Sony Music and SACD

[JonUrban]

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?p=866166

Interesting posts in this thread from Steve Hoffman.................

Pretty telling, I must say..............

 

[Foxman]

WOW Gloomy. Man I really dig multichannel music. Thats not an optamistic thread.

There have been a few recent articles about the demise of the format and at least one hyping it (telarc). My fingers are crossed, but it seems like its a passing format

 

[solaris]

there is no way multichannel music will not stay around. Just try and buy a stereo amp today. With Quad nobody had a MC set up, unless they were going quad, today thats all they sell

 

[Kazaam]

I have a buddy who dropped by the other day whilst I was playing some music. He asked if that was one of those "Super Audio CDs". He's not an audiophile---and, no, I don't suppose he's going to get a SACD player anytime soon, but honest-to-goodness he actually asked that question. Perhaps more impressive is that he got the name of the format correct. Anyway... I was just impressed that he even has the SACD format in his consciousness because I don't exactly hammer my friends about multi-channel music. So I'm feeling pretty positive about the longevity of multi-channel music---specifically SACD and DVD-Audio.

 

[Scottmoose]

I wish I was. Sony seem to be giving up on SACD as there's no mention of DSD compatability in blu-ray specifications, and now Sony Music are dabbling in duel disc. DVD-A's even worse off though. Oh well, we shall see what we shall see (at least that's profoundly true!)

 

[bmoura]

I wish I was. Sony seem to be giving up on SACD as there's no mention of DSD compatability in blu-ray specifications, and now Sony Music are dabbling in duel disc. DVD-A's even worse off though. Oh well, we shall see what we shall see (at least that's profoundly true!)

The focus with Blu-Ray (and HD-DVD) is Video, not Music at this point. As for DSD on Blu-Ray, that's still a possibility. Time will tell.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I was told it was possible to put DSD on Blu-Ray but it ain't part of the spec.

Kal

 

[bmoura]

I was told it was possible to put DSD on Blu-Ray but it ain't part of the spec.
Kal

True that DSD isn't one of the "mandatory audio formats" for Blu-Ray but neither is Dolby Digital Plus or MLP. But they could also be added later.

Reminds me a lot of DVD Video where DTS wasn't a mandatory audio format in the U.S. and Dolby Digital wasn't a mandatory format initially in Europe. Yet both came to be used with DVD Video later on in those markets.

 

[HiRes_PR]

The Sony Music Releases Schedule web page was updated today with items from Jan 04, 2005 to Feb 1st, 2005 and there's no sign of SACDs. In fact, the last SACD released by Sony was John Mayer's Heavier Things on August 17, 2004. No SACDs released for 5 months is suspicious.

Obviously, Sony is abandoning the format.

Unfortunately!

 

[bmoura]

The Sony Music Releases Schedule web page was updated today with items from Jan 04, 2005 to Feb 1st, 2005 and there's no sign of SACDs. In fact, the last SACD released by Sony was John Mayer's Heavier Things on August 17, 2004. No SACDs released for 5 months is suspicious.

Obviously, Sony is abandoning the format.

Unfortunately!

Well, Sony Music U.S. may not have any SACDs announced but Sony the company continues to release new SACD players.

So the format appears to continue on.

 

[HiRes_PR]

Well, Sony Music U.S. may not have any SACDs announced but Sony the company continues to release new SACD players.

So the format appears to continue on.

But, do they really have new dedicated players besides the SCD-CE595, SCD-C2000ES or the ES top of the line XA9000ES?

 

[bmoura]

But, do they really have new dedicated players besides the SCD-CE595, SCD-C2000ES or the ES top of the line XA9000ES?

Sony Electronics has SACD features in their Home Theater In A Box (Dream System) series as well as in DVD players and SACD/CD players these days.

And they have more SACD equipped products coming in the Spring.

 

[Scottmoose]

Sony Electronics has SACD features in their Home Theater In A Box (Dream System) series as well as in DVD players and SACD/CD players these days.

And they have more SACD equipped products coming in the Spring.

All very true. But that's the hardware arm of Sony. The software arm, who are responsible for releasing the discs, have gone awefully quiet. I suspect that they'd love to jump ship completely, and leave DSD in the hands of the recording studios, and simply stick with high-quality redbook (or possibly dual-disc, though I have my doubts in this regard too.)

 

[BOSSMAN]

Well, Sony Music U.S. may not have any SACDs announced but Sony the company continues to release new SACD players.

Can someone explain this strategy to me? Please?

 

[bmoura]

All very true. But that's the hardware arm of Sony. The software arm, who are responsible for releasing the discs, have gone awefully quiet. I suspect that they'd love to jump ship completely, and leave DSD in the hands of the recording studios, and simply stick with high-quality redbook (or possibly dual-disc, though I have my doubts in this regard too.)

There are different policies even in the "software arm" of Sony as you say.

Sony Music labels outside of the U.S. continue to release SACDs even as the U.S. group has not in recent months.

 

[soundboy]

I think it needs to be clarified that the Sony Music/BMG merger doesn't include Sony Music Japan, which operates in the second biggest music market in the world. For the record, the 2 latest Sony SACDs come from Sony Music operating in Asia.

So that Harry Fox issue has yet to be resolved?