SACD - Discussion Thread

[Mr. Widget]

SACD is the best thing since good vinyl, but its quality (like the quality of a good PCM recording) is veiled by the analogue output section of most players. And its quality is also hidden be the other compromises that are summarized in the Audio Tools citation.

I agree... I think Sony has made a mistake in offering really bad SACD capability in their dirt cheap players. It is obvious why they have done it... to increase the market for SACD discs... and like you I would be very disappointed if this wonderful format went the way of Betamax and the Elcassette. On the positive side they have enabled DonC to get the surround sound he likes and me to get the high quality 2-channel I like all on one disc... that is very cool.

As for copy right infringement? No one here is suggesting or recommending it. In fact if you hadn't mentioned it, I doubt any of would have noticed it. Beyond that there is only copyright infringement if someone makes an illegal copy. The player and mods may allow you to do this, but in no way require you to.

I hate the planned obsolescence in the computer world too... but, in this case... SACD, it is an incredible opportunity to have source material at this level available to the general public for a couple of extra bucks.


Widget

[johnaec]

for example i have held off buying a hd tv for fear of not having the right connection when hd players became available.

There's something to start a good new business with - a lossless switchable adapter that will convert and interface between all formats and connector types, so no matter what you have you could get optimum connectivity. Of course, I have no idea if this would even be technically possible...

John

[Titanium Dome]

Somewhere in there is something I want to quote:

Yeah, I agree (I think). I'm about to discard a perfectly good printer which would probably last me the rest of my life because Macs no longer have serial ports. The only way I can continue to use it would be with the cost of the space and considerable inconvenience to keep an old computer set up for a print station.

David

You could get one of these.

http://search.ebay.com/search/search...tle=asantetalk

Hurry, the page may change!

I use one of these at home to keep my LaserWriter Select 360 running. It's hooked by Ethernet to my wireless router, so I can print to this old, reliable, terrific AppleTalk printer from anywhere in the house.

I also use one to print to an even older Personal LaserWriter 320 at work, wirelessly from my PowerBook through the network to the AsanteTalk® to the printer.

[Titanium Dome]

David

Here's the Asante Web page. I guess you can still order a new one for lots more money.

http://www.asante.com/products/Cards...AsanteTalk.asp

NOW back to SACD. Sorry for the OT comments.

[speakerdave]

You could get one of these.

Thank you.

[Titanium Dome]

I frequent this discussion at AVS.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=112

I'm more interested in DVD-A, but this AVS forum covers both, plus other formats as well. I even get in a few LaserDisc AC-3 licks now and then.

[Mr. Widget]

I'm more interested in DVD-A...

Why?


Widget

[Titanium Dome]

Why?


Widget

Practical reason: I have two DVD-A players and no SACD players.

Technical reasons: My interests lie both in two-channel and multi-channel sound, as well as integrated media (sound + vision). SACD started out more as an ultra two-channel format while DVD-A was more multimedia from the get-go.

I like DVD-A's MLP, data capacity, and super low noise floor. I also like the video capability which from the beginning allowed DVD-A discs to be richer in feature sets. Listening to Emmylou Harris's Producer's Cut in multichannel sound while browsing her photo album is a very nice experience.

I'm not knocking SACD at all. It's just that I got started by choice with DVD-A, and like Jim I'm not ready to buy another marginally accepted technology at this time. The selections for both SACD and DVD-A are disappointing in terms of availability, and now we have another just around the corner.

[Rusnzha]

Originally written by speakerdave

Is this what the Lansing Heritage forum has become now? One of those places on the internet where cheaters can exchange information on how to cheat copyright laws and licensing agreements? The shame!

Do these holier than thou rantings serve any purpose? Maybe the real crooks are the ones who are causing these products to perform so far below their potential. Charles Dickens said that "sometimes the law is an ass." This is one more instance that proves the truth of his statement.

[speakerdave]

Originally written by speakerdave
Do these holier than thou rantings serve any purpose?

Good question! I hope asking it introspectively gets around. My answer--probably not. Why this one then? Well, it did serve a rather minor and unimportant purpose. I'd like to explain, but I won't, because satire really has to work on the first try or forget it.

Originally written by speakerdave Maybe the real crooks are the ones who are causing these products to perform so far below their potential.

