Re: MD: Minidiscs
On Tue, 12 Jun 2001, las wrote: [...] The timing of the release of MDs in the US was all wrong. Japan is very receptive to new things. The US is much more resistant to change. Look how long vinyl records lasted. it probably helps making CDs last that most people in the US are getting around in their big roomy cars and not commuting in busses and trains and such. I know that I've been using MDs much more in Europe than in California for that particular reason. - ask -- ask bjoern hansen, http://ask.netcetera.dk/ !try; do(); - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
Ask Bjoern Hansen wrote: it probably helps making CDs last that most people in the US are getting around in their big roomy cars and not commuting in busses and trains and such. I know that I've been using MDs much more in Europe than in California for that particular reason. That's a very good point. With in dash players being readily available the CD is just about the perfect thing in a car. While the CDs are a little on the large size, without their jewel box, in a wallet, they are convenient enough to use in the car. But if you are going to be taking long trips on busses and trains as is the case in Japan, having to carry around CDs becomes inconvenient. Even the players are a little too big. Especially compared to some of the MD portables that are available. When I was in MD sales the owner of the company told me that CDs were very expensive in Japan. I guess that renting CDs and copying them to MD is a very popular way to go in Japan. Don't people realize that many public libraries let you borrow CDs! You can borrow a CD and copy it on to a mini disc just for the price of the blank. I don't want to get into the legal issues. With MP3s being shared on the net, it is just a matter of time before the recording industry is going to have to work out some agreement. Napster may have lost the battle but free MP3s aren't simply going to disappear. People have been getting free music off of the radio for years. The recording industry is just going to have to realize that to some extent the internet is the new radio. They are going to have to work out some sort of royalties arrangement like they have with the radio stations. The other day one of the fine young list members gave me a new site to replace Napster. There were almost 200,000 people sharing files when I went on the other day. I only had time to look for and download a couple of songs, but I had no trouble finding the titles. Don't sell minidisc short. They are too popular outside of the US and have a small but well established cult of followers even in the states. To some degree I think that MD will continue to exist even in the US for years to come. Sony hasn't abandoned the medium. They are still working on developments. LPMD isn't that old. And they are offering a select number of models for the US market. I am still stupid and loyal enough to believe that MD may actually rise up somewhat. I think that a major mistake Sony made was bragging about ATRAC. If the average person didn't hear the work compression, they would net hear a difference between a CD and it's MD copy. People like MP3 because it's free. They don't even think about compression. They just think of it as a computer standard for storing music. Until you can get 75 to 80 minutes of solid state storage for $2 or less, static RAM is never going to be a realistic way of creating a music collection (although I have to say that if the price were right, it would have it over MD in 2 areas: 1-You don't have to worry about vibrations and movement, 2-There are no mechanical parts to break down. Larry - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
With all the talk on the future of MD, the bigger question is why are companies still making cassette tape? Americans hate any kind of change, and gonna stick with crap like cassette until it's not around any more. Lots of people gave up LPs not because CD was better, but because the record companies finally stopped making them... sigh :-) -- -- John McLachlan South End Boston, MA [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/johnmc --- Imagine a whole pack of penguins; ready to explore your brain - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
* Shawn Lin [EMAIL PROTECTED] on Mon, 11 Jun 2001 | My circa 1994 Sony MDS-501 (ATRAC 2) has the same Dolby Labs | license/patent message printed on the back of the unit itself and also | in the manual. My dates could be off. I was under the impression that the joint work had come later, not earlier. That license could also be for noise reduction in the analog circuitry. Without more details (which are probably not available) it is hard to say what is what. -- Rat [EMAIL PROTECTED]\ If Happy Fun Ball begins to smoke, get Minion of Nathan - Nathan says Hi! \ away immediately. Seek shelter and cover PGP Key: at a key server near you! \ head. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
