How do NetMD's work?

[epi]

Hi guys,

Was wondering how NetMD's worked? Is it just like transferring an mp3 to your mp3 player where it's click and drag?

Normally recording a minidisc involves realtime recording which is tedious and takes forever, so i'm wondering if netmd's by-passed this slow task.

Please enlighten me:]
Thanks,
epi.

[Knoxville]

They use sony's own software to transfer the files via usb iirc

[epi]

Is it fast though, as in just click/drag then it's done within seconds?

[Mozzer]

Yes, BUT, you can only drag each song three times, and then you have to give it back to your PC, its ****ing stupid.

[Barakka]

I looked into NetMD when it came out, especially as i'd just got a new in car deck that supported MDLP, which my recorder doesn't.

IIRC it is a bit like high speed recording, how fast decided by the MD length/quality setting. MDLP has three settings;

None, which doesn't do extra compression and gets 74/80 mins on a disk.
Double (MDLP2), which gets about 120 mins or something.
and Quad (MDLP4), which gets about 300 mins or similar

Obviously as its fitting more data on the same media the quality is affected, apparently MDLP2 is bearable for general use and MDLP4 is dire.

I seem to remember NetMD quoting transfer at "upto 32 speed" which I think is just at MDLP4 quality, if you want stdMD quality you're probably looking at x2 or x4 copying speed.

The main bonus (that I could see anyway) with NetMD is that you will get your track marks and names done at the same time, which takes ages to do by hand - and no more messing with levels.

Personally I think they left it a bit late with MD, should have been pushing it this hard 5-10 years ago, after all it was there.

[epi]

mozer don't get what your saying?

[Nemeliza]

Originally posted by Mozzer
Yes, BUT, you can only drag each song three times, and then you have to give it back to your PC, its ****ing stupid.

Say w00t now?

[Rory]

software isn't great. Crashes often if you transfer big files. Would be cool if netmd was found as new drive.

[Mozzer]

Okay, i had a NetMD minidisc.
The Sony software (SonicStage) only allows you to put each song you have onto upto three minidiscs, after that, if you try to put it on another it won't let you. You have to transfer back OFF the minidisc back to your PC, even though your PC has it.
It's basically a really rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbishty way of preventing piracy.
No, making copies of your music before or after you transfer it won't help, no, there is nothing in the registry you can delete, i spent ages looking on the internet and through it's files for a way around it for nothing.

So the three track thing, its like a "check out, check in" system. It sucks.

I sold the mindisc on ebay.

Edit: Oh, yes, i did look for alternative software, the only software i found is the rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbishty stuff which you have to transfer your music via optical wire, which basically beats the point of NetMD.

[5lab]

its not in seconds either - for reasonable quality (lp2) it is about 8x speed - so for a 4 min song say 30 secs

[steve threlfall]

AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!!

[Nemeliza]

so what happens if u put a track on 3 MD's and say 2 of them got damaged? is there a way round this or wud u be royally screwed?

[Rory]

Uh wtf are you talking about? Download Opeg MG Jukebox .... you can use as many MD as you like....I've made over 20 md's so I really don't think thats true :/

[epi]

So Rory, rather than use the standard software that the NetMD's come with, you use MG Jukebox, which by-passes the '3 song copy' rule?

[Rory]

No. There is no 3 copy rule. That is simple wrong. Ask caged if ya want , he just brought a netmd. Also opegmg is the old software for netmd, perfectly legit. I got it because brought my MD over a year ago ( still works fine) and that was the default software then. The newer software which I have too ( sonicstage) works a lot quick than the old software (less crashes) and I havn't noticed any 3 mini disc rule on any of the software.

[Sibu]

i was thinking of getting one of these to replace my old md player...not so sure now. Newest ones can record at up to 64x, thats a 5 min son in under 5 seconds...nice