The truth about MiniDisc
Jun 16 '01
The Bottom Line Perfect replacement for audio cassettes, better than lugging CDs around. Better than MP3 portables, too!
Before coming to the actual choice I would give you some facts about the MiniDisc technology. I have some background in signal processing so the following statements are as accurate as possible without (hopefully) adding too much jargon or confusion.
1. MD uses a digital recording format but employs compression (= throws away parts of the audio that virtually all human ears will not miss). Therefore the recording does not deteriorate over time but has a lower quality than a CD. Fidelity is between an audio cassette and a CD, possibly closer to the CD. So it is generally viewed as a replacement for the audio cassette (and similar systems), not as a replacement for the CD (which is here to stay for a long, long time).
2. Do copy from CD to MD, but not from MD to CD again. Digital copies from MD to MD are OK, analog copies from MD to MD are not a good idea, quality deteriorates (decompression - analog signal - recompression)
3. MDs use a magnetic material for storing its data. Thus it is more susceptible to destruction (magnetic fields, heat) than a CD. No CD has ever failed on me, a few MDs already have.
4. For reasons 1 and 3: Avoid pre-recorded MDs, buy the CD instead. Unless the price advantage is substantial (I've never found this to be the case, rather the opposite appears to be the case) go for the CD and make a copy to MD. Choice is almost nil for pre-recorded MDs, so why bother anyway.
5. Compression technology has improved over time, so newer units will produce better sound. Old units (2 years and over) may sound considerably worse than new ones. Beware if you buy a used MD system.
6. MDs are enclosed in a protective shell. This and the smaller size make them much more convenient than CDs if you are on the move.
7. MDs offer a unique Mono recording mode that doubles recording time. Great for audio books or recording conferences etc.
8. MDs offer great editing capabilities. You can edit out items, split and combine them and move them around. You can name each item on the MD - a great advantage over the CD which is now suffering from the lack of title capability.
WARNING: JARGON AHEAD
8. For the technically inclined: MDs store data magnetically. It is written from the top using a magnetic process and read from the bottom using a laser much like the CD without touching the surface. (Even more technical: CDs use the interference effect for reading, MDs use the Kerr effect for reading, so a CD laser unit is different from a MD laser unit). That's why portable MD players that can record tend to be thicker than the read-only units; however, the difference is becoming smaller every generation.
END OF JARGON
Now we have that out of the way and can turn to the choice of player. If you have used audio cassettes in your past, MDs can be a drop-in replacement. However, it may dawn an you now, that such a replacement may involve multiple units. In fact, this is a reality, like it or not. An isolated MD unit is not too useful - compare it to an isolated telephone. Whom should you call? Or in this case, which MDs to you use?
Therefore, I'd like to discuss a few scenarios:
a) You want a portable MD player. OK, but how to record MDs? Even if you have a recording portable, the small size of the user interface elements make this often a chore and a bit of a cable mess. To conserve energy and space the recording part of the portable is sometimes not of the best quality. Trust me, you will end up buying a stationary MD recorder in a very short while. Is that bad? Not at all, you don't have to carry your valuable (and/or bulky) original CDs around. Just make a copy to MD (most stationary units make this extremely simple). And for audio books: 2,5 hours of (mono) material on a tiny MD, that's a lot of stuff. Four of these and you can go transatlantic without bothering for the in-flight movie.
OK, so which portable to buy? These days, all portable units are quite similar. The differences:
- recording capability: Can the unit record or not? Note that recording time on one charge or battery is typically 4 times less than playing (8 hours of play = 2 hours of recording)! Recording takes quite some energy. The smallest players available cannot record, and this is not going to change soon.
- mechanical construction: Not too much difference here, but stick to a device with a solid feel. This may be a more expensive model with a metal case, but this is not a hard rule. Solid plastic models do exist but are much lighter. That does not mean they are bad. Metal bodys exist where one has to fear the door comes off just by looking at it. Try this test: Open the door and press down on one side of the door only. If the unit closes without further ado: well done. If the door twists slightly and is difficult to close: Next one please. Again, this is not a hard rule as shop display units may have been severely misused by other customers. Anyway, do not do this regularly with the unit you actually own. The door hinges will thank you in the long run.
b) You want to replace your audio cassette car radio with a MD thing? Very good idea. MDs are ideal for the wear and tear in a car, CDs are not. Although I know of one car unit that can actually record on MDs, this is not a feature one normally needs. So, for pretty much the same reasons as a) you will definitely need a stationary MD recorder. How to choose it? First of all, many of you will by it as an addition to your existing stereo equipment. If so, going with your preferred manufacturer is a safe bet and integration is likely to be a breeze. Otherwise you will be limited by the form factor of your other stereo equipment (e.g. width). No need to buy the most expensive model at all. The second-best typically does a great job as well. Without starting religious wars on audio quality: Most people will not hear the difference between a $300 and a $800 model. For the difference you can get a portable unit to use on flights, on a plane or just anywhere. If your CD player has a digital-out facility try to get a MD recorder that can work with that signal.
c) You want a stationary model. Nothing else? Then just why? For reason 4 you never buy pre-recorded MDs. You would actually copy CDs to MDs and then listen to the MDs instead? According to rule 1, you never do this, right? This scenario makes no sense and unless you cannot avoid the MD recorder (package or you "must have it") you may well save yourself the expense. If you want to make recordings from the radio the audio tape you will most likely already have is adequate: FM radio quality is in the range of audio cassettes and MDs will do nothing to improve that. If you want to preserve radio recordings for eternity you probably do not need my advice (if you do: Record to CDs, they have a 100-year shelf live; MDs will keep probably only 10 years).
I would like to finish by comparing MD to MP3. Technically the two are very similar although MP3 allows to change the compression rate and thus the trade-off between quality and memory usage; few people know about this and use this feature, though. The problem with MP3: The capacity of a unit is usually limited and not easily expanded. MP3 player expansion memory is extremely expensive when compared to MD player expansion memory, a MiniDisc: Compare $100 to $2. Loss or damage one of these precious memory devices makes you cry. Loss of a MiniDisc is nowhere near as traumatic. Most MP3 units are not much smaller than a MD player. Even if the size is different, it does not matter in daily use. "But for recording MDs I need a recorder". True, but chances are you need a computer to put stuff on your MP3 player. "But I can get MP3s from the internet." Fine with me, you can play them to our recording portable just the same. New MD portables make this just as easy. Some even store MP3s directly on the MiniDisc, so there is absolutely no difference between an MP3 player and a MD player except for the price. Compare for yourself! The only exception I would like to make are the MP3 players that have harddisks inside. These are very expensive, heavy and power hungry, but they can store hundreds of hours of material. That is an advantage, if you are prepared to pay for it in money and bulk.
So, to conclude: If you buy an isolated MD player chances are you will complement this with a stationary unit in a short time. MDs make excellent replacements for audio cassettes. MDs are more flexible and a lot less expensive than MP3 units. If you were considering buying a MP3 portable, you may want to reconsider.
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Epinions.com ID:
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Location: Vienna, Austria, Europe
Reviews written: 19
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