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I excuse myself by advance for my bad English.
But according to the French magazine n°1 in HC "Les Années Laser" of this month, Sony/BMG France would like officially to start again the SACD to stop the falls of sales of CD.
Sony declares that the large advantage of the SACD is that it is still not pirated. It should be noted that Sony France published that only one SACD (Cabrel) and that contrary to Universal never insisted... Sony had quickly concluded with a failure !
Not more information nor of possible titles.
A return: ? http://www.sonymusic.com/sacd/
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Post by Claude May 31, 2007 (2 of 20)
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Hi Ludo,
I don't think the market situation has changed favourably compared to the launch of SACD in 1999:
- CD sales are dropping, not because people want hi-rez sound, but because they like downloads;
- "SACD cannot be pirated". Indeed, the hirez signal cannot be copied, but the CD layer of hybrid SACD can. Most people are content with CD quality and stereo sound, so a copy of the CD layer will be just fine for them. In order to stop easy copying, the industry would have to establish single layer SACD as a dominant format (replacing the CD), which is very unlikely.
SACD is a niche market success (classical), but a mass market failure. But as a SACD fan, of course I would like SonyBMG to believe SACD has a bright future :-)
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Post by tream June 1, 2007 (3 of 20)
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Claude said:
Hi Ludo,
I don't think the market situation has changed favourably compared to the launch of SACD in 1999:
- CD sales are dropping, not because people want hi-rez sound, but because they like downloads;
- "SACD cannot be pirated". Indeed, the hirez signal cannot be copied, but the CD layer of hybrid SACD can. Most people are content with CD quality and stereo sound, so a copy of the CD layer will be just fine for them. In order to stop easy copying, the industry would have to establish single layer SACD as a dominant format (replacing the CD), which is very unlikely.
SACD is a niche market success (classical), but a mass market failure. But as a SACD fan, of course I would like SonyBMG to believe SACD has a bright future :-)
Of course, they could go back to single layer SACD's.
This is mostly a tongue in cheek remark.
There are those who feel the sound quality of single layer exceeds that of hybrids. I doubt if any real testing has been done. I'm certain it is less expensive to produce a single layer SACD.
So - would you make a Faustian pact - more SACD's being produced, but single layer?
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tream said:
I'm certain it is less expensive to produce a single layer SACD.
True, but I'm also certain the cost of a hybrid disc over a single-layer SACD is marginal by now.
Anyway, I believe virtually nobody is interested in single layer SACDs. It's a niche within a nice.
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Post by mcchuk June 1, 2007 (5 of 20)
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The Seventh Taylor said:
True, but I'm also certain the cost of a hybrid disc over a single-layer SACD is marginal by now.
Anyway, I believe virtually nobody is interested in single layer SACDs. It's a niche within a nice.
There will be a good market for SACD sound once a standard has been established. With the demise of DVD-Audio that has taken place. The advent of Playstation 3 opens up SACD to a new group of listeners. Downloading inferior quality sound on the web is just a fad. Through the past 40 years I have seen many fads come and go. The only thing that matters in the end is higher resolution. People want it with high definition TV's and they will want it with sound as well. Multi-channel high quality sound is marketable. Any friends that I have brought over to my place to listen to a good sound system with multi-channel sound have left in awe. Sony sees this as the future and so do I.
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The Seventh Taylor said:
Anyway, I believe virtually nobody is interested in single layer SACDs.
I do prefer single layer SACDs, but am aware of the advisability of hybrid discs.
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tream said:
There are those who feel the sound quality of single layer exceeds that of hybrids. I doubt if any real testing has been done. I'm certain it is less expensive to produce a single layer SACD.
They'd also probably sell far far less than hybrids would, even dual inventory ones.
-Joshua
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Post by DSD June 3, 2007 (8 of 20)
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The Seventh Taylor said:
True, but I'm also certain the cost of a hybrid disc over a single-layer SACD is marginal by now.
Anyway, I believe virtually nobody is interested in single layer SACDs. It's a niche within a nice.
I for one would be interested in single-layer SACD only discs as I have no use whatsoever for the UNUSED CD layer! I mean why have a CD layer at all when you are also releasing CD only version as well? I have never understood the logic in this.
Also all of my previous SACD players that had problems only had problems in one area: playing SACD/CD hybrids? Since as you say SACD is a niche market anyway why not make all SACDs single layer for greater stability and superior sound quality?
I would love to trade all of my Hybrid SACDs for the new single layer SACD versions!
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DSD said:
why have a CD layer at all when you are also releasing CD only version as well? I have never understood the logic in this.
You mean why have hybrid discs if the retailers still have to stock dual inventory? Of course it's still much more elegant from the user's point of view: being able to play the disc everywhere, in SACD as well as CD players. Personally I've given away to friends those CDs of which I had acquired a hybrid SACD.
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Post by SnaggS June 4, 2007 (10 of 20)
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Ummm.. I like single layer SACD's too.. and especially the Sony Columbia Bruno Walter grey disks (everyone has these by now yes?).
Stiil, Hybrids are damn usefull to
1) Rip into iTunes for my iPod in the car
2) Take to a freinds place who might not have SACD
On the main point of this thread.. I think Sony should re-start SACD for Jazz and Classical at least. SACD has been left in the cold and shown it can thrive all by itself. I havn't had hardly any need to buy a non-SACD classical title yet.
I would love to see some more of the Columbia catalogue released on SACD, and for Duetsche Gramaphon to start releasing more again. Sony Japan has been releasing some good SACD Jazz and Classical titles, and I've been gobling these up.
Most of all I'd love to see the Philips Complete Mozart 180 CD box set on SACD... now that would kick start some SACD player sales.
Daniel.
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