You are correct about the number of EXCELLENT masters being minute (probably about 2 to be exact) but I think there are plenty who can get the job done. Understandably so, the music industry oftens waits on the more excellent to take care of the mastering for SACD media, another reason we don't have a huge amount of it available.
Its just not fair to say that the others are not getting the production right however... in terms of your ears and mine that sort of music just isn't good and there is not an audio engineer out there whose gonna help that opinion.
I personally wouldn't care to buy Britney Spears on SACD but I know somoene else would. The new multi-channel formats will not survive catering to audio-enthusist like you and me. I can appreciate the warmness of an orchestra through SACD but Beehtoven is not where the market sits.
Are you serious? Your saving/rebate theory works well for you because you specifically had already decided to buy both sets, so of course you're saving. But otherwise, this just reminds me of the car dealer giving me $2000 more than my trade in was worth but charging me $3000 more for the vehicle I am buying.
I was pretty irritated with this whole thing too... I wanted to own the movie now but I wanted the collector's edition later. Then I checked the price at Best Buy.... I think they're going to sell it for $54.00 which made my decision to buy Tuesday alot easier. I'm a fan of cinema but $15.99 Vs. $54.99 is a big contrast for most people. The collector's edition has its value but thats box set pricing.
BESTBUY.... I've seen the deal a couple of times and stocked up..... a year and a half later I am now just getting towards the end of my bundles. Its just a matter of checking the ad circular's weekly. I really don't understand the modding process of this thread.
Every now and then Best Buy (at least in my area - Raleigh Durham, NC) offers deals for 50 or 100 packs with a rebate for the full price. I haven't "bought" a CD-R in over a year and a half now. I think it had something to do with an oversupply in the industry (couldn't find the old slashdot stories on it) Plus they probably rely on people like my girlfriend who will either A) Lose the reciept, or B) Just forget to send the rebate in before the one month deadline.
Yeah, I've got four or five burners but I'm sure everybody has got that one Aunt who doesn't. When CD Burners are $2 on pricewatch and you can ALWAYS find quality CDr's for free we should get rid of the floppy in NEW systems. Whenever I used to take work home I'd always email a copy and back a copy up on floppy.... (everyone doesn't have Zip Disk either)!
Correct. I'm not saying I'll sign over everything I own to Uncle Sam but I also don't think we ALWAYS have to be skeptical of what they're doing. Yeah I know the govt. does some shady things here and there but there aren't too many of us who don't at some point in time. The govt. IS this powerful body which SHOULD be questioned at times, but afterall it only consist of people like you and me. Whether this whole thing does any good or not remains to be seen but at least they're trying.
Making sure the specifics of the law are down is exactly why they introduced this bill. While it is true malicious acts can be perpetrated in many ways using many different mediums, we are accustomed to certain ones (guns, knives, cars, etc.) and not a method such as hacking. You have to admit that "Killing someone with a banana" is more black and white than the use of a computer and hacking resulting in death.
The court system has to ammend laws as times change. Some of law is cut and dry but much of it is invloved with lawyers manipulating the PERCEPTION of what the law is. Laws don't change nearly as much as an individuals interprettation does. Good lawyers are great presenters and arguers. Theorhetically you could do the same things a lawyer does in your own defense (outside of a few deals, connections, and knowing who to deal with). Problem is most of us don't know all or much of the letter of the law, nor have the tools/time to research it as much.
You can pay the $90 speeding fine for doing 80 in a 65 having your insurance increase drastically, or you can pay a lawyer $275 and some how its now a non-moving violation or faulty equiptment, giving you no insurance increase.
Getting more specific on a newer topic such as fatal hacking is a good way to remove a few more loopholes to be found. Better done now rather than waiting for precedence.
The company I work for and many others pay WAAAY more for software like databases, app servers, testers, etc.. Not to mention per processor licenses, then theres the support you talk about.
