The Hi-MD space planning calculator

NEW: Now also with the 192 & 352 kbps rates!

Calculate the best fit of PCM/352 kbps/Hi-SP/low bit rate modes

Discuss on MDCF

Try the Standard Minidisc planning calculator

With Hi-MD *  is it sometimes difficult to choose the right recording mode to get the best use of disc. To help you this javascript calculator can calculate the "best fit" to maximize the PCM or Hi-SP recording times - in just 4 easy steps - try it and enjoy! This will ensure the optimum relationship between audio quality and capacity. Hopefully to your help...see also a table with some common playlengths.  Recording from analog sources and digital real time offers PCM, Hi-SP and Hi-LP modes. Simple burner (straight from CD to Hi-MD) offers PCM (in newer versions only), Hi-SP, Hi-LP and 48 kbps modes. With SonicStage 3.4 software you get 352, Hi-SP, 192, 132, 105, 66, Hi-LP and 48 kbps modes.

Step 1. Select the length of the disc:

1 GB Hi-MD (94.55 min PCM)   
80 min standard minidisc re-formatted to Hi-MD (28.30 min. PCM - 291 MB)
74 min standard minidisc re-formatted to Hi-MD (26.23 min. PCM - 270 MB)
                                       or if disc is partly recorded:
User choice - Length remaining recording time in min.sec (or MB):   in this mode  

Step 2. Enter duration of the tracks/albums on the form minutes.seconds eg. 34.57 in the fields below:

+ + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + +
Add/subtract time:
     

Tip: Use the tabulator key to move between fields and see the results below automatically
 
Step 3. Select the low bit rate recording mode:
PCM+Hi-SP  +
192 kbps 132 kbps (LP2) 105 kbps 66 kbps (LP4) Hi-LP (64 kbps) 48 kbps

Or

PCM+352 kbps +
Hi-SP 192 kbps 132 kbps (LP2) 105 kbps 66 kbps (LP4) Hi-LP (64 kbps) 48 kbps

Step 4: Hit a radiobutton to show results in
  hours, minutes and seconds
  minutes and seconds
 
Select All

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Note: The timings are calculated exact (+/- 1 second) in PCM mode  - to play it safe you may add some more seconds to Hi-SP and low bit rate modes, because the limitations within the Hi-MD recording system/recording deck may not always allow those timings calculated above - or shown in the table below.

*:

After carefully looking at the recording capacity list from Sony...

Encoding Mode Recording capacity
291MB Hi-MD
formatted Minidisc		1GB Hi-MD Media
Linear PCM 1.4mbps 28m 1h 34m
ATRAC3plus 256kbps "Hi-SP" 2h 20m 7h 55m
ATRAC3plus 64kbps "Hi-LP" 10h 10m 34h
ATRAC3plus 48kbps 13h 30m 45h
ATRAC3 132kbps "LP2" 4h 50m 16h 30m
ATRAC3 105kbps 6h 10m 20h 50m
ATRAC3 66kbps "LP4" 9h 50m 32h 50m

..but actually using data from this list with values from Minidisc T-board users Sector001, shankur and tralian:

Encoding Mode Recording capacity
291MB Hi-MD
formatted Minidisc

(290.8 MB)

270MB Hi-MD
formatted Minidisc

(269.3 MB)

1GB Hi-MD Media

(963.9 MB)

