Add-on battery compartment: Many personal stereos have compartments for special rechargeable batteries. To enable the use of a readily available dry battery (typically an "AA" type) these units have a clip on compartment which, as well as offering the use of an AA battery as an alternative, also enables extended playback and recording time when used in combination with the rechargeable battery.

Anti-shock memory: This feature avoids the usual skipping and jumping which could otherwise affect MiniDisc players by reading ahead on the disc and storing the music in its memory. If the unit gets knocked (maybe on a bumpy bus ride or when jogging) then the unit seamlessly switches to the stored music whilst it re-finds its place on the disc - you will never notice this happening!

All MiniDisc products have a ten second anti-shock memory by default, many have a longer read-ahead memory.

CD text recording: Useful when compiling MD recordings from compact discs with CD text information. By connecting the MD recorder via its digital input, track labeling is automatically recorded from the CD onto the disc. You will also need a CD text compatible CD player.

Editing:

Disc Erase: Erase the entire disc leaving it blank.

Disc Title: Add a title to your disc.

End Search: Finds the blank space at the end of the disc so that you can quickly start recording onto the free space without recording over existing material.

Programmable playback: Allows the user to select the tracks and order they wish to hear them in.

Track Combine: Merges two tracks into one.

Track Divide: Splits one track into two at the specific point you require.

Track Erase: Erases a single track - other tracks automatically shuffle into place.

Track Mark: A way of placing a marker on a track which can be used with the editing functions. Also Automatic Track Marking which places marks at a regular pre-set interval (e.g. every 5, 10 or 15 minutes) to allow easier navigation on a disc with no existing track breaks.

Track Move: Reposition a track in the discs running order.

Track Title: Label a specific track.

Line in/out: Enables connecting to a hifi system for recording onto the personal MiniDisc and playing it back through the hifi's tape loop.

MD Long Play (MDLP): Increases the capacity of a disc by 2 or 4 times (MDLP x 2 and MDLP x 4). So an 80 minute disc will allow up to 320 minutes of stereo recording time. There is a small loss in quality  - most say x 2 is very good and x 4 is acceptable for less critical material. Discs recorded in an MDLP mode can only be played back on an MDLP compatible MiniDisc player.

NET MD: MiniDisc recorders equipped with Net MD functionality allow you to write music tracks to them from a PC at super-fast speeds. Usually supplied with a USB connection lead and software which enables you to arrange music files of different formats (MP3, CDA, WMA) on your PC into albums, you simply select the compression rate (standard play, LP2 or LP4 - see MD Long Play above) and write them to MD at speeds of up to 64 times faster than real time! This facility is ideal for those who store music on their computer and wish to quickly sort and compile albums for taking out and about.

Optical input: Enables a direct digital connection from digital sources such as CD players. This is very useful as discs recorded in this fashion are of a better quality. Also track breaks, record levels and (where available) text information is all transferred automatically.

SCMS (Serial Copy Management System): Employed on all domestic digital recorders. It limits the number of generations that can be made of a recording when using digital connectors. If you copy a CD onto a MiniDisc using a digital connection, you will not then be able to copy that second generation disc again in the same fashion. But thereafter you can create as many generations as you wish using an analogue connection.