Sony to support MP3?

We have a feeling a huge shakedown is happening at Sony (may we say, thank god and about time): Sony confirmed today they're adding MP3 support to their music players, starting at first with their flash players. They claim it's because converting to ATRAC3 is inconvenient for users who constantly need to swap files to their small-capacity devices (but doesn't Sony just want us to convert our music libraries to ATRAC3 anyway?). So what, are we dreaming? Was Sony actually listening to everyone? Are they prepared to admit that ATRAC3 is a failure? We're not sure, but despite at least one MP3-compatible device (the HMP-A1) slipping through the cracks, we're hoping this indicates a huge step forward for Sony. Somebody pinch us.

[Thanks, Omar]

[Sat @ Dec 19th 2005 1:03AM]

Hey is they anyway around that protection crap that the sony sonicstage has i want to transfer the songs from MD to my laptop but it dosn't let me :(

[The Matt @ Dec 19th 2005 1:03AM]

The main link is 404'd...you were dreaming!

It's all a conspiracy! Sony + MP3 is one of the seven signs, right?

[EF @ Dec 19th 2005 1:03AM]

I think the temperature in Hell just dropped a bit...

...this can't be that simple....

[Nick @ Dec 19th 2005 1:03AM]

Will they be doing this for NetMD players too? Can the firmware be upgraded in these devices?

[Zer0cool @ Dec 19th 2005 1:03AM]

man i have been bashing that player so much and bashing sony in general because of atrac3. The onyl problem is that now there player only has battery life and size on its side seeing as apple has lowered the price of the ipod, but im sure someone will like it

[The Matt @ Dec 19th 2005 1:03AM]

Well, I guess news.com.com.com.com fixed their server.

You know, I love that new HDD player they came out with, I just didn't want to suck up my already slow PIII-933 by converting all my MP3s to ATRAC*. If they can make a firmware or something to allow MP3...

[Andrew @ Dec 19th 2005 1:03AM]

Just finished explaining to the umpteenth poor student at the university where I work that no, the brand new MiniDisc recorder he'd bought would NOT allow him to put digital quality recordings (this is for a radio class) onto his computer for editing, I wonder if we'll ever see Sony give in on this front too, or is the MD doomed to die a slow, painful, useless death?

[Justin Blanton @ Dec 19th 2005 1:03AM]

http://justinblanton.com/archives/2004/08/09/sony_put_the_gun_down/

[levein @ Dec 19th 2005 1:03AM]

I thought sony had many mp3 products

[richie g @ Dec 19th 2005 1:03AM]

I have always though it was strange that Sony have supported mp3 on their car stereos and home stereos, but didn't on their handheld music players. I guess they finally caved in to consumer demand.

[Bauhausbill @ Dec 19th 2005 1:03AM]

It is all fine and dandy that Sony is aquesing to consumer demand. Sony has to realize that not everyone is stealing music. Mp3 and Mp3+ are not good formats, but they are convienent and quick to burn. Atrac does take time to burn but the quality is much better. Atrac is more musical than Mp3, but it takes forever to rip. If you have a lot of music you could be ripping forever in Atrac format. If Sony wants to compete with the many Digital players out there it will have to allow Mp3. People are lazy and or busy. People will take the shortest route. We live in a instant gratification society. The sooner Sony realizes this the sooner Sony will have an impact on market share.

[Zuerst @ Dec 19th 2005 1:03AM]

If this is indeed true... well... sweet Buddha!!! That's the only thing holding me back from buying a NW-HD1... :D

[Moebius @ Dec 19th 2005 1:03AM]

I have a NE410, and I like it. Great battery life, but I'm a little miffed, I didn't realize the HiMD were coming out when they did, otherwise I would have waited to get the low end HiMD player.. NH600D, or whatever it is called, but now, I just can't justify getting a HiMD player, with the lack of media and all.

But, a MD player that supports mp3.. I'll be all over that. My AthlonXP 3200 has no trouble converting my mp3's to ATRAC, but still.. I don't like having 2 copies of music.. .waste of space, and when you'vegot 30-40 gb of music.. well... you don't want to have another 60-80 gb of duplicates...

Sony is *fiinally* understanding what consumers want.
MP3 on minidisc should have come in when NetMD was introduced. Backwards compatibility be damned, they've already tossed that out the door with the HiMD stuff... why not go all the way. Make the MD a data format, and all *any* music format... MP3, Ogg, WMA (yeech!), AAC... it would be... a good idea. :)


Sony, are you listening?
I would previously have waited to purchase a NH600D when it became cheap, but I'll buy the top of the line model, if the battry life is over 30 hours, and it plays mp3s natively.

Optical in and out would be nice.. but.. you know, can't have everything. :)

[docca @ Dec 19th 2005 1:03AM]

I've owned a D-NE710 Discman for quite a while (what, an year?) and it supports both MP3 and ATRAC3. It would be pretty stupid to force down ATRAC3-only devices, but hey, they Sony.

Guess where the ATRAC3 software CD is? Sitting comfortably sealed in a cabinet gathering dust.

[Meryl Arbing @ Dec 19th 2005 1:03AM]

It makes no difference to me. I wouldn't buy an MP3 player no matter who's name is on it!

[Jay @ Dec 19th 2005 1:03AM]

Hurray for Sony! As a user of the MiniDisc, ATRAC3 was ok for me but hey, no more use of SonicStage? Oh yeah! Now. Don't hesitate anymore and please, oh please, do it for the NW-HD1! It's the only thing that miss for some kickin' ass!

[jim avis @ Dec 19th 2005 1:03AM]

The latest version of SonicStage allows you to retain a PCM recording on the HD minidisc (Recorded on a NH-1) when transferring to SonicStage for editing. Before, it would erase the original on the disc - part of Sony's enlightened copy protection.

However, it still is not possible to convert the PCM to a .wav format so it can be used elsewhere. I thought I saw somewhere that Sony was going to make that possible this Fall. Anyone know?

[Scott Mace @ Dec 19th 2005 1:03AM]

Sony bought Sound Forge last year and never rewired it to support ATRAC. The writing was on the wall already, apparently.

[mike in mexico @ Dec 19th 2005 1:03AM]

sonicstage sucks!!!!!!!!! apart from all the other copyright protecting BS, I cannot transfer files to another computer! my computer is on its last legs, so what am I going to do with all those ridiculous Atrac files when i het a new one??? I love my MD player, but the software is so useless that I feel really ripped-off by Sony.

[Dustin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:03AM]

Atrac3 isn't a total failure. for those of us who like listening to seamless tracks on mix cd's MP3's are the biggest failure there is. Have you ever tried to listen to a Dj's set in mp3 format when the tracks were ripped from a cd into MP3. Even after supposedly removing the silence that is written into the track during the conversion, you can hear blips between tracks. Granted it is great for all you top40 pop and hip hop listeners but not everybody l;istens to that crap.