New handheld Playstaion: Mass storage is provided by Sony's proprietary new Universal Media Disc. These are DVD-style, dual layer 6 centimeter (2.36 inch) optical discs, encased in a protective plastic cartridge to prevent scuffing and scratching. Each one can hold up to 1.8 gigabytes of data, or 2 hours of high-quality MPEG4 video. If blue laser was used, HD recording would be possible.

Is there a link?

Only 1.8 GB, and you have to keep it in a caddy? Besides being slightly smaller, how is this any better than DVDs, which are 4.7 GB?

Perhaps you meant 18 GB.

1. received info in an email from a friend. It is reliable but don't know the original source. It's been on the Web for a while. Anyone can verify the validity.

2. That's right, it is only 1.8 GB. OK for MPEG4 encoding or MPEG2 camcorder encoding, or MPEG4 HD encoding, if blue laser would be used. By caddy they mean a case that is similar to the one used on the MiniDisc.

Well here's something (with pix no less):

http://gamesradar.msn.co.uk/news/default.asp?subsectionid=157&articleid=66153&pagetype=2

If the sources are correct, than it sounds fairly legit.

- Clayton

PSP platform, has a graet potential -- from PDA's, where it could compete with Palm, to video recording, e.g. in a camcorder (with MPEG4 encoding). Panasonic announced already SD based MPEG4 camcorders in Japan, and I believe that they showed a prototype at last NAB, but SD cards are extremely expensive. These PSP cartriges make a lot more sense, although the camera would be bigger. At Camcorderinfo.com was an article that Sony may be abandoning the MicroMV format in the future. Who knows, this PSP format may replace it.

Chris, is this type of comment OK here, or should it go to the TOTEM forum?

Looks like a winner. The real interesting part is that they want it to compete with the IPod, and I'm assuming they mean the upcoming video iPod as well. Can't see how the 1.8gb disc they have will compete with the 40gb+ of the iPod though


Plus they are realeasing a $60 iPod like device as well? Nice.

Ah man, does this mean the end of minidisc? I was just about to buy a desktop unit with optical out. Now I'm afraid they're going to phase out the entire format. Does Sony have a good history of support for obsolete products?

<<<-- Originally posted by Marco Leavitt : Ah man, does this mean the end of minidisc? I was just about to buy a desktop unit with optical out. Now I'm afraid they're going to phase out the entire format. Does Sony have a good history of support for obsolete products? -->>>

They are still flogging Digital 8... :)

I like my MiniDisc player, but I don't expect it to last for too much longer.