are minidiscs popular in japan?

glxwill · Apr 18, 2005, 23:22

are minidisc players popular in japan?

or has the mp3 player effected the sales of minidiscs?

Shibuyaexpat · Apr 18, 2005, 23:24

while you can still see a lot of people using md players, for the most part (and this is because I work in the industry) flash memory and hard drive-based players are growing in numbers. Why?

glxwill · Apr 18, 2005, 23:32

wow, I didn't expect such a quick response, thanks for the info!

I'm mainly asking out of curiosity because I own a portable minidisc player/recorder and I wanted to buy a regular portable minidisc player rather than bringing the player/recorder around. I didn't know if the industry would still be releasing newer models or not, due to the popularity of mp3 players where I am(the U.S.) So I just wanted to know if this was happening in japan as well.

DoctorP · Apr 19, 2005, 00:24

the MD players are still very popular...mainly because they are cheaper than the mp3 players. You can still buy car stereos with built in MD and CD/MP3 players too. But you can definitely tell that they are in the decline since you find fewer models available and you can even buy the disks in the 100 yen stores now.

PopCulturePooka · Apr 19, 2005, 08:44

Aye when I first arrived in 03 I was shocked about how popular they were. Things were EVERYWHERE!

Now they on decline, but still popular with high schoolers and college kids.

budd · Apr 22, 2005, 00:27

ol girl bought a new daihatsu with it as standard equipment

Mike Cash · Apr 22, 2005, 02:07

I thought Japan was practically the only country in the world where the minidisc caught on, so the question struck me as being sort of odd.

Portable mp3 players are gaining in popularity, but you'll still find that huge chunks of the population haven't the slightest idea what the heck "mp3" is.

FireyRei · Apr 23, 2005, 02:30

MD players are cheaper than MP3 players?! MP3 players are going for an average of 20k whereas the MD players are an average of 25k.

Cheapo MP3 player = 8k. I-Pod (top) = 50k
Cheapo MD walkman = 14k. Hi-MD (top) walkman = 52k.

Prices from Yodobashi Camera.

PopCulturePooka · Apr 23, 2005, 10:34

Much more versatile too though, especially amongst people that don't use a PC much (which funnily is quite a few young Japanese I met).

Tamer Brad · Apr 23, 2005, 11:56

mp3 player cheaper than MD player!?

How ridiculous ...

I hate my MD player. It broke after a month and the sound quality is not as good, and I prefer digital to analog ...

Mike Cash · Apr 23, 2005, 17:52

MiniDisc isn't digital?

PaulTB · Apr 23, 2005, 17:57

Originally Posted by mikecash

MiniDisc isn't digital?

Stop trying to confuse things with facts.

Mike Cash · Apr 23, 2005, 18:00

I thought about buying a MiniDisc player, but I never could find a store that stocked replacement needles for the tone arm. What do they expect me to do when the original one wears out?

PaulTB · Apr 23, 2005, 19:07

Originally Posted by mikecash

I thought about buying a MiniDisc player, but I never could find a store that stocked replacement needles for the tone arm. What do they expect me to do when the original one wears out?

Don't be silly - you pick your own 'needles' from your hedge. Blackthorn works best but hawthorn will do at a pinch - don't get them too green though.

Apr 18, 2005, 23:22	#1
glxwill Regular Member Join Date: Oct 8, 2004 Posts: 27	are minidiscs popular in japan? are minidisc players popular in japan? or has the mp3 player effected the sales of minidiscs?

Apr 19, 2005, 08:44	#5
PopCulturePooka Go to shopping Join Date: Jul 8, 2004 Age: 28 Posts: 652	Aye when I first arrived in 03 I was shocked about how popular they were. Things were EVERYWHERE! Now they on decline, but still popular with high schoolers and college kids. __________________ Do you know stuff?