John S. McLachlan wrote: With all the talk on the future of MD, the bigger question is why are companies still making cassette tape? Americans hate any kind of change, and gonna stick with crap like cassette until it's not around any more. Lots of people gave up LPs not because CD was better, but because the record companies finally stopped making them... I can understand why CDs eventually over took vinyl. I don't think that the record companies would have stopped making them if CDs hadn't eventually caught on. All of the vinyl purists who keep claiming that records sound better than CD have just having delusions. The day I bought my first CD and player was the last time I ever bought a vinyl record. Besides the clicks and pops on a brand new record, each play degrades the sound a little more. The dynamic range and signal to noise ration of a record are much less than a CD. Then there is the standard set by the RIAA (? did I get the initials correct?) that limited the frequency response of vinyl. It took a very long time for CDs to catch on in the US! Everyone's car already had a tape player in it so they weren't about to totally give up on the cassette yet (probably a lot of people were making cassettes from CDs (what a frightening thought). The timing of the release of MDs in the US was all wrong. Japan is very receptive to new things. The US is much more resistant to change. Look how long vinyl records lasted. Larry - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
Francisco J. Huerta wrote: 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. Actually they say Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation. I seriously doubt that Sony just gave the ATRAC license to Dolby. Sony is huge and has not been afraid of litigation even when they were smaller (the Sony cases regarding the right of individuals to make audio tapes). We may never know the facts, but I'm sure that Sony made out in the deal if their was one. For that matter, for all I know, Sony actually owns Dolby Licensing. They own everything else (a lot of Aiwa, CBS and Columbia records and motion pictures, etc.). BTW have you heard about Sony creating a fake critic to review and give their movies very favorable reviews? I'll bet Sony ended up with Columbia through some shifty deal also. The attorney General of Conn. is talking about bringing legal action against them. So far I think that the Federal government has only given them a slap on the wrist. Sony suspended 2 of their advertising reps without pay (like it really happened without the men at the top knowing-yeah right!!). Larry Larry Larry - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
* Francisco J. Huerta [EMAIL PROTECTED] on Sun, 10 Jun 2001 | 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. No. Sony developed ATRAC in-house, not violating any Dolby Laboratories patents. Then sometime after ATRAC v4.5 they collaborated with Dolby Laboratories to make improvements for mutual benefit. The results are that Dolby Digital has some of ATRAC in it and current versions of Sony ATRAC have some AC3 in them. One side effect of that deal is that Sony no longer discloses ATRAC versions. -- Rat [EMAIL PROTECTED]\ Happy Fun Ball may stick to certain types Minion of Nathan - Nathan says Hi! \ of skin. PGP Key: at a key server near you! \ - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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: 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: 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]
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]
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]
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]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
On Thu, 07 Jun 2001 23:22:36 -0400, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: (I'm assuming that Mike is from the US because he used Hot mail). ??? I'm just curious why you said that? I've got a hotmail account (2 actually), and am in the UK. Can't say as I've come across any of the major web-based email providers that aren't international. And I think the guy you're referring to is in Canada - IIRC his message referred to this. Neil ___ Send a cool gift with your E-Card http://www.bluemountain.com/giftcenter/ - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
(I'm assuming that Mike is from the US because he used Hot mail). From: Neil [EMAIL PROTECTED] ??? I'm just curious why you said that? I've got a hotmail account (2 actually), and am in the UK. Can't say as I've come across any of the major web-based email providers that aren't international. I may well be flamed for saying this, but it's been coming some time... Hehe, that also occured to me. I have a hotmail account (which is rarely used, it may even have lapsed by now) and am from the UK. Having said that, given the number of posts on this list along the lines of MD is dying because [insert US electronics store] are no longer stocking them / are reducing their range or no one I know but me has MD that are posted here suggests rather a lot of US peeps should open their eyes to the fact that they are not actually the center of the universe :o) Oh, and I was rather amused and saddened when I read in Infobeat daily news this morning that the Labor (sic) Party had won our general election here in the UK. They mentioned the Labor Party several times in the report. I wasn't saddened by their winning however. subliminal If so many US peeps who actively participate in the global village that is the internet think like that, you have to be somewhat worried about what non-connected peeps think. /subliminal ___ ___ | || | | o |Gaz Bell - [EMAIL PROTECTED]| o | | || | | o | _ _ | o | | | | __ \ _ _ _ / ___| _ | | | o | | |__| )| __)(_)| _ \| __)| _ \ | | _ ( \|__ / | o | | | | ___/ | / | || | | || | | |_| | | | \ |/ _ | / _/ | | | o | | | | | | || | | || |__ | / | |_| || |_| |/ /__ | o | | | |_| |_| |_||_| |_||)|_) \_/|_||| | | | o || o | | || | | o | ICQ: 36892193 http://www.princegaz.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk | o | | || | | o | An ye harm none, do what ye will | o | |___||___| - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Minidiscs
