Posted by Mark Duffin on 6/14/2002, 12:55:01

Adding upload functionality will improve the quality of recorded interviews (news/PR content) AND allow for backup of irreplaceable audio content.

Posted by Lyle on 6/14/2002, 14:24:08

The whole reason I bought this unit (MZ-N1) was because I was under the impression that I could take my demos that I do on mini disc (I am a songwriter) and transfer them to my computer digitally and have instant demo CDs. PLEASE HELP, this was a very expensive unit $645! I promised to have new demos in the mail today, now I am in trouble! If anyone can help, please send me info at [email protected] Thanks!

Posted by John Kivac on 6/14/2002, 17:58:27

It would be much faster and easier for me to move my live recordings from MD to PC if you enabled this feature.

Posted by Joe on 6/14/2002, 19:25:39

I almost consider myself tricked into buying my MZ-N707. I thought that it would be at least as capable as an mp3 player. This is my third MD Recorder(first NetMD)....and my LEAST favorite. Please enable me and my fellow consumers to do what we most wanted with these devices.

Posted by Mike Thomas on 6/14/2002, 22:58:39

I bought my MZN 505 to record live music (public domain) in the church where I work. I thought I was getting USB transfer to upload to the computer, and the Sony Authorized Dealer's salesman did not advise me otherwise, though I explained my purpose. Now I find that I really have no better USB transfer than with the MD 500s that lack a USB port. Sony (and the rest of the industry) is just a bit too paranoid about rip-off of copyrighted material. How about the rip-off of the customers who bought the "new, improved" USB-enabled machine, only to find it only works for ripping pre-recorded material from a computer.

Posted by Paul Imseih on 6/14/2002, 23:15:33

The benefits of uploading outweigh the possible detriment. The NetMD devices would be infinitely more useful if files could be transferred both ways. What Sony is doing is issuing a challenge to hackers who will gladly accept and defeat the system somehow, sometime. As we saw with DVD in Australia, hacked DVDs able to play region 1 discs finally became the norm when the numbers of people beating the "system" was too much to ignore. If sony was worried about copyright infringement, they should not have entered the party with netMD. Oh, by the way, don't believe all the crap coming from the "Copyright Club" of Sony, BMG et al. Corporate dinosaurs will realise that the consumer is well ahead of them on all counts and they better catch up or miss out altogether. They will tell you about the "artist's loss" but they are really talking about their fatcat, greasy executives who are trying to protect "shareholder interest". Scaremongering doesn't need fact, only a semblance of it. If you look closely enough, you'll only see a few facts, only true in parts. I bought the MZ-N1 and am pretty happy with it so Sony's got my cash. Let's see it used at its full potential. Looking forward to seeing the hacker's breakthrough!

Posted by andrew cromwell on 6/15/2002, 1:33:10

i need to upload music i create to use at performances etc, its why i bought a sony mzn707!

Posted by Arvinder Singh on 6/15/2002, 2:39:01

I bought a new 707 to do live recordings. Even though I spent a lot of time comparing different models, I didn't realize Sony doesn't allow digital uploads of live recordings. That sucks. I regret the decision now. I also didn't realize this thing doesn't let you change recording levels during a recording. Why the hell does it have to keep switching to auto rec level every time I stop. I now realize that Sharp listens to its customers and Sony doesn't. Add the uploading feature!

Posted by OPERON on 6/15/2002, 6:36:34

According that a bidirectionnal communication is necessary for a lot of musical applications, MD recorders are not actually very interesting devices. Many people would prefer buy MP3 devices. This is a non-sense, MD technology is born many years before, and is not as mature as MP3...

Posted by Ben Byrne on 6/15/2002, 10:20:11

any time now, guys....

Posted by Michael Healy on 6/15/2002, 11:47:33

I have purchased thousands of dollars worth of Sony audio equipment in the past 10 years, including one of the first MDBundle sets. That said, I've been searching for a reasonable way to convert my collection of vinyl LP's to MP3 format. I thought that NetMD might serve as a useful go-between until I found out that there is no MD to PC capability. If the capability to go from MD to PC (either to WAV, or directly to MP3) was to be added to your software, I could guarantee you at least one sale, most likely a top-of-the-line unit.

Posted by Fran Ambrose on 6/15/2002, 13:07:33

I have just bought a Net MD. It doesn't do the precise thing I bought it to do. It wasn't obvious from the sales pitch that it wouldn't do it either....

