You can make only a first- generation copy* through a digital-to-digital connection.
That is:
1You can make a copy of a digital sound programme on the market such as CDs, MDs, etc., but you cannot make a second copy from the first-generation copy.
2You can make a copy of a digital signal from a digitally-recorded analog sound programme on the market such as an analog record, music cassette tape, etc., or from digital satellite broadcasts, but you cannot make a second copy.
Note
No restrictions apply when a digital signal is recorded as an analog signal (that is, when a digital signal is recorded through analog-to-analog connection).
*A first-generation copy is a digital recording of a digital signal made on digital audio equipment through a digital-to-digital connection.
Getting to know the MD
Structure
The 2.5-inch MiniDisc (MD) is compact and easy to handle requiring less care as it is encased in a plastic cartridge that looks like a 3.5-inch diskette (see illustrations below).
Parts making up an MiniDisc
Plastic cartridge
Disc
Shutter
Disc variation
MDs come in two types: pre-mastered (pre- recorded) and recordable (blank). Pre- mastered MDs cannot be recorded on or over like cassette tapes. To record, you must use a “recordable MD”.
Pre-mastered MDs
Pre-mastered MDs are recorded and played like regular CDs. A laser beam focusses on the pits on the surface of the MD and reflects the information back to the lens in the recorder. The recorder then decodes the signals and plays them back as music.
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