Here is South Africa, we are also quite quick to adapt new technologies, and no, we don't have elephants roaming in the streets. Our cell phone networks are some of the best, for instance. I got into minidiscs two years ago, Yeah, for some reason it's a popular misconception that Canada is a country built in a glacier, or that we're in a perpetual state of winter. :) Of course if you go north enough you'd be correct. :) But the major cities are just that. Major cities. No igloos, no dogsleds, and we have as normal seasons as the US has. :) before mp3 players got real big. Portable minidisc recorders were then going for about R3500 (R8 to the us dollar). Then the prices dropped quite a bit. I paid the same for my recorder as you would in the UK. Now suddenly the prices have rocketed to R4500 for a Sony Mz-R900 (that is like $562), Yeah, my MZ-R900 cost me about $550 CAN, but I also managed to talk the guy down from like 575. It's not KILLING the market, but I do think it's making it less appealing to people who want to get in on it and don't have that much to spend. After all, a half a grand is a lot of money to spend on a recording/playback device. (money well spent in my opinion, but that's just me :) ). --- 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
ARE TOO! ;) On Fri, Jun 08, 2001 at 01:11:10PM +0100, PrinceGaz wrote: should open their eyes to the fact that they are not actually the center of the universe :o) - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
What? Do you mean there is an Internet outside the US ((Just kidding!!!)) - Original Message - From: PrinceGaz [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, June 08, 2001 7:11 AM Subject: Re: MD: Minidiscs (I'm assuming that Mike is from the US because he used Hot mail). From: Neil [EMAIL PROTECTED] ??? I'm just curious why you said that? I've got a hotmail account (2 actually), and am in the UK. Can't say as I've come across any of the major web-based email providers that aren't international. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Minidiscs
An Internet? I wasn't aware there was a *world* outside the US... ;) -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Francisco J. Huerta Sent: 08 June 2001 16:19 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: MD: Minidiscs What? Do you mean there is an Internet outside the US ((Just kidding!!!)) - Original Message - From: PrinceGaz [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, June 08, 2001 7:11 AM Subject: Re: MD: Minidiscs (I'm assuming that Mike is from the US because he used Hot mail). From: Neil [EMAIL PROTECTED] ??? I'm just curious why you said that? I've got a hotmail account (2 actually), and am in the UK. Can't say as I've come across any of the major web-based email providers that aren't international. - 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
Neil wrote: I'm just curious why you said that? I thought that Hot mail was only available in the US. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
PrinceGaz wrote: Hehe, that also occured to me. I have a hotmail account (which is rarely used, it may even have lapsed by now) and am from the UK. Having said that, given the number of posts on this list along the lines of MD is dying because [insert US electronics store] are no longer stocking them / are reducing their range or no one I know but me has MD that are posted here suggests rather a lot of US peeps should open their eyes to the fact that they are not actually the center of the universe :o) You guys just can't ever get over the fact that a bunch of rag tag boys who were dirty, crude, most not well educated and certainly not nearly as well as trained as the British militia, managed to actually beat you :). If you lived a little in the past, your thinking would be that Britain was the center of the universe and it was! The sun never set on the British Empire was not just a saying, it was a fact. You have to remember that until 60 years ago this December, the US maintained an isolationist policy. There was a terrible backlash from many Americans who felt that we should have never gotten involved in W.W.I and were insistent that we mind our own business when it came to W.W.II. So it is all timing. Give us our 15 minutes of fame. It's just bad timing on your part that you didn't live in the time period where Britain ruled the world. I'm sure in another 100 years or so it will be some other country that dominates the world. The US's strong hold grows weaker all of the time. I'm really not sure that the average person from any country is truly ready to accept the concept of a global village. We give it a lot of lip service, but if you happen to be one of those individuals that is doing well in your particular country, I'm sure you feel it is better than other countries. And yes I know that in spite of what Hollywood constant portrays England as, Ben Afleck did not save your ass. The Royal Air Force was able to hold off Germans on their own before we ever entered the war. Churchill was an amazing force and that insane little house painter couldn't shine his shoes let alone take over his country. The only reason that I made the assumption was that I thought Hot mail was only available in the US and also that I am used to seeing endings like .uk or .ca and .au after countries other than the US. I'm not sure why the US is not required to have a country designation in their URLs? Cheers, Larry - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