Apr 22, 2005, 00:27	#6
budd __________ Join Date: Jul 10, 2003 Posts: 1,972	ol girl bought a new daihatsu with it as standard equipment __________________ ttp://www.tcvb.or.jp/

Apr 22, 2005, 02:07	#7
Mike Cash Delusions of Adequacy Join Date: Mar 15, 2002 Location: Japan Posts: 5,417	I thought Japan was practically the only country in the world where the minidisc caught on, so the question struck me as being sort of odd. Portable mp3 players are gaining in popularity, but you'll still find that huge chunks of the population haven't the slightest idea what the heck "mp3" is. __________________ Kiva: Loans That Change Lives

Apr 23, 2005, 17:57	#12
PaulTB Manga Psychic Join Date: Jan 22, 2004 Posts: 2,111	Originally Posted by mikecash MiniDisc isn't digital? Stop trying to confuse things with facts.

Apr 18, 2005, 23:24	#2
Shibuyaexpat Regular Member Join Date: Jan 19, 2005 Location: SFO, but my heart's still in Tokyo Posts: 196	while you can still see a lot of people using md players, for the most part (and this is because I work in the industry) flash memory and hard drive-based players are growing in numbers. Why?

Apr 18, 2005, 23:32	#3
glxwill Regular Member Join Date: Oct 8, 2004 Posts: 27	wow, I didn't expect such a quick response, thanks for the info! I'm mainly asking out of curiosity because I own a portable minidisc player/recorder and I wanted to buy a regular portable minidisc player rather than bringing the player/recorder around. I didn't know if the industry would still be releasing newer models or not, due to the popularity of mp3 players where I am(the U.S.) So I just wanted to know if this was happening in japan as well.

Apr 19, 2005, 00:24	#4
DoctorP Regular Member Join Date: Jun 3, 2004 Age: 39 Posts: 1,793	the MD players are still very popular...mainly because they are cheaper than the mp3 players. You can still buy car stereos with built in MD and CD/MP3 players too. But you can definitely tell that they are in the decline since you find fewer models available and you can even buy the disks in the 100 yen stores now.

Apr 23, 2005, 02:30	#8
FireyRei Jinushi Join Date: Mar 23, 2005 Posts: 57	MD players are cheaper than MP3 players?! MP3 players are going for an average of 20k whereas the MD players are an average of 25k. Cheapo MP3 player = 8k. I-Pod (top) = 50k Cheapo MD walkman = 14k. Hi-MD (top) walkman = 52k. Prices from Yodobashi Camera.

Apr 23, 2005, 10:34	#9
PopCulturePooka Go to shopping Join Date: Jul 8, 2004 Age: 28 Posts: 652	Much more versatile too though, especially amongst people that don't use a PC much (which funnily is quite a few young Japanese I met).

Apr 23, 2005, 11:56	#10
Tamer Brad Regular Member Join Date: Apr 20, 2005 Posts: 24	mp3 player cheaper than MD player!? How ridiculous ... I hate my MD player. It broke after a month and the sound quality is not as good, and I prefer digital to analog ...

Apr 23, 2005, 17:52	#11
Mike Cash Delusions of Adequacy Join Date: Mar 15, 2002 Location: Japan Posts: 5,417	MiniDisc isn't digital?

Apr 23, 2005, 18:00	#13
Mike Cash Delusions of Adequacy Join Date: Mar 15, 2002 Location: Japan Posts: 5,417	I thought about buying a MiniDisc player, but I never could find a store that stocked replacement needles for the tone arm. What do they expect me to do when the original one wears out?

Apr 23, 2005, 19:07	#14
PaulTB Manga Psychic Join Date: Jan 22, 2004 Posts: 2,111	Originally Posted by mikecash I thought about buying a MiniDisc player, but I never could find a store that stocked replacement needles for the tone arm. What do they expect me to do when the original one wears out? Don't be silly - you pick your own 'needles' from your hedge. Blackthorn works best but hawthorn will do at a pinch - don't get them too green though.

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