Good points all. I believe that SACD is a path to keep performances digitally locked up without copy codes/protection. If no chip set and no player can copy the disk digitally, or output the bit stream (other than big $$$ players like Accuphase or through heavy license fees), then the media companies can skirt the freedom of copy issues in court. Eventually CD players and music CDs will be phased out - there will no longer be CDs except for data copy and legacy. The big media companies are attempting to put the genie back in the bottle. I guess I will have to dust off my Nak 700II for car-tunes!
Latest SACD News - Very Interesting.
Rumor is one of the main record companies had decided to stop CD production and switch to SACD/CD hybrids for all new titles. As Sony cannot as yet produce hybrids, it is assumed that the label in question has to be Universal (Philips).
The news, announced at a Sony-Philips press conference, was that one million consumer SACD players have been sold so far. The prognosis for SACD is total worldwide sales of 6 million players (in whatever form) in 2003 and 13 million in 2004.
Sounds like great news, but there are still no SACD titles I want to buy; and I refuse to pay more for a hybrid CD I can't use.
More information is at: http://www.stereophile.com/shownews.cgi?1353