> I think it's a good idea, and I would be interested in seeing an MD
> Data2 (650MB) based audio MD portable. I think it would be great for
> MDs to hold 4 times as much audio (~5h20m of 292kbps ATRAC, or ~21h
> of
> 66kbps ATRAC3). However, there are a few issues that complicate
> Sony's
> decision:
>
> 1) Incompatibility - The new format would be incompatible with what
> came before and make a lot of equipment obsolete. Given the
> recent
> leak about a higher compression rate ATRAC, Sony isn't completely
> averse to such things, but it certainly would be a big decision.
>
> 2) Size/Weight/Power - I don't know about this, but I wonder how
> hard
> it is to make an MD Data2 drive fit into a tiny portable.
>
> 3) Cost - certainly the MD Data2 drives and media are more
> expensive. Is the [perceived] consumer benefit worth the added
> expense?
>
> 4) Evolution of the format - Would the high density version become
> the
> standard, or could Sony reasonably have two incompatible formats
> being promoted side by side in the market? I would think they
> would
> phase out the smaller one, which would mean the added expense in
> (3) would be placed upon all units.
>
> As I say, I think it would be nice to have the high density MD
> format
> available for audio recording. But I have some doubt as to whether
> it's the right time to transition the entire format to it as a new
> standard. But maybe the MD market more robust than we give it credit
> for and Sony should keep the MD ball rolling by moving on to bigger
> and better versions.
>
Sony's gotta figure something out, in fact, I know they will.
MD is only one of a few products that are backward compatable. A few that
come to mind are"
casette tapes - any compact casette player will play a compact casette
unless it's digital or a different speed
DirecTV stuff - Hey, they changed the compression, but then again, they
planed on that.
Atari - Hey, the 7800 played 2600 games
Playstation 2 - I can sell my old box for a upgrade.
Granted it's all the same generation of ATRAC, there have been
enhancements. MP3 is a different version of MP2, well, a major version
change, but still, same basic principal, and MP3 decoders by nature can't
decode an MP2 stream AFAIK, programs like Winamp added that.
Maybe sony will interdouce this new format and possibly do a "buyback"
thing like the goverment in Canada is trying to do with grey-market
dishes up there, only, instead of trying to control what we watch, Sony
is trying to increase popularity and compatability.
-J.R.
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