Minidisc in BMW?
- Thread starter dream seeker
- Start date
MD, wow you might be the only person outside of Asia and Europe who bought one of those things.
I wouldn't put an MD source in a car, it is a dying format. Things started going badly for MD with the advent of CD recording on personal computers and the popularity is falling off even more so now because of the growing popularity of external hard drive music devices such as the iPod and PhatNoise.
If I were you I would look into an iPod and ditch MD, a format that people are already calling "the modern 8 track."
I wouldn't put an MD source in a car, it is a dying format. Things started going badly for MD with the advent of CD recording on personal computers and the popularity is falling off even more so now because of the growing popularity of external hard drive music devices such as the iPod and PhatNoise.
If I were you I would look into an iPod and ditch MD, a format that people are already calling "the modern 8 track."
Cheers, and thanks for the reply, but MD is an incredibly cool format--especially for musicians like myself. Being able to record material (that's digitally indistinguishable--A/B testing has shown that the vast majority of listeners cannot tell the difference between MD and CD) without having to burn a CD each time I want to hear a draft tune is a godsend. MD (and current CD burners) will be taken over by SACD (with higher bandwidth/resolution), but for my money, MD rawks...! Still, it's unlikely that I'll find an MD player for my car, and I like your idea of the IPOD; an accessory is available that wirelessly transmits the signal to a station on your FM radio in the car! It's called IPOD Trip or some such. Thanks again for the post.
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Dream,
Minidisc seemed to start making a SMALL comeback when Sony released the NETMD players within the last few years that allow you to D/L music from your computer and store it on minidisc via a USB cable.
Though Sony f**cked all up by making it so you can't U/L your music back via USB plus they got this *check in / check out* copy protection which is LAME as hell, BUT it can be bypassed if your computer savy.
I use a portable minidisc player all the time when I'm working outside (landscaping) or working out. Since I have so much stuff on minidisc I wanted to use it in my car as well.
check this thread..
http://forum.bmwboard.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=5332#post5332
worm
Minidisc seemed to start making a SMALL comeback when Sony released the NETMD players within the last few years that allow you to D/L music from your computer and store it on minidisc via a USB cable.
Though Sony f**cked all up by making it so you can't U/L your music back via USB plus they got this *check in / check out* copy protection which is LAME as hell, BUT it can be bypassed if your computer savy.
I use a portable minidisc player all the time when I'm working outside (landscaping) or working out. Since I have so much stuff on minidisc I wanted to use it in my car as well.
check this thread..
http://forum.bmwboard.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=5332#post5332
worm
MD user in California
I've been using MD for over 5 years. I have a Sony MD Recorder head unit in my Honda Odyssey along with a 10 CD changer. The great thing about MD is recording old vinyl. It's much easier than recording to computer through sound card and then editing wave file. With the Net MD Walkman, getting tracks from computer (wav or mp3) is a snap and if I just want to record one song to listen to in the van, I don't have to waste a whole CD.
Yeah, MD is a proprietary format that hasn't been as successful as CD, but it has much more uses than 8-track.
Not sure if you can replace the head unit in the 323 but you might want to try this if you have a portable player
http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=286756&pfp=SEARCH
It's not the best sound but I've had decent results in my other vehicles.
I was considering Phatnoise, but the initial outlay cost ($900 + install) is a bit steep considering that those hardware prices should drop like a rock within a year or so.
If you can replace the head unit, that would be the best way to go. Even IF the format decreased in popularity over the next 2-5 years, you already have the components to get music to MD and play in your vehicle. It's not like you don't gain anything from having a MD system in your vehicle.
I've been using MD for over 5 years. I have a Sony MD Recorder head unit in my Honda Odyssey along with a 10 CD changer. The great thing about MD is recording old vinyl. It's much easier than recording to computer through sound card and then editing wave file. With the Net MD Walkman, getting tracks from computer (wav or mp3) is a snap and if I just want to record one song to listen to in the van, I don't have to waste a whole CD.
Yeah, MD is a proprietary format that hasn't been as successful as CD, but it has much more uses than 8-track.
Not sure if you can replace the head unit in the 323 but you might want to try this if you have a portable player
http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=286756&pfp=SEARCH
It's not the best sound but I've had decent results in my other vehicles.
I was considering Phatnoise, but the initial outlay cost ($900 + install) is a bit steep considering that those hardware prices should drop like a rock within a year or so.
If you can replace the head unit, that would be the best way to go. Even IF the format decreased in popularity over the next 2-5 years, you already have the components to get music to MD and play in your vehicle. It's not like you don't gain anything from having a MD system in your vehicle.
bmw4bmw,
Thanks for the link to the irock. I had an MD head unit in my old car, and it was great. MDs are so much more convenient than CDs (and frankly, I defy anyone to discern the difference between the two-- yeah, i agree, MD is a great format for so many reasons especially in a car with road noise. the thing that I don't understand is why I can't find 'em for the beemer. I mean, MDs are popular in places in Europe and throughout Asia (and they sell BMWs there, I assume,
) so it seems strange that I can't locate one. Next time I'll locate a Japanese dealer...!
Thanks again.
Dreamseeker
Thanks for the link to the irock. I had an MD head unit in my old car, and it was great. MDs are so much more convenient than CDs (and frankly, I defy anyone to discern the difference between the two-- yeah, i agree, MD is a great format for so many reasons especially in a car with road noise. the thing that I don't understand is why I can't find 'em for the beemer. I mean, MDs are popular in places in Europe and throughout Asia (and they sell BMWs there, I assume,
) so it seems strange that I can't locate one. Next time I'll locate a Japanese dealer...!Thanks again.
Dreamseeker