PDOG58 Posted January 8, 2004 Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 Could the release of Hi-MD mean the eventual fading away of audio cassettes? Personally, I think if Sony was smart, they would begin to phase out audio cassette players in ALL their home stereo equipment and phase in Hi-MD players/recorders. I don’t see why they wouldn’t consider doing this. Hi-MD is FAR superior to cassettes. Personally, if Sony offered a stereo system with a Hi-MD player/recorder in it and not a cassette player, I would by it. I don’t want to use cassettes anymore. MiniDisc is the thing to have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PDOG58 Posted January 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2004 Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highlandsun Posted January 9, 2004 Report Share Posted January 9, 2004 I dumped cassettes 5 years ago, when I adopted plain ol' MD. The fact that MD technology (of any generation) is superior to audio cassette is hardly news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted January 9, 2004 Report Share Posted January 9, 2004 I dumped cassettes 5 years ago, when I adopted plain ol' MD. The fact that MD technology (of any generation) is superior to audio cassette is hardly news.I dont debate that MD is FAR superior. I just dont get why MD hasnt made it into the main stream. MY personal beliefe is that MD should take the same path as DVD as in the video world. Slowly work its way, and slowly shove Audio Cassettes out (like hoe VHS has slowly been shoved out). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted January 10, 2004 Report Share Posted January 10, 2004 I just dont get why MD hasnt made it into the main stream.It's a cost problem... You cannot expect MD in a $50,-- boombox... So cassettes will exist as long as people want a cheap recording medium. And don't forget the installed userbase. 40 years, that's a lot of tape recorders... With best regards Jadeclaw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekdroid Posted January 10, 2004 Report Share Posted January 10, 2004 tapes are already antiques. CD recorders (for computers at least) are dirt cheap. Wouldn't surprise me to see USB slots on boomboxes soon, allowing you to attach your little USB stick for quick playback and recording. I'd see that happening far sooner on cheap boomboxes than MiniDisc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skagen Posted January 13, 2004 Report Share Posted January 13, 2004 It's a cost problem... You cannot expect MD in a $50,-- boombox... Dont be so sure. Now that HI-MD is out -at a prce range $200-400, market price of old MD goes down. So no reason why you won't see the older-generation minidisc technology in cheapo boomboxes! But that wont directly replace cassette. The logical upgrade path for somebody leaving cassete today is to get flash memory storage or a cheapo older genration 1-2 GB HD player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voodoofish Posted January 14, 2004 Report Share Posted January 14, 2004 I know no one that uses casette anymore, and it was the CD-R that did it. No one tapes the radio anymore as they can download music instead (yes I know you might acctually want to tape the radio for it's real purpose and just to pirate music, but I don't know anyone who does that) and CD players in cars have replaced tape players. I don't think they even sell cassettes anymore in most stores. However, I have seen people still use Walkmen (ie. casette walkmen) for jogging/cross country because most people I know still use CD walkmen for general use, which are too big to just hold whilst running. To be honest, what I think is stopping the MD format from taking off to replace a mainstream technology is the fact that no one buys albums in the format. Whilst this is perfectly fine in itself, as you can just put CDs onto MDR, most people simply buy a portable MD-R instead of a home hi-fi. Therefore, CD has remained the dominent format, with most people buying their music in it, making CD walkmen more people, therefore cheaper, therefore more popular, and whilst I don't have figures I bet most people probably still use CD walkmen rather than any kind of specific pocket format. MP3 players still do well because of their association with CDs due to a) ease of ripping and ease of burning CD-Rs. Few people buy albums in digital format, but it is taking off with iTunes Music Store etc., which as they can be burned to CD will be seen as flexible and therefore people will adopt them more readily than MD as a CD replacement format (I doubt SACD and DVD-A will take off at the moment, but they may do if more people buy surround sound, however that is the only obvious advantage they hold to the normal every day consumer, who I doubt really cares that much around surround sound other than the coolness factor of it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted January 14, 2004 Report Share Posted January 14, 2004 ITo be honest, what I think is stopping the MD format from taking off to replace a mainstream technology is the fact that no one buys albums in the format. Whilst this is perfectly fine in itself, as you can just put CDs onto MDR, most people simply buy a portable MD-R instead of a home hi-fi. Therefore, CD has remained the dominent format, with most people buying their music in it, making CD walkmen more people, therefore cheaper, therefore more popular, and whilst I don't have figures I bet most people probably still use CD walkmen rather than any kind of specific pocket format.I think you hit the nail on the head. To me, the only advantage to using an MD portable is the small size. But since I can't download to MD faster than real time because I have a Mac, right now I just make CD-Rs with my Mac and play them on a CD Walkman while I run around town. I sold my MD portable after I bought my Mac. My next portable audio purchase will probably either be a smaller CD Walkman or an iPod. Jeffery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted January 31, 2004 Report Share Posted January 31, 2004 I think cassette still has lots of good points. I have MD, CD & cassettes. Some of the features I miss w/ MD is: - ability to record a talk show I am listening to on the radio. - quick fast fwd & rewind (can't do that well w/ MD) - easy cassette change when driving (I know I shouldn't) - durable player (can drop when jogging or exercising & still works fine) - if run out of battery while recording, whatever recorded stays. Whereas w/ some MD recorder, the TOC isn't written properly & new recording is lost. Any feedback? