Latest news with #MiniDiscs
Scotsman
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Minidiscs: is the '00s format due a comeback or has it been lost as a millennium relic?
Don't throw those MiniDiscs away just yet - there might be a revival on the horizon Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It was once considered the cutting edge of audio technology and an essential piece of kit for journalists. However, one Apple product later and the format was left in the dust. However, the humble MiniDisc is making a small comeback - but what is the format and who is releasing on it in 2025? Since writing about vinyl, cassette, and video tapes over the past 12 months, there's one format I'm constantly asked about: MiniDiscs . Now, for those who went to university in the early 2000s , you might already be familiar with the format. It was once considered the 'future' of journalism due to its portability, 'easy' editing functions, and ubiquity across radio newsrooms nationwide. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, another format was already making waves just as the MiniDisc was reaching its prime: the old, sometimes infamous MP3 . While MiniDisc was a technological advancement—especially those versatile recorders you could do a lot more than just record music onto—it never quite gained the widespread adoption that its initial hype suggested. But what if I told you it could be the next format on the rise? Or would you just look at those hand-labelled diskettes piled up and think, 'Why bother?' As Generation Z starts to pick up on millennial formats, including the MiniDisc, it might be worth paying attention to it ahead of a potential rebirth. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad So, what was/is a MiniDisc, why was it the journalist's 'Swiss Army Knife,' and is anyone still releasing on the format today? What is a MiniDisc? Is the Minidisc the next format to undergo a comeback, or was it's timing during the advent of MP3 players to cause for it's lack of widespread appeal? | Canva So, what even was a MiniDisc, you ask? Well, it was an erasable magneto-optical disc format cooked up by Sony , first hitting the scene in 1992. Think of it as Sony trying to get the best of both worlds: the digital quality and instant track access of a CD, combined with the record-anything freedom of a cassette tape. It was this neat little 2.5-inch (64mm) disc tucked into a tough plastic case, kind of like a tiny, super-fancy floppy disk. These MiniDiscs could hold 60, 74, or even 80 minutes of digital audio. And get this – Sony actually claimed you could re-record onto them up to a million times. For audio, it used Sony's own special compression called ATRAC , which was a way to shrink a CD's massive data down while still trying to sound good. Later versions, like Hi-MD , even let you record uncompressed, CD-quality sound. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Honestly, it was essentially a wild mix of a floppy disk and a CD-R – if you're trying to picture it. Why were MiniDiscs considered the 'future' of journalism? Little bit of a nostalgia trip for me here - as I was one of those who went to University 'all in' with the MiniDisc's functionality. Studying radio journalism as part of a module at University, we were shown the wonder of the MiniDisc editing suite ; imagine those hi-fi stacks with a CD player, a radio tuner and a turntable - now imagine one of the stacks played home to two MiniDiscs. We would record on our personal recorders and edit on them 'on the fly,' or head into the newsroom in order to edit on the larger editing suites with a copy of Audacity or one of the numerous audio editing programmes available. Then we'd record the finished, edited audio back onto a MiniDisc to hand over to the producers. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Needless to say, everything done with cloud storage and various file formats made the process a lot easier - not too shortly after the MiniDisc became the attempted format du jour at the time. The ability to split, combine, move, or delete tracks directly on the portable player was revolutionary for on-the-go editing, allowing for quick assembly of soundbites or cleaning up interviews in the field, and unlike cassettes that could wear out or be eaten by players , MiniDiscs offered a more stable and long-lasting recording medium. Some recorders even allowed you to store data on the discs, becoming (with the correct software) a sort of USB stick or a zip drive , allowing not just audio but crucial information to share the same disc space as your System of a Down recording from their most recent show. How popular was the format upon release? Upon its release in 1992, MiniDisc aimed to be a digital successor to the cassette tape, offering a recordable, portable, and high-quality audio experience. It gained a strong foothold in Japan, where it became quite popular, especially due to CDs being more expensive there and teenagers embracing MD singles. