----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----
Walt,
They have no choice, or they miss the train.
They will have to eventually offer card upgrades for HDMI 1.3 connectivity
and hi bit decoders because no one wants to buy a $15K-23K model again. In
fact, the reason of the original purchase was not only to have hi-end
quality sound but for the flexibility to upgrade with new cards a VERY
expensive piece.
The only problem I have is that I cannot sometimes find relative
justification spending $3K for just a replacement card for a $15K Theta
pre/pro, so I wait a bit longer to see if the manufacturer wakes up with the
price policies of their "future-proof" upgrades, which I also call
"future-revenue-insurance", enough of bleeding us up to death.
The way I see it is very simply, if I already gave them my $25K in
pre/pro/amp I deserve a break as a consumer when it comes to upgrades, so I
hold my upgrade until it makes sense in the overall system and is more price
sensitive. We all loose temporarily, but at least I do not feel alone on
the loss if enough of us do the same.
I rather put the $3K to change my projector or speakers, because I will
probably get more for my money, and the audio equipment is still as pure as
it was.
Lexicon seems to be going the same way, they just announced that one of
their models can not be upgraded because it will require a complete overhaul
and is not worth, enough for that future proof design.
Classe has the same theory, now with a new $25K pre/pro, you "just" need to
add the amps to get sound.
And if you go to tube designs, open your wallet even more for the hi-hi,
where the huge tube itself is the attraction in the room and it lasts a few
hours, and do not ask those for HDMI 1.3 and new codecs, that is sacrilege.
The hi end audio manufacturers at CES switched this year from the Alexis to
the Venetian. I invested this year 7 days for the 4 day show (2 extra for
the press meetings), and even then I could not have the chance to spend the
usual extra day with hi end audio people due to 40+ meetings I committed to
with the video manufacturers, so I decided to stop covering hi end audio at
CES this year, it is overwhelming enough with just the video part with
thousands of models to review.
On my short visit to some of the audio manufacturers I had the chance and
the pleasure to give a wake up call to B & O exclusive looking but
ridiculously priced technology, but we left in good terms. John Sciacca
from Sound and Vision was also laughing with me about our exchanges, their
products are for the rich and famous, a technology ignorant market.
Theta was not there again this year, but I was not surprised, they
implicitly are there all the time with their pre/pros/amps because several
manufacturers want to show off their stuff (players, speakers, etc) with
quality electronics, so they use Theta and the like to demonstrate their
stuff with no compromises, like $50K+ speakers and $25K turntables, like the
one Lara Croft had at the movie playing Bach while doing aerobics.
The softness and beauty of vinyl and analog still around us, like CRTs still
are.
Best Regards,
Rodolfo La Maestra
-----Original Message-----
From: HDTV Magazine On Behalf Of
[email protected]
Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2007 12:25 PM
To: HDTV Magazine
Subject: Re: HD Audio
----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----
Thanks Richard, Rodolfo, et al. Rodolfo, you seem to be well connected
to some of the high end makers (Theta, etc.). Any word on timelines for
HD decoders from the higher end companies?
[email protected] wrote:
> ----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----
>
> I agree with the general idea Richard is explaining.
>
> There are a few other things to consider when choosing which piece of your
> system you want to decode the multichannel stream, unfortunately the
> industry has made these formats, equipment, and connectivity rules
> unnecessarily complicated to even audio enthusiasts.
>
> Some of the pros and cons are mentioned in the analysis at the end of this
> article:
>
>
http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/articles/20 ... nnel_a.php
>
> The bottom line is this, even when you have choices on your system to
decode
> streams you are dealing with many variables that complicate making the
> choice; now the connection plays a more complicated role, it always did,
but
> now is not only about cable design, material and resistance to
interference,
> is also about the spec, the quality, and the chips of the implemented HDMI
> at each end of that cable.
>
> A/V receivers with HDMI 1.3 and hi-bit audio decoders are coming this
year,
> Blu-ray players with the optional hi-bit decoders are starting to come
out,
> HD DVD started slow with DD True HD in 2 channels but is now taking off
with
> multichannel decoders in players, dual layer discs with more capacity in
> both formats are also starting to arrive so the content provider is able
to
> put one or more hoggy 20+ Mbps multichannel soundtracks.
>
> All this will come and one could start by upgrading wisely the pieces of
the
> system that actually "need" upgrade not because they are not 1.3, or lack
> one more decoder, but because is time and you are using the opportunity to
> improve the capabilities of the piece. Unless money is no object.
>
> Getting a 1.3 player without a 1.3 receiver and a without a 1.3 BRAVIA
> display (or Mitsu soon) for xvYCC color is a good start, but they are all
> driven by content, a Ferrari is not as good without high-octane gas.
>
> One thing that has not been announced yet, to my knowledge: In the last
> meetings I had with Craig Eggers at NY and Vegas, he said that Dolby is
> coming with a pure bypass path to avoid any internal circuitry on the Hi
Def
> player audio stages, so the multi-channel stream is outputted clean from
the
> disc, for an external decoder to do the job.
>
> In other words Dolby is giving the consumer a clear message "any circuitry
> in the middle of that stream doing even the most innocent and clean
looking
> job with the audio signal has the potential to degrade its quality, so we
> give you the option". That what is important in audio and video,
"options"
> across the system. HDMI 1.3 facilitates those options now and in the
> future.
>
> This is not yet a good moment to expect a full system from the content end
> to the pre/pro-A/V receiver, and the display device, to be all
consistently
> fully capable of all codec possibilities, we are not there yet, but we
will.
>
> Manufacturers are hungry trying to sell the new $6000 A/V mammoth receiver
> with 25 audio codecs in a 150-pound black box, and they know you have to
> have it because your $5900 receiver has only 24 decoders.
>
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Rodolfo La Maestra
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: HDTV Magazine On Behalf Of
> Richard Fisher
> Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2007 7:57 PM
> To: HDTV Magazine
> Subject: Re: HD Audio
>
> ----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----
>
> from the LG BH100 review to be published shortly
>
> The desired approach is either PCM multichannel via HDMI or the future
> capability of HD audio bitstreams via HDMI directly to your A/V receiver
> coming this year just as we do now with SD audio.
>
> and...
> HD audio via digital bitstream or PCM multichannel is preferred over an
> analog multichannel input and player D/A conversion. That said, you can
> get all the benefits of HD audio minus the sonic signature of your
> analog multichannel input; most will have a sonic signature degrading
> sound quality. None the less that is a huge step in the right audio
> direction with clear sonic benefits over SD DVD. Like all performance
> issues only you can draw the line and choose chocolate or vanilla HD
> audio or even wait for strawberry, HD audio bitstream sources and A/V
> receivers with HD audio codecs.
>
> Richard Fisher
> ISF and HAA certified
> HD Library is provided by Techservicesusa.com
> Publisher
http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/forum/index.php
>
>
[email protected] wrote:
>
>> ----- HDTV Magazine Tips List -----
>>
>> What is the plan for implementing HD audio on Blu-Ray or HD-DVD? What I
>> mean is will I need a new preamp or will there be players that decode
>> the stream into analog outs? Thanks.
>>
>> Walt
>>
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