Don't think developer's and other professional like us aren't out there getting this sort of $9500 software too, its not just kids. Lets see, get my boss to approve a purchase order for it (fat chance during a budget crunch, and if it does get approved, still takes some time), or download it from Kazaa for no cost today. Don't under estimate the profit loss for a company, especially a smaller scaled one.
The penalty does seem a bit harsh but then I imagine hard working product teams out of work struggling to support families, and all because this sort of thing is "fun" for others.
Notice I said "someone who happens to already own a PS2 and not a computer". So, I'm not talking about going out and buying them together for $400. I'm saying that some kid who HAS a PS2 and NOT a computer could benefit from the addition of the kit and apps like Apache if they wanted to break into programming etc. and not spend the time and money on MS products.
You're making the assumption that one has to be a Slashdot Linux nerd to want to get interested in running linux on a PS2. I think the PS2 getting Linux, Apache, and etc. can spark the interest of others who aren't like us. The kit isn't useful to me right now. It doesn't sound like it is to you either.... but none of this means that it doesn't serve a logical purpose for others.
Of course this has uses on some levels. Will a bank of PS2's ever be the backbone of EBAY, NO. But it can be a useful hobby/ learning tool for someone who happens to already own a PS2 and not a computer.
I can't figure out what "makes" a story here, I've seen readers praise less interesting re-invented wheels than this one. I could cure cancer and you guys would say "so", but let some guy setup Linux to auto-flush his toilet and he'd be a hero.
I for one would hope alot of these stories are hype and that things won't be as harsh around this OS as they say. Its my opinion that alot of news is built around exagerration and speculation. It just makes me think about how 60 minutes has at least one segment a week about how Russia could mistakeningly nuke us because of faulty electronics or lack of security for personel. If this happens to ALL be true about Palladium, fine..... It will be a very good thing for alternatives like Linux.
While it may be cheaper and more profitable for the companies to produce DVD rather than VHS.. the simple and most logical reason they developed the new format has to be that it is a superior source , picture, audio, and entertainment wise over a VHS tape. The cheapness in the production process is more attributed to good design, research, and development. I mean MP3's aren't a hit because of the sound quality, they're a hit because the format allows the medium to be small in size.
Actually there ARE new improvements for music. Problem is they can't decide which one they want to support so the industry is torn between Multichannel SACD or DVD-Audio. Its sort of a VHS Vs. Beta thing (and yes Sony is again in the mix). Both formats offer extras, DVD-Audio can offer video extras while SACD can hold a normal layer AND a SACD layer making it playable in the average OLD CD player. There are many other notable features but the sooner they can get one of these formats out into the forefront, us Audiophiles can reap the benefits and start spending more money again.
Its all about the quality of content. DVD's are a big hit because its a great format. You get almost perfect picture quality and the audio tracks are usually DTS, 5.1, or better. I know they have all of these add-ons for desktops that are supposed to turn them into home theaters in a box but really, watching a DVD on a 21 inch monitor doesn't compare to a much larger screen and room filling theater equiptment.. for most of us I should say. You could make downloading movies as quick and easy as songs and I'd still rather wait to buy LOTR on DVD and see it in the best possible setup I have rather than sit at my desk where I work and watch it. And before I get any replies on hooking the video card up to the television, been there, done that for the interest of it, but the setup still doesn't compare.
No one can deny that P2P has taken some profit away from the music industry. I can't argue validly that this is moral because its not.
I do think they only have themselves to blame. And none of those guys are going to convince me that they're starving either. While CD's have been around longer, it was just as great of a technological advance at that time, as the DVD is today.
I've seen more movies that I'd like to own this year, than Albums I've heard and wanted to buy.
Image has always been a part of both industries but I feel like its too important with music today. Maybe record companies should pump more money into the music itself rather than "Making the Band" and any other boy/girl band farms out there. I know why they do it, it makes them alot of money...look at how much money Britney Spears, O-Town, etc have made. That's where they've placed their focused and made their money, now they want to cry because people aren't buying CD's for the music they themselves have been neglecting?