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, its popularity was more limited in Western markets like the US and Europe during its initial years. Initial hardware was relatively expensive (original recorders costing around £400), and it faced immediate competition from established formats like CDs and the rapidly emerging digital alternatives. While appreciated by audiophiles, musicians for demo recording, and certainly journalists, it struggled to achieve widespread mainstream consumer adoption compared to the burgeoning CD format for pre-recorded music. It was in the late 1990s and particularly the early 2000s that Sony made a significant push to normalize and broaden the format's appeal. This period saw crucial price drops on MiniDisc players, making them far more accessible to average consumers. Key technological advancements like MDLP (MiniDisc Long Play) , introduced around 2000, allowed discs to hold twice or even four times the recording time. This dramatically increased the format's efficiency and value proposition. Further efforts to integrate MiniDisc into the digital age came with NetMD (late 2001) , enabling faster music transfers from computers via USB, essentially positioning MiniDisc players as early, physical-media-based "MP3 players." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad These '00s innovations and pricing strategies led to MiniDisc achieving its highest level of visibility and moderate mainstream acceptance in Western markets, even if its ultimate decline was already on the horizon due to the upcoming digital revolution. What led to the downfall of the MiniDisc player? Though the format was trying to make waves in Western markets during the '00s, the advent of the iPod left the MiniDisc almost dead-in-the-water. | Canva The MiniDisc player's decline can be attributed to a perfect storm of converging technologies and market forces. Arguably the biggest killer was the rise of MP3s and digital downloads, with devices like the Apple iPod (launched in 2001) offering unparalleled convenience by removing the need for physical media entirely, while file-sharing platforms like Napster further popularized digital audio. At the same time, as CD-R drives became common and blank CD-Rs incredibly cheap, consumers could easily burn their own compilations with uncompressed CD-quality audio using widely available technology. MiniDisc's proprietary nature and DRM (Digital Rights Management) also played a part, with Sony's reliance on its ATRAC codec and the often clunky SonicStage software creating a less user-friendly walled garden experience compared to the simplicity of MP3s. Despite price reductions, MiniDisc players and blank media remained more expensive than CD-Rs and the burgeoning digital alternatives. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Finally, a lack of mainstream record label support for pre-recorded MiniDiscs further limited its appeal to average consumers, preventing it from truly competing with the ubiquitous CD format - though I recall Robbie Williams and Bombfunk MC's both giving the format a go back in the day in HMV. Behind the counter at HMV owing to its price, might I add, but still in the retail store. Are any artists releasing on MiniDisc in 2025? While MiniDisc is no longer a mainstream format, it has found a niche cult following, similar to how cassettes are embraced by certain genres - especially among the noise rock and EDM circles, I can attest . In 2025, you can still find artists releasing music on MiniDisc, though it's typically independent artists or those in genres like vaporwave who appreciate the format's aesthetic and unique physical presence. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad For example, Sam Fender released his album "People Watching" on MiniDisc on February 21, 2025, via Polydor. This shows a continued, albeit limited, interest from some mainstream artists or their labels in offering niche physical formats to collectors and dedicated fans. Beyond mainstream acts, independent artists and small labels often use platforms like Bandcamp to sell limited-edition MiniDisc releases, particularly for genres that lean into retro aesthetics or lo-fi sounds. So, while it's not a widespread phenomenon like vinyl's comeback, the format is certainly not entirely dead for new music releases. Did you ever own a MiniDisc player or recorder, or were you a University student who learned how to edit audio on the format? Share your memories before the bandwagon start speeding off by leaving a comment down below.
Scotsman
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Minidiscs: is the '00s format due a comeback or has it been lost as a millennium relic?
