Equipment page glossary
When starting or modifying an equipment page, you'll see the following fields. Only the “Manufacturer” “Type” and “Model name” are required. “Release date” is strongly appreciated.
All other fields are optional - please fill in as much as you can, but don't worry if you need to leave several sections blank.
Manufacturer
The manufacturer of the equipment.
Due to ownership and branding, we combine namespaces for JVC (under Victor), Tascam (under Teac), and Technics (under Panasonic). Please use the primary brand when creating a page using the automated form (enter Panasonic as the manufacturer, and edit the data after) or manually using namespaces (a Technics deck should be in :equipment:panasonic:deck: for example)
Model name
The model name of the equipment. If there were several model names with otherwise identical specs, please list them with a space, forward slash, space (AB-12 / AB-13)
When creating a new page or using the automated form, please only use the name of the first variant (AB-12) while using all variants in the title of the page. A slash in the form will cause a sub-namespace to be created.
Release date
The date at which the equipment was first available for sale. If this information is not available, the date of announcement is also acceptable.
Device type
We categorize equipment into the following categories:
Portable
Portable devices with a battery, designed for on-the-go usage. Includes recorders and players.
Deck
Equipment with its own power supply and audio inputs / outputs, but not its own amplifier. To be used as part of a “separates” system or hi-fi.
Bookshelf
Combination audio units including a speaker amplifier. Often less wide than decks and including CD, MD, radio, and / or cassette in the same unit. Some are modular or have proprietary speakers.
Pro
Professional equipment, such as decks or mixers for use in studios and broadcast facilities.
Boombox
All-in-one systems with built-in speakers and sometimes battery power.
Auto
Automotive decks, usually only players but some models also record. Includes CD or MD changers.
Misc
Other equipment, such as PC MD-Data drives or cameras.
Recorder
Can the equipment record onto discs? Most equipment outside of (some) portables and auto can record.
Respects SCMS
SCMS is the copy protection system that was implemented on MiniDisc (and other formats). Some equipment (mostly professional) doesn't send the SCMS signal.
MDLP
MDLP was introduced in 2000 and expands the format to include LP2 and LP4 modes, with double and quadruple the recording time, respectively.
NetMD
Can the equipment connect to a PC using the NetMD format (SonicStage, OpenMG)
Web and Platinum-MD support
Does the device work with Web MiniDisc and/or Platinum-MD? Most NetMD devices are compatible, but some are not.
Hi-MD
Hi-MD was the final addition to the MiniDisc format. Only (some) equipment released after 2004 support Hi-MD.
Radio
Does the equipment include a radio?
Dimensions
The dimensions of the equipment. Only millimetres are accepted.
Weight
The weight of the equipment. Only grams and kilograms are accepted.
ATRAC version
The version of the ATRAC codec used. ATRAC3 encoding used for LP2 and LP4 encoding is not considered version 3.
Battery
The internal battery of the device.
Sidecar battery
The external battery, which is not required for the equipment to function.
Voltage
The voltage accepted by the equipment natively, whether AC or DC.
Power cable
AC (wall / mains power), center positive, or center negative (DC)
Price at release
The recommended retail price at release. USD and JPY are listed - please use the page body for other currencies.
Inputs
Audio inputs from which the signal can be recorded to a MiniDisc.
Outputs
Audio outputs from which the signal from the MiniDisc can be sent to another device or your ears.
Control
Connections between MiniDisc equipment and other devices. Includes NetMD USB connections, PC Link, and keyboard titling.
Export
Some (late model) MD equipment can export MDs to another digital format faster than real time. Most equipment can not.
Manuals
Do we have the user or service manuals? For knowing which manuals we need to find.
Image
The primary image of the equipment, for use at the top of the page.