Movies are a whole product. If you purchase a movie you think is good you're getting 90 - 120 minutes of what you consider good content. Even when I purchase a CD from my favorite bands I consider it a hit if I like 4 out of 11 songs. It doesn't sound like a good thing but I am fine with purchasing a cd and only playing half of the tracks, but don't expect me to buy the "Men in Black" soundtrack just because it probably has one catchy song from Will Smith (Notice I said catchy, not good). If I have that sort of thing stuck in my head, why wouldn't I download it... I know it will pass and I know that more than likely the rest of the Cd sucks. Yes there is no way to predict the quality of a whole CD based on one single release but these days its a good indicator to me. Maybe a few bands suffer in the exceptional cases but mainly those suffering are the one hit wonder sells the record industry knows they are pumping out.
The word gets out about good music and good bands. Good bands still sell CD's. I may download alot of songs but I still buy CD's. Dave Matthews Band is a good case, paying no attention to your opinion on their music or not. Their fan base is increasing and they are still selling out shows. The main point, they are still selling a sh!tload of CD's and DVD's. Why, because alot of people think the music is good, the only reason why a CD SHOULD sell. About a year or so ago the band recorded two separate albums under two different producers. They didn't release the first album because of the producer change. Problem was, the fans had grown to love many of the unreleased songs because the band played them previously in shows. That unmastered studio album was leaked and downloaded by many. The Cd the band released was also leaked about two months before it went on sale. Many including myself still bought this album, even though I had the whole thing months before. In July the band will release the previous album they held back on last year. It will contain two additional tracks I believe. Even thoug I basically have that CD I myself can't wait. As incentive, there are contest associated with preordering it and the band is also including a DVD of two Dolby 5.1 performances with the CD. If you ask me, they have the right idea.
When more CD's start offering us something worth the money they cost, the decline in profit may become a little less noticeable... (DVD-AUDIO, SACD maybe??). Don't get me wrong, piracy isn't really a moral thing, but I think the record companies could solve many of their own problems if they themselves become a "little less Shady". (Could that be the next Eminem Album??)
I agree with you totally about the PS1. While the Xbox doesn't interest ME at all for now though, I could def. see it being desireable to others down the road at ~$50.... as a game machine and a hacked box running any of the code people are trying to get to run on it right now (linux, Mame etc).
The PS1 is also very old. This is not a valid comparison because eventually we know the Xbox will have a larger game selection and will also be as cheap as the PS1. Can you really tell me the Xbox 3 years from now at ~$50 isn't a better bargain than the PS1 at $50 today? I'm as big of a PS2 person as the next guy but please you guys, I feel like an MS spokesman here.
Re:Are they nuts?!
on
Microsoft Freon
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Well that depends on what your perception of a "little while is". Assuming this article is correct and things won't change timetable and market wise, (A BIG ASSUMPTION) an improved version of the Xbox console will not be released until approx 2005. This isn't any different than what Sony plans to do, and has done in the past. The way I read the article Freon is only an Xbox with additional NON-gaming features like the PVR. MS may lose based on the initial problems of when they released the Xbox but I can't see them losing more just by adding a PVR next year or so.
I've got a PS2 and I think its the better machine, but admittedly I am partial to Sony products, I know they have a larger market share on game titles, and also I haven't been exposed to playing the Xbox. I'm not an MS junkie and Kudos to anyone who can do anything better... but really, whats the point in always expecting or wanting them to fail. I for one would rather see them produce better products:-)
Slashdot Mirror
You are correct about the number of EXCELLENT masters being minute (probably about 2 to be exact) but I think there are plenty who can get the job done. Understandably so, the music industry oftens waits on the more excellent to take care of the mastering for SACD media, another reason we don't have a huge amount of it available.
Its just not fair to say that the others are not getting the production right however... in terms of your ears and mine that sort of music just isn't good and there is not an audio engineer out there whose gonna help that opinion.