Don't throw those MiniDiscs away just yet - there might be a revival on the horizon Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It was once considered the cutting edge of audio technology and an essential piece of kit for journalists. However, one Apple product later and the format was left in the dust. However, the humble MiniDisc is making a small comeback - but what is the format and who is releasing on it in 2025? Since writing about vinyl, cassette, and video tapes over the past 12 months, there's one format I'm constantly asked about: MiniDiscs . Now, for those who went to university in the early 2000s , you might already be familiar with the format. It was once considered the 'future' of journalism due to its portability, 'easy' editing functions, and ubiquity across radio newsrooms nationwide. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, another format was already making waves just as the MiniDisc was reaching its prime: the old, sometimes infamous MP3 . While MiniDisc was a technological advancement—especially those versatile recorders you could do a lot more than just record music onto—it never quite gained the widespread adoption that its initial hype suggested. But what if I told you it could be the next format on the rise? Or would you just look at those hand-labelled diskettes piled up and think, 'Why bother?' As Generation Z starts to pick up on millennial formats, including the MiniDisc, it might be worth paying attention to it ahead of a potential rebirth. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad So, what was/is a MiniDisc, why was it the journalist's 'Swiss Army Knife,' and is anyone still releasing on the format today? What is a MiniDisc? Is the Minidisc the next format to undergo a comeback, or was it's timing during the advent of MP3 players to cause for it's lack of widespread appeal? | Canva So, what even was a MiniDisc, you ask? Well, it was an erasable magneto-optical disc format cooked up by Sony , first hitting the scene in 1992. Think of it as Sony trying to get the best of both worlds: the digital quality and instant track access of a CD, combined with the record-anything freedom of a cassette tape. It was this neat little 2.5-inch (64mm) disc tucked into a tough plastic case, kind of like a tiny, super-fancy floppy disk. These MiniDiscs could hold 60, 74, or even 80 minutes of digital audio. And get this – Sony actually claimed you could re-record onto them up to a million times. For audio, it used Sony's own special compression called ATRAC , which was a way to shrink a CD's massive data down while still trying to sound good. Later versions, like Hi-MD , even let you record uncompressed, CD-quality sound. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Honestly, it was essentially a wild mix of a floppy disk and a CD-R – if you're trying to picture it. Why were MiniDiscs considered the 'future' of journalism? Little bit of a nostalgia trip for me here - as I was one of those who went to University 'all in' with the MiniDisc's functionality. Studying radio journalism as part of a module at University, we were shown the wonder of the MiniDisc editing suite ; imagine those hi-fi stacks with a CD player, a radio tuner and a turntable - now imagine one of the stacks played home to two MiniDiscs. We would record on our personal recorders and edit on them 'on the fly,' or head into the newsroom in order to edit on the larger editing suites with a copy of Audacity or one of the numerous audio editing programmes available. Then we'd record the finished, edited audio back onto a MiniDisc to hand over to the producers. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Needless to say, everything done with cloud storage and various file formats made the process a lot easier - not too shortly after the MiniDisc became the attempted format du jour at the time. The ability to split, combine, move, or delete tracks directly on the portable player was revolutionary for on-the-go editing, allowing for quick assembly of soundbites or cleaning up interviews in the field, and unlike cassettes that could wear out or be eaten by players , MiniDiscs offered a more stable and long-lasting recording medium. Some recorders even allowed you to store data on the discs, becoming (with the correct software) a sort of USB stick or a zip drive , allowing not just audio but crucial information to share the same disc space as your System of a Down recording from their most recent show. How popular was the format upon release? Upon its release in 1992, MiniDisc aimed to be a digital successor to the cassette tape, offering a recordable, portable, and high-quality audio experience. It gained a strong foothold in Japan, where it became quite popular, especially due to CDs being more expensive there and teenagers embracing MD singles. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, its popularity was more limited in Western markets like the US and Europe during its initial years. Initial hardware was relatively expensive (original recorders costing around £400), and it faced immediate competition from established formats like CDs and the rapidly emerging digital alternatives. While appreciated by audiophiles, musicians for demo recording, and certainly journalists, it struggled to achieve widespread mainstream consumer adoption compared to the burgeoning CD format for pre-recorded music. It was in the late 1990s and particularly the early 2000s that Sony made a significant push to normalize and broaden the format's appeal. This period saw crucial price drops on MiniDisc players, making them far more accessible to average consumers. Key technological advancements like MDLP (MiniDisc Long Play) , introduced around 2000, allowed discs to hold twice or even four times the recording time. This dramatically increased the format's efficiency and value proposition. Further efforts to integrate MiniDisc into the digital age came with NetMD (late 2001) , enabling faster music transfers from computers via USB, essentially positioning MiniDisc players as early, physical-media-based "MP3 players." