Comment DAT anyone? (Score 3) 404
Is there even a place for DVD-Audio? Most people wouldn't buy new players for one or two CD's, as DVD-Audio will be pretty expensive at first (as manufacturers ramp up production), and it will take more time to get the DVD electronics in a small package, like a CD Walkman.
This reminds me of the stuff when DAT came out. DAT was a failure because of all the arguing over copy-protection (as well as being non-random access, but that was less of an issue than having copy-protection schemes voted on by the US Congress).
DVD-Audio has no place in high-end audio either. People who spend thousands for professional gear tend to stick to standard formats (I've noticed a migration to .WAV files, which is the one of the best ways to store a master because it can easily be converted to an MP3, burnt to a track on a CD, spat out digitally using S/PDIF, or dumped to DAT.) Storing a master on DVD-Audio is not a concept professional sound people would consider -- so many other alternatives, DAT, burnable CD's, MD's, that another entry in this market really wouldn't fly.
So, if the high-end audiophiles do not have a use for this technology, and Joe Average has to buy fairly expensive equipment, from people who assume he is a thief bent on stealing their music, to listen to discs that sound pretty much the same to an untrained ear, then there isn't much real mass market here.
The only place I see a place is selling to audio buffs who have to have the best of everything to listen to their CD's, and have to have 24/96 no matter what. However, these people are fairly rare, and probably would resent having to get yet another piece of gear to stick in their rack.
This reminds me of the stuff when DAT came out. DAT was a failure because of all the arguing over copy-protection (as well as being non-random access, but that was less of an issue than having copy-protection schemes voted on by the US Congress).
DVD-Audio has no place in high-end audio either. People who spend thousands for professional gear tend to stick to standard formats (I've noticed a migration to
So, if the high-end audiophiles do not have a use for this technology, and Joe Average has to buy fairly expensive equipment, from people who assume he is a thief bent on stealing their music, to listen to discs that sound pretty much the same to an untrained ear, then there isn't much real mass market here.
The only place I see a place is selling to audio buffs who have to have the best of everything to listen to their CD's, and have to have 24/96 no matter what. However, these people are fairly rare, and probably would resent having to get yet another piece of gear to stick in their rack.