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highlandsun Posted February 1, 2004 Report Share Posted February 1, 2004 I think cassette still has lots of good points. I have MD, CD & cassettes. Some of the features I miss w/ MD is: - ability to record a talk show I am listening to on the radio. - quick fast fwd & rewind (can't do that well w/ MD) - easy cassette change when driving (I know I shouldn't) - durable player (can drop when jogging or exercising & still works fine) - if run out of battery while recording, whatever recorded stays. Whereas w/ some MD recorder, the TOC isn't written properly & new recording is lost. Any feedback?record a talk show? I don't understand why MD is any worse than cassette for that. quick ffwd/rew - yeah, I definitely feel this is a weak spot on my current units. I think my MZR50 is pretty good though, and there's no technical reason why they can't scan faster, the way DVD ffwd/rew is done. change while driving - no problem for me, but I usually don't need to. Single slot MD/CD head unit, push eject, pull out old MD, pop in new one. No more fuss than an old cassette head unit. durable player - My MZR50 has fallen from my belt pouch onto concrete floors dozens of times ('cause I'm an idiot) and it still works fine. My MZN10 has been dropped 5-6 times already too, still going strong. battery drain - this is definitely annoying, and there's no excuse for it. All they need to do is add a second internal battery or capacitor to keep the in-memory TOC alive when the main battery dies, so that the TOC update can be done after you put in a fresh main battery. I've been bitten by this many times, and I hate the stupidity of it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 record a talk show? I don't understand why MD is any worse than cassette for that. quick ffwd/rew - yeah, I definitely feel this is a weak spot on my current units. I think my MZR50 is pretty good though, and there's no technical reason why they can't scan faster, the way DVD ffwd/rew is done. change while driving - no problem for me, but I usually don't need to. Single slot MD/CD head unit, push eject, pull out old MD, pop in new one. No more fuss than an old cassette head unit. durable player - My MZR50 has fallen from my belt pouch onto concrete floors dozens of times ('cause I'm an idiot) and it still works fine. My MZN10 has been dropped 5-6 times already too, still going strong. battery drain - this is definitely annoying, and there's no excuse for it. All they need to do is add a second internal battery or capacitor to keep the in-memory TOC alive when the main battery dies, so that the TOC update can be done after you put in a fresh main battery. I've been bitten by this many times, and I hate the stupidity of it all.- I have not found a MD unit that can record radio. Some has radio in the remote for listening only. - changing while driving: with cassette I can do it blind-folded if necess; with MD, you have to figure out which is the end to put in; thus taking your eyes off the road. - lucky you; usually these precious player are gone once dropped. - another complain is the time delay after last recording to be ready to record again. Usually not problem if you know when to shut off recorder. However, if stopped & need to record again quickly, cassette does a much better job. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulBennett Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 ...changing while driving: with cassette I can do it blind-folded if necess.. Let me know where you drive so I can avoid your blind-folded driving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted February 4, 2004 Report Share Posted February 4, 2004 People, you are talking like USA or Europe or Japan is the only world known!! I'm from a third world country (Argentina). Here, MD is only for a few, few people. In five years that I have been using MD I only saw one person with md (a band playing live with an md deck!!) At the Ebay Argentina, I have seen like 50 people selling their units. The dollar here is so high, that one minidisc cost 9 pesos! (3 dollars) No one will buy an md if they can buy 9 cd-r for 9 pesos!!!. And cd-r in a good discman sounds very good. CD is replacing cassettes here. But for recording voice, all people use cassettes. Most people in cars use cassettes. More and more are using cds, but it will take a couple of years until a lot of people have cd players in their cars. For portable use, discman is the first by far. In third world countries (latin america for example) md never took off. And with Hi-md never won't do it. 7 dollars for one hi-md?!!!!!!!!!!!! I can buy 21 excellent cd-r!! But I'm a md freak, so maybe I'll buy a hi-MD unit. And I'll sound crazy for the rest of my people here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulBennett Posted February 4, 2004 Report Share Posted February 4, 2004 What are you trying to say? Three years ago when I paid $300 for my R900, the US dealer was charging $8 for minidisks. Down the street I was able to get minidisks for $50 for a box of 10. That's U$5 each for the math impaired. Some time back, I lived in Rio Janiero and experienced 100% duties on everything not made in Brazil. Cassettes aren't about to dissappear. A high percentage of new cars in the US still come with cassette-radios. Not all but man. My son-in-law just paid U$25k for VW, the CD-radio upgrade was U$500 which he didn't get so he uses an RF modulator to place his walkman onto FM. Cassettes are a Phillips thing and they aren't ready to give up yet the pennies they still get on the various patents. Before that happens, DVD's and hiCD are likely to obsolete CD's. DVD burners already are breaking the $100 barrier. Prices vary with the times and place but differences tend to dissappear. What am I trying to say? Anything you don't need gets cheaper. Seems like you have a good life there in the down under land of the silver. I realize you are upside down with only gravity holding you onto the earth but don't buy that 3rd world stuff...there is only one world and we are all here together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted February 9, 2004 Report Share Posted February 9, 2004 Let me know where you drive so I can avoid your blind-folded driving.I am only saying that figuratively. I can change cassette w/o taking my eyes off road; whereas w/ MD, I have to in order to figure out which way it goes in. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulBennett Posted February 9, 2004 Report Share Posted February 9, 2004 Boy am I releived you aren't driving with a blind fold !! Minidisks are actually much easier to insert than CD's or casettes. Assuming use of the right hand, place middle finger at rear, in the hub. Rotate the case until the write-protect is felt (located) in the upper right corner. Holding the MD with thumb and pinkie, push/slide the minidisk into the MD and snap the case shut. Blindfolded! I rarely need accomplish that olympian feat while driving since I get my act together while the car is stopped. And given the MD holds such great length of music I can make several trips before the need to change disks. CD's go in upside down and you need to peek at them...cassette radios are oriented different...if you have 3 cars, they will all be different, so positioning the casette doesn't help to know how to insert it. Minidisks are the easiest of all! But I would like a voice readout of song name. Huh Sony? Huh? And if you have trouble answering the cell phone while sipping your mocha and suddently have the urge to change disks, I hope you have Geico, you'll need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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