Linear PCM 1.4mbps 28m 30s
(1710s)		 26m 23s
(1583s)		 1h 34m 55s
(5695s)
ATRAC3plus 256kbps "Hi-SP" 2h 23m 05s
(8585s) 		2h 12m 26s
(7946s)		 7h 56m 30s
(28590s)
ATRAC3plus 64kbps "Hi-LP" 10h 15m 18s
(36918s)		 9h 29m 31m
(34171s)		 34h 08m 58s
(122938s)
ATRAC3plus 48kbps No data yet, but calculated to:
13h 40m 24s
(49224s)		 No data yet, but calculated to:
12h 39m 21s
(45561s)		 No data yet, but calculated to:
45h 31m 57s
(163917s)
ATRAC3 132kbps "LP2" No data yet, but calculated to:
4h 58m 19s
(17899s)		 No data yet, but calculated to:
4h 36m 7s
(16567s)		 No data yet, but calculated to:
16h 33m 26s
(59606s)
ATRAC3 105kbps No data yet, but calculated to:
6h 15m 2s
(22502s)		 No data yet, but calculated to:
5h 47m 8s
(20828s)		 No data yet, but calculated to:
20h 48m 53s
(74933s)
ATRAC3 66kbps "LP4" No data yet, but calculated to:
9h 56m 39s
(35799s)		 No data yet, but calculated to:
9h 12m 15s
(33135s)		 No data yet, but calculated to:
33h 6m 52s
(119212s)

Table added Aug, 2 (corrected Aug. 12 with calculated data for 132, 105, 66 and 48 kbps bit rates). Hopeful all values soon....supply me with data - see email address below...or go to this discussion

http://www.minidisct.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24024

...I get a PCM:Hi-SP compression factor of 1:5.02 (not 5.5125 as simple math told us in the old school... ) and Sony decides to encourage us to use lower bit rates so we get a special Sony bonus factor of 1.075! (E.g. the relation between Hi-SP and Hi-LP should have been 4 (256/64=4), but the observed values are all 4.3! 4.3/4=1.075 or meaning that Hi-LP takes up 7.5% less space.)

But 5.02 * 1.075 is not 5.5125, but just about 5.3965 so there is still room for titles and other information for each track....

Examples...

This table made with the calculator shows how a 1 GB Hi-MD and a 80 min re-formatted 291 MB discs can be used with some playlengths:

Duration in hours.minutes.seconds

PCM + Hi-SP

PCM + Hi-LP
 

PCM

 Hi-SP

PCM

Hi-LP
  1 GB 291 MB 1 GB 291 MB 1 GB 291 MB 1 GB 291 MB
60 (1 h) 0.60.00  0.21.03 00.00.00  0.38.56 0.60.00  0.27.16 00.00.00 0.32.43
100 (1 h 40 min) 1.33.39 0.10.43 00.06.21 1.29.17 1.34.40 0.25.01 00.05.20 1.14.59
120 (2 h) 1.28.41 0.05.44 00.31.19 1.54.16 1.33.42 0.24.02 00.26.18 1.35.58
300 (5 h) 0.43.54 1) 1.35.31 04.16.06 1) 3.24.29 1.24.55 0.15.15 03.35.05 4.44.45
420 (7 h) 0.14.03 1) 0.59.09 06.45.57 1) 6.00.51 1.19.04 0.09.24 05.40.56 6.50.36
 

Hi-SP + Hi-LP

    
 

Hi-SP

Hi-LP

    
  1 GB 291 MB 1 GB 291 MB 1 GB 291 MB 1 GB 291 MB
480 (8 h) 7.55.25 0.40.58 00.04.35 7.19.02 1.16.08 0.06.29 06.43.52 7.53.31
540 (9 h) 7.37.14 0.22.47 01.22.46 8.37.13 1.13.12 0.03.33 07.46.48 8.56.27
600 (10 h) 7.19.03 0.04.36 02.40.57 9.55.24 1.10.17 0.00.37 08.49.43 9.59.23
720 (12 h) 6.42.41 2) 05.17.19 2) 1.04.25 2) 10.55.35 2)
1200 (20 h) 4.17.14 2) 15.42.46 2) 0.41.01 2) 19.18.59 2)
1440 (24 h) 3.04.30 2) 20.55.30 2) 0.29.18 2) 23.30.42 2)

1) : times shown are Hi-SP+Hi-LP because use of PCM+Hi-SP is not possible when recording more than approx. 143 minutes on 291 MB discs.

2) : not possible to record more than approx. 615 minutes on 291 MB discs (with Hi-LP mode)

Compare this table to the old MD format...

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