Adam Queripel wrote: An Internet? I wasn't aware there was a *world* outside the US... ;) Hey, who's fault is it if the greatest militia in the world was not able to defeat a bunch of 14 year olds wearing rags who couldn't even speaks the Kings English correctly :). - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
Well. All this because a new guy to the list dared to post a message from Hotmail. :) --- 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]
MD: Minidiscs
Greetings all. I'm new to the world of minidiscs, and thusly this list, so please bear with any of my ignorance. :) I recently picked up a Sony MZ-R900 (which incidentally, is an amazing unit), and I was curious about the discs themselves. What kind of differences can I expect from minidisc manufacturers and models of discs? I notice Sony has quite a few different lines of discs available, ranging from those with the nice pretty colors, to the prisms, etc. As well, other manufacturers have some amazing designs available. I'm curious which ones are superior to others as far as sound quality goes, or are they all basically the same (with the exception of recording times) with just different cases? Does the choice of minidisc basically boil down to which one do you would find more impressive to pull out of your player in the vicinity of others? Thanks for any and all input. --- 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
Mike Lastucka asked, | Does the choice of minidisc basically boil down to which | one do you would find more impressive to pull out of your player in the | vicinity of others? Largely. There may be differences in build quality and durability (more of the shells, latches, shutters, and hubs than of the actual platters); sometimes a unit will be picky about which shutters it can open or close properly. There is no difference in sound quality; theoretically there could be if a platter were so bad that there were too many errors for the error correction to overcome, but I'm pretty sure nobody has ever run into that. If you did, you'd hear clicks or pops or silence rather than a poor rendition of the audio. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
Mike Lastucka wrote: Greetings all. I'm new to the world of minidiscs, and thusly this list, so please bear with any of my ignorance. :) I recently picked up a Sony MZ-R900 (which incidentally, is an amazing unit), and I was curious about the discs themselves. What kind of differences can I expect from minidisc manufacturers and models of discs? I notice Sony has quite a few different lines of discs available, ranging from those with the nice pretty colors, to the prisms, etc. As well, other manufacturers have some amazing designs available. I'm curious which ones are superior to others as far as sound quality goes, or are they all basically the same (with the exception of recording times) with just different cases? Does the choice of minidisc basically boil down to which one do you would find more impressive to pull out of your player in the vicinity of others? Yes, basically your choice of MiniDisc comes down to which look nicest to you. :) I think of them like floppy disks. MiniDisc stores each track digitally, very similar to how a computer stores files on a disk. So different brands and types do not affect sound quality. However, when it comes to removable digital media, there is a difference in durability, reliability, and overall quality. Same way as how some floppy disk shutters break, or the media just goes bad and develops bad clusters, these kind of quality problems could affect MiniDiscs too. That said, I have not ever had a MiniDisc go permanently bad to where it was unusable. I have, however, heard of cheap MiniDiscs that are not manufactured to exacting tolerances and sometimes get jammed in certain players (usually recording decks or car stereos with motorized loading mechanisms - this probably would not affect you). My advice is to pick MiniDiscs based on which ones you think look the coolest for the most reasonable price. Shawn - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
Thanks for the advice and information, guys. I figure I'll just stick to what's been working well for me. I've basically just been picking up Sony discs (I have one that came with my unit, and 80 min EQ(?) I think, as well as an 80 min Prism), and they've worked well enough thus far. This thing's like a cell phone. I can't think of how I survived before I bought one. :) --- 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
