February 8, 2026
Remote? We don’t know her
Custom Firmware for the MZ-RH1 – Ready for Testing
Minidisc fans cheer as RH1 finally shows song names — cue nostalgia vs 'why bother'
TLDR: Fan-made firmware for Sony’s RH1 MiniDisc finally shows song titles on the device and adds basic controls, with a safe browser installer. The comments are split: testers call it “fabulous,” while skeptics say cheaper NetMD players now do uploads too, making the pricey RH1 hard to justify.
Retro audio just scored a glow-up: a fan-made update lets Sony’s MZ‑RH1 MiniDisc finally show song titles on its own tiny screen and adds repeat/shuffle without that fussy remote. There’s even a browser installer and a recovery safety net so brave tinkerers don’t brick their treasures.
The crowd? Split and spicy. Nostalgia lovers like DannyPage are giddy that “Minidisc is having a resurgence,” while RH1 skeptics like joecool1029 argue there’s “not much of a point” now that music uploading works on cheaper USB-era NetMD players, taking swipes at RH1’s sky-high prices and screen burn-in. On the flip side, MD Discord early birds like vr46 admit they “found a few bugs,” but call the firmware “fabulous” after updates. Meanwhile, olivia-banks turned the code dive into comedy, comparing embedded gadgets to microwaves, and busterarm is eyeing older RH10 units and replacement screens—modders are clearly circling.
There’s a mini culture clash over the display showing only Latin letters; Japanese titles get auto-romanized. Purists sigh, pragmatists shrug: it’s still a win. The overarching vibe: a community-powered fix that makes the RH1 feel complete—and sparks fresh drama over whether to splurge on the “grail” or grab a budget NetMD and head to web.minidisc.wiki.
Key Points
- •First public custom firmware for Sony MZ-RH1 adds on-device OLED track title display for MD and Hi-MD.
- •Basic playback controls (repeat, shuffle) are added to the main unit menu, reducing reliance on the remote.
- •Display controller only supports Latin characters; half-width Katakana is romanized for MD discs as a workaround.
- •Developer reverse engineered the CXD2687 flash interface and provides a WebUSB-based installer with extensive validation.
- •Recovery options include working JTAG and a boot ROM mode (triggered via GPIO) to reflash bricked devices; code is open source.