Posted by Kristin on 6/15/2002, 15:00:22

You're missing the boat here without MD to PC uploading capabilities. Please consider what is important to MD users. It is frustrating when you are trying to record your own music and the unit that you bought to help you do this instead restricts you. Also remember many audiophiles are Mac users...Thanks

Posted by Paul Scott on 6/15/2002, 15:51:47

Well, I've been a loyal MD owner for close to 10 years now, and NetMD is a welcome addition to what has been a fine tradition of killer personal audio electronics gear from Sony. I personally would LOVE to have the ability to upload (or is it downloading from the MD unit? Go figure) data from my MD recorder (I just bought a Sony MZ-N1 unit this week - love it) to my computer. I own an HP laptop with 3 USB ports on it, and I do enjoy recording concerts/shows/etc just for posterity's sake. I'm not looking to rip off any artists, I just like to have a recording for memory. The ability to upload/download to and from a NetMD unit would only increase the likelihood that more people would buy NetMD units. Sony: If you're reading this, don't screw us this time around. You have a wicked evil cool product (the best kind) and people would love it that much more if (IF IF IF) you would just go that extra mile and give us what we're looking for. Supply and demand folks... if Sony doesn't acquiesce to our *request* (since it hasn't gotten to the *demand* status yet), we can choose not to buy their products. Just my two cents...

Posted by Antonio Savorelli on 6/15/2002, 16:42:50

This time the request is not a matter of "freedom of listening": it's, as far as I see it, a matter of "freedom of creating". Now Sony has provided us with the perfect technology -- more versatile, more portable, simply easier than CD burning, and more reliable than mp3 -- and it would take just a small step to make Sony's motto a reality: GO CREATE. --Tony, Bologna (Italy)

Posted by Valentin Descamps on 6/15/2002, 18:06:50

This is THE feature to have with netMD : transfer analogicaly recorded tracks on PC (and add mac support at the same time...) Thanks a lot.

Posted by Peter Purcell on 6/16/2002, 2:11:50

Imagine the additional uses...

Posted by wendy mouthaan on 6/16/2002, 6:37:27

on this moment i hate my buy

Posted by David Horton on 6/16/2002, 11:14:44

This whould let me up load live recordings for fast editing

Posted by FX on 6/16/2002, 13:12:07

This whould let me up load my live recordings.

Posted by Brandon Lester on 6/16/2002, 14:07:21

I love my new MZ-N1, and furthermore I have no respect for anyone who says they "didn't know" the machine won't upload because they didn't do their homework. However, I am a piano player and love to play, I've acquired a decent amount of pieces I'd like to record to CD. I would appreciate the ability to transfer from MD without quality degradation. Thanks.

Posted by Luis Guarapo on 6/16/2002, 14:56:24

I have a R700 unit and recently purchased a N707 unit... very bad choice. I love the MD format and recomends the Sony units to everyone that i know, but only after 2 days of playing with it, i am disappointed by restrictions and bugs in the OpenMG, NetMD unit and quality recording. One of the reason of my purchase was the recording of meetings with microphone and then upload the recording to the corporate Intranet of the company i work for. However, it is posible only in the old way: ANALOG RECORDINGS!!! what is going on?

Posted by Mike M on 6/16/2002, 17:43:33

subject says all. i have writers' block today or something.

Posted by Phil Cazaban on 6/16/2002, 18:02:44

s

Posted by Jason Small on 6/16/2002, 23:06:16

I do a lot of live recording and record my guitar playing through my minidisc. Having a digital upload to the computer would be invaluable. Friends of mine have mentioned that this drawback holds them from buying minidisc themselves. Please add this feature so that the NetMD models can upload their digital content!

Posted by C. Browning on 6/16/2002, 23:16:14

Sony owns a bunch of music rights, so they will probably go down fighting for their MiniDisc technology, as well as their pathetic MP3 anti-piracy offerings.

Posted by Max Riethmuller on 6/16/2002, 23:40:23

Given I copy all my original (paid for) cd's to different media for playback in different environments (Car, Home, Work etc), and given that I can't be in two places at once, how can it then be in contravention of copyright law to copy to other media. I can only listen to any one copy at one time, and my intention in copying is not to broadcast, but only to ensure I can listen to MY music when I feel like it. OPENMG limits the useability of the MD device and I am very disappointed that I paid $530 AUD for a digital device that doesn't accept native digital formats (such as the widely popular mp3), nor can I upload recordings to my computer without using the ANALOG features of my soundcard, and suffer the inherant loss of signal quality that poses. I also find it disturbing that I cannot use the device to transfer files from my home computer to my laptop or work machine. These three computers all belong to me and are only used by me. Again there is no contravention of the spirit of the copyright act in my listening to music on these different machines. Since I have paid a royalty to the owner of the Music for the right to use that music for my own, non-commercial, personal purposes, I consider that I am entitled to copy the music to other media, providing I don't broadcast the music or oncopy it for other people. Sony consistantly demonstrates it's contempt for consumers by dictating through equipment design, how consumers listen to and manage their music collections. Sony in effect has taken away consumer choice with regard to the MiniDisc format, due to a petty and narrow minded approach to protecting Record Company profits. If Sony showed true creativity and an interest in looking after consumers, they would find a means of protecting the copyright without throttling back the native capability of the MD recorders.

