The Future's Bright. The Future's MP3. (FORUM: MiniDisc VS MP3)

Member Name: JRW

Product:	FORUM: MiniDisc VS MP3
Date:	18/07/00 (509 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Competition is good news for the consumer

Disadvantages: Both are excellent technologies but there can realistically only be one winner

In this opinion I will try and be as unbiased as possible, which is difficult considering I own an Aiwa F-65 MiniDisc Player/Recorder - which I thing is a great bit of kit, by the way.

I hate to admit it, but MP3 is going to be the future of music, should the music actual industry themselves allow it to flourish.

Basically, in keeping with the MiniDisc v MP3 heavyweight contest theme, it will undoubtedly be MP3 that prevails in the end (if Microsoft's WMA format doesn't supercede it). The ability to download music from the Internet offers almost endless possibilities as does the future increase in Internet speeds thanks to ASDL technology, amongst others. Also, the MP3 Player Memory Cards will fall in price and make music capacities even greater. The grasp of MP3 music over the industry will surely be dominant should MP3 compression increase.

However, in the words of Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim), we all want technology "Right Here Right Now" and at this moment in time it is undoubtable that MiniDisc has the edge. After all, you can have loads of different MiniDiscs - which are actually inexpensive - and record your favourite songs and albums. Also, you can download MP3s to your MiniDisc recorder simply by sticking a lead into your computer's sound card. Alright, it's analog but it sounds perfectly fine.

Perhaps the biggest advantage MiniDisc has over MP3, which will no doubt end at some time in the near future, is the quality of music. I accept that you need a CD Player with an optical output, but MiniDiscs are superior to MP3s in terms of sound quality, but this is barely noticeable but an interesting fact for the consumer.

Today's MiniDisc but the future's MP3.

Summary: