Sony Establishes "Hi-MD" Format

9 January 2004 23:24 GMT / By PRESS RELEASE

Sony has announced the development of “Hi-MD”, marking an evolution of the music recording MD format into a versatile recording media that also delivers PC data such as images and text file recording capabilities, while maintaining playback compatibility with the current MD products and ensuring copyright security.

Since the introduction of the first “digital audio” MD products that enabled random access and easy editing, Sony has provided users with a variety of MD compatible products for various applications such as home audio products, portable devices and in-car systems. The MD format is licensed by approximately 80 hardware/media manufacturing companies, and cumulative shipments of MD media and compatible products are expected to reach approximately 1.1 billion and 80 million respectively as of the end of fiscal year 2003 (data by Sony).

With the introduction of “Hi-MD,” Sony is poised to meet the demands of a growing broadband era with a versatile media capable of recording a variety of content, such as music and images, while maintaining high quality sound and resolution.

High capacity
By formatting an existing MD into the “Hi-MD” format, its density can be increased to almost double the current maximum capacity. In addition, a 1GB (gigabyte) “Hi-MD” disc has been newly developed, realizing a maximum recording time of up to approximately 45 hours of music by incorporating the first (*2) Domain Wall Displacement Detection (DWDD (*3)) technology.

Since “Hi-MD” products will be compatible with current MD format discs, users will also be able to play back their existing MDs.

High quality sound
“Hi-MD” uses ATRAC3plus (*4) audio compression technology, which delivers high data compression while maintaining quality of sound. “Hi-MD” also enables linear PCM recordings, resulting in the recording and playback of CD quality sound.

A versatile recording media
“Hi-MD” uses the File Allocation Table (FAT) system, which enables the recording not just of music, but also other PC data files such as images and text.

Copyright protection technology
“Hi-MD” incorporates OpenMG and MagicGate (*5) copy protection technology. In addition, “Hi-MD” music recordings preserve encryptions contained within the original source.

“Hi-MD” users will be able to record various content, such as images and text files in addition to music, to a single disc and replay it on the go, at any time and any place. This makes it possible, for instance, for users to record their favorite music from their home PC to disc, play it back with their “Hi-MD” player while commuting to work, and to then connect it to a PC at work to upload stored content such as text files.

Sony will proactively promote the “Hi-MD” format industry-wide and anticipates that it will significantly contribute to the vitalization of legal music distribution. Sony will develop the MD market further by using its versatility as a recording media to explore new applications.

Hi-MD in Europe
In Europe, a wide range of Hi-MD WALKMAN products will hit the markets by Spring 2004. Details on these products will be provided closer to the launch.

“The launch of the Hi-MD format together with a range of Hi-MD WALKMAN products will add a new dimension to the European portable network audio arena”, said Gregory Kukolj, Group Marketing Manager at Sony Personal Audio Europe. “This market is currently driven by Sony Net MD WALKMAN, portable flash and portable hard drive-based products. Hi-MD brings the consumer not only all the benefits that the MD format has to offer such as durability, portability and very long battery life, but on top of that Hi-MD WALKMAN will offer the freedom to store music as well as data. Consumers will be able to upload their personal recordings onto their PC to easily manage all their music and data centrally.”

Together with the introduction of Hi-MD WALKMAN, Sony will launch, in selected countries in Europe during Spring 2004, a music download service that will give consumers the opportunity to connect their Sony Network Audio devices to a world of high quality online music in the ATRAC format. Further details about the service in Europe will be released closer to the launch.

Full tags

Audio, MP3 players, Sony