Jeff Ulmer

You were talking about artists getting interested, in which case the net revenue is what matters. Labels like numbers, but they aren't footing the bill for the inherent costs of remixing, remastering and marketing. If Pink Floyd is only doing 100,000 units, then what is a smaller artist, one that has sold maybe a fiftieth of Floyd's sales going to be impressed with after shelling out for a remix and remastering? Even if it only cost $20,000 to get an album out the door (which ain't gonna happen on a major album), that still won't put much in the pockets of the artists who may break even at best. Of course the label is happy, since they'll make a ten to one margin on what the artist sees.

DVD Reviewer, digitallyOBSESSED.com | Othyrworld

Kevin C Brown

Aerosmith- Rocks. I could dig that one.


Any news about new DVD-A/SACD hardware at HE 2003?

If it's not worth waiting until the last minute to do, then it's not worth doing.

KevinVision 7.1 ...

Greg Johnson

I'm looking forward to Toys in the Attic as well. I just hope that it is of a little higher quality than O, Yeah. It will have to better than Just Push Play. Which is probably the worst sounding SACD in my collection.

Greg

KeithH

I cannot say that Brian Moura is anti-DVD-Audio, as I have never met him. However, in over two years of seeing him post on Audio Asylum (and on the rare occasion he posts on Steve Hoffman's forum), I cannot recall him ever posting about DVD-Audio. He maintains a web site of titles available on SACD. He is clearly into SACD. Perhaps he's a closet DVD-Audio fan with a "DVD-Audio fans are people too!" bumper sticker on his car.

As for Toys in the Attic, does anyone know if it will be a hybrid disc? I didn't wade through this entire thread, but I saw nothing about that from the bits I did read.

As for Gaucho, this is what, like the fourth time it has been part of a major announcement? Wouldn't be nice if Universal actually released it?

As for the Dark Side of the Moon hybrid disc, 100,000 copies sold is certainly nothing to be excited about, given that it's been out for three months and is one of the best-selling rock albums of all time. Of the 100,000 copies sold, I wonder how many came from the Crest plant and have cracks. How many have been returned as a result? And finally, for the millionth time, let's not begin to take sales of hybrid discs as a any indicator of market penetration for SACD. Had the Dark Side of the Moon disc been a single-layer SACD, and 100,000 copies had been sold, I would have been very impressed.

My:
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\"You know, the tomato never took off as a handfruit.\"

- George Costanza

John Kotches

Ok,

I will make one last post on this topic:

From an SACD article at HE Expo from Mr. Moura:


Here, Mr. Moura neglects to mention that only one of the players is a dedicated SACD player (the Krell). The Bel Canto, Linn and MSB players are all universals so one can just as easily say the manufacturers ranks for DVD-Audio grew by 3 as well.

So while it is true these are all SACD players, it is a glaring error of omission by not mentioning the additional capabilities (DVD-Video, DVD-Audio) of 3 of these players.

Regards,

Surround Music Enthusiast / Curmudgeon in Training
Opinions are my own, not representative of the publication I write for.

imported_Brian L

I see Aerosmith's Rocks mentioned a few times here.

Where is that mentioned in the link in the 1st post of this thread? I do see Toys in the Attic, but not Rocks. FWIW, it has been listed on the Circuit City site as TBA for quite a while. Of course, as my wife will attest, I normally can't find my own ass with both hands.....

Personally, I do concur with the previous posters that Rocks was Aerosmith finest album (I think I have seen comment from the band that pretty much said the same thing).

When this hits the street in hi-rez, I am ALL OVER IT. I don't care if its DVD-A or SACD, Stereo or MC.

BGL

Lee Scoggins

Bull***t. This is a great number for a catalog title. Look at the sales on the Billboard catalog charts. Many of these albums sell less than 100K.



Keith, you completely missed my point. I was not talking about "an indicator of market penetration". I was saying it was an excellent "case study" of results to show to other superstar groups to secure more big name titles for release.



Moura was quoting Kawakami who runs the Sony SACD team. Perhaps he did not know immediately that some of these were universals. And it was a Super Audio Industry Update speech as well-I'm sure David did not mention universal capabilities either, he was only concerned that the gear market for HIS format was expanding nicely.

It's quite normal for Brian in this context to not discuss the "universal" nature of the players. He is enthusiastic about the format but he is the Super Audio reporter for HFR.

What's wrong with that?

no fears alone at night she's sailing through the crowd
in her ears the phones are tight and the music's playing loud
~skateaway

Phil A

John, the reference clearly indicates the view is according to David Kawakami, who works for Sony and gets paid for his tunnel vision. My point was that a post about upcoming titles with nothing in the post negative about DVD-A should not turn into a mean spirited attack on Brian Moura.

I can tell you that I spoke extensively with the Linn folks at my local hi-fi shop who did a demo of the prototype Unidisk player shortly after CES. In a room full of people they acknowledged that Sony was great to work with and they worked quite extensively with them in developing the platform for the player. They noted they threw in DVD-A but that based on what went on at CES and the numbers signing on to SACD, they don't expect the format to go anywhere. Now granted, Linn also has Linn Records which supports SACD and not DVD-A so they have their own version of tunnel vision. My point is that it is Mr. Kawakami's view and that he is not the onlt pro-SACD firm that has similar views and it should not be attributed to a reported who has a boss and limitations on what his job functions are.

I firmly expect that more and more hardware down the road will be universal players, even from Sony, regardless of what is said today (which obviously is convenient corporate denial). The majority of consumers will want machines that can play any format and be of a reasonable price and that together with software availability and at good prices will keep the formats going. I am in the clearly in the minority preferring 2 separate players (Samsung HD1000 and Modwright modded XA-777ES, I also do have a DV-47A universal player in the bedroom system which is also hooked to the main system) as I want the best play back for the SACDs, DVD-As and and DVD-Vs I have.

imported_Brian-W

Come on John...if it was a press conference or interview with DVD-A supporting companies, do you really think that they'd mention SACD? Are we supposed to believe that members who support DVD-A (corporate members, not HT members) are more 'fair' or 'unbiased' in regards to both formats, especially in public?

If it was Warner or BMG or any other DVD-A only supporter, no mention of "universal" players alluding to SACD would have been mentioned.

Rich Malloy

Check out the follow-up to yesterday's report: http://www.highfidelityreview.com/ne...umber=16008578
This is the first I've heard of the SACD, and the CD is also scheduled to come out in October... day-and-date? It seems the hi-res conversion of the Dylan catalog is definitely a priority at Columbia.

Also, "Gaucho" is slated for late summer, "Toys in the Attic" for the fall (tracks from both releases were demoed).

\"Only one is a wanderer;
Two together are always going somewhere.\"

Lee Scoggins

Wow! First release of unreleased album in DSD.

Thanks Rich, I saw a Stereophile report that mentioned 16 albums and thought they made a mistake. This certainly clears that one up...

no fears alone at night she's sailing through the crowd
in her ears the phones are tight and the music's playing loud
~skateaway