EMI backs DVd-A

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by RetroSmith, Oct 11, 2003.

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  1. RetroSmith

    RetroSmith Forum Hall Of Fame<br>(Formerly Mikey5967) Thread Starter

    Location:
    East Coast
    From the tone of this article, it looks like EMI has chosen DVD-A as their platform of choice. Also, I had not heard the rumors that SONY was abandoning SACD, altho this article says they were "probably" false.
    I guess SONY will wait and see what customers buy and throw their backing to that.


    http://www.audiorevolution.com/news/1003/07.bmg.shtml
     
  2. SteveSDCA

    SteveSDCA Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego
    Why would Sony quit making SACD's when they invented them?
     
  3. StyxCollector

    StyxCollector Man of Miracles

    Virgin, who is sub of EMI, backs SACD in the UK at least. So I think it'll vary from label to label until there's a clear "winner". And Universal in Europe is solidly backing SACD. The USA is really more on the fence.
     
  4. RetroSmith

    RetroSmith Forum Hall Of Fame<br>(Formerly Mikey5967) Thread Starter

    Location:
    East Coast
    SONY

    >>>Why?? Well, if consumers dont buy them, thats why SONY Would quit making them. like any other product. Do you think SONY cares what format wins? They dont. They just want to be sure they are ready to take advantage of whatever format sells.
     
  5. chrischross

    chrischross New Member

    Location:
    Vancouver, WA
    Ahh yes -- Jerry Del Colliano and AudioRevolution -- the "fair and balanced" participants in the high rez wars.

    That's pretty neat that he says I'm a member of the "more technically savvy Gen-X audience". Sheesh -- if I only had half of the technical savvy of some of our Boomer forum members, I'd be set.

    Frankly, with the titles announced from BMG, this Gen-X's wallet is remaining closed. Stankonia is neat and all, but do we really need a high-rez version??
     
  6. Cliff

    Cliff Magic Carpet Man

    Location:
    Northern CA
    Re: SONY

    What makes you think Sony doesn't care which format wins, Mikey?? :confused:
     
  7. chrischross

    chrischross New Member

    Location:
    Vancouver, WA
    Re: SONY

    Why would Sony quit making SACD's when hybrids mean a single-catalog release?? That doesn't make sense. See DSOTM and the Stones hybrids. This is the business model. Single catalog is the future, and if DVD-A gets on-board, all the better for us.

    For me SACD hybrids are the value-add needed for me to deviate from my usual habit of buying used. Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" is the perfect example. I get a catalog re-release that I've wanted anyway, in high rez and in a format that I can rip for my mix CD's for the car.

    Don't worry about Sony, they're doing just fine in the format wars. In the retail channel, DVD-A's seem to be experiencing some "shelf-rot", as I keep seeing the same titles unsold on the shelves, while SACD inventory turns over.
     
  8. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    The same reason they quit Beta! Popularity rules, unfortunetly the better format doesn't always win out:rolleyes:
     
  9. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Where do they get this stuff, do they make it up?

    One can say anything in print. Someone will believe you. I can say here: "mikey5967 (despite recent rumors) still likes the Ventures".

    Meaningless! I've been inside EMI's studios, they are using DSD like crazy, as well as DVD-A stuff. The truth is, neither format is selling worth a damn right now.....
     
  10. StrawberryFields

    StrawberryFields Active Member

    Location:
    New Jersey
    And as long as the economy remains in the shape it's in, hi rez may be doomed....
     
  11. oxenholme

    oxenholme Senile member

    Location:
    Knoydart
    The only reason any of my colleagues and friends have heard of either format is that I rabbit on about them.

    Convincing the proverbial man in the street that he needs hi-rez calls for a lot more media attention.

    People generally don't look out for things they haven't heard of.
     
  12. John Hatter

    John Hatter Senior Member

    Location:
    England
    We all know that whichever format The Beatles are issued on, will be the winner. That's what I'm waiting for anyway !
    Cheers
    John
     
  13. RetroSmith

    RetroSmith Forum Hall Of Fame<br>(Formerly Mikey5967) Thread Starter

    Location:
    East Coast
    Damn


    >>>>Yup. My friend who is a big shot at SONY in Institutional Sales tells me that the Hi Res product, which they had a lot of Sales Programs worked out for, just hasnt developed. His group is working on other things now and they have just sort of put Hi Res on the back burner.