Well, I'm not going to call them crooks right now, but I will say that launching a new standard has got to be one of the most challenging and fearsome moments in business, especially since, as in the case of Darwin and Wallace, the ideas just seem to trickle down out of the ethers in pairs, at least. I think mistakes have been made in the case of SACD (and there has been outright cheating). I hope it turns out like the Apple/Mac story where the idea survived despite the screwups of the people who once owned it.

David

[Rusnzha]

Fair enough!

[Ken Pachkowsky]

I must confess to not having read the possible copyright infringement information at the end of the disclaimer section. I got board with the standard "If you fry the machine or yourself I do not accept responsibility stuff". I would not intentionally promote others doing anything illegal especially on a public site.

That being said, I compared this modification to that of modifying a JBL crossover to enhance its performance or in my case replacing all 160 of my bi-pass caps to wima 1.0uf caps in my HRX crossover. It certainly enhanced its performance.

I would ask that the link be removed by the appropriate moderator, if they feel it should be.

Ken

[Mr. Widget]

I would ask that the link be removed by the appropriate moderator, if they feel it should be.

Seems like a non-issue to me...

However, where the hell is your report back to us on the DAC? Get on over to the DAC thread and post your review!


Widget

[Ken Pachkowsky]

However, where the hell is your report back to us on the DAC? Get on over to the DAC thread and post your review!

Widget

Truth is, I been under the weather since Wednesday. Hopefully I will get it posted over the next couple of days.

Ken

[Rudy Kleimann]

Is this what the Lansing Heritage forum has become now? One of those places on the internet where cheaters can exchange information on how to cheat copyright laws and licensing agreements?

The shame!

David

PS: I've eliminated the URL from my quotation of Ken's post so as not to add to the iniquity, but I have a copy of it in case any of our moderators wants to check what I just said.

I rather resent when someone starts playing the role of God and Conscience here. Next thing, they'll be proclaiming that trying other brands (or even other model numbers of genuine JBL) diaphragms and cone kits in our own JBL model xxxx drivers is Heresy, and any posts regarding such "inappropriate behavior" should be deleted!

None of us here are going into business of manufacturing products for profit that would undermine the manufacturers marketing of a new product or technology nor recoup their investment in the R&D. It's all for fun, learning, and to satisfy the modder in each of us. Nothin' more, nothin' less. And that is one of the, if not the main reason for this forums' existence, right?

Stop worrying so much, and please refrian from the condescending approach when correcting an error on the part of others. Share what you can, and be kind about it... I would rather feel enlightened than reprimanded!!!

***And now, we return to our regularly-scheduled program***

A few years ago, my neighbor unsuccesfully searched for one of the early Sony DVD-7000ES players that were factory-built with the internal DIP switches for selecting the DVD Region code and CopyGuard protection. These players gained notoriety on News Forums just like this one, until Hollywood complained to Sony about it. Eventually, Sony bowed to pressure from Hollywood (and enjoyed good sales of the player), building a dedicated Region1 only player for the US market.

My neighbor gave up the hunt, settled for a non-switchable model, and later found an internet source on a DVD Forum for a mod kit to do it. I helped him install the mod, which was a new BIOS chip and two jumper wires. It would play all region codes and removed the CopyGuard signal from the S-Video outputs.

He used it to play a couple of DVD's sent from overseas friends, and transcribed them to SVHS. BTW, the discs were never marketed here and therefore did not constitue a violation of business ethics or copyright laws. I later bought the player from him (and still own it) and made three or four transcriptions to VHS of DVD movies I bought. I only did it because my parents didn't yet own a DVD player yet at that time, and I didn't want to drag my $1000 DVD player around just to enjoy a special movie with my Family at my parents' home.

Later, the $129 Brooksonic DVD player that played all region codes and had no CopyGuard hit the market, and became common knowledge on many Audio and Video Newsgroups and Forums. Nobody seemed to care, not even Hollywood.

As always, it costs more for the recording medium and is too time-consuming to ever make a profitable business of dubbing or scamming movies from another DVD region. For myself, it was a rarely-exercised labor of love and a protection of my investment in High-end hardware.

I have always felt that once I own something, it is mine to do what I please with it, so long as someone else doesn't get cheated or hurt. if I modify it to suit my own interest and it works, great! If I blow it up, oh well... part of the cost of having fun