14, 2006 by HEARDATBEAT

[MDX-400]

thank you for the greeting

so no one has tried the sandisk ones?

what about the PSP ones

LOL it's not a matter of "trying" anything. The original Memory Stick specification (which that device conforms to) can only address a maximum of 128MB. There's no if ands or buts about it, it simply cannot support larger Memory Sticks, regardless of brand or type. The "PRO" part of the specification extended the theoretical maximum to much higher than the original 128MB (the maximum is 32GB for PRO, in any pro variety meaning Pro DUO or Pro whatever).

The "Select" Memory Sticks, mentioned above with the 256MB capacity are essentially two 128MB Memory Sticks in one, hence the A-B switch. The only reason for those was because they needed some way to expand the capacity over the pretty bad 128MB limit for older devices.

No matter what you do, you're stuck with standard MS Duos with a maximum of 128MB. MagicGate also has nothing to do with it; Magic Gate is supported both on older standard MS with the MagicGate feature (not all had it) and on newer MS Pros (pretty much all of which are MG compatible). Yes you need MagicGate for your device for the DRM it requires, but that has nothing to do with being limted to 128MB--that's something you cannot get around.

[HEARDATBEAT]

damn i guess i chose the wrong Atrac player beacuse i wanted one that supported the new memory sticks.

also i read what maxthrusters said about firmware updates does that mean that if sony would make a firmware update for the NW-MS70D they can make it to support the newer memory cards?

[maxthrusters]

I would be extremely surprised to see a firmware update for a long discontinued product like our MS70D players.

[MDX-400]

I like my MS70D so much I just paid $137CAN to get the memory stick duo latch door fixed!

While that does show some dedication and attachement to the unit, wouldn't it have just been way easier to just buy another one (and probably cheaper as well)?

From current and completed listings it seems you can find one for between $30-$50 US... There's even a brand new one for an overpriced $75 US on eBay right now (bidding with 4 days left but no bids and I doubt they are even going to get the minimum). That's still less than what you paid to get one part fixed on an aging/used unit...

[HEARDATBEAT]

I would be extremely surprised to see a firmware update for a long discontinued product like our MS70D players.

yeah but i mean if someone does it they can make it support the new 1-4GB memory cards right?

[maxthrusters]

yeah but i mean if someone does it they can make it support the new 1-4GB memory cards right?

Well, that would then be a hack, not a firmware update hehe.

While that does show some dedication and attachement to the unit, wouldn't it have just been way easier to just buy another one (and probably cheaper as well)?

From current and completed listings it seems you can find one for between $30-$50 US... There's even a brand new one for an overpriced $75 US on eBay right now (bidding with 4 days left but no bids and I doubt they are even going to get the minimum). That's still less than what you paid to get one part fixed on an aging/used unit...

It didn't even occur to me to just buy the same unit a second time. It was a 500$ player when new, 137$ for repair didn't seem expensive to me.

[MDX-400]

Well, that would then be a hack, not a firmware update hehe.

It didn't even occur to me to just buy the same unit a second time. It was a 500$ player when new, 137$ for repair didn't seem expensive to me.

$500?!?! INSANE! I believe it only because you live in Canada and things here are ridiculously priced at times, lol. $137 these days will easily get you pretty much any 1GB flash-based player--which would solve both the broken player and capacity problems in one go... Too late for that now I guess, it's a good thing you really like your MS70D.

As for any firmware or hacks that would increase capacity it's not possible. The slots are actually very slightly physically different (though both cards fit in either slot the MS PROs use an additional pin or something IIRC). Furthermore even if you could change that connector the physical MS reader/controller IC in the unit will also not logically support the newer Pro Sticks because it just can't. It's like trying to playback an MDLP disc on an SP-only MD unit--firmware upgrade or not, it just ain't gonna happen.

[HEARDATBEAT]

so there is no possible way to upgrade the player?

[MDX-400]

so there is no possible way to upgrade the player?

Hate to break it to you, but no there isn't

[HEARDATBEAT]

oh well i guess i'm going back to hi-md

[maxthrusters]

$500?!?! INSANE!

Yep that's how much it was back in the day. Maybe because it is made of titanium? Japan Direct still sells them, maybe Audio Cubes does too, at full price. My Clie was 999$CAN new too lol.

Edited October 17, 2006 by maxthrusters

[HEARDATBEAT]

what about the 1GB Memory Stick Micro(M2) with the memory stick DUO adapter?

[Guest Stuge]

what about the 1GB Memory Stick Micro(M2) with the memory stick DUO adapter?

read this