Re: MD: Minidiscs
damn him! On Sat, Jun 09, 2001 at 04:57:01AM -, Mike Lastucka wrote: Well. All this because a new guy to the list dared to post a message from Hotmail. :) - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
Marc Britten wrote: damn him! On Sat, Jun 09, 2001 at 04:57:01AM -, Mike Lastucka wrote: Well. All this because a new guy to the list dared to post a message from Hotmail. :) Truth be told this went so far because there just isn't a heck of a lot happening in the world of MD. Besides long play MDs and the a person who occasionally needs help, we don't have a bunch of new models to talk about. Aiwa, once a very strong supporter of MD has decided to discontinue manufacturing MD gear. With the exception of Japan, even outside of the US, MD just isn't what it should have been. I just can't understand what the problem is. I personally think MD is so great that I would have no problem if we didn't have CD any more. Larry - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
Not exactly... - Original Message - From: Mike Lastucka [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, June 08, 2001 11:57 PM Subject: Re: MD: Minidiscs Well. All this because a new guy to the list dared to post a message from Hotmail. :) - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
las wrote: I have also never had a problem with any mini disc that I owned*, even brands that others on the list (for example Memorex) claimed to have problems with. Me neither. *There was ONE disc that I had that jammed in a motorized loading mechanism. Not some cheap brand, but rather a SONY that I had paid $14 for (yes the discs were selling for about $16.00 each when they were first introduced in the US and $14 was a bargain! I had a couple batches of Sony MD's that didn't have enough silicone lube on the top surface and would develop concentric scratches during recording. The more I recorded, the worse they scratched. Not to mention they had playback problems on my weaker (older) MD players. My personal luck with Sony products has been terrible. There are people on the list that will tell you that they never had a problem with any Sony product that they owned. Almost EVERY (and I have bought a lot of Sony equipment) Sony product that I ever purchased gave me problems. Same here. Most Sony products I buy have *recurring* problems. I'll send it in for warranty repair, and not a month later but the same problem comes back. I don't know if it's poor design, or poor choice of parts suppliers. It's always something small, like those end-of-travel microswitches that cause JE510's not to load right, or my CDX-828 car CD changer to forget its last position when I turn off the ignition. I used to repair electronics as a hobby, and it was easy to get Sony stuff cheap to repair because there's so many of it broken out there. I almost never got more than a year out of any! My Sony stuff usually holds up fine until AFTER the warranty period is over. So why do I continue to purchase Sony products? One answer could be simply that I'm a dumb schmuck :). But if you want a serious answer, Sony comes out with products and features that you just can't get from other manufactures. Like your 900 for example. I agree, Sony makes the best, most feature-packed stuff. Sometimes it's not the glitziest, but the features they offer are the most practical. Although you are starting to see a few other brands, Sony was the first TV manufacture that I am aware of who offered a true flat screen (cathode ray that is, not LCD), their beautiful Vega series. Before the Vega (Wega?) I wouldn't buy any other brand of TV than Sony. At the time, their picture tubes were among the flattest, and I greatly preferred the fact that they were only curved horizontally rather than curved both ways like a fishbowl. Now that other brands have true flat tubes, I probably would be willing to break my brand loyalty. However, my Sony TV's (after being repaired the first time) are quite reliable and have been working fine with no problems for a number of years. As far as picture quality goes, Consumer Reports almost always rates Sony mid priced VCRs as the best. But down on the bottom of the page where they list reliability (based on polls of their readers), Sony is usually rated as one of the most unreliable. Yuck, I hate any VCR manufactured in the past 5 years. They are disposable cheap junk. I have a Sony SLV-595HF and a pair of SLV-585HF's, I believe they are 1992-94 vintage. They are much better quality than Sony's late-model VCR's with central loading mechanisms. I noticed on Ebay people will bid higher on the old Sony SLV-585HF/686HF and SLV-595HF/696HF than their modern day counterparts. I can definitely see why. One company that is kind of a sleeper is Toshiba. Their DVD players, for example usually get very high ratings. I have no information on reliability though. I also recently bought a flat screen 20 TV/VCR combo from Toshiba. Toshiba flat screen? Does Toshiba have a true flat series out now? I'll probably have to check it out. I know Panasonic has the Tau or something like that which is supposedly true flat. I think I've seen one of them and it was many times more expensive than a Vega. Shawn - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
