If you are into minidisc players Sony for $75 @Sears

[JHawk]

Sony mini-disc player

 

[eplebnista]

Thanks for the link!

 

[PushHands]

What sort of media does this player use? Its mine impression that it uses "smaller CDs"?

 

[habib89]

umm.. it uses mini disks.. hence, mini-disk player

yah, i'm being a jerk.. just google it

 

[bman46]

Originally posted by: PushHands
What sort of media does this player use? Its mine impression that it uses "smaller CDs"?

That was a fairly dumb question.

 

[jesusbonjovi]

Before jumping into Mini Disc players be aware that althought they may say they play Mp3s on the packaging the minidisk player does not. What it does is convert the Mp3 into Sony's proprietary ATRAC (or whatever) format before transfering it to the player... Also they a strange policy on checking songs into the player and checking songs out inorder to avoid copying songs and transfering them to other players/computers.... so...yeah... you could have found that out on google if you really wanted to....

other than that they seem pretty cool......

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: jesusbonjovi
Before jumping into Mini Disc players be aware that althought they may say they play Mp3s on the packaging the minidisk player does not. What it does is convert the Mp3 into Sony's proprietary ATRAC (or whatever) format before transfering it to the player... Also they a strange policy on checking songs into the player and checking songs out inorder to avoid copying songs and transfering them to other players/computers.... so...yeah... you could have found that out on google if you really wanted to....

other than that they seem pretty cool......

I had a mini disk player for a while and the time it took to convert from mp3 to ATRAC really sucks. It takes about 10 -15 minutes (at least mine model did, I think I bought it in '02) to transfer all of your songs. The software they bundle with the player is pretty bad too. Outside of the software issues though, I loved it until some bastard stole it from me and I was *forced* to upgrade to an Ipod

 

[BoKingWen]

Keep in there is a High-MD which is 1G disk and I think it can store some computer files in it too.

 

[klaxon]

the media is minidisc, a magneto-optical format. the media is neither cheap nor common. see minidisc.org

I've been considering getting a minidisc for recording meetings and lectrures - the `SLP' mode can record a few hours on one disc. you can make cues during playback, so it's really handy for applications like journalism. however, don't be fooled by a product name such as Net MD Recorder - there is no mic input. it only take line-in.

you transcode your audio in whatever format to ATRAC3 (sony, get with the times, that codec is soo 1980's) and those ATRAC files are downloaded via usb to the player which stores them on a disc.

if you want a minidisc that has a mic input, they cost >$200. for that money, they are competing with iriver or archos harddisk based portables (ipod doesn't record). MiniDisc is either comatose or actually dead.

okay, i don't want to be a threadcrapper. that $75 is definitely the lowest i've seen by at least $10.

 

[CptObvious]

Good deal. No mic input on this model, so if you want to do live recording you'll probably need a battery-operated condenser mic.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: BlinderBomber

Originally posted by: jesusbonjovi
Before jumping into Mini Disc players be aware that althought they may say they play Mp3s on the packaging the minidisk player does not. What it does is convert the Mp3 into Sony's proprietary ATRAC (or whatever) format before transfering it to the player... Also they a strange policy on checking songs into the player and checking songs out inorder to avoid copying songs and transfering them to other players/computers.... so...yeah... you could have found that out on google if you really wanted to....

other than that they seem pretty cool......

I had a mini disk player for a while and the time it took to convert from mp3 to ATRAC really sucks. It takes about 10 -15 minutes (at least mine model did, I think I bought it in '02) to transfer all of your songs. The software they bundle with the player is pretty bad too. Outside of the software issues though, I loved it until some bastard stole it from me and I was *forced* to upgrade to an Ipod

the BEST way is to go from CD to ATRAC . . . . going CD - MP3 - ATRAC gives some loss.

i have a Sony "Walkman" minidisc that i got this year . . . . i LOVE it (rugged, does NOT skip and gets 50 hours on a single AA battery). Ripping TWO cds to a single mini disc (160 minutes of LP2 - roughly equivalent to better than mp3s at 128 . . . . ) takes a TOTAL of 15 minutes (or less).

There is a Real Player plug in so you can forget about Sony's check-in check-out crap (and if you record from CD there is the Simple burner).

:thumbsup:

EDIT: Damn, that page finally loaded. . . . this is the SAME model i have (i got it at the same price at CC 6 months ago - good deal).

It is BIG, water-resistant, and built like a TANK. it DOES fit in my jeans back pocket (but then i am not fat).
:roll:

 

[brucekatz]

This model is quite thick, and larger than regular. It is very very durable. But it is too large for your pocket.

 

[imported_motodude]

FYI: If you like to steal your music these are no good, I have one gathering dust right now.

 

[unclebud]

"MiniDisc is either comatose or actually dead."
not in japan, where it counts
minidisc is so popular, they have them as standard equipment in some cars
when ol girl came to pick me up from the hotel in the daihatsu, i was shocked(!) that she played cassette, cd and minidisc -- lost what little cool points i had
and i don't even like sony (but i will buy them on clr)

here is minidisc board i got from previous anandtech minidisc deal thread
why i am still cool! bahahahaha

 

[GoSharks]

Originally posted by: klaxon
the media is minidisc, a magneto-optical format. the media is neither cheap nor common. see minidisc.org

under $2/disc isnt too bad, and you should have no problem finding a selection at your local frys/bestbuy/etc.

Originally posted by: klaxon
you transcode your audio in whatever format to ATRAC3 (sony, get with the times, that codec is soo 1980's)

do you know what you are talking about? ATRAC3 is only a few years old, and people in the know consider it better than MP3 at comparable bitrates. At the lowest compression ratios, the sound quality is VERY good.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: motodude
FYI: If you like to steal your music these are no good, I have one gathering dust right now.

Real Player plugin makes stealing easy.
:roll:

Blow the dust off yours.





(j/k'ing . . . NOT condoning stealing . . . but Sany's software's check-in/check-out policy is irritating . . . . 99% of my rips are from MY cds)