On 15/06/07, Tom Fine wrote:
Er, OK Don but the fact is the major owners of content have pretty much abandoned the format. Yes, some small labels catering to audiophiles do continue to make releases, mostly classical music but some jazz. Fact is, SACD failed as anything approaching a mainstream format.
Good music isn't mainstream anyway. And what you call "small firms" are overtaking the majors - Hyperion, Chandos, Naxos, BIS etc have been building their catalogs for the past 20 years while the old majors have been winding down.
You raise a good question about quad uptake vs. SACD and you might be right but note that SACD-enabled players are not all DVD players by a long stretch, so they are a tiny subset of the installed DVD base.
Not all DVD players can play SACD, but a good proportion can, including most of the better ones. So people who are serious about Home Cinema can generally also play SACDs in surround dound.
Hi Fi dealers now sell a lot of Home Cinema gear.
Also note that DVD-audio pretty much failed as a mainstream format, too, although some niche players are definitely active in that format too.
Bottom line is, more than 2 speakers for music-only listening is just not appealing to most people despite how much you and I might like listening in surround sound.
There seem to be a lot of magazines called "What Home Cinema" and the like. I think this is a thriving industry.
Regards -- Don Cox doncox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx