Columns Retired Columns & Blogs |
Another Form of the CD/SACD-Hybrid disc? What is the clue?
The record companies have agreed to create a new format called <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/080904dualdisc/" TARGET=NEW>DualDisc</A> to allow a CD on one side and a DVD video or audio program on the other. What do you think of the idea?
Music video sales are very small compared to CD sales. Some CDs have been packaged with DVDs; this made no significant impact on sales. I don't understand why anyone believes putting a DVD and a CD on a single disc will help at all.
i am at the point where i am sick and tired of the afffliction known as the latest and the greatest. all i want is a well-recorded CD that is not mucked up by protection schemes and multimedia extras. Simplicitydoes anybody remember that concept?
What's the point of so-called high-rez formats until the record producers can just master a normal CD correctly? DualDiscs will be prone to damage and failure over time, and will probably get stuck in some CD players' drawers. What's the point of a format like that?
It may be finally happening, one disc with many formats on it. I hope that one format isn't chosen to be superior over the competing one, like what is going on today with the hardware. BUT I still wish for a resumption of the Mercury Living Presence series on LP's. There are a lot of them that haven't been re-issued so far. What a wonderful dream that is!
Is this DVD's answer to the competition from the hybrid SACD and a means to catch up in the sales statistics? My other thoughts: 'Will we see the DVD audio medium exploited to its full hi-res capacity with better sound quality or is it only an attempt by the record companies to rip off their customers once again?' 'Where does the label go?'
They appear to have finally put their crack pipes down in favor of something a wee bit logical! Should have been done this way from the start. All released media should be able to play on all our devices from two-channel, SACD two- and multichannel, DVD +, and DVD-A!
Like most DVD-based A/V media, the DualDisc comes with too many issues and a lack of real standards. I think all it will do is confuse the marketplace even further. I'll stick with vinyl and SACD (and CD when I can't get vinyl/SACD) for now.
I want my audio dollar (and the resources of artists, producers, and record companies) to go towards making the best music possible. Diluting the musical message with a visual one and the resulting prequisite that artists be attractive has led to lots of mediocre music, cosmetic surgery, absurd hints of lightweight soft-porn on classical CD covers, and the sidelining of less-than-pretty artists. How much great music are we missing from musicians whose gifts are primarily musical?
Another format? Do we really need this? I'm sure that all of the R&D money going into this could be spent more wisely. What are we going to see on DualDisc, more Brittany Spears and other clones shaking their body parts that have no real musical creativity?