SOny going Hybrid and Dark Side confirmed on SACD (1 Viewer)

[Al B. C]

You bring up an interesting point.
I'll bet if you asked a newbie on this forum....
"Who has stake in a record company and a specific format, Mark Waldrep or Lee Scoggins?"
I wonder what the answers would be?
I gotta good idea.

 

[Rachael B]

Hey Brian, I wouldn't wager any substantial sums on wheather or not Lee is on the Sony payroll!
Sony hardware distribution is pathetic. If you go out to a Busted Buy or a Circuit City on a give day and try to buy an SACD player you won't necessarily be successful. I got the very last 775 at the Circuit City west location here. Now they only stock 1 DVD player that plays SACD and a Sony shelf system that does too.
Busted Buy is worse. You're lucky if you can find anything in most of their stores. Their new definition of a hi-end DVD player is anything over $199.95 as has been said, quoted, here before. Ha!
Sony has pissed off plenty of retailers with their single-layer discs that people bought by mistake and returned. Those sentiments were expressed to me by a local retailer. He said for the time being he's only stocking hybrids and then only if the cost isn't too high. If you look around his store it bears out. On a recent trip there I spotted 3 Alison Krauss, 1 Grant-Lee Phillips, and 1 Dave's True Story hybrids besides the obligatory Pink Floyd & Stones hybrids. I've never seen any CCR hybrids there, I quess they cost too much...?
Sony has botched both the hardware and software side of the format. They've painted themselves out the door with their single-layer thang with a great many retailers. I was looking at Sony's future release list for the U.S., Europe, Hong Kong, and Japan last nite. That compound word single-layer was next to every bleeding release. How do you spell DAFT, that's easy SONY!
Is Sony causually indifferent about the success of SACD? Seemingly so....

 

[Lee Scoggins]

You're lucky if you can find anything in most of their stores.

My local Best Buy has around 40 SACDs and two hardware models and prominent end caps for Dark Side of The Moon.
******************
I am surprised no one here recognizes the costs that would be involved in going all hybrid. I think I have made a very good case.
If you want to bash Sony, fine. I am not on the payroll - I own a software company in Atlanta and I do record engineering part-time. I even recently tried to contact David Kawakami for clarification of some things and never received an email.
Some days I wished I worked for a big company - it's an easier way out than trying to change an industry with new software. But the software experience is a better learning experience.
I have a new theory about the format wars, which I will share this week based on some new consumer research done by the Boston Consulting Group and a friend of mine.
The bottome line is this: there is no format war. Look for the thread.

 

[KeithH]

Lee said:

The best you can logically do is argue that some models in the $500-700 range have stopped shipping before the replacements have shown up.

What replacements? Where are they? They haven't even been announced! Sony still markets two non-ES carousel CD changers (CDP-CE275 and 'CE375), but no comparable SACD changers! If you don't want DVD, you have two choices: the 'XA777ES, which is above most peoples' budgets, and the 'C222ES. That's it! It's pretty sad when I go into a Best Buy or Circuit City, and the SACD kiosk has no player hooked up.

 

[Justin Lane]

I have heard the same sentiments from my local Tower manager about DVDA sales. He says they either think they are getting a CD playable disc or a DVD movie.

Lee this is a SACD thread by the way, saying DVD-A has the same problem does not do a thing about SACD's problem, and is one of the worst argument tactics available when one does not have good arguments or desire to debate on the merits of the case. At least the DVD-A will still play in your DVD player, which is unfortunately not the case with single layer SACD.

Best Buy is even getting a bit perturbed with the amount of single layer SACD discs returned, as I have had sales people and checkout people in two different stores try to flock me away from the SACD sections telling me they are not playable on my CD player (why didn't they try to sell me a SACD player??), or warn me before checking out that this is a SACD that will probably not play on my hardware.

When I inquired about this new stance, they informed me that regional management, sent out a memo notifying stores and employees, about the single layer SACD return problem. Of course most employees at Best Buy are just high school kids there for a pay check, but those that do care about there jobs seem to be unpromoting SACD.

This shows me a couple of things. First Sony has done the worst job imaginable in educating the stores/people who sell their product, about the benefits it offers to the public. Secondly Sony has done zero on the promotion of SACD directly to the public. No advertisements, weekend customer demos by Sony reps, or anything else that would clue the general public into SACD. I hope it turns out to be untrue, but SACD software and hardware is beginning to be treated very similarly to minidisc.

J

 

[KeithH]

Justin makes a fair point. In all of these debates, no one (here at least, anyway) is saying that DVD-Audio is being marketed more effectively than SACD. However, there are dyed-in-the-wool SACD supporters out on various web sites who have taken a rather jingoistic stance regarding their perceived success of the SACD format and their perceived lack of success of the DVD-Audio format. At the end of the day, I do not see people here touting the successful marketing of the DVD-Audio format. It's just that most discussions here center around a belief that the SACD format is a success. Typically, these discussions center around SACD with no references being made in regards to the marketing of SACD versus DVD-Audio. As a result of the flow of these discussions, no assumptions should be made with respect to those critical of the marketing of the SACD format and their views towards DVD-Audio. I, for one, am equally frustarted with the marketing of both formats.

 

[Lee Scoggins]

Typically, these discussions center around SACD with no references being made in regards to the marketing of SACD versus DVD-Audio.

Because of the titles releases and total number thereof, there is simply more to talk about at this point in time with Super Audio.
Superstar albums are key. If Van Morrison comes out on DVDA (soon out on MoFi Super Audio ) then I will buy it, review it, and discuss it. I confess I am not real excited about Fleetwood Mac given their recent political performances. I cannot tell you what an overwhelmingly positive response Dark Side of The Moon has received from my friends. Two are buying players this week.

 

[LanceJ]

Was at Best Buy again last night :b**, and saw at least three of these scattered through the music department: three foot by 2" bright yellow banners saying something to the effect of "Check out the sacd and dvd-audio section for more prerecorded music".
Some progress at least.
** I was actually up there to go to Barnes & Noble next door to check out this book which is causing a stir among people where I work.
LJ

 

[Lee Scoggins]

three foot by 2" bright yellow banners saying something to the effect of "Check out the sacd and dvd-audio section for more prerecorded music".

Good, at least Best Buy is making an effort.