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