Super Audio CD

[djstarr]

So I bought a Super Audio CD by mistake (Satch Plays Fats), and I was pretty pissed off when I got it and none of my CD players could read it.

Reading the Sony explanation http://www.sonymusic.com/sacd this is supposedly the new format for the future.

True? False? Will all newer CD players be able to handle both SACD and regular CD format? Will I have to continue to be careful on what format CD's are on? (looks like more and more CD's are being released in SACD format)

p.s. anyone want to buy the SACD Satch Plays Fats off of me? ;-0

[Toon Town Dave]

I recall reading about this quite some time ago, I think it was on the Register or Inquirer. IIRC, you need a new palyer that plays the the new format.

I also recall the controversial part was the player for the new format would play current CDs but the audio quality would purposely be reduced ... to encourage people to buy the new format and discourage them from burning CDs.

[Yakov]

sounds like the record -> cd transition, when the companies purposely made records that sounded like crap to make people stop buying them

[Lawrence]

So I bought a Super Audio CD by mistake (Satch Plays Fats), and I was pretty pissed off when I got it and none of my CD players could read it.

Reading the Sony explanation http://www.sonymusic.com/sacd this is supposedly the new format for the future.

True? False? Will all newer CD players be able to handle both SACD and regular CD format? Will I have to continue to be careful on what format CD's are on? (looks like more and

There are at least two competing "higher-quality" CD formats out there right now: Sony's is just one of them. Sony also claimed that minidiscs were the wave of the future, until CD-Rs became so fast and so cheap that people decided to not bother. After being burned on the Betamax fiasco (where the superior Betamax videotape format lost out to the larger, lower-quality VHS videotape), Sony is aggressive about getting in on the ground floor and capturing market acceptance.

The new formats digitally encode music much better than ordinary WAV files do. It has partly to do with how short the microsecond increments are, and partly to do with the algorhythms/formulas used to convert numbers into sound. Right now, it is at the VHS vs. Betamax stage and no one can predict 1) whether the public will reject CDs and accept a new format or 2) which format the public will choose. There are some who reasonably argue that the public at large will remain satisfied with CDs and not notice or care about the incremental increase in quality in the new formats. The new formats thus might end up being for audiofiles, only.

[Toon Town Dave]

I think the article I read talked about extra features on the new format in addition to the "improved" quality. I don't recall for sure if it was the Sony format or a competing format but I do recall mention of Sony.