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Frequently Asked Questions
SD Memory Card
SD Audio
miniSD™ Card
SD Memory Card
- Q: What is the difference between the SD Memory Card and the MultiMediaCard? How are they related to each other?
A: SD Memory Card and MultiMediaCard share the similar physical dimensions, which allows upward compatibility such that MultiMediaCard can be inserted into SD Memory Card slot. Further, SD Memory Card has various advantages over the MultiMediaCard, such as content protection, planned capacity growth, high-speed data transfer, and a write protect switch. The SD memory Card distinguishes itself further as a true network platform and has defined a variety of application data formats which ensures compatibility between devices which adhere to these SD Application Standards. Application standards have been defined for many types of audio, video and document files among others types.
- Q: Is copyright protection applied to all data types stored on the SD Memory Card?
A: No, copy-protection is not mandatory for all data types and can be asserted selectively at the discretion of the content owner. CPRM technology, a copy protection mechanism is embedded in all SD Memory Cards and can be used to protect copyrighted content such as most commercially distributed music and movie files.
- Q: Apart from the product, what else is needed in order to record music data to a SD Memory Card?
A: You need your personal computer and dedicated software.
- Q: Can you save data in different formats such as audio, video, still pictures and documents onto a single SD Memory Card?
A: Yes, you can save data in different formats as long as the card has sufficient memory capacity. However, to play or transfer the data you will need equipment that is compatible with the appropriate data format such as SD-Audio, SD-Video and SD-pDocument.
- Q: What do you need to transfer data to a PC?
A: If the PC is equipped with a SD card slot, you can transfer data by simply inserting SD Memory Card. However, with most PCs, you will need a USB reader writer or a PC card adapter for the SD Memory Card. Of course, you also need PC editing software for each type of data, such as sound, music and still images.
- Q: How soon will the capacity of the SD Memory Card increase?
A: Currently, 8MB,16MB,32MB,64MB,128MB,256MB,512MB and 1GB cards are available.
- Q: Can SD Memory Cards be used with MP3 players on the market?
A: No, they cannot use the SD Memory Card. They cannot be physically inserted, and the logic format is different. Conversely, even though a MMC from a MP3 player can be inserted in a SD Audio player, it cannot be replayed.
- Q: How can we obtain the specification of "SD Memory Card"?
A: The SD Memory Card specification can be downloaded from the website of the SD Association, but the content verification is limited to development purposes of SD application products.
- Q: What is the service life of SD Memory Card?
A: SD Memory Card like most of semiconductor cards stores information in a flash memory. The flash memory has memory cells (small rooms) corresponding to each unit (bit) of the information. Each memory cell has an electrode covered by delicate glass (container), where the information is recorded by choosing either to store an electron or not to store. As it is covered by glass with superior insulation performance, no electron stored there should escape under normal conditions, and the information usually remains intact for over 10 years.
Because the electrode storing an electron is covered by glass, it is necessary to put sufficient energy on an electron to enable it to pass through the glass. Similarly, higher voltage is required to take out the electron through the glass, thus causing damage to the glass. This could cause the electron to escape from the container, and eventually the electron could fail to remain within the glass. The service life is said to terminate when re-writing for 100,000 to 1 million times has been executed. But at this level, an error might occur in the order of one bit of information, and this can be considered to be normal for recording for practical purposes. Such trouble can be prevented by applying a method called error correction technology. Execution of 100,000 times of re-writing is more than enough to re-write daily 25 times for 10 years, so in a practical sense it would be safe to say it is trouble-free for such duration.
SD Audio
- Q: What is the meaning of copyright protection "SDMI compatible" that often appears in explanations of SD Audio?
A: SDMI is a conference established by hardware manufacturers, the Recording industry Association of America and the major music companies in the United States (UMG, BMG, EMI, WMG and SME) to provide copyright protection for artists' works. SDMI compliant means that various music contents can be enjoyed without problems such as illegal copying.
- Q: What is the meaning of "Check-in and Check-out" that often appears in explanations of SD Audio?
A: Check-out means to write music data that has been recorded to a personal computer from CDs and EMD(and compressed by AAC and MP3 systems)to a SD Memory Card. Conversely, returning music data from a SD Memory Card to a personal computer is called Check-in.
< The Check-in and Check-out mechanism > is the number of times for checking-out music content recorded to a personal computer is limited to three. However, if the music content checked-out once is checked-in to a personal computer, it can then be checked-out again.
- Q: What is "SD Audio"?
A: It is one of the SD Memory Card application specifications that has been determined for recording music data to a SD Memory Card. Its features include "SD audio compression" method such as MP3 and WMA besides AAC. Besides AAC, MP3 and WMA are specified as an "SD audio" compression format.
- Q: Can a MMC be used with a SD Audio player?
A: No, because a MMC has no copyright protection, it cannot be used with a SD Audio player.
- Q: Are the SD Audio Players of each company mutually compatible?
A: If the SD Audio Players adopt the same compressed audio format, they are compatible and can replay music.
- Q: Can "SD Audio" record from MD?
A: Not directly.
- Q: Can ATRAC3 format files be used with" SD Audio"?
A: No, they cannot be used because the compression systems are different.
- Q: Check-out with a SD Audio player is said to be up to three times but what does this mean?
A: Under the SDMI standard, except for music content added under conditions related to special usage methods, when copying music content, four copies can be made at one time. Therefore, with a SD Audio player, the specification is such that one copy is saved in the personal computer and the remaining three copies can be checked-out to the SD Memory Card. Also, three copies or more can be rewritten by checking-in from a SD Memory Card to a personal computer.
miniSD™ Card
- Q: What is the difference between the SD Memory Card and the miniSD™ Card?
A: Logically and electrically, the miniSD™ Card and the SD Memory Card are identical. Only the form factor, size, and number of pins of the miniSD™ Card are different from the standard SD Memory Card. (Two additional pins are reserved for future use.)
- Q: Will the miniSD™ Card replace the current SD Memory Card?
A: No, not at all. The miniSD™ Card was designed to meet a special requirement from some of the mobile phone companies in Japan for the smallest possible memory card size.
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