[Imc-tech] New HD Minidisc

[Paul Bengt Riismandel]

I don't know if any of you have seen reporting on this yet, but at CES
this week Sony introduced a new minidisk format called Hi-MD. They're
new discs that are the same size as regular MDs, but store 1 MB of data,
rather than the 200 MB of current MD.  

 

But that's not the most exciting thing. It seems that Sony may have
actually been listening to its users because the new Hi-MD is also good
for data storage, using FAT as its file system.  Because of that you can
use them to store data or audio - all using a regular MD recorder over a
USB connection.

 

Hi-MD will allow you to record in ATRAC MD compressed audio OR in
uncompressed 16-bit 44.1 Khz PCM audio, AND it will allow you to upload
this audio right to the PC via USB. (I suspect there's some sort of DRM
implemented that marks stuff recorded through a mic or line-in as
original, and will limit the ability to upload MP3-based audio). Using
the newest ATRAC compression standard, the disks will hold 45 hours of
mp3-quality audio. 

 

Of course, the new discs won't work with the old players, but the old
disks will work with the new Hi-MD players. On top of that, older type
200 MB discs can be formatted to do Hi-MD stuff - so you don't have to
buy the Hi-MD disks, provided you get live with less storage.

 

I rarely get too excited at new product announcements, but I think this
is pretty cool, and answers some of the questions and problems we've had
with minidisk as a reporting tool. True, we still have to deal with
slightly fragile units, and pesky 1/8" mic inputs, but that's pretty
true of all the hard-disc type recorders out there, too. However, my
experience thus far has been that the mic inputs on both flash and
hard-disk based mp3 players are much poorer in quality than any
minidisk. Plus, the new Hi-MD recorders, which come out in April, are
scheduled to cost the same for similar features.

 

The only real downside is that the discs will retail for $7 to start,
which is a little pricy. (but I think that'll be quickly discounted if
there's any decent level of sales).

 

Strangely, apparently 2003 was Sony's best minidisk sales year ever,
especially in the US.  

 

There's coverage over at minidisk.org

 

--paul

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