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad These '00s innovations and pricing strategies led to MiniDisc achieving its highest level of visibility and moderate mainstream acceptance in Western markets, even if its ultimate decline was already on the horizon due to the upcoming digital revolution. What led to the downfall of the MiniDisc player? Though the format was trying to make waves in Western markets during the '00s, the advent of the iPod left the MiniDisc almost dead-in-the-water. | Canva The MiniDisc player's decline can be attributed to a perfect storm of converging technologies and market forces. Arguably the biggest killer was the rise of MP3s and digital downloads, with devices like the Apple iPod (launched in 2001) offering unparalleled convenience by removing the need for physical media entirely, while file-sharing platforms like Napster further popularized digital audio. At the same time, as CD-R drives became common and blank CD-Rs incredibly cheap, consumers could easily burn their own compilations with uncompressed CD-quality audio using widely available technology. MiniDisc's proprietary nature and DRM (Digital Rights Management) also played a part, with Sony's reliance on its ATRAC codec and the often clunky SonicStage software creating a less user-friendly walled garden experience compared to the simplicity of MP3s. Despite price reductions, MiniDisc players and blank media remained more expensive than CD-Rs and the burgeoning digital alternatives. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Finally, a lack of mainstream record label support for pre-recorded MiniDiscs further limited its appeal to average consumers, preventing it from truly competing with the ubiquitous CD format - though I recall Robbie Williams and Bombfunk MC's both giving the format a go back in the day in HMV. Behind the counter at HMV owing to its price, might I add, but still in the retail store. Are any artists releasing on MiniDisc in 2025? While MiniDisc is no longer a mainstream format, it has found a niche cult following, similar to how cassettes are embraced by certain genres - especially among the noise rock and EDM circles, I can attest . In 2025, you can still find artists releasing music on MiniDisc, though it's typically independent artists or those in genres like vaporwave who appreciate the format's aesthetic and unique physical presence. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad For example, Sam Fender released his album "People Watching" on MiniDisc on February 21, 2025, via Polydor. This shows a continued, albeit limited, interest from some mainstream artists or their labels in offering niche physical formats to collectors and dedicated fans. Beyond mainstream acts, independent artists and small labels often use platforms like Bandcamp to sell limited-edition MiniDisc releases, particularly for genres that lean into retro aesthetics or lo-fi sounds. So, while it's not a widespread phenomenon like vinyl's comeback, the format is certainly not entirely dead for new music releases.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Yahoo
Best MP3 Players for 2025
Sure, you can stream music or purchase your tracks and add them to your phone, but there's something nostalgic about having a dedicated music device. Remember those days when everyone had an iPod? Well, MP3 players are making a comeback. Smartphones are great if you want to keep your music with the rest of your digital life, but if you need a separate space for it, an MP3 player might be the way to go. Having a separate device just for music lets you enjoy your favorite songs without getting pulled into checking emails or scrolling social media. Even though phones can play music, many people find that a dedicated music player helps them focus better on the music itself. Whether you prefer wired audio or Bluetooth audio, MP3 players can be the perfect companion for your music needs. Plus, there are several additional reasons why getting an MP3 player makes sense. Maybe you're overwhelmed by streaming subscriptions or you prefer your music offline in playlists -- in MP3 and other audio formats -- instead of on a cloud. Or perhaps you own rare tracks that you can't find on mainstream platforms or have lossless FLAC audio files you want to preserve. The good news for music enthusiasts is that if you're in the market for a dedicated device for storing your tunes, there's a wide selection of MP3 players available. We've rounded up the best ones for you. Read more: Best Stores for Buying Digital Music You Can Keep Forever The M0s is an inexpensive way to enjoy your downloaded music without the distraction or annoyance of an internet connection. The M0s feels well made and has a surprisingly nice design for something small and inexpensive. It's easy enough to put all your music, even high-res lossless up to 384 kHz at 32-bit, on a high-capacity microSD card. Its interface is simple and it has plenty of power for big headphones. See at Amazon Sony's transition