Tom Fine wrote:
The ultimate rationalizer, the market, has decided high-rez and multi-channel are fringe/niche formats with little uptake in the market. Recalling history, it might be argued that CD and microgroove LP and stereo in earlier eras were all mass media upgrades forced by the sellers of packaged music (ie, the day came in the 50's when stuff wasn't released on 78's much anymore and then the time came in the mid-60's when mono lps became scarce and then the time came in the late 80's when LPs in general became scarce -- so if you wanted the newest album from your faves, you had to adopt the new mass medium).
Neither the LP nor the CD won out because of audio superiority. In fact, it may be argued that the best LPs were always better than the best CDs. The LP and CD offered substantially greater convenience than its predecessor; the CD if not the LP is far more durable than the one it replaced. In part, economy is another substantial factor.
Where the advantage of a new medium was limited to technical superiority, it rarely thrived. Were that not so, cassette would never have replaced open-reel and DAT would be the standard for personal recording.
Mike -- mrichter@xxxxxxx http://www.mrichter.com/