Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Our parents lived in a world where personal entertainment technology was limited to televisions and stereo hi-fi systems. It seems almost like the Dark Ages when Walkmans and cassette players came on to the scene. Nobody in those days could tell you the difference between analog and digital. It certainly is a different world. Advertisement Spawned by the MP3 revolution, there's a whole new realm of competition in the field of portable digital audio players. Raising the ante in the audio format wars, Sony's long play MiniDisc players/recorders are the coolest game in town for jet-setting DJs on the go or chic cats just wanting to listen to their favorite mixes on the run. With skip-free protection and encased in a minuscule package in a funky array of colors true to Sony's aesthetic form to design-friendly functional detail, the sleek new line of portable players make the MiniDisc format worthy of re-examination. Advertisement The new MiniDisc long-play recording function (MDLP) is a welcome feature on the latest portable MiniDisc players/recorders. All but one of the current crop of MiniDisc players/recorders from Sony share this feature. What it amounts to is a recording option of LP4 (320 minutes) or LP2 (160) minutes on a standard MiniDisc, which is about half the size of a standard CD, which can only hold 74 minutes' worth of music. All MiniDiscs can be recorded over an unlimited number of times. Sony's latest lineup of portable MiniDisc players/recorders vary in prize, color and features. Topping the price list is the MZ-R900DPC, which retails for $349.95. It features a 66-hour playtime (All of Sony's MiniDisc players run on an AA battery) and is packaged in a lithe 3.9-ounce red package that measures less than an inch thick. It also comes with a Digital PC bundle that allows the unit to burn music files from the Internet via the accompanying digital PC link. The backlit LCD stick remote displays all track info as well. The MZ-E900 retails for $299.95. The full magnesium body makes for a sleek metallic package measuring a diminutive ½ inch deep and weighing a mere 2.1 ounces, rendering it the smallest MiniDisc Player in the world. It offers 100 hours of playtime to boot. Unfortunately, it does not include a PC link kit. Advertisement The MZ-G750DPC runs $299.95, and comes in charcoal gray. It is the only one of the Sony lineup to include an AM/FM digital tuner. Like the MZ-R900DPC, it comes with a digital PC link kit, which is compatible with any Jukebox/Player application on your PC and can record from all Internet audio formats. It offers 48 hours of playback time on one AA battery, weighs in at 4.1 ounces, and is roughly 3 inches by 3 inches square, and 1 1/8 inches thick, which means it's still not much larger than a pack of cigarettes. The MZ-R700DPCG series go for $249.95 and come in lime green and blue. They are similar to the MZ-G750DPC, except they do not have built-in AM/FM digital tuners, and have a slightly longer playtime of 53 hours. They also come with a digital connecting cable for hook up to an external digital source, such as a digital amplifier, CD player, DAT, or digital satellite system, for seamless digital recording. For those with a true silver fetish, the MZ-R700 is similar to the MZ-R700DPCG, except it's $50 cheaper due to the lack of a PC Link. The MZ-R500PCN series retail for $179.95. They come in red, navy, yellow and turquoise. Advertisement They are similar to the 700 series except they do not have a rechargeable battery (only a standard AA battery), have no editing remote function, and the digital quality of the recording is not quite as high, due to the difference of conversion from the accompanying PC links. Like the 700 series, there is an option for a brushed silver model (MZ-R500), albeit no PC link, for a slightly cheaper price ($149.95). The cheapest of the MiniDisc Players/recorders is the MZ-E300. The bright blue unit plays back at 33 hours on a standard AA battery. Unlike the other models, which feature a LCD remote unit, the MZ-E300 displays the LCD indicator and controls on the back of unit, making for a more compact portable design. However, the real setback is the lack of MDLP function, which means it can only record 74 minutes onto a MiniDisc, the same as a standard CD. It is still a viable option for some, but for $50 more, the MZ-R500 packs more bang for the buck. In addition to the aforementioned specs, any of these MiniDisc players/recorders can record or play from and through an analog source. With an audio line to RCA connector, the MiniDisc can be plugged into one's home stereo system for high quality playback. Advertisement This also means that DJ's can hook it up to the record out or the line in of a channel on their mixer and either record a live set of their next gig or playback the recording of their latest mix through one of the channels on their mixer. This feature alone, sets the MiniDisc apart from standard analog/digital CD recorders (which have the limitation of only 74 minutes per CD and are not both analog and portable) as well as standard digital audio players (which are designed to only record music from your computer, but not from an analog source, such as a mixer connected between two turntables). One wonders what they're going to come up with next. Stay tuned or be left behind. Questions/comments: [email protected].