    The average record buyer just doesnt care about Hi Res. Sad for us.


    And I STILL like The Ventures!! :))
     
  14. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    I'd still rather have "hi-rez" Gordon Lightfoot more than hi-rez hip-hop.
     
  15. GabeG

    GabeG New Member

    Location:
    NYC



    They don't make it up Steve, they just hear bits and pieces (some of which are accurate) and jump to conclusions to fill in the blanks. At least this is what I have come to understand from people who know the truth behind several recent stories.

    Also, one thing I've noticed is that they tend to recycle older news (from other places) and make them sound fresh. This story is a perfect example - the DTS and EMI press release came out at least a month or two ago. The titles announced in the story have been known for months. Why write this now?

    A perfect example of jumping to conclusions is their recent story on dual-disc, in which there were some truths (which they reported despite being given off the record). Yes it's true that dual-disc is coming and yes it's true that Sony is a backer. However, Sony's support of dual-disc is not an indication that they are dropping sacd. However, I'm sure this connection is what prompts their statement of rumours of sacd's demise.


    The truth is, as Steve states, neither format is selling. Hybrids (and soon dual-discs) may sell well, but don't bet on them being used as anything but cds for the foreseeable future.


    I tend not to trust anything I read online (and more and more in print) when it comes to audio. Too many reviewers don't know what they are talking about and too many reviewers believe too much marketing. I am lucky enough to have several contacts who are either manufactureres or in the music industry working on this stuff. All too often, things reported are too far from the truth to comprehend. All too often reviewers use really faulty logic.
     
  16. Gardo

    Gardo Audio Epistemologist

    Location:
    Virginia
    Audio Revolution is quite obviously biased toward DVD-A. I've written them about it and they say they're trying to keep up with SACD reviews, but the proof of the pudding is in the tasting, and only a taste of Audio Revolution reveals scare headline after scare headline about how the "format wars are over" and DVD-A has won, and other such blather. They have roughly zero credibility with me.

    DVD-A sounds very nice. To my ears, SACD sounds better. Both represent an improvement over redbook CD. It'd be fine with me if both won, though I'd certainly prefer SACD to win.

    In the end, it's about the software. I got a DVD-A player recently because I wanted to hear my Chicago DVD-A's in hi-rez. I got an SACD player a year ago because I wanted to hear Tubular Bells in hi-rez and in multichannel. So far, SACD software is far more varied and numerous than DVD-A.

    SACD is also far less confusing to use, on both the hardware and software ends. DVD-A is aiming for audio-video convergence and that may suit lots of folks, but when I just want to hear the music I find DVD-A less user-friendly, though I've learned to drive it around too.

    I also got into SACD because I respect Steve's opinions, and he was quoted as saying that DSD sounded better to him than hi-rez PCM. Many other mastering engineers and audiophile labels apparently agree with him.

    SACD vs. DVD-A arguments are one thing. Pouncing on every little thing to cry "THIS FORMAT IS DEAD," whether the format is SACD or DVD-A, is pointless and generates much more heat than light. When I read "THIS FORMAT IS DEAD" I suspect the subtext is really "I WANT THIS FORMAT TO DIE.":rolleyes:
     
  17. fjhuerta

    fjhuerta New Member

    Location:
    México City
    [sarcasm]
    Why would a Gen-X'er care about SACD or DVD-A, when they can download anything they could ever want in MP3, and not pay one cent?
    [/sarcasm]

    Napster & its clones killed the hi-res wars before they even started.

    :(
     
  18. reb

    reb Money Beats Soul

    Location:
    Long Island
    Anything music/audio related is not selling well right now. This is for the "baby boomer" generation- and we are getting older.
     
  19. Marc Pool

    Marc Pool New Member

    Location:
    The Netherlands
    Again and again there are reports of EMI supporting DVD-a instead of SACD. But it should be made clear the support is only from EMI US and not in Europe.
    There are already 49 EMI(Virgin, Capital, Chrysalis) SACD titles available. Most of these titles were release well after the so called support of DVD-a by EMI (US).

    Please tell me Mickey5967, how many DVD-a titles are available on EMI and its sub-labels?
     
