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1 Introduction of discontinued product [2]
1.1 Concept
With the concept of becoming the next generation portable audio playing device, the
Minidisc was created. Minidisc was aiming to replace the older generation of portable
CD (Compact Disc) players; this was the reason that prompted Sony the company to
develop the Minidisc technology. Of course another reason was to diminish the failure of
the Betamax video recording system.
1.2 Design
From the name Minidisc people will now the concept and design will be small and
portable. The Minidisc is house in a cartridge of size (68 x 72 x5 mm). Conventional
audio CD is either premastered or recordable when it’s blank. Recordable Minidisc does
not record as audio format but as data (ATRAC format). Minidisc is able to record up to
80mins of songs in a single blank cartridge it early days, after some time later the
Minidisc is able to record up to 320mins of songs in a single blank cartridge.
1.3 Operations
Minidisc operations method is very similar compare to a hard disk drive of a computer,
majority of the space of the Minidisc is used to store the data (Songs), and a small part
of it will be for the TOC (Table of Contents). Table of Contents will be providing
information about the songs played, example: Track number, artists, name of songs etc.
Minidisc can be played using either by a Portable Minidisc player or on Minidisc Hi-Fi
Systems or Minidisc Decks. For recording people can also use a Portable Minidisc
player with recording function or Minidisc Recorder. By connecting the Minidisc portable
player to a Hi-FI system using a cable, customers will be able to record the songs.
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2 Primary Users
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1. Small and compact - As mention before the Minidisc cartridge size was (68 x 72
x5 mm) relatively small compare to a CD (Compact Disc). The Minidisc portable
player was a small compact and lightweight.
2. Able to hold more songs than Compact Disc or Cassettes – Since Minidisc is
using data compressing to record songs for playback. The ATRAC format was
used initially to hold the same amount of songs an audio CD can carry but at a
smaller size of CD. But later Sony came up with MDLP (Minidisc Long Play),
where a new codec is used in the form of ATRAC3, depending on the song
quality you want by using this format it store up to more than four times the
recording time of the Minidisc (around 320mins in a 80mins Minidisc). What it
means here is that if customer wants a higher sound quality, they can choose to
increase the quality but the Minidisc can only store maybe half the amount of
songs instead of the 320mins, the Minidisc maybe can only store 160mins of
songs data.
4. Anti-skip function – Unlike the normal Compact Disc player which prone to mis-
tracking from vibration or shock to the Compact Disc player. Minidisc is able to
withstand most shock and vibration unless under very severe conditions. Thus
normal playing of the Minidisc player won’t be affected by vibrations cause while
walking.
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2. Album [1] – Lack of pre-recorded album available in the market, as not many
record labels embraced this new technology during the 1990s.
1. Market share – Unable to capture the users from the other side of the world like
the United States and Europeans countries.
2. Timing of release – The Minidisc was introduced to the market when there were
other competing formats such as Digital Compact cassettes, Recordable
Compact disc and Flash memory etc.
3. Poor Marketing - Yes, the Minidisc was a success in Japan and some part of
Asia but over in the United States and European countries. Sony tried to promote
the Minidisc player and recorder more at the United States, instead of trying to
promote the Minidisc portable player as a replacement for the Walkman or
Discman. Sony even tried to target the MTV industry was a marketing error, as
MTV industry at that time during the 1990s couldn’t afford the Minidisc player or
recorder. This shows poor marketing research was done; knowledge of
customers needs wasn’t there.
4. Overpricing of Players and Blank Media – The price of the Minidisc and blank
cartridges was simply to expensive, a 74 minute Minidisc blank cartridge costs
around $24, the Minidisc portable player itself would cost around $500 USD.
Threats
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5. Better competitors - Introduction of Re-writeable Compact Disc, MP3 players I
believe was the main reason of the Minidisc being removed from the market. Re-
writeable CD was made much more affordable during around 1995, and the MP3
player was better and faster without the use of any media and is much more
portable and compact than any Minidisc player.
Reason why the music industry is still a possibility is because as I mention the sound
quality is important, despite MP3 being the most commonly used format this days but the
MP3 sound quality may not be as good and clear as the Minidisc. I think nowadays there
will still be record label company still using the Minidisc recorder or player.
4.2 Conclusion
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I myself was a Minidisc portable player user around 10 years back; I have more good
than bad things to say about this Minidisc technology. The Minidisc enables me to record
all my favorite tracks into a small Minidisc, the remote control earpiece that I can use to
control my Minidisc player, which was also cool. But one thing, which I mention above in
the disadvantages, was the many Minidisc media I have to carry around wasn’t just so
as portable anymore when I recorded more and more songs.
Back to the failure of the Minidisc technology, maybe with better research into what the
customer’s requirement is, timing of release, marketing and targeting of customers is
done, the Minidisc technology would have been a success not only in Japan and some
part of Asia but in the United States and European countries as well. And of course last
but not least overpricing of the product, which I believe, is a major factor contributing to
the failure. A good product doesn’t necessary means it will be successful in the market,
good researching and marketing is also essential to a product success. In short we have
to know what the market needs, what the customers needs.
5 References
Internet Reference
[1]
Customer review - http://www.reviewcentre.com/products27.html
[2]
Minidisc concept and design - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiniDisc
[3]
Background of Minidisc - http://www.ehow.com/facts_5156892_history-sony-
minidisc.html