Posted by Jerry Cohen on 6/16/2002, 23:46:07

I recently purchased a Sony MXS10 "Digital Studio" computer with NetMD minidisc. While to TV portion of the machine is great, the minidisc is a joke. My MZ-R70 & MZ-R3 are faster and they've never trashed a disc. If you're looking for the ultimate in minidisc editing, look elsewhere. I'm afraid Sony's going to take MD the way of the BETAMAX!

Posted by Jostein Lima on 6/17/2002, 2:59:56

Please make sure that we can upload audio. And, since my computer also runs Linux only, please provide drivers for the Linux platform. Best Regards, Jostein Lima

Posted by Marcel Oats on 6/17/2002, 3:26:13

I record a lot of material, ranging from mucking round at home, to music I compose, to such things as a journey through the 2002 "Audio Expo" here in New Zealand using minidisc. All reasons stated in the text of the partition apply to myself, and I wish to add another possible clause: that the Net-md software itself, is modified to use standard windows keystrokes, so as someone (such as myself) who is totally blind, can use it with a screen reader, easily and simply; it's near impossible at present to use the software which is loaded onto a windows-based system, with _speech_output_alone!! I want to keep my recordings completely in the digital domain.

Posted by Markus Marweg on 6/17/2002, 4:20:18

There is a right for free data/voice/music transfer from MD to PC and vice versa. Open the door and unlock this barrier. Thank you.

Posted by Jeff C on 6/17/2002, 5:33:18

I'm sure there are many other users who like me do field recordings of various things such as sound effects (which MD was advertised as a sound effects recorder in Australia). I would like to be able to transfer these back to my PC, even if it is in realtime I wouldn't mind as that would be better than plugging in a headphones port and in to the MIC/LineIn port but high speed would be appreciated. It would also be very cool if you could possibly add some kind of data storage to current MDs which can use CURRENT mds (and not those special data ones).

Posted by Joshua Dessert on 6/17/2002, 7:06:39

I just "upgraded" my first Minidisc Portable player/recorder from a MZR-500 to the MZ-N505. This is perhaps the best unit I could have hoped for. Unfortunatly, its downfall is the OpenMG software and the copyright protection that will potentially cause me to return my 2 day old unit for my previously analog player. The ability to upload is not particularly a feature I intend on using, but would allow many of my friends a cheap portable alternative to DAT. My 1300 MP3s on my comp were obtained LEGALLY from my own rips of my CDs. Internet audio is not high quality. I patch my comp through to my stereo for the ease of quick, customized playlists. OpenMG will not successfully import all music at once without crashing. I also do not need it to make another copy of every song I send to my MD in another format. This just makes it difficult to conserve hard drive space and wastes my time in deleting it after every use. I do not mind waiting for the program to convert every file before it sends them to my MD. Its still faster than real time. By writing this, I not only hope to have you change your mind/policies, but I hope to encourage a third party to re-create the music transfer software or at least a ATRAC3 file editor so we can change copy issues to allow us full us of our MDs when we are away from our computers. I personally do not like being shackled to my computer being forced to conform to your rules about MY music. I agree with Grant Burningham who would like too use them at work. A friend of mine was really interested in an MD until I told her you could not upload or at least have a line out. She runs her own radio program with many interviews and a variety of music edited on her home computer. You have ruined a very good product.

Posted by eric hanuise on 6/17/2002, 9:13:49

The last thing minidisc needs is artificial limitations and hindrances. Minidiscs are far superior to tape and lend themselves to many professional uses. Such limitations only hinder large acceptance. Pros want to be able to record live events, and upload them to their PC's to work on them, as wav or mp3 files, unrestrictedly. Pirates won't be hindered by these limitations as they have other ways around. Tahe a good look at what happened with CD's, is happening with CD copyprotection schemes, software protection, electronic books, and all DRM-related events. The consumers don't need or want this the pros will always turn to platform without these free the minidisc from that crap.

Posted by Paul Geary on 6/17/2002, 9:32:28

I have decided not to purchase the MZN707 purely because it does not have the ability to upload. Everything I read about the product sounds great, but this lack of functionality makes it just too limiting.

Posted by Brian on 6/17/2002, 11:03:11

You really need this feature to make Minidisc worthwhile in the marketplace. It isn't necessary for this to be so restricted, it doesn't protect anyone, and we would really benefit from the change. I'll be selling my MD if this doesn't change.