from physical media -- from cassettes, CDs and MiniDiscs -- to digital may have been rocky, but the Walkman name has shown it has staying power. The NW0-A306 is the brand's latest player and it offers plenty of features for audiophiles and music lovers. With extensive media support and the app support of the latest Android OS there's likely not a song you won't be able to play. The only downsides are a relatively slow interface and a lack of power compared to even the Shanling above. But a pair of Bluetooth headphones will soon fix that. See at Amazon Yes, the products above are really the only ones I can recommend in this category with any degree of enthusiasm. They aren't the only options. If you're looking for a bargain basement option (under $50), a serious high-end alternative (starting at $350 and going to four figures) or some interesting workarounds, read on. The Mighty 3 is the closest modern equivalent to the iPod Shuffle, but the catch is that it only works with Spotify Premium and Amazon Music, both of which can be synced wirelessly. We haven't tested the Mighty 3, though we quite liked the original Mighty Vibe. The Mighty 3 includes eight hours of battery life while the Waterproof Mighty Vibe is designed to appeal to swimmers and outdoor types. This 4GB "player in headphones" model uses Aftershockz's patented bone-conduction technology. It's also fully waterproof, and retails for about $150. (Note that CNET hasn't tested these hands-on.) If you have an old phone -- or you buy a new one without service -- you'll have access to the full realm of app-based music services and any music files you care to upload. Something like the $190-ish Samsung Galaxy A03S (shown above) fits the bill nicely since you can drop in a microSD card that you've preloaded with tunes. Audiophiles have long looked down on digital music because the sound quality was notably inferior for golden-eared listeners with distinguishing tastes. The development of lossless file formats (such as FLAC) and cheap ample multi-gigabyte storage have made portable high-fidelity music a reality. At this point, there are really only two major players in the high-end portable music space: Astell & Kern and Sony (where the Walkman brand still lives on). We've used earlier versions of each brand, but not the current models. Astell & Kern players start at $1,000 and are strictly for true enthusiasts. If you have hard drives full of uncompressed music audio files -- and can hear the difference between those and comparatively low-resolution MP3 and AAC files -- then, by all means, pair up one of those players with your wired headphones of choice. Nearly all of the streaming music services now offer lossless or high bit-rate options; that's nearly all the big players, from Tidal and Qobuz to Amazon and Apple. (Spotify HiFi, weirdly, remains a no-show.) If you like what you hear, consider upgrading to a decent headphone DAC (that's "digital to analog converter") like the Audiofly Dragonfly or iFi Audio Go and a serious pair of wired headphones. Then you'll have a solid audiophile option that's good for the road, without the need for a standalone music player. If you've got a digital music collection that includes one-offs and live tracks that aren't available on the mainstream services, you can upload them to online services, where they can live alongside subscription tracks and be shared among multiple devices (including smart speakers). YouTube Music, formerly known as Google Play Music, offers this service at no additional cost for up to 100,000 tracks. Apple users can opt for iTunes Match, which lets you upload your own digital music to live in tandem with Apple Music tracks. Once available for $24 a year, the service now appears to be bundled in as part of an Apple Music or Apple One subscription. If you opt for either of these options, make sure you keep a local backup of your files, just in case these services go away.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Blu-ray is dying so I believe it's now time for 'obsolete' tape to shine again in the strangest of ironies
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Shiny discs were supposed to kill boring magnetic tape once and for all But cheap storage all but killed the media for data hoarders Tape remains the only true viable long-term solution but drives are far too expensive It's 2025 and after almost 20 years, Sony has announced that it is ending Blu-ray media production as well as MiniDiscs, MiniDiscs data and miniDV tape, a few months after it got rid of its 5.5TB Optical Disc Archive cartridge. I'd be quick to say that this is almost certainly is for blank media as opposed to pressed media (as in 4K Bluray movies and console games) since streaming, for all its convenience, doesn't quite match physical media when it comes to quality and convenience. There are still plenty of Blu-ray media vendors around; a quick look on Amazon brings up familiar names such as Verbatim, Smartbuy, Ridata but I think that the writing is on the wall for Blu-ray with dwindling demand and the allure of alternative storage (external hard drives, portable hard drives, portable SSDs). Shiny disks are done and dusted, with no apparent heir to the throne (despite what we have written in the past). In addition, optical disc will deteriorate over time; the Canadian Conservation Institute estimates that BD-R have an average longevity between 5 and 10 years old which can't be good news for those that have used write-only Blu-ray disks. In reality, it will very much depend on a lot of