Minidisc fans: A new home deck in the US from Sony! (1 Viewer)

[KeithH]

Here is something you don't see everyday. A new home minidisc deck is available in the US from Sony! Crutchfield now has the MDS-JE480 for $150. The 'JE480 was released in Europe awhile ago, but it's finally available in the US.

[c] [/c]

Here's the link:

http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S...=0&cc=01&avf=N

The 'JE480 looks to be a lot like the 'JE470 that preceded it. Now it would be nice to see Sony release the 'JB980 in the US too. I probably shouldn't press my luck. :frowning:

 

[Philip Hamm]

That's a nice looking MD deck.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

It is worth noting that type S is a playback-only enhancement and that recordings on this deck are not made any differently than type R.

Nice deck, though.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

Why is it that MD players all have digital inputs, but hardly any have digital OUTPUTS? More piracy fear?

 

[LanceJ]

Umm, why is Sony still pushing this format?

Other than its flexible editing capabilites (for recording studios I guess) why adopt it?

Question: isn't it Sony who created the CD-R format?

LJ

 

[JeremyFr]

I quite like my portable recorder I may look into getting this though really my portable does all the same things and just as easily hooks up to my reciever.

 

[Philip Hamm]

Question: isn't it Sony who created the CD-R format?

No. As a matter of fact, they were very slow to market with CD-R audio decks.

 

[KeithH]

I agree with everything that Philip wrote in reply to Lance. Minidisc rules!

 

[KeithH]

Mark asked:

Why is it that MD players all have digital inputs, but hardly any have digital OUTPUTS? More piracy fear?

For some reason, Sony has not included digital outputs on recent cheaper minidisc decks. This includes the MDS-JE440, 'JE470, 'JE480, MXD-D3, 'D40, and 'D5C. The 'JB' models (MDS-JB920, 'JB930, 'JB940, and 'JB980) and recent ES models all have a digital output, so I don't know that piracy has anything to do with the omission on the cheaper models. Perhaps it's simply a cost-saving maneuver, though a stupid one in my opinion.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Another bonus of MD is that the portables weigh just a fraction of what hard-drive MP3 players weigh, if you break or lose one it (typically) costs less (sometimes a lot less), the discs are WAY cheaper than memory cards used in solid-state players, and import players have some very cool features like Dolby Headphone (no MP3 player does).

To each his own, where is the love?

 

[KeithH]

Michael said/asked:

To each his own, where is the love?

Well the purpose of this thread was certainly not to compare minidisc and MP3. I simply thought that fans of the minidisc format in the US would appreciate seeing a new home deck. Prior to the release of the 'JE480, it seemed as though the home-deck market had been abandoned.

 

[Philip Hamm]

IMO thost Tascam decks have a long lifespan. How else can you include almost CD-Quality digital recording on a tiny convenient disc for live situations. Lots of pros use them in their live rack rigs to record. I've prsonally read about one recorded live-to-MD concert by an artists that I like that got released as a CD. How's that for economical mastering.

 

[Greg Schwabacher]

It's nice to see that Sony hasn't totally abandoned the home MD market in the U.S., but omitting a digital output? C'mon. I often record from LP to MD, edit the MD to get the track marks just right, and go from MD to CD digitally. I couldn't do that with this unit! And, if there's one thing that's kept the MD format viable in the U.S., it's the portables' NetMD capability. Why didn't they include that feature in this home unit?

I think I'll stick with my 'JA333ES and my 'JA20ES home units and continue to use my portables for NetMD. C'mon Sony, give us (U.S.?) then 'JB980!

 

[Philip Hamm]

Why didn't they include that feature in this home unit?

Um... Check the page. I'm pretty sude that they did. --- Oops! I checked again and they did not include NetMD. I got that confused with MDLP. I also wonder why no MetMD on this unit?

 

[Rachael B]

Sony had that NetMD home deck, the silver one, but they quit delivering them. minidisco.com was bringing in the Nipponese model in their stead. I don't know if they stille are? Sony's suppourt of their own formats is wacked out if you ask me...:rolleyes