Hi-MD


Hi-MD is a magneto-optical disc-based data storage format. It was a further development of the MiniDisc. With its release in late 2004, came the ability to use newly developed, high-capacity 1 gigabyte Hi-MD discs, in the same dimensions as MiniDisc. The last recorder and player was discontinued in 2011. Blank discs stopped production in September 2012.

Overview

Hi-MD has several Walkman-selectable audio recording codecs, in order of quality: PCM, Hi-SP, and Hi-LP. Hi-MD Walkmans are backward compatible with MiniDisc playback and most can record. Hi-MD can store computer files and audio data. A bus-powered Hi-MD Walkman is seen as standard USB Mass Storage device with a FAT filesystem.
Since the release of Sony's music management program, SonicStage 3.4, virtually all digital rights management was removed for compatible Hi-MD machines.
In 2005, Sony released its second-generation Hi-MD devices offering native MP3 support.
In 2005, Sony announced Hi-MD Photo. The Sony MZ-DH10P Walkman was released to showcase the format with a 1.3 megapixel digital camera.
In March 2006, Sony released the MZ-RH1 Hi-MD Walkman in Japan, which was later followed in other regions. With this unit, Sony enabled faster-than-real time transfers from MiniDisc to computers. Sony made tangible speed improvements to the device over previous generations of Hi-MD recorders. The result being that the transfer times to and from computer are—under certain circumstances—cut in half over previous models, but still noticeably slower than flash memory and hard drive-based portables, because of the nature of the Hi-MD magneto-optical system.

Marketing

In 2006, Sony positioned Hi-MD as a Digital Audio Tape (DAT) alternative after discontinuing the format the year before, placing the MZ-RH1 Hi-MD Walkman under the Pro Audio section of its "Broadcast & Business Solutions Company" website, alongside its flash memory-based recorder, the PCM-D1. DAT is a high-quality digital tape format that found a niche with musicians and studios. DAT portables have commonly been used for field recording, but have gradually been replaced by solid-state and hard drive-based units like the Aaton Cantar, the Zaxcom Deva, and similar units from Fostex and Sound Devices.
The MZ-M200 Walkman is Sony's MZ-RH1 with a stereo microphone included. The MZ-RH1 was targeted to a more general customer on Sony's consumer electronics sites and comes with no microphone bundle. The microphone was included to enable Hi-MD as a field recorder, and the higher price reflects the added value of the microphone.
MD had success in Asia, but North America and Europe leaned toward either flash or hard drive-based systems. For professional recording, many offer features such as professional XLR microphone inputs, among other pro-centric features. These units were typically significantly larger and heavier than a Hi-MD Walkman, often with reduced battery life and higher prices. Hi-MD and MiniDisc recorders are no longer being manufactured, but their role has been taken over by relatively inexpensive flash memory based portable field recorders such as the Edirol R-09HR and the Olympus LS-10.