Editing Hi-MD (section)

== Overview ==
[[File:Sony MZ-NH1 Hi-MD Walkman and Hi-MD disc.jpg|thumb|Hi-MD Walkman MZ-NH1 with blank Hi-MD]]
Hi-MD has several Walkman-selectable audio recording codecs, in order of quality: PCM, Hi-SP, and Hi-LP. Hi-MD Walkmans are backward compatible with MiniDisc playback and most can record. Hi-MD can store computer files and audio data. A bus-powered Hi-MD [[Walkman]] is seen as standard [[usb mass storage|USB Mass Storage]] device<ref name="test-2004-12"/> with a [[file allocation table|FAT]] filesystem.

Since the release of Sony's music management program, [[SonicStage]] 3.4, virtually all [[digital rights management]] was removed for compatible Hi-MD machines.

In 2005, Sony released its second-generation Hi-MD devices offering native [[MP3]] support.

In 2005, Sony announced Hi-MD Photo.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/News/Press/200503/05-013E/index.html|title=SONY EXPANDS Hi-MD FORMAT BY ADOPTING DIRECT MP3 PLAYBACK AND PICTURE CAPTURING CAPABILTITY|website=Sony Group Portal - Sony Global Headquarters}}</ref> The Sony MZ-DH10P Walkman was released to showcase the format with a 1.3&nbsp;megapixel digital camera.

In March 2006, Sony released the MZ-RH1 Hi-MD Walkman in Japan, which was later followed in other regions. With this unit, Sony enabled faster-than-real time transfers from MiniDisc to computers. Sony made tangible speed improvements to the device over previous generations of Hi-MD recorders. The result being that the transfer times to and from computer are—under certain circumstances—cut in half over previous models, but still noticeably slower than flash memory and hard drive-based portables, because of the nature of the Hi-MD magneto-optical system.