* Mike Lastucka [EMAIL PROTECTED] on Thu, 07 Jun 2001 | Does the choice of minidisc basically boil down to which one do you would | find more impressive to pull out of your player in the vicinity of | others? For me it is whichever manufacturer has labels I can write on. TDK is my favorite for that right now. -- Rat [EMAIL PROTECTED]\ Happy Fun Ball contains a liquid core, Minion of Nathan - Nathan says Hi! \ which, if exposed due to rupture, should PGP Key: at a key server near you! \ not be touched, inhaled, or looked at. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
Shawn Lin wrote: Mike Lastucka wrote: 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). Does the choice of minidisc basically boil down to which one do you would find more impressive to pull out of your player in the vicinity of others? 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. I have, however, heard of cheap MiniDiscs that are not manufactured to exacting tolerances and sometimes get jammed in certain players (usually recording decks or car stereos with motorized loading mechanisms - this probably would not affect you). *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! 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. I almost never got more than a year out of any! 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. 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. Sony's Glasstron TV glasses have been consistently rated as having a better picture than the few competitors that there are. 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. 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. It may not be quite as impressive as my 32 inch Vega, but for $299, the Toshiba has a very, very impressive picture and excellent quality VCR. Larry - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs
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). As a matter of fact, I'm in Canada. :) And you wouldn't believe how MD is catching on here. The place where I got my MZ-R900 from, got three in the day before, and I got the last one. They can't keep the new ones in stock anymore, you almost always have to special order. Education time. :) A lot of people don't realize it, but Canada's usually very quick to adopt new high tech. :) Right now of course the MP3 players are big, but a lot of people are starting to realize that MD has many advantages over MP3 players, not the least of which is the incredibly high coolness factor. My brother and I both have MD players now, and we both absolutely love them. 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. I've usually never had a problem with Sony products myself. The R900 seems extremely well put together for something so tiny. I've shown it around my workplace (I'm in the computer software industry), and I've managed to blow the socks off of everyone with it. I get a lot of oos and aahs just when taking it out of the case, but the real seller is playing a good dance track (Madonna's 'What it Feels Like For a Girl' Rmx is an excellent one) on a pair of those Sony earbuds (the nude exs I thikn they're known as). I damn near floored one of my managers with that one. 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. Exactly. I did a lot of research into manufacturers and models before making a purchase, but it seemed Sony's R900 had the right balance of form, features and accessories. That, and I got an insured 3-year warranty on the unit AND the accessories for free on a promotion. :D Sony's Glasstron TV glasses have been consistently rated as having a better picture than the few competitors that there are. I had a chance to check those out at a store actually. The result was VERY surprising, especially compared to other units out there. The picture is excellent, you just look like a goon wearing them in public though. I'd love to get a pair for home though. 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. My TV is a Toshiba, and I've had nothing but good things to say about it. I'm pondering making the plunge to high-def sometime within the next year or so, and I'm definitely going to buy Toshiba again. Great reply, thanks! --- 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
Mike Lastucka [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I recently picked up a Sony MZ-R900 (which incidentally, is an amazing unit), and I was curious about the discs themselves. What kind of differences can I expect from minidisc manufacturers and models of discs? This is addressed in the Minidisc FAQ (see: http://www.minidisc.org/minidisc_faq.html) as well as in the interview with BPS systems (makers of MD making equipment, see: http://www.minidisc.org/balzers_interview.html). The short answer: unless you're buying MD for its looks, save your money and get the cheap ones. Rick - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs *officially* big in the UK
Robin wrote, | I've no idea what the American equivalent of the RPI is, That would be the CPI (Consumer Price Index). | but guess it would be more-or-less unthinkable that minidiscs would | appear on it. Sigh. Indeed it would. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs in South Africa