I personally wouldn't care to buy Britney Spears on SACD but I know somoene else would. The new multi-channel formats will not survive catering to audio-enthusist like you and me. I can appreciate the warmness of an orchestra through SACD but Beehtoven is not where the market sits.
Are you serious? Your saving/rebate theory works well for you because you specifically had already decided to buy both sets, so of course you're saving. But otherwise, this just reminds me of the car dealer giving me $2000 more than my trade in was worth but charging me $3000 more for the vehicle I am buying.
I was pretty irritated with this whole thing too... I wanted to own the movie now but I wanted the collector's edition later. Then I checked the price at Best Buy.... I think they're going to sell it for $54.00 which made my decision to buy Tuesday alot easier. I'm a fan of cinema but $15.99 Vs. $54.99 is a big contrast for most people. The collector's edition has its value but thats box set pricing.
BESTBUY.... I've seen the deal a couple of times and stocked up..... a year and a half later I am now just getting towards the end of my bundles. Its just a matter of checking the ad circular's weekly. I really don't understand the modding process of this thread.
Every now and then Best Buy (at least in my area - Raleigh Durham, NC) offers deals for 50 or 100 packs with a rebate for the full price. I haven't "bought" a CD-R in over a year and a half now. I think it had something to do with an oversupply in the industry (couldn't find the old slashdot stories on it) Plus they probably rely on people like my girlfriend who will either A) Lose the reciept, or B) Just forget to send the rebate in before the one month deadline.
Yeah, I've got four or five burners but I'm sure everybody has got that one Aunt who doesn't. When CD Burners are $2 on pricewatch and you can ALWAYS find quality CDr's for free we should get rid of the floppy in NEW systems. Whenever I used to take work home I'd always email a copy and back a copy up on floppy.... (everyone doesn't have Zip Disk either)!
Lets see,
Are you human?
Do you have a brain?
Do you eat?
Do you sleep?
Do you breathe?
Do you ever make mistakes?
Unless you are a very intelligent lab rat, I'd say they are "like" you and me. If none of the above listed apply to you I apologize.
Correct. I'm not saying I'll sign over everything I own to Uncle Sam but I also don't think we ALWAYS have to be skeptical of what they're doing. Yeah I know the govt. does some shady things here and there but there aren't too many of us who don't at some point in time. The govt. IS this powerful body which SHOULD be questioned at times, but afterall it only consist of people like you and me. Whether this whole thing does any good or not remains to be seen but at least they're trying.
Making sure the specifics of the law are down is exactly why they introduced this bill. While it is true malicious acts can be perpetrated in many ways using many different mediums, we are accustomed to certain ones (guns, knives, cars, etc.) and not a method such as hacking. You have to admit that "Killing someone with a banana" is more black and white than the use of a computer and hacking resulting in death.
The court system has to ammend laws as times change. Some of law is cut and dry but much of it is invloved with lawyers manipulating the PERCEPTION of what the law is. Laws don't change nearly as much as an individuals interprettation does. Good lawyers are great presenters and arguers. Theorhetically you could do the same things a lawyer does in your own defense (outside of a few deals, connections, and knowing who to deal with). Problem is most of us don't know all or much of the letter of the law, nor have the tools/time to research it as much.
You can pay the $90 speeding fine for doing 80 in a 65 having your insurance increase drastically, or you can pay a lawyer $275 and some how its now a non-moving violation or faulty equiptment, giving you no insurance increase.
Getting more specific on a newer topic such as fatal hacking is a good way to remove a few more loopholes to be found. Better done now rather than waiting for precedence.
The company I work for and many others pay WAAAY more for software like databases, app servers, testers, etc.. Not to mention per processor licenses, then theres the support you talk about.
Don't think developer's and other professional like us aren't out there getting this sort of $9500 software too, its not just kids. Lets see, get my boss to approve a purchase order for it (fat chance during a budget crunch, and if it does get approved, still takes some time), or download it from Kazaa for no cost today. Don't under estimate the profit loss for a company, especially a smaller scaled one.
