High-end Universal...Why? ?


I don't understand why we're still talking about the "age of uncertainty" and the need for a universal player. After the death of DVD-A, those with high-end universals are going to look upon the vestigal circuitry in their machines with the same obsessive disdain as they would a reptilian tail sticking out of their own rear ends. You know who you are. : ) I humbly suggest using your $4 to $12K and buy an SACD player.

Sure, many people's favorite music isn't out on SACD, but that's a ubiquitous problem whenever formats change. There are many Lp's that never made it to CD. Why will SACD win over DVD-A? Let's take the surround camp: even if 50% bought DVD-A and 50% bought SACD, (it's actually 3 to 1 SACD over DVD-A), you also have 2-channel high-rez camp buying SACD also, swinging the vote even further in latter's favor.

A disclosure: I own an SACD player.
jdaniel18ee

Showing 1 response by andy2

I agree with Bld63 that SACD will probably become a small niche in the market only few will care. Most people just don't care about the sound quality as much as they care about the picture quality of their home entertainment center. People will rather spend 3000.00 on a new plasma screen than on a cd player that can play sacd.

Since the technology is cheap enough nowaday, why can't Sony or Phillips make every of their new DVD players able to play SACD also and this will encourage people to experience the new format with little or no cost. Once they see the benefit of the new format, then maybe there is a small chance SACD will become part of the house hold topic.

By the way, when was the last time you see a SACD comercials on TV. I don't watch TV that much but honestly I swear I have not seen any thing on SACD on TV. The only ads I've seen are on hifi magazines but that is like preaching to the converted. (Wouldn't you rather see something else on TV others then Bush trying to trash Kerry war records :-) ?.)

It's kind of funny that most home electronic stores I visit, most salesman treat their SACD players, even the cheapest ones, as some sort of sacred devices that only a few can touch. This kind of remind me of the Apple vs. IBM fight back when computer was in its infancy. There is a joke that you don't ask a man what kind of computer he uses. If he uses Apple then he will proudly announce so.

Anyway, it seems like people in the SACD marketing departments are more audiophiles than marketers.