other factors like humidity, heat, storing conditions, dye quality etc. As for the future of on-premise data storage, of the remaining candidates, tape is the one most likely to survive and thrive. Hard drives are great for low hundreds Terabytes and the use of helium means that at some point in the future, helium-based HDDs will become unusable. Western Digital says that the helium "remains contained within the drive throughout its operational lifespan", which is usually between 5 and 10 years, about the same as Blu-ray. A single 18TB LTO-9 cartridge, retailing for $88, can replace 720 25GB Blu-ray disks, a bundle that costs $288 on Amazon Solid-state storage is another one but it is still far too expensive for anything above double-digits TB backups. Put aside exotic storage media like glass, silica, ceramic, DNA and holographic, there's only one tried and trusted media remaining on the market, the grand-daddy of them all, the OG: the old, venerable but still very much alive tape, more specifically LTO (Linear Tape Open). Yes, that very technology that optical drives were supposed to eliminate. The current generation, LTO-9, delivers 18TB per tape with LTO-10 expected to offer between 24TB and 36TB. Its roadmap, released in 2022, goes up to Gen 14 with a tape capacity of up to 576TB (yes, that's more than half a Petabyte). Ridiculous? Well, IBM and Fujifilm already demoed such a tape back in … 2020, that's over four years ago. Used extensively for long-term cold storage in data centers and enterprises, LTO has the backing of some of the biggest tech companies in the world and is therefore not going away anytime soon. Tape comes with its intrinsic issues: drives are expensive and data stored on a tape can only be accessed linearly. But, on the other hand, LTO media is very cheap, less than $5 per TB, can be stored easily and is durable with a lifespan of up to 30 years. What I think could cement LTO's status as the go-to media for data hoarders is an affordable LTO drive. Right now, the cheapest LTO-9 internal drive costs more than $4,300 and is not compatible with the majority of workstations because it uses SAS (Serial-attached SCSI) as physical interface. Adding an external enclosure bumps the price to just over $5,000. We reviewed an LTO-9 drive from OWC back in 2022. These are the fastest hard drives on offer today We have listed the best cloud backup solutions right now Seagate has launched a 36TB HDD but that's not the best news Could a sub $1,000 drive change the market dynamics? No, I don't think so. Large data hoarders, those requiring hundreds of TB worth of storage, are a tiny minority that will almost certainly have the financial clout (or/and incentive/contacts) to purchase an LTO-8 or 9 drive (or an autoloader) should they wish to. So yes, while I would love to have a $999 HPE external LTO-10 drive to use, that has absolutely no chance of happening. Affordable cloud storage in the low terabyte orbit is the main reason why the total addressable market for low-price on-premise backup has shrunk so much. Blame the likes of BackBlaze (unlimited, $72/year for one computer), iDrive (10TB, $99.50/year), Internxt (5TB, $380 for life). There's even Geyser Data, a cloud storage service powered by tape (aka TAPAS) at the low, low price of $1.55 per TB per month (100TB would cost $1,860 per year). Cloud storage though should complement rather than replace on-premise storage as part of a comprehensive backup strategy; just remember that upload/download performance will never match an on-prem solution and for anything bigger than 10TB, prices will rise quickly if you're planning for the next decade.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Yahoo
Sony quits Blu-ray, MiniDV, and MiniDisc recordable media but don't freak out
Sony has announced that as of February 2025, it's no longer going to manufacture four types of recordable media: Blu-ray Disc media, MiniDiscs for recording, MD data for recording, and MiniDV cassettes, with no plans to replace these items with newer versions. For fans of these formats and the devices that depend on them, this is unfortunate, though entirely unsurprising. With our ever-growing use of streaming services for movies, shows, and music, and our smartphones for capturing photos and videos, the end of physical media has been creeping closer for years. Still, the end isn't here just yet. At least, not for Blu-ray Disc media, MiniDiscs, and MiniDV cassettes. All three recordable formats are still being manufactured by other brands, but depending on the one you need, your choices may be limited. For Blu-ray recordables, Amazon still carries a wide selection of brands and versions. There are also several options when it comes to MiniDV cassettes. MiniDiscs, on the other hand, appear to be in short supply from third-party brands. HHB and JVC are the only options on Amazon. However, MD Data — the non-audio data format that Sony derived from its MiniDisc platform — seems to be flirting with extinction. A quick Google search didn't immediately reveal any non-Sony sources for these cartridges. If you still rely on MD Data, now would be a good time to stock up (and plan your conversion to a different storage medium). It's also worth noting that Sony's recordable media manufacturing isn't tied to the use of Blu-ray as a studio distribution format for movies and other types of video. As far as we know, none of the major studios have plans to stop releasing new titles on UltraHD Blu-ray, though some have begun to phase out the older, 1080p HD Blu-ray format.
