The Big Thread of MiniDisc Information

In the late 80's, the audio world was on fire, computers were everywhere and new, exciting audio mediums were coming at us from anywhere. While CDs were super-hot, recorders were several thousand dollars and portable units skipped a lot. The future was looking more towards Digital Compact Cassette (DCC) and MiniDisc, both allowed users to record with fairly small portable units available.

Feel free to post anything MD related, personally I love the format but it had some serious issues that Sony built in to make copying difficult.

We'll also explore some of the offshoots of the format like the Sony Data DiscMan, very similar but the discs are a different size.

September 1993, we were looking forward to seeing the lastest cool stuff from Sony, Boombox and Walkmans were leaving the golden age but some of the new equipment looked really nice.

 

Sony MiniDisc Commercial from 2001



1998

 

Techmoan's very informative video.



....and LGR does one on the Data MiniDisc...

 

Sony released a press package before the official roll-out, from 1992



Sony's European Press Release from minidisc.org
https://www.minidisc.org/dadc_minidisc_handbook.pdf

 

From 1993

 

From 1995, the Sony "Data" MiniDisc

 

From 1993, DCC vs MiniDisc, Music & Media Magazine, from Worldradiohistory.com! There's a cool list for licensees at the end.

 

From Music & Media 1992

 

Sony Ad for MiniDisc to replace radio station carts. I'm not completely familar with cart technology but I do know that my buddies radio station had around 100, songs and commercials, this is all they would play. The carts look like 8-track and they had equipment for commercial applications, it never was used for consumers. Sony MiniDisc was pushed as a replacement for the technology, my Denon DN-M1050R came from a radio station, it even had a disc with several shows on it. The controls really cater to instant track access.

 

Some early audio sales figures from France and Japan, 1993

 

More from Music & Media (Europe) 1994

 

MiniDisc starting to take off in Sweden, 1999 sales figures

 

This is neat, it gives a rundown of Radio 538 Bussum's Radio Equipment. Check out the Nakamichi MR-1, Technics SL-1200 MK2 and the rest of the equipment. From 1996

 

Sony relaunches the MiniDisc in Europe in 1997

 

Belgium MiniDisc Sales slowing down in 1994, they should have tied in with La Chouffe!

 

Sony MZ-E2 from 1994

 

Audio Magazine from 1992, worldradiohistory.com

 

A huge Sony pre-release Minidisc Ad, it really looked like the next big thing at the time. From 1992

 

Some other uses for MiniDisc, cameras and radio stations, from 1997

 

Some more pre-release information, it's interesting that they have 60 minute and 74 minidiscs, the only difference is some software on the disc. From 1992



Sadly the Terre Haute Indiana Location is either shut down or close to it, from 2018.