With the exception of Japan, even outside of the US, MD just isn't what it should have been. I just can't understand what the problem is. I personally think MD is so great that I would have no problem if we didn't have CD any more. Actually here in Canada things are really picking up as far as MD goes. Any time I go into a store that sells MD players/recorders, there's at least one or two people who are there either to seriously look, or to buy. And one by one, I'm converting people I know to the format. :) --- Mike Lastucka, B. Tech [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://sites.netscape.net/element5/ 2048 bit DH 0x16DC15CD _ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
las wrote: Truth be told this went so far because there just isn't a heck of a lot happening in the world of MD. Besides long play MDs and the a person who occasionally needs help, we don't have a bunch of new models to talk about. True, it's not like it was 3-years ago. There was a time when this list was really busy and I couldn't hardly keep track of it. This was back when I bought my MDS-JB920 right when they first came out. Aiwa, once a very strong supporter of MD has decided to discontinue manufacturing MD gear. Sad. JVC has already discontinued MD gear in the US. With the exception of Japan, even outside of the US, MD just isn't what it should have been. I just can't understand what the problem is. I personally think MD is so great that I would have no problem if we didn't have CD any more. I'm pretty sure I know what the problem is, but we've discussed this before. Sony and other manufacturers didn't keep up with the times and changing trends. Downloading music from the Internet is big these days, and there are far easier formats to use for this than MD. Not only are they easier, they're cheaper too. I recently saw a hot deal posted on a message board that I frequent. Philips 8x CD-RW drive for $42 after rebate. Spindles of 50-blank CD-R's for $8.99 at OfficeMax. Sadly, it's just easier, faster, and cheaper to record online audio like MP3's to a CD-R or RW (yes, even CD-RW's are cheaper than MD blanks these days). Not only that, but you can record your DATA to it too! Twice as convenient! Occasionally I check out the rec.audio.car newsgroup as I'm big into car audio. The hot thing there are car MP3 players. Most are CD-based and can read a data CD-R/RW. When's the JVC KD-SH99 coming out? - I must have seen that question asked a thousand times. The SH99, FYI, is one of those MP3-decoding car stereos. JVC has dropped MD players in their car audio line, and added MP3-decoding stereos. Kenwood has one, Clarion has more than one (I think), Sony has one, Aiwa has several, and the list goes on and on. Oh yeah, and you can get an Apex AD-500W standalone DVD player that will decode MP3 CD-R/RW also, for the low price of $92.87 when I last checked. Maybe there will be a rebirth of MD equipment when Sony's license expires. I don't know if it's true, but I read somewhere that after 10-years, audio format licenses expire and then companies don't have to pay license fees anymore. I read that it was the reason why CD didn't really start gaining in popularity at a high rate until 10-years after its introduction in '81 or '82. True, or not? Shawn - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
Perhaps. But ATRAC is a Dolby patent (According to the back of my MD-MS722 - Patents last 25 years. Somehow, I doubt it tho - MD could undergo a facelift - MP3 support in ADDITION to ATRAC. -Rob - Original Message - From: Shawn Lin [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2001 3:17 PM Subject: Re: MD: Minidiscs [Snip] Maybe there will be a rebirth of MD equipment when Sony's license expires. I don't know if it's true, but I read somewhere that after 10-years, audio format licenses expire and then companies don't have to pay license fees anymore. I read that it was the reason why CD didn't really start gaining in popularity at a high rate until 10-years after its introduction in '81 or '82. True, or not? Shawn - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidisc
