Will you stick with hirez audio? (1 Viewer)

[Robert A. Willis Jr.]

Well I looked around and guess this is the place to ask. What is up with Sony and SACD? I keep hearing rumours about Sony dropping the format for consumer use.

Thanks

 

[Paul.S]

RAW:

Lee may drop in with his own comments/questions but I'm not sure I understand your question. SACD is a consumer format--what other use is there? I guess you're relating (unsubstantiated) rumors about Sony purportedly not supporting SACD anymore but continuing to push DSD in the professional market?

Where do you "keep hearing" these rumors? I suspect what you're referring to is incessant 'Net

and teeth-gnashing--such as can be found in this thread and to which I have often contributed--about Sony's slow release schedule, early release of only single layer titles and poor format marketing. All of that is nothing new and doesn't necessarily mean Sony is dropping the SACD format. In fact, one could look at releases like the February re-release of the Titanic score as a m.c. hybrid as a sign of mild improvement that they are now doing what they should've gotten right the first time.

Its become--if it ever was anything else--an audiophile niche, punctuated by some higher profile titles that many don't even know are SACDs (the Stones, DSOtM). A la LD and MD, just because something's a niche doesn't necessarily mean its dead/dying or about to be killed.

But I could be wrong.

-p

 

[Robert A. Willis Jr.]

I was trying to distinguish between the DSD archival system and SACD which a number of people here tend to lump together. I mentioned Sony because it seems they haven't released any new SACD's lately. I do follow High Fidelity Review which seems to be pretty reliable with its updates.

From your post, I gather you have been hearing the same rumours and don't know whether they are true or not. It seems we need a myth buster. Lee where are you when we need you. Thanks

 

[Paul.S]

Part of my point is to parse the issue out a little more precisely for the sake of clarity: I wouldn't call what I'm referring to in the second paragraph of my post #162 "rumors." No one has said "I heard from a friend of mine who works at Sony Music that the company is scaling back SACD releases with an eye towards a 2005 'sunset' of the format." That's a rumor.

What we have all heard is complaints, inference and speculation about what the slow release schedule and poor marketing could possibly mean. It's a significant difference in the absence of a lot of hard facts and with the presence of a lot of circumstantial evidence. Just because the employee store on the Sony Pictures lot stopped carrying SACDs does not mean there's been a corporate decision about the format. It just means they weren't moving in the store.

To wit, although I would not want to be perceived as speaking for him, Lee has oft said in other threads that we simply don't know what Sony may be planning for release on an as yet unannounced SACD release slate. (Of course, that begs the question "what is Sony waiting for?" . . . which leads Lee to mention replication plant capacity . . . we've vetted this thoroughly before elsewhere . . .)

-p

 

[Danny Tse]

I have a feeling the lack of Sony activities in the US is just that....no releases here. I don't know why....royalties, production capabilities, etc.... However, I do see Sony Music releasing SACD titles elsewhere in the world, like reissuing formerly single-layer title on hybrids in Europe (Toto IV, Titanic, etc.), new titles (Beyonce's solo debut on MC hybrid SACD in Europe), gearing up for a catalog release in Japan (15 Momoe Yamaguchi titles on stereo hybrid SACD), plus other SACD activities. So, it seems like the lack of SACD activities on the part of Sony is basically limited to the US.

Between the announcement of the 2,000th SACD title in early May to today, 76 SACD titles has been added to sa-cd.net. And these are just the ones listed on that site. While I don't think neither SACD or DVD-A will become a mainstream format like CD did, hi-rez will continue.

 

[Paul.S]

Danny, thanks for all of your posts in a couple of threads re the international perspective (Yee-Ming in Singapore makes good contributions in this regard also). Its helpful from a comparative perspective. Not unlike with Blu-ray being available in Japan and HDTV, the U.S. just lags behind Japan on some significant consumer electronics fronts for whatever complicated constellation of reasons.

-p

 

[Danny Tse]

Thanks for your comment, Paul.

The Beyonce SACD was pulled from the US market due to royalties issues. Maybe Sony is planning a big push in SACD software when it introduces its new line of SACD-capable components. There are already rumors about an upcoming reissue program on SACD for a major Sony artist.

 

[Lee Scoggins]

I think hirez will continue as well. As long as we get some quality releases (and the DSD pro equipment in place should improve even redbook), I am quite happy.

I will be at the HE2004 in NYC this weekend. Hopefully we will hear some additional announcements there. I will be talking with my friends in the audiophile community while I am there including some on the Super Audio project team. I will let you know what I find out.

 

[Danny Tse]

DSD-remastered CD sounds great....BMG already released 5 Elvis titles here in the US.

 

[Rachael B]

I stille think Sony's lack of activity in the U.S. is about the Writer's Guild Litigation. Aerosmith's latest album is obviously another cancelled SA-CD. It has all the usual SA-CD graphics. It has everything but an SACD layer. This litigation is the only factor that doesn't exist in the other markets. 2 = 2 usually ='s 5.

Danny, Sony controls so-ooo many intresting artists that only doing one of them, high profile or otherwise, ain't much. Myself, I think they're gonn'a continue stonewalling... I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[Paul.S]

Rachael:

I think songwriters are represented by ASCAP and BMI, whereas the Writers' Guild reps screenwriters.

Do you have any information/links about this litigation por favor?

Honkin' On Bobo has SACD logos on the disc and liner notes but is not an SACD?

-p

 

[Danny Tse]

Finally!! Diana Krall's new album for $14.99 at Tower.

 

[Rachael B]

Paul, we've had links to news stories about the writers' litigation posted to threads on this forum but I forget which threads. I'll see if I can formulate a search to find it again.

Aerosmith's HONKIN' WITH BOBO has no SACD logos on the disc but has all the disc graphics/graphics of an SACD. It's the same with Joe Satriani's IS THERE LOVE IN SPACE? & Nellie McKay's GET AWAY FROM ME. They all have SACD style titles that read out in an SACD player's readout. None of these has a CD-G logo on them either. Columbia doesn't seem to make a practice of adding CD-G graphics to their CD's ordinarily. The obvious conclusion is that these 3 titles are all SACD's that were cancelled but retained the graphics that were prepared for them.

Sony is hiding something, IMO. I'm not sure what but their actions are very suspicious...

 

[Paul.S]

Rachael:

Maybe you can school me on this too, Rachael. Is CD-G different from CD+G from very early in the CD era? I thought all of that kind of graphic content morphed into CD-ROM content via the "Enhanced CD" . . .

-p

 

[Rachael B]

Paul, what I mean about CD-G's or whatever system SACD uses, is that these CD's have song titles spell out just like SACD's do. I have no idea at all what system Sony uses. I just know that they don't ordinarily or ever, usually give this capability to their CD's. 2 of these 3 artists were previously SACD artists to boot. These 3 albums are like SACD's without the bottom SACD layer. They have the song titles and all like SACD's do.

There's some intresting reading over at Hoffman's by "a publisher" on the Al Kooper SACD thread. Differing publishing royalties for Europe and the U.S. are explained, if the person is on the level. Can you say market bully, Sony, strikes again, IMO