On Sun, 14 Jul 2002, Oh Jay wrote:
to the topic of hdcd encoded cds i can only add that it was ALWAYS a reduction to encode cds in 16-bit format , but - sony - the inventors of the first cds thought that it was a good idea ... jus' like the pretty crappy vhs format for videotapes by their inventors jvc !!! *sigh* :-o btw : we were also spoiled with 74 or 80 min. cds for way too long , as it's NOT a problem to have 90 min. cds , but the industry simply doesn't wanted it that way ... for obvious reasons !!! :-/
Oh, don't get me wrong. I think the CD audio format as it is sucks. But I disagree that it's inferior to vinyl, I disagree that digital audio in general is in any way inferior to analog, and I think that people like this HDCD bunch should spend their effort on creating a new digital music medium instead of trying to distort a flawed existing one. Unfortunately I also think that this is exactly the wrong time to be thinking about a new digital medium to succeed CD audio, given the absolutely unforgivable activities of the entertainment industry of late. Any new format produced at this time is likely to also be fatally flawed, but in other ways - for example, being playable only on "authorized" devices. -- /* Soleil */