MD Issues

[jthm]

Okay I'm pretty new to the scene so bear with. Atm I am looking for a portable music option to replace the wretched cd player. So I was originally comparing NetMD to iPod but happend upon Hi-MD. The merits of MD are certainly there but my big problems are these music formats, software and copyright problems.

Now I live in Canada and it has been ruled that legally I am allowed to download music. However I've heard Sony has been a hard ass and won't allow mp3 media on their players and it's a real bitch taking music and files off their players because of the software and needing to have the original media still on your computer. Does this mean that I will not be able to use other software like Nero to bypass it? Will I be unable to use the Hi-MD as a way to help archive or get friends larger files? Please help!

[Christopher]

Here's a thought:

Store it as data, like *.mp3's that aren't necessarily encoded into atrac, just as *.mp3's that are unreadable on the unit but readable on the computer. There's two parts to each disc, what's encoded to play on the unit and data only. If nothing else, you could just hold the *.mp3's and encode at your leisure. Know what I mean?

Welcome to the forums, btw. :happy:

[jthm]

That makes sense for file transfers. So anything not encoded can easily be transferred from computer to computer?

How does the encoding work? My friend who owns a NetMD says that to take encoded music off his MDs he has to have the original media still on his computer, is this true? If so it is a major flaw because I would like to archive my music and then make room on my computer for other stuff or what if I format, etc etc...

[Fray Adjacent]

Here's how it would work. With the new HiMD units, you can either copy files directly to it (open My Computer, and the HiMD unit will show up as USB Mass Storage), or use Sonic Stage to convert MP3s to ATRAC3+ (or copy/encode straight from CD)

Here's the caveat:

If you simply copy files to it (mp3s, wmv, aac), the unit will NOT be able to PLAY the files. You could then plug the unit into another computer and read/copy the files from the disc.

If you want to listen to the music, you need to convert it to ATRAC3 and copy to the unit using Sonic Stage.

[jthm]

Okay that is mildly retarded but also tolerable. However my friend said that to remove music from the MD player you must also have the original music still on the point of origin(computer) to export it or the MD will not allow you to remove the media, is this true? If so that is a major turnoff and a huge hassle for when you need to format or need space on your computer and want to use the MDs to archive.

[anont]

If so that is a major turnoff and a huge hassle for when you need to format or need space on your computer and want to use the MDs to archive.

True, but that's not what Hi-MD was designed for in the first place. If you have computer music you want to archive, a CD-R or (even better) a DVD-R is a much better format for that - it's much cheaper, it's easier for computers to read, it's much faster, and it won't involve the (however negligible) quality loss that comes from converting between lossey formats.

[jthm]

True, but that's not what Hi-MD was designed for in the first place. If you have computer music you want to archive, a CD-R or (even better) a DVD-R is a much better format for that - it's much cheaper, it's easier for computers to read, it's much faster, and it won't involve the (however negligible) quality loss that comes from converting between lossey formats.

Yes granted but say I just want media on my MDs so I can free up room to install Starcraft etc... I hate the idea of having to keep gigs of music on my computer simply because Sony requires it to change the files on the MD seems entirely pointless.

[jthm]

So the Hi-MD players will still have this pesky requirement of only being able to change the media on the device by having the original files still on my computer? Also will it have that unbelievably stupid option where you can only burn a certain song onto it 3 times then it refuses to work anymore?

[iceeedtea]

Also will it have that unbelievably stupid option where you can only burn a certain song onto it 3 times then it refuses to work anymore?

No. With SonicStage 2.0, there are unlimited transfers to the device; thus, you do not need to "check-in" files. You should be able to delete the tracks as long as you are connected to a computer equipped with a new version of SonicStage/Simple Burner by simply loading the software and deleting the tracks/initializing the disc.

[jthm]

No. With SonicStage 2.0, there are unlimited transfers to the device; thus, you do not need to "check-in" files. You should be able to delete the tracks as long as you are connected to a computer equipped with a new version of SonicStage/Simple Burner by simply loading the software and deleting the tracks/initializing the disc.

So just to be clear:

1. To remove music from the player I will not need to have the original files still on the computer.

2. I do not have to worry about the dumb copyright software only allowing me to burn a certain song three times.

[baka-baka]

So just to be clear:

1. To remove music from the player I will not need to have the original files still on the computer.

2. I do not have to worry about the dumb copyright software only allowing me to burn a certain song three times.

1. yes

2. yes