The penalty does seem a bit harsh but then I imagine hard working product teams out of work struggling to support families, and all because this sort of thing is "fun" for others.
How much of the Earth's resources will be wasted broadcasting how MS sucks and why this is wrong? I love it when an MS story gets posted here.....
BTW, one post was sufficient enough for whatever racist idiot posted first, please don't dignify it with anymore replies.
Notice I said "someone who happens to already own a PS2 and not a computer". So, I'm not talking about going out and buying them together for $400. I'm saying that some kid who HAS a PS2 and NOT a computer could benefit from the addition of the kit and apps like Apache if they wanted to break into programming etc. and not spend the time and money on MS products.
You're making the assumption that one has to be a Slashdot Linux nerd to want to get interested in running linux on a PS2. I think the PS2 getting Linux, Apache, and etc. can spark the interest of others who aren't like us. The kit isn't useful to me right now. It doesn't sound like it is to you either.... but none of this means that it doesn't serve a logical purpose for others.
Of course this has uses on some levels. Will a bank of PS2's ever be the backbone of EBAY, NO. But it can be a useful hobby/ learning tool for someone who happens to already own a PS2 and not a computer.
I can't figure out what "makes" a story here, I've seen readers praise less interesting re-invented wheels than this one. I could cure cancer and you guys would say "so", but let some guy setup Linux to auto-flush his toilet and he'd be a hero.
I for one would hope alot of these stories are hype and that things won't be as harsh around this OS as they say. Its my opinion that alot of news is built around exagerration and speculation. It just makes me think about how 60 minutes has at least one segment a week about how Russia could mistakeningly nuke us because of faulty electronics or lack of security for personel. If this happens to ALL be true about Palladium, fine..... It will be a very good thing for alternatives like Linux.
While it may be cheaper and more profitable for the companies to produce DVD rather than VHS.. the simple and most logical reason they developed the new format has to be that it is a superior source , picture, audio, and entertainment wise over a VHS tape. The cheapness in the production process is more attributed to good design, research, and development. I mean MP3's aren't a hit because of the sound quality, they're a hit because the format allows the medium to be small in size.
Actually there ARE new improvements for music. Problem is they can't decide which one they want to support so the industry is torn between Multichannel SACD or DVD-Audio. Its sort of a VHS Vs. Beta thing (and yes Sony is again in the mix). Both formats offer extras, DVD-Audio can offer video extras while SACD can hold a normal layer AND a SACD layer making it playable in the average OLD CD player. There are many other notable features but the sooner they can get one of these formats out into the forefront, us Audiophiles can reap the benefits and start spending more money again.
Its all about the quality of content. DVD's are a big hit because its a great format. You get almost perfect picture quality and the audio tracks are usually DTS, 5.1, or better. I know they have all of these add-ons for desktops that are supposed to turn them into home theaters in a box but really, watching a DVD on a 21 inch monitor doesn't compare to a much larger screen and room filling theater equiptment.. for most of us I should say. You could make downloading movies as quick and easy as songs and I'd still rather wait to buy LOTR on DVD and see it in the best possible setup I have rather than sit at my desk where I work and watch it. And before I get any replies on hooking the video card up to the television, been there, done that for the interest of it, but the setup still doesn't compare.
No one can deny that P2P has taken some profit away from the music industry. I can't argue validly that this is moral because its not. I do think they only have themselves to blame. And none of those guys are going to convince me that they're starving either. While CD's have been around longer, it was just as great of a technological advance at that time, as the DVD is today. I've seen more movies that I'd like to own this year, than Albums I've heard and wanted to buy.