Actually here in Canada things are really picking up as far as MD goes. Any time I go into a store that sells MD players/recorders, there's at least one or two people who are there either to seriously look, or to buy. And one by one, I'm converting people I know to the format. :) Much the same here... you can get MD players in high-street shops, even non-audio places have blank MDs, and I just bought some TDK colour ones at 6 for 5 (that's about $8.38), and I got a 10% student discount. I also just converted my brother... he's been looking at MP3 players for some time, until he realised that MD was just so much more practical, despite the recording time. 50 cheaper for a nice player, cheap media, large expansion capability, good quality. And he's got both a large CD collection and 5GB of MP3s with a broadband connection. To top it all off, out of the students I know in my lecture classes, loads of them have MD players. On an average day I see about 5 MD players, 0 MP3 players, 1 tape player, and 1 CD player. And of course, I use my MD with a tape adapter in my car, along with about 3 out of the 35 cars in my car park. So MD's far from dead... but I believe it would really take off if Sony allowed fast transfer of data, and automatic MP3 conversion. Firewire/USB, external drive functionality - drag and drop anything you wanted. That would make me shell out for another 200 player. My 17.50 (damn sight more rambling than $0.02! :)) -Rich - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Minidiscs
Greetings all. I'm new to the world of minidiscs, and thusly this list, so please bear with any of my ignorance. :) This e mail is actually very encouraging. It shows that while it may never be mainstream, the mini disc is still very much alive and well in the US (I'm assuming that Mike is from the US because he used Hot mail). Although I've been following minidisc with one eye closed since I saw the first ad about 8 years ago, I waited to see if it was going to follow DCC into the trash. I figured it wasn't going away anytime soon and got my first equipment last year - and haven't looked back. I'm telling everyone I can about MD. I now have 2 portable recorders, 2 home decks and 1 bookshelf system. And I'm in the US. :) John - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: MZR700 warranty?
-Original Message- Anyway, my question is, should I have gotten a Best Buy extended warranty with it? It's 39 bucks for 4 years...and after my luck with my Kenwood...are the Sony's reliable? It depends on your sensibilities, but I never get those warranties. Rarely have I had equipment die within the x-warranty period. My theory is that since technology changes so fast, if the equipment dies I'll just get the new version [MDLP is a great example]. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: . R700 in URB magazine
BTW, is it unusual to own and/or want multiple MD players and recorders? I think I've gone MD crazy. If it is, we have the same disease. I'm actually trying to replace all my cassettes with MD. Therefore, I have to replace all my players with MD. Sound logic, I think. ;) - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
Shawn Lin wrote: Maybe there will be a rebirth of MD equipment when Sony's license expires. I don't know if it's true, but I read somewhere that after 10-years, audio format licenses expire and then companies don't have to pay license fees anymore. I read that it was the reason why CD didn't really start gaining in popularity at a high rate until 10-years after its introduction in '81 or '82. True, or not? Generally Patents last for 17 years so I don't think that is correct. Larry - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: MD in Los Angeles
At the risk of boring those of you outside of LA [if such places exist ;)], I found a couple of interesting MD things this week. At a Circuit City in Torrance I found a 25-pack of what look to be generic 74-minute MDs for $35. The brand name looks to be DigitalMedia and they have Japanese-style graphics. So far [3 days] they work and sound fine. Down the street at a place called Video Audio Center [also located in Santa Monica] I found a... it's hard to say this without getting choked up... *selection* of MD players and recorders. I've never seen more than 2 or 3 different kinds at once. I don't know that the prices are any different than anywhere else [I got a blue MZ-R700 for $249], but they actually have stock!! - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
Robert J. Lynn Jr. wrote: Perhaps. But ATRAC is a Dolby patent (According to the back of my MD-MS722 - Patents last 25 years. Somehow, I doubt it tho - MD could undergo a facelift - MP3 support in ADDITION to ATRAC. Patents last for 17 years unless the holder is granted an extension. Sony invented ATRAC and has made the improvements. I have never heard anything about Dolby having anything to do with ATRAC. But there are 2 ATRACS. Sony's and Sharp's. It's possible that Sharp's ATRAC was developed by Dolby. Larry - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Americans
