MiniDisc

Associated With

Sony Corporation - creator or operator

Defining Feature

A 64mm rewritable magneto-optical disc in a protective cartridge using ATRAC audio compression

Status

Discontinued - Sony extended the format through MDLP in 2000 and Net MD in 2001

Overview

Sony’s MiniDisc placed a rewritable 64mm digital audio disc inside a small protective cartridge.

Launched in November 1992 as a recordable alternative to the cassette, it offered quick access to individual tracks. ATRAC compression, portable recorders and editing functions allowed music to be recorded, rearranged and carried in a physical format.

Sony later extended MiniDisc with MDLP, which increased recording time, and Net MD, which added protected high-speed transfer from a computer over USB.

Why It Mattered

It kept the satisfying routine of handling and labelling a removable music format while removing much of the awkwardness of tape. MiniDisc occupied a fascinating middle ground between the cassette and the MP3 player, gaining longer recording modes and computer links as listening shifted towards files.

MiniDisc and Cartridge

• The disc measured 64mm and used rewritable magneto-optical recording.
• Sony's MiniDisc development work began in 1990.
• Its cartridge protected the recording surface from dust and scratches.

The MZ-1 Recorder

• Sony's 1992 MZ-1 could record and play MiniDiscs and included a numeric keypad.
• The first MiniDisc equipment went on sale in November 1992.
• Shockproof memory reduced skipping during portable use.

Later Format Extensions

• MDLP used ATRAC3 to provide up to 320 minutes of stereo recording on an 80-minute disc.
• Net MD added protected high-speed transfer from a computer over USB in 2001.

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