Audio CD's Successor?

[Cougie]

Anyone know what the next format record companies might use?
Ie. records-->cassettes-->CDs-->???

Personally I hope it would be on a mini (8cm) DVD with the audio format being the same as audio CD's thus it can have twice the capacity (or 4 times on double layer) of an audio CD. This way a portable player can be a lot smaller. Plus you should also be able to burn your own mini audio DVDs and be able to put mp3s onto a mini DVD-RW and use it in the player.

[dr_zoidberg]

I don't know if they're planning on phasing out CDs anytime soon, because when a group releases an album it rarely takes up the whole CD and if it does then they just add a second disc to the album. Phasing out a media format is a pretty expensive process, so they'd only do it if there was any great/profitable need to do so. I remember when MDs came out and I thought those were going to replace CDs since they were so much smaller, and better for personal walkmans. I even bought an MD walkman, but they barely made a dent in the CD industry. So I'm going to say that CDs will probably still be around for a while yet.

[SA000584]

I assume you guys haven't heard of SACD and DVD-Audio. They are superior to CD and they use the DVD technology and have been around since 1999, however little penetration in replacing the CD, mainly due to the cost of buying a DVD player that is can play these.

[Salamander]

DVD Audio and SACD will give you surround sound.
There's still not much reason to buy these newer formats, though.
The mp3 format, which is a compressed format that provides crappy quality, seems to be even more popular in this age of ripping music.

[Cougie]

Whatever problems associated with phasing out CDs and using a new format is not an issue. It will eventually happen.
What I'm sick of is carrying a bulky portable CD player around.(not that I do. I have a tiny SD player :dD ). If they can "eventually" bring out a new smaller disc whether it'd be mini DVD or sothing else and have it playing on smaller players, I'll be happy.

I just hope it will happen quickly. If not, I can wait.

[linton]

The mp3 format, which is a compressed format that provides crappy quality, seems to be even more popular in this age of ripping music.

Maybe at 128kbs or lower, but at 256 and 320kbs the sound is indistinguishable from the original cd's track its ripped from.

DVD audio will definitely become a lot bigger over the years if;
It can get more suport from both the dvd hardware makers to include support in players for little to no cost (hell, it's only an extra chip inside), this would also include portable stereos and car stereos to take up the support to,

and from the record distributers to push stock into retail chain stores and the price to rival cd, opening the exposure to the format.

[dlite]

Maybe at 128kbs or lower, but at 256 and 320kbs the sound is indistinguishable from the original cd's track its ripped from.

DVD audio will definitely become a lot bigger over the years if;
It can get more suport from both the dvd hardware makers to include support in players for little to no cost (hell, it's only an extra chip inside), this would also include portable stereos and car stereos to take up the support to,

and from the record distributers to push stock into retail chain stores and the price to rival cd, opening the exposure to the format.

Even at low compression rates you can tell the difference between CD's and MP3's on a good quality hifi system, the better quality the system the more apparent the difference. Some of the newer "lossless" codecs are very good. On portable players I agree you would have to have great hearing to tell the difference when using low compression, especially when using earbud headphones.

It is amazing how many songs I listen to on portable players I think sound great, until I play the same track on my home system, and all of a sudden you can tell how badly recorded the album is (ie. mixed for radio).

It is common knowledge in the audio industry that DVD-A is already dead, and whilst SACD has a little following it is on life support. I'd love to see these formats do well but alas because of lack of support, I am pretty sure they soon will begin to fade into oblivion.