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MD Disc Types
There are two types of MDs: Premastered (prerecorded) and Recordable (blank).
Premastered MDs
Premastered MDs, which have been recorded at music studio, can be played back like regular CDs. On an MD of this type,
data is recorded as the presence or absence of tiny pits. A laser beam focuses on the pits on the surface of the MD and
reflects the detection back to the lens in the MD recorder. The MD recorder then decodes the signals and plays them back as
music. This type of MD is called an “optical disc.”
Recordable MDs
Recordable MDs, which use magneto-optical technology, can be recorded and played back repeatedly. The laser inside the
MD recorder applies heat to the MD, demagnetizing the magnetic layer of the MD for recording and playback. This type of
MD is called an “magnetic-optical disc.”
ATRAC (Adaptive TRansform Acoustic Coding)
The MD provides 80 minute recording and playback time, the same as an audio CD, but in a diameter of only 64 mm. This
ability to store such a large amount of data is the result of ATRAC, an audio compression technique developed for MD. This
technology cuts out faint sounds that would not be heard by the human beings. This technology, based on human sensitivity
to sounds, reduces recorded data volume up to about one-fifth of that of the original data.
UTOC (User Table Of Contents)
Found only on recordable MDs, this area contains sub-data (track number, recording data, etc.) which can be rewritten by
the user.
UTOC enables us to search tracks quickly and edit tracks on the MD.
SCMS (Serial Copy Management System)
The MD recorder integrated to this unit uses the Serial Copy Management System which allows only first-generation digital
copies to be made of premastered software (like CDs or prerecorded MDs).
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Additional Information
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