Image has always been a part of both industries but I feel like its too important with music today. Maybe record companies should pump more money into the music itself rather than "Making the Band" and any other boy/girl band farms out there. I know why they do it, it makes them alot of money...look at how much money Britney Spears, O-Town, etc have made. That's where they've placed their focused and made their money, now they want to cry because people aren't buying CD's for the music they themselves have been neglecting?
Movies are a whole product. If you purchase a movie you think is good you're getting 90 - 120 minutes of what you consider good content. Even when I purchase a CD from my favorite bands I consider it a hit if I like 4 out of 11 songs. It doesn't sound like a good thing but I am fine with purchasing a cd and only playing half of the tracks, but don't expect me to buy the "Men in Black" soundtrack just because it probably has one catchy song from Will Smith (Notice I said catchy, not good). If I have that sort of thing stuck in my head, why wouldn't I download it... I know it will pass and I know that more than likely the rest of the Cd sucks. Yes there is no way to predict the quality of a whole CD based on one single release but these days its a good indicator to me. Maybe a few bands suffer in the exceptional cases but mainly those suffering are the one hit wonder sells the record industry knows they are pumping out.
The word gets out about good music and good bands. Good bands still sell CD's. I may download alot of songs but I still buy CD's. Dave Matthews Band is a good case, paying no attention to your opinion on their music or not. Their fan base is increasing and they are still selling out shows. The main point, they are still selling a sh!tload of CD's and DVD's. Why, because alot of people think the music is good, the only reason why a CD SHOULD sell. About a year or so ago the band recorded two separate albums under two different producers. They didn't release the first album because of the producer change. Problem was, the fans had grown to love many of the unreleased songs because the band played them previously in shows. That unmastered studio album was leaked and downloaded by many. The Cd the band released was also leaked about two months before it went on sale. Many including myself still bought this album, even though I had the whole thing months before. In July the band will release the previous album they held back on last year. It will contain two additional tracks I believe. Even thoug I basically have that CD I myself can't wait. As incentive, there are contest associated with preordering it and the band is also including a DVD of two Dolby 5.1 performances with the CD. If you ask me, they have the right idea.
When more CD's start offering us something worth the money they cost, the decline in profit may become a little less noticeable... (DVD-AUDIO, SACD maybe??). Don't get me wrong, piracy isn't really a moral thing, but I think the record companies could solve many of their own problems if they themselves become a "little less Shady". (Could that be the next Eminem Album??)
THANKYOU It is so nice to see an unbiased opinion on here sometimes.
I agree with you totally about the PS1. While the Xbox doesn't interest ME at all for now though, I could def. see it being desireable to others down the road at ~$50.... as a game machine and a hacked box running any of the code people are trying to get to run on it right now (linux, Mame etc).
The PS1 is also very old. This is not a valid comparison because eventually we know the Xbox will have a larger game selection and will also be as cheap as the PS1. Can you really tell me the Xbox 3 years from now at ~$50 isn't a better bargain than the PS1 at $50 today? I'm as big of a PS2 person as the next guy but please you guys, I feel like an MS spokesman here.
Well that depends on what your perception of a "little while is". Assuming this article is correct and things won't change timetable and market wise, (A BIG ASSUMPTION) an improved version of the Xbox console will not be released until approx 2005. This isn't any different than what Sony plans to do, and has done in the past. The way I read the article Freon is only an Xbox with additional NON-gaming features like the PVR. MS may lose based on the initial problems of when they released the Xbox but I can't see them losing more just by adding a PVR next year or so.
:-)
I've got a PS2 and I think its the better machine, but admittedly I am partial to Sony products, I know they have a larger market share on game titles, and also I haven't been exposed to playing the Xbox. I'm not an MS junkie and Kudos to anyone who can do anything better... but really, whats the point in always expecting or wanting them to fail. I for one would rather see them produce better products
better yet, add the word turbo to it and charge even more for both!
Once or twice I've taken my laptop with me into my bathroom to "handle business".... I guess I am doubly at risk.
You are only a thief if you don't continuously look at the "American Standard" Logo on the toilet while you're using it.