  20. emilsjr

    emilsjr New Member

    Location:
    San Jose
    You hit it right on the head Marc. In Europe, EMI is basically SACD only. And in the US, there are more EMI SACD's coming over the next coupld of weeks (David Bowie, Roxy Music).

    Audio Revolution is a joke of a site and nothing they post should be taken as anything but. They were the ones who broke the news about the DVD-A release of Dark Side of the Moon. They really got that one right, didn't they?
     
  21. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Prpblem is, the backers of both DVD-A and SACD introduced, or at least marketed hi-rez formats in the middle of a ressession and a jobless recovory.

    Also:
    People are growing accustomed to having pictures with their music

    People know that they can usually get what they want for free by downloading

    Music CDs are too expensive

    The music sucks

    The industry likes to target Generation "Y". Most of Generation "Y" couldn't care less about sound quality

    People are making their own CD-Rs and DVDs on theoi home computers like crazy. At least the software makers are banking on it. I went to Comp USA yesterday and I couldn't believe how many new CD-R/DVD-R burning/authoring packages there are on the shelf for this season! I even noticed tha there is a recovery software for damaged discs. Why buy a new copy when you can now save your unplayable discs right at home with ease?

    The industry had better start advertising to the mainstream public about hi-rez or it may die.
     
  22. StyxCollector

    StyxCollector Man of Miracles

    This is also why when labels like MoFi and finally DCC went under to some degree. Once labels started remastering back catalog, paying $20 - $30 for a better (and again, it's relative as we all know here) for the same CD you can now get for $11 - $15. Do the math. No matter what happens, SACD and DVD-A will be niche formats.

    And I agree when MP3/MP4 is considered acceptable, how is 192 kHz going to win?

    I was on a plane flying back from San Diego to Boston last night (well, I flew thru LAX). I was a few rows back from a UMG guy who was doing apparently a lot of the copy protection stuff and was looking at some powerpoints he was working on. The industry seems to be scared s(*&less from the ripping of music.

    So I think the SACD vs. DVD-A vs. flippy disc vs. CD vs. (insert format here) is going to take a back seat.
     
  23. -=Rudy=-

    -=Rudy=- ♪♫♪♫♫♪♪♫♪♪ Staff

    Location:
    US
    Also:

    1) Neither format has to "win", especially if more affordable universal players are introduced. Takes away any confusion the public may have: this player will play everything.

    2) In addition to the kiddiez who rip and burn, Joe Sixpack doesn't care one bit about the sound, nor can he tell the difference. It's still a shiny silver disc, and he sees nothing wrong with CD to warrant a replacement format.

    WE may all like the format(s), but I always get the feeling the general public just gives a collective *shrug* and moves on. It may end up being that the high-res formats are pushed into the market for the copy protection aspect...but I wouldn't bet the farm on it.
     
  24. lennonfan

    lennonfan New Member

    Location:
    baltimore maryland
    I'm going to jump in here and say I, for one, am getting a little sick of bashing entire generations and telling us what they think and care about, and telling us what the future holds for hi rez. NOBODY HERE KNOWS, unless you can prove your crystal ball is 100% always on the money. Somehow I doubt that possibility;)
    Undoubtedly Gold discs are niche but that was the goal in the first place. I've heard regular discs that have sounded just as good as the gold, so why should I pay double the price? It's not like a jeweler is gonna care in the future, and not every one appreciates in value. If hi-rez is marketed properly with bonus audio/video material as an extra especially, as long as the price is competitive with the standard cd it could very well take over.
    One last point: EVERYBODY IS DIFFERENT. Please stop stereotyping.
     
  25. oxenholme

    oxenholme Senile member

    Location:
    Knoydart
    And yet, how many copies of Dark Side Of The Moon were sold? How many people bought surround sound systems on the strength of that disc having the 5.1 mix? I did for one. The next purchase will have to be a house with the doors and windows where they don't clash with the speakers.

    I think that if the emphasis were on multichannel releases (and I am sorry, but that means remixing - it ain't going to be authentic original mono or stereo mixes) then maybe people will shell out.

    On this site we are preaching to the converted. I am working actively on neighbours, friends and work colleagues. They've all heard of Steve Hoffman, they all know that noise reduction sucks, eventually they will all have multichannel hi-rez.
     
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