Harmen, Well, I live in SA as well (Cape Town), and have seen Sony MD's for round-about R23 ( i think) it's not as cheap as they are in Europe, but hey, it is still cheap enough? for what you get. I have to admit that our range of different MD's suck, though. ciao Sean. Harmen Venema wrote: Can anyone tell me how I can get minidiscs in South Africa for a reasonable price? The medium hasn't been here for so long, so minidiscs are very hard to get and rather expensive. The cheapest I've seen so for are JVC's for 30 Rand a piece, that is almost 4 US dollars. In Europe I can get them for half the price! One solution might be purchasing via the internet, but the shipping costs make that option almost as expensive as just buying them here. I would love to have the new TDK XS-IV series, but they are impossible to come by here. Please advise me. -- -: Sean Snyders -: [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.cs.sun.ac.za/~snyders -: Computer Science Departmentsecretary: +27-21-808-4232 -: University of Stellenbosch voice: +27-21-808-4393 -: South Africa fax: +27-21-808-4416 - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Minidiscs in South Africa
htmlDIVHi there,/DIV DIVnbsp;/DIV DIVCan anyone tell me how I can get minidiscs in South Africa for a reasonable price? The medium hasn't been here for so long, so minidiscs are very hard to get and rather expensive. The cheapest I've seen so for are JVC's for 30 Rand a piece, that is almost 4 US dollars. In Europe I can get them for half the price! One solution might be purchasing via the internet, but the shipping costs make that option almost as expensive as just buying them here. I would love to have the new TDK XS-IV series, but they are impossible to come by here. Please advise me. /DIV DIVnbsp;/DIV DIVThanks,/DIV DIVnbsp;/DIV DIVHarmen/DIVbr clear=allhrGet Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at a href="http://www.hotmail.com"http://www.hotmail.com/a.br/p/html - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs in South Africa
try these sites http://www.minidisco.com http://www.planetminidisc.com Good Luck DJIO . . .X) --- From: "Harmen Venema" [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 11:04:07 +0100 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: MD: Minidiscs in South Africa Can anyone tell me how I can get minidiscs in South Africa for a reasonable price? The medium hasn't been here for so long, so minidiscs are very hard to get and rather expensive. The cheapest I've seen so for are JVC's for 30 Rand a piece, that is almost 4 US dollars. In Europe I can get them for half the price! One solution might be purchasing via the internet, but the shipping costs make that option almost as expensive as just buying them here. I would love to have the new TDK XS-IV series, but they are impossible to come by here. Please advise me. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Minidiscs at Borders
I stopped in my local Borders yesterday, and was surprised to see they were selling Maxell MD blanks. But I was SHOCKED to see the price! A 2-pack of Maxells for $14.99!!! And 5 packs for $30!!! What gives? Is Maxell overpriced, or does Borders have its head in the sand? JMJ __ Do You Yahoo!? Get Yahoo! Mail Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/ - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs at Borders
James Jarvie wrote, | I stopped in my local Borders yesterday, and was surprised to see they were | selling Maxell MD blanks. But I was SHOCKED to see the price! A 2-pack of | Maxells for $14.99!!! And 5 packs for $30!!! What gives? Is Maxell | overpriced, or does Borders have its head in the sand? More likely the latter. Around here two drugstore chains carry Sony MDs at ridiculous prices: Osco has 2-packs for $14.99 and Walgreens (I'm old enough to remember when it was Walgreen's before apostrophes became uncool) has single discs for $7.99. Even Target carries 2-packs for $7.99. One Osco near me is in the same plaza as a Target and a Best Buy. Of course their MDs don't sell at all. Maybe if someone ran in desperate for blanks at 3 AM, when Target and Best Buy are both closed ... - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs at Borders
I wouldn't say their head was in the sand, more like in their... well I think you know where I'm referring to... Even BestBuy has Maxell at normal prices... 2 for 14.99? damn... they must be looking for really stupid customers to jump on the MD bandwagon.. -Jeffrey On Sun, 16 Jul 2000, James Jarvie wrote: I stopped in my local Borders yesterday, and was surprised to see they were selling Maxell MD blanks. But I was SHOCKED to see the price! A 2-pack of Maxells for $14.99!!! And 5 packs for $30!!! What gives? Is Maxell overpriced, or does Borders have its head in the sand? JMJ __ Do You Yahoo!? Get Yahoo! Mail Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/ - 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]
MD: Minidiscs at BJ'S Wholesale Club
FWIW, I spotted Maxell color series Minidiscs for sale at the local BJ's (Rochester, NY) - a first for them, I think. Boxes of five different colored Minidiscs for $ 9.99 I didn't have time to check for players or recorders. Cheers --- Phil Matt - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Minidiscs!!!!
Da: Wallace Choi [EMAIL PROTECTED] and maxfire electronics disappeared or something... i was gonna order = from them... I can't reach maxfire either. Either they're having technical problems with their website or they discontinued their service. If this is the case, it's a big loss. They were pretty good. Luca - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