Hey I'm an American...but it's not my fault. It was an accident of birth! If England would let anybody in to live there as the US does - did?, I probably would have moved there years ago. Still, not all Americans are self-centered slobs who think that the world revolves around them...most, but not all. __ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
Shawn Lin wrote: Toshiba flat screen? Does Toshiba have a true flat series out now? I'll probably have to check it out. I know Panasonic has the Tau or something like that which is supposedly true flat. I think I've seen one of them and it was many times more expensive than a Vega. Yes they do. The model I have makes no mention of comb filters or other high end stuff, but it has a true flat screen and I'll bet that their higher end flat screens are pictures that are as good as the Vega (it's a V, the W is the Greek letter for the V) if not better. I think that you would find the picture on my Toshiba impressive. The speakers are terrible though. Have to plug it into an audio system. It has auto clock set and a rapid rewind Hi Fi VCR. For $299 it seemed like a good deal to me. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: MD at My Radio Station
re: Larry's comments about radio. We actually got rid of the cart machines years ago. We now use boxes called Instant Replay. They announcements or whatever are recorded on them digitally, and played back at the push of a button. The minidiscs are going to be used for programs that are recorded from the satellite for broadcast later in the week, and for locally produced programs. Wait until the people here see how much easier it will be with minidiscs - especially with keeping track of the timing. If the staff here is a bit smart, they will create tracks for each part of a broadcast, thus eliminating any worry in those instances when a cue sheet is not available. And, by the way, although WWFM is owned by a college, it is not a college station. It is very much a professional station, staffed by professionals. Re: Shawn's comment (I think it was Shawn, I deleted the digest): I was the only one here, except for the chief engineer, who has ever heard of Minidisc. Not a soul knew what a minidisc was. I'm having a great time, though. I've gotten about two thirds of my discs titled already. James __ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
Didn't Sony invent ATRAC, violating some Dolby compression patents? Then, Sony handled the ATRAC license to Dolby, or something like that, in order to avoid litigation. My players all say in a small sticker that the technology is licensed from Dolby Labs, and have a patent number in them. Francisco. Patents last for 17 years unless the holder is granted an extension. Sony invented ATRAC and has made the improvements. I have never heard anything about Dolby having anything to do with ATRAC. But there are 2 ATRACS. Sony's and Sharp's. It's possible that Sharp's ATRAC was developed by Dolby. Larry - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
=== = NB: Over 50% of this message is QUOTED, please = = be more selective when quoting text = === Whats the patent number? My MD-MS722 doesnt say. - Original Message - From: Francisco J. Huerta [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, June 10, 2001 12:32 AM Subject: Re: MD: Minidiscs Didn't Sony invent ATRAC, violating some Dolby compression patents? Then, Sony handled the ATRAC license to Dolby, or something like that, in order to avoid litigation. My players all say in a small sticker that the technology is licensed from Dolby Labs, and have a patent number in them. Francisco. Patents last for 17 years unless the holder is granted an extension. Sony invented ATRAC and has made the improvements. I have never heard anything about Dolby having anything to do with ATRAC. But there are 2 ATRACS. Sony's and Sharp's. It's possible that Sharp's ATRAC was developed by Dolby. Larry - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
I got that one wrong. It only says that there are patents by Dolby Corporation. Sorry about that. Still, I am sure I saw this one on the web... Whats the patent number? My MD-MS722 doesnt say. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
erp. It did, and it was a patent for the loading deck. weird patent, eh? - Original Message - From: Robert J. Lynn Jr. [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, June 10, 2001 12:52 AM Subject: Re: MD: Minidiscs Whats the patent number? My MD-MS722 doesnt say. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
