From: "oryoki2000" <>
>
>
>>New Hi-MD format, 1GB capacity MD recorders and media.
>
>
> Sony has lots of experience with high capacity magneto-optical
> recording systems. Sony and Fujitsu announced a 1GB M/O data storage
> system using 3.5 inch discs in 1998. The system was upgraded to
> 2.3GB in 2001. These drives were marketed under the "GigaMO" name.
>
> To achieve the GigaMO capacity, the distance between tracks was
> decreased, and the linear density of bits per track was increased. It
> remains to be seen how reliable this recording system is under field
> conditions. Despite the changes to track and data density, GigaMO
> drives are backward-compatible with earlier data M/O discs.
>
> The announcement of MP3 players built around the new 1 inch hard
> drives must have spurred the development of a commercial Hi-MD
> product. A 1GB minidisc will hold more than 7 hours of standard
> ATRAC recordings. That's enough to be competitive with the 1 inch
> hard disc players like the new Apple iPod Mini and Creative Muvo2.
>
> 1GB is also enough room for 90 minutes of CD-quality uncompressed
> stereo recordings. I doubt that Sony will offer this option.
>
> It will be very interesting to see how Sony prices the new Hi-MD
> units. The iPod Mini list price is $250. But that's what Sony
> already charges for 140MB minidisc machines like the N910. The Hi-MD
> system has a removeable disc and microphone input, which the iPod
> lacks.
>
> --oryoki
I had been wondering if they would move the new technology used in the
1.3gig and 2.3gig 3.5" opticals to a MD sized format. In case anyone is
wondering about what's the difference, Fujitsu has a paper on it:
http://www.fcpa.com/download/download/mo-drives/msr-whitepaper.pdf
GigaMO, I believe is a Fujitsu registered trademark. In any case they
are the ones selling the 3.5" MO's in the US. I just ordered a 2.3gig
one. Had not gone to the bigger cap as it was $20/disk, but just won a
ebay auction for a bunch of blank 2.3gig disks. At a far, far lower
price. So it's worthwhile to move to the bigger disks now.
I believe that track density may not have been changed in the higher cap
opticals, at least not in the 1.3gig. They only talk about using greater
data spot density through the new system. Since the same laser
reads/writes both smaller cap old system opticals and the new "Magnetic
Super Resolution" opticals, it has to be tracking and aligning the same.
I'd be really surprised if the older MD's could handle these changes. It
involves changes in the firmware running them as a minimum, and seems to
me like hardware modifications as well. The laser goes from two to three
power settings, the magnetic head goes from one to two field strengths.
I think this one will involve buying new equipment.
I don't use the new MO disks in field conditions, I've been using the
1.3's for a while. So far under desktop type conditions they appear to
be just as reliable as the old disks. And, as I've reported, that's 100%
reliable. They are faster. Fujitsu just released a USB 2.0 based version
of their 1.3gig drive designed for portable use with notebooks.
One thought is that this opens up the possibility of having a 24bit
96khz ATRAC. You now have enough data space for a reasonable record time
and processing speed has advanced enough. Though I expect that the only
place that has any chance of turning up is in pro recorders. I, too
doubt a uncompressed CD quality storage. That would have to be aimed at
pros, and with so many fixated on 24/96 would probably not fly as well
as it could. Uncompressed 24/96 would give you pretty short record time,
thus, maybe, 24/96 ATRAC. Or surround sound recording using regular
levels of ATRAC. The potential is there, only the future will tell.
The timing indicates more to me of moving the new MO technology from
it's original 3.5" to this format. Sony has not been, in the past, all
that quickly responsive to new products like the smaller iPod. They tend
to break new ground. It does indicate that Sony is finally moving away
from their memory stick being the only future media idea. And also means
renewed support and commitment to the MD size optical disk.
Walt
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