MiniDisc (MD)
Sony introduced the MiniDisc audio format in 1992 as a competitor to compact cassettes and compact discs. MiniDisc used magneto-optical technology, a combination of magnetic and optical recording, to store high quality audio on a disc inside a protective plastic cartridge.
MiniDisc didn’t skip like a CD, and you could jump tracks instead of fast forwarding like a cassette tape. The high-quality audio was almost as good as a CD, and it could be recorded and erased like an audio cassette.
The format was very popular in Japan, but global adoption was limited. MiniDisc was eventually displaced by MP3 players like the Apple iPod and discontinued in 2013.
- Year: 1992
- Dimensions: 72 mm x 68 mm x 5 mm
- Capacity: 60, 74, or 80 minutes, and up to four hours with long play modes
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