[Earwax]

Which is most exciting of the recent product announcements?

 

[darkfusion]

Well I'm loving the new iRiver line-up, especially the iHP-300 so that gets my vote

 

[Earwax]

There aren't enough details out about the Sony Hi-MD yet, but I think it's got the most potential.

Portable Video is of no interest to me. And while 4 gig is better than small flash sizes, it would still be a great deal of fussing with the player to swap in and out the music I want to listen to now. And $250 is still a lot for a portable gadget that's too easily lost or dropped.

1 gig MDs, would mean you set up the disks once, then easily swap them in and out as you wish. If battery life is anything like current MDs, it would put the iPod to shame. And if this could play MP3s without conversion, I think this could be a super product.

[update 1/8] the info is out now -
http://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/4270
mp3 still has to be transcoded, but the rest of the features look great.

 

[Skeeve]

Quote:

Originally posted by Earwax 1 gig MDs, would mean you set up the disks once, then easily swap them in and out as you wish. If battery life is anything like current MDs, it would put the iPod to shame. And if this could play MP3s without conversion, I think this could be a super product.

Don't most things put the ipod's battery life to shame.

The biggest drawback I can see to the hi-md stuff doing really well is how much sony will push it with the psp coming soon with another similar sized disk, we have enough format wars as it is without sony starting one with sony.

 

[D-EJ915]

If I know anything about Sony or other companies like it, they'll make the new PSP functional in lots of aspects, but it really won't do anything other than gaming well. The sound quality will be okay at best, I think they are marketed at completely different audiences, I'm going to try to get one of these new HI-MD recorders (NH1) if I don't snatch something else first.

 

[IpaqMan]

For me without a doubt, the new 1GB Hi MD line of Sony recorders excites me the most.

The ability to upload live recorded content to a PC is a major step forward. Imagine being able to store 45 hours of class lectures on one $7.00 minidisc and being able to play 8 hours of CD quality music or 16 hours of near CD quality music and being able to store 1GB of computer data. Wow!!!

 

[Dweebgal]

i think the hi-hd is the most exciting development as well, mainly becuase of the leap forwards in technology it represents.

also if sony pulls this off, they will have pulled MD back from the brink IMO.

and sony electronics as a company as well, considering the other problems they've had.

 

[FalconP]

Agree for Hi-MD; the others are indeed nothing new, technology-wise.

 

[matheis]

without question, for me it's hi-md!!! the live recording functionality is without parallel for consumer-level portable electronics, and as tony the tiger would say: that's grrrrreeeeeaaaaaattttttt!!!!!!!!!!
later
nikolaus

 

[terrymx]

right now the xclef hd500 ecite me because it have 20gb, replacable harddrive, replacable battery and very clean menu system.

 

[Pug]

HI-MD...

I may be biased, perhaps.

Excited I am just a tad. Enough to make my second post at head-fi!

Cheers
Pug

 

[austonia]

Quote:

Originally posted by terrymx right now the xclef hd500 ecite me because it have 20gb, replacable harddrive, replacable battery and very clean menu system.

the xclef HD500 doesn't have any ID3 tag database... just directory tree browsing like the old archos units. better players out there for the same price, but if you really want it, its on amazon.com for ~$275 under the Pogo brand name

 

[Steve754]

I am excited about the new minidisc format. If sony does this right they could give the new hard disk players a run for there money. It seems like it will have all of the advantages of a hard drive player and none of the disadvantages, short battery life, expensive cost, etc.

 

[JiPi]

I voted for the iRiver lineup simply because it will probably deflate the prices of their already high-priced
HDD-players. Which I might get when I have more money

MD is of no use to me, iPod's are uh.. not
attractive for me and then portable video is just meaningless.

 

[chicubs]

Iriver's lineup is awesome...but there is a sleeper pick in the hd mp3 market...auvi, the company is headed by the former head of bantam (when they were innovative)...and it has a new hd player the SA1500 that was shown that wasnt functioning, but if released it is MILES thinner than the ipod.
http://www.auviworld.com/productdeta...p?ProductId=6#

4.1oz/116g: Holy Crap!