Source: MiniDisc Wiki contributors · September 3, 2026 snapshot · CC BY 4.0, except where otherwise credited.
Attribution and changes
Adapted from “Disc resource scratchpad”. Links, layout and file names normalized; missing database fields restored; remote embeds replaced with links. Manufacturer manuals and separately credited photographs retain their original attribution.
This page will contain random links to various sources with pricing/release dates on MD discs
https://www.sony.jp/cat/lineup/audio-md-past.html
https://sites.google.com/view/crazyforminidisc/home-page/history-of-blanks
https://web.archive.org/web/19990428012347/http://www.sel.sony.com/SEL/consumer/md/blankmedia.html
Sharp claims 1 million MD units shipped by Sept - 1996 Sharp claims 1 million MD units shipped by Sept - 1996 (MiniDisc Wiki mirror)
Sharp claims 5 million MD units shipped by November, 1998 Sharp claims 5 million MD units shipped by November, 1998 (MiniDisc Wiki mirror)
Sonly claims > 1 billion MD Discs sold by 2001 https://www.sony.com/ja/SonyInfo/News/Press_Archive/200209/02-0902/
A good MD Blank Gallery A good MD Blank Gallery (MiniDisc Wiki mirror) Gary from Minneapolis Gallery Gary from Minneapolis Gallery (MiniDisc Wiki mirror)
MD Disc Press Releases:
[Company links]
a few example news links:
Sony Color collection Press Release
Sony MD2000 Sony MD2000 (MiniDisc Wiki mirror) Sony Drive MD media Sony Drive MD media (MiniDisc Wiki mirror) Sony late MD part#'s Sony late MD part#'s (MiniDisc Wiki mirror)
Sony productpark list of older discs with model#'s and some pictures Sony productpark list of older discs with model#'s and some pictures (MiniDisc Wiki mirror) example: bianca example: bianca (MiniDisc Wiki mirror) example: md2000 example: md2000 (MiniDisc Wiki mirror)
many of the above products show up here without more info
MD-74DBL color series MD-74DBL color series (MiniDisc Wiki mirror) TDK expands MD production from 3 million discs per year to 4.6 million November 1998 TDK expands MD production from 3 million discs per year to 4.6 million November 1998 (MiniDisc Wiki mirror)
Victor D-Cruise Press Release Victor D-Cruise Press Release (MiniDisc Wiki mirror) Victor MD-74EBL Victor MD-74EBL (MiniDisc Wiki mirror) Victor Pokopo Victor Pokopo (MiniDisc Wiki mirror) Victor Air press Victor Air press (MiniDisc Wiki mirror) Victor Air product page Victor Air product page (MiniDisc Wiki mirror)
https://web.archive.org/web/20040623105906/http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/20040616/tdk.htm https://www.phileweb.com/news/d-av/200406/16/10550.html
A good thread on 5ch.net linking tons of MD disc info https://hobby5.5ch.net/test/read.cgi/av/1065976343/ https://hobby.5ch.net/test/read.cgi/av/1044252363/
Beyond MD: Projects of the future
Sony Press release of "quadruple density MD" 650mb MD Data
http://www.minidisc.org/part_future.html - Sharp was rumored to be developing 980MB and 3.6GB MD-data drives for introduction in 1998
Fujitsu and Sony jointly develop 1.3GB 3.5 inch MO Max expected capacity of 3GB with 5GB expected. Capable of reading and writing existing 3.5 inch MO disks of 128/230/540/640MB.
Sharp/Sony collaborate in 2000 to make a 50.8mm disc that can record 1 gigabyte (1 GB) using a red laser (wavelength of 655 nm) and 2 gigabytes (2 GB) or more using a blue laser (wavelength of 405 nm) https://web.archive.org/web/20020202050830/http://www.sharp.co.jp/sc/gaiyou/news/000323.html
Mammos to deliver 20 times the storage capacity of CD-ROM Sanyo Mammos Press Release Sanyo Mammos Press Release (MiniDisc Wiki mirror)
SANYO, OLYMPUS and Hitachi Maxell Develop A Next Generation High Capacity Media for Use with Digital Still Cameras World's smallest 50mm magneto-optical disk SANYO, OLYMPUS and Hitachi Maxell Develop A Next Generation High Capacity Media for Use with Digital Still Cameras World's smallest 50mm magneto-optical disk (MiniDisc Wiki mirror)
Sanyo created iD Photo 50mm magneto optical discs for camera use Sanyo created iD Photo 50mm magneto optical discs for camera use (MiniDisc Wiki mirror) The only camera to use it was the IDC-1000z - pic archive — unavailable in this snapshot https://obsoletemedia.org/sanyo-id-photo/
2002 Kenwood / NHK project to use Blu-Violet 2 beam pickup with "phase change" optical discs. 2002 Kenwood / NHK project to use Blu-Violet 2 beam pickup with "phase change" optical discs. (MiniDisc Wiki mirror) - Probably some form of CD-RW but shows the state of optical research in 2002.
Additional specifications and references
| Barcode | |
|---|---|
| Colour |