As We See It

DVD-Audio—Crippled by Copyright?

John Atkinson Dec 05, 2004 First Published: Feb 05, 1998

"Do you have another DVD player?" asked Classic Records' Michael Hobson. As is usual in important demonstrations, Murphy's Law had struck with a vengeance. The prototype Muse DVD player Kevin Halverson had worked on most of the previous night was refusing to play the DVD Mike had placed in its tray.

As We See It

DVD: One Standard to Rule Over Them?

John Atkinson Dec 05, 2004 First Published: Dec 05, 1995

As you can read in this month's "Industry Update" (pp.35 & 37), the two conglomerates who hitherto seemed driven to offer the world two competing standards for the forthcoming Digital Video Disc came to their senses. Instead of consumers being offered Toshiba/Warner/Matsushita's SD and Sony/Philips's MCD, there will be just one high-density 4.75" disc to take both video and audio data storage into the 21st century.

As We See It

Copy Rites: Stereophile and the Web

John Atkinson Nov 29, 2004 First Published: Sep 27, 1995

"The idea that intellectual property in a Net-based economy can lose its value horrifies most owners and creators. They'd better get over it."—Esther Dyson, "Intellectual Value" Wired, July 1995, p.136

As We See It

Stereophile on the Web

Jon Iverson Nov 29, 2004 First Published: Dec 27, 1997

There has always been something uniquely satisfying about holding a paper magazine in your hand and riffling through its pages. Images and textures are of higher resolution than any video screen, and the ease of use of the paper-page bundle can not easily be replaced. People are developing electronic substitutes for paper, but the interesting thing is that these researchers are endeavoring to imitate the look, feel, and functionality of paper—but with digital inks and charged surfaces. For now, plain old paper and ink are just too perfect a medium to toss when it comes to packing information into a compact, portable, high-quality package.

As We See It

Speed Limits & the Music Biz

John Atkinson Nov 08, 2004 First Published: Nov 01, 2004

"Bugger!" A Pennsylvania state trooper had stepped out from behind the overpass on the Turnpike and was aiming his radar gun straight at me. I reflexively jammed on the anchors, which was a) pointless and b) downright dangerous, considering I was in the middle of a phalanx of cars and trucks all cruising 5-10mph over the speed limit. But what can you do?

As We See It

Home Theater, Music, or Both?

Robert Harley Nov 05, 2004 First Published: Oct 01, 1993

I've watched from the sidelines with great interest the recent debate in this column over Home Theater (footnote 1) At one extreme is the suggestion that Stereophile begin reviewing video and Home Theater products. The other end of the spectrum was best expressed by John Atkinson at Stereophile's 1993 High-End Hi-Fi Show in San Francisco. Hearing the booming bass overflow of a Home Theater demonstration blasting down a hallway, he said, "They've brought televisions to our hi-fi show!"

As We See It

Return to Recommended Components

John Atkinson Oct 15, 2004 First Published: Oct 01, 2004

"Let's face it, we recommend way too many components."

As We See It

House Calls & Home Auditions

Jim Austin Sep 09, 2004 First Published: Sep 01, 2004

Conventional wisdom has it that you should listen to an audio component, preferably in your own system, before you decide to buy it. But who, these days, has the opportunity to do this consistently? Even an audition in the store isn't guaranteed; I have to drive two hours to get to the nearest dealer with decent customer service and a good inventory of interesting gear. And though he generally stocks a fairly wide range of components, like any dealer, he carries only a small sample of all the hi-fi gear that's currently, in principle, available.

As We See It

Bang For the Buck: Quality vs Cost

John Atkinson Aug 29, 2004 First Published: Dec 01, 1998

It was a powder blue Pinto. Brand new, it drove like a bowl of Jello with wheels. No matter how firmly I gripped the steering wheel, I had no confidence that it had any kind of relationship with the wheels on the road. And pickup? There was none. But because its designers had sacrificed all quality to build it cheaply, the Ford Pinto was equally cheap to rent when I did so back in 1980.

As We See It

Music Business—Show Business

John Atkinson Aug 15, 2004 First Published: Aug 01, 2004

Stereophile is devoted to getting the best sound from a home audio system. But as I have written">http://www.stereophile.com/asweseeit/533">written before, audiophiles don't have access to an absolute sound, only to what has been captured in the pits or grooves of their discs, which is itself the result of a creative process. The playing back and the making of recordings are therefore two sides of the same coin. This is why I get actively involved in recording projects and why I publish articles about those projects, the most recent of which appears on p.50. "Project">http://www.stereophile.com/musicrecordings/804k622">Project K622" describes the making of a new recording of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto (work number 622 in the Köchel catalog of Mozart's compositions, hence the article's title), which is being released both on hybrid SACD and on 180gm vinyl. (You can buy both from our secure "Recordings&quot">https://secure.stereophile.com/stereophile/recordings.shtml">Recordings…; page.)