Posted by Jeff on 6/17/2002, 12:08:33

I would like to be able to upload my own audio to my PC (for archival purposes). Please allow for uploading of MD audio to PC!!!

Posted by djguard on 6/17/2002, 12:50:13

sil vous plait la protection pour le transfert md pc merci

Posted by Darcy on 6/17/2002, 13:01:56

If I can't upload, I won't. I take sound recordings for field research purposes and would love to be able to transfer recordings directly to my pc to edit. I borrowed a minidisc recorder for this purpose and loved everything about it, except the lack of upload and that is a deal breaker for me. Unfortunately the only option if I use minidisc is to jack into my sound card and play each recording one by one to record to the pc--this takes DAYS AND DAYS to accomplish, then I can finally begin editing. If they ever make the minidisc upload capable I'll buy it, but until then it is useless for my work.

Posted by Steven LeBeau on 6/17/2002, 13:31:22

Please realize the potential of this great technology and allow us to upload ATRAC data from mindisc to PC. Also, by ignoring the macintosh you guys are severely limiting your marketability. Support the Mac!

Posted by Darren Krattli on 6/17/2002, 15:35:52

The only way I would invest into NetMD is if it allowed uploads and truly acted like many of todays MP3 players.

Posted by Yaron on 6/17/2002, 16:35:57

MD recorders seem like an ideal format for recording my own music inexpensively. However to get the music off the MD onto a computer involves converting it to analog and then back to digital, a ridiculous and unneccesary process. I will not go into the MiniDiscs until this is changed.

Posted by Mathew Graff on 6/17/2002, 17:09:00

I don't like the way you can't upload your tracks from minidisc to computer. and transfering songs to the minidisc I don't like the way you have to convert everything to the compressed ATRAC3 format you guys say it only takes 3 min. to copy a song but for me to copy a cd it takes about a half an hour to a hour. this idea is a verygood one but badly excuted. and i also have been reading that the openmg software is really buggy.(i haven't had any problems with it.) You guys should change the name to Sony Media

Posted by Chris Stockwell on 6/17/2002, 17:09:30

I believe that Sony in disallowing uploads to a pc is being deceptive and dishonorable in their business practices. I also mainly utilize the superior macintosh O.S. and your lack of mac support is appalling! I own a bunch of Sony equipment. But it wasn't until three days ago I learned just how "Orwellian" your business tactics really are. I will rethink my electronics purchases in the future due to you lack of putting your customers first. Chris stockwell, D.C.

Posted by Mathew Graff on 6/17/2002, 17:14:30 , in reply to "Also, Mac support"

Also can you guys(SONY) give support to macintosh Please I also use the Mac's.

Posted by Yngve Nordkvelle on 6/17/2002, 17:14:56

I have waited a long time before buying a MD. NetMD looked very promising for my use: scholarly work on recorded material. The MiniDisc salesperson promised me this was THE thing to get. Discovering this silly regulation was a tremendous disappointment. I want my money back!

Posted by D Cone on 6/17/2002, 17:23:49

I love my D-5 cassette portable, but after 20 years it's time to step up to a digital portable. Sony has all the technology in place, with affordable, good-sounding MD recorders, and now a direct PC connection. Why did you have to cripple it with a software design that presumes your customers are all stealth-recording criminals? We use your products to get work done!!

Posted by Sammy Harris on 6/17/2002, 17:31:40

A potentially wonderful device made nigh useless by one stunningly stupid limitation.

Posted by Michael J. Ackerman on 6/17/2002, 17:49:04

I use MD to record my shows. I am a performing musician and I thought that netMD would allow me the time saving ability to upload my music at high speed rates. I already have other MD recorders and I didn't need another one. How disappointing it was to find out after purchase that it can't do what I need it to.

Posted by Erik Easton on 6/17/2002, 20:47:58

First of all, I love the MD! As for the MD to PC, I did by the NetMD in hopes that I would be able to record 2-3 hour seminars into a good digital recording and then be able to transfer that file to my PC vs. using my BIG laptop to do the recording. Please consider this as a future enhancment. I think you'd be glad you did. By the looks of the popularity of this feature and I'd be willing to bet you could OWN (at least be the 1st to market) this part of the MD industry by advertising it as such! Just an idea? I'm going to return the NetMD for now, (I already own 5 home units and 2 portables so I don't need another. ) but will be on the look out. I'll be honest, regardless of whether this ever makes it to market, I love Sony products! Nobody produces so many incredibly cool, high quality products as you guys! Keep on keeping on! Thanks! A huge fan from MN!