Blu-ray Audio...will it take over?

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 16, 2010
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IMO Blu-ray Audio has huge potential and will, in the end, silence every digital format before it.

John
 
Steve, do you think it is necessary for the price of Blu-Ray movies to lower before Blu-Ray audio becomes viable, let alone takes over CD?
 
Steve, do you think it is necessary for the price of Blu-Ray movies to lower before Blu-Ray audio becomes viable, let alone takes over CD?

perhaps I said that with tongue in cheek because what small % of America (let alone the world) has embraced BD. Ask people who don't have it and they don't know what it is. Those that do will always talk about the higher price. So of the people who know BD what % would then reach out to embrace Blu-Ray audio. (unless of course it is properly priced). ;)
 
Simply because every household will have a Blu-ray player and high-defination multi-channel or 2-channel (if desired) sound can be expereinced, without the need for a another dedicated player.
 
Pricing of Blu-ray discs is dropping weekly. Pricing of players is as well.
 
I do not see it happening. The future of digital is already here, and it is downloaded.
 
I do not see it happening. The future of digital is already here, and it is downloaded.

Yup, I think we're past the point of no return.
 
IMO Blu-ray Audio has huge potential and will, in the end, silence every digital format before it.

John
Unfortunately from a business point of view, that is unlikely to happen. Reason is not what you think. It has to do with mandatory AACS licensing with keys costing thousands of dollars. Given the small distribution of high-fidelity titles, this is a big barrier. And with many record labels burned on DVD-A/SACD, there just isn't much emphasis behind it.

I am with whoever said downloads are the future. They really are in this case :).
 
I have more faith in the physical digital format than you I suppose. So CD/SACD is it? There will be no BDA?
 
I'll hazard to guess the bulk will be bonus soundtrack discs in special edition movie packs. Time will tell.

The question is whether or not the big studios will get together and commit to a large start up catalog to create momentum then hope for some market traction later. This is one of the reasons SACD and DVDA faltered. With CD the play was to try and get the consumer to rebuild his vinyl or compact cassette collection. That meant that popular music of at least the prior 5 years were immediately offered and made available on shelves. The market penetration worked so well, people actually got swept up in the frenzy without really realizing it. That's the kind of momentum BDA needs. IMO only of course :)
 
Kind of suprpised to hear this doomsday forecast from my very illustrious participants on this forum.

John
 
I have high hopes for the technology and the quality that comes with it John. I certainly don't want to think this way. The consumer behavior trends point in the dour direction though. If it is to succeed, they will have to try much harder than they've done in the past.
 
John, can I offer you a shot of whiskey?

BTW, I'm with you on one point: I like to have a physical disc. I know I'm old fashioned in this regard, but I do. Even when I download, I still burn a copy to have as a backup just in case.
 
I have high hopes for the technology and the quality that comes with it John. I certainly don't want to think this way. The consumer behavior trends point in the dour direction though. If it is to succeed, they will have to try much harder than they've done in the past.

I agree completely, but they have such a wonderful chance right now. I talk to people everyday that are heavily into movies and you know what they always point out? The AUDIO! How good was the AUDIO on (insert name) on this movie. When I suggest a particulary good Concert BD to try out for audio they always come back with comments of expressed satistfaction. I think people want and are ready to accept BDA as a physical replacement for their audio fullfillment. Hopefullly, like you said, the studios will recognize this.

John, can I offer you a shot of whiskey?

BTW, I'm with you on one point: I like to have a physical disc. I know I'm old fashioned in this regard, but I do. Even when I download, I still burn a copy to have as a backup just in case.

Thank for the scotch Ron, but I haven't touched a drop of that in over thirty years. I could be persuaded to have a cold Heineken however! :)

John
 
Since this is an already viable thread on BD-Audio I'd like to ask some questions that have been debated on various other fora.

Does BD-Audio need to elmininate all connection to video, including content manipulation, for it to become a standard?
Is some content manipulation option acceptable?
Can it include video of any type and still qualify as a BD-A disc?
Must it include 5.1+ multi-channel?

What do you think?

John
 

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