Let's talk about Downloading and piracy

[bone577]

Infected Mushroom to my ears sound as bad as RHCP. But I think that for their (major labels) goals the mastering does it's work. It sounds extremely loud and when it's played in Radio/MTV etc it sounds louder (read better) and it stands above other tracks.

The mastering? With RHCP you don't need to look (listen) far, the second you start any of their CDs you will hear substantial noise when things are quiet. Infected Mushroom releases always struck me as well mastered, I remember the whole way I got into Psy was listening to IM as a way of judging audio gear, because I enjoyed the quality of the sounds so much. Actually it was referred to me by another audiophile as a good recording to benchmark audio equipment with. The bass on their recordings are tight and punchy, the mids and highs are clear and defined, but I think what I really enjoy is the amount of separation between the different sounds, every instrument can be heard individually and all placed on a good sound-stage. Exact opposite of RHCP, all mashed together.

 

Whats mastering? rhcp sounds great

Yeah I love RHCP musically as well, which makes it all the worse really that the mastering is shoddy.

 

 

 

 

Also as Pavel mentioned, there is a known problem that mainstream records master things too loud, destroying alot of the quality, I wont go into it.

[Basilisk]

1. Do you download music from the web? Any kind of music. How much? How often?

2. Do you download specifically Psytrance releases?

3. Do you think that downloading (and any other forms of piracy) really hurt the music industry?

4. Do you think that downloading (and any other forms of piracy) really hurt the Psytrance industry?

5. Would you like a world that every new album/comp would be released only in the web?

 

I'll try to tackle this all at once. I was introduced to psytrance thanks to MP3 downloads available through a web site I remember as "The Temple." This was a long time ago back when MP3s were new and interesting--and you setup your modem to download overnight. If you were lucky you would have a full album waiting for you in the morning assuming there were no network interruptions! Most of the time the only files available were single tracks encoded at 128k (or worse). This was before the MP3 groups got into the action I think... this was in 1997 when I was still 16 years old. I had no real sense of the world, no money, and a keen interest in computers and music. I leeched whatever I could and valued everything that came in (at the time it seemed impressive to have dozens of MP3s... I think it took me close to a year to amass enough for about 5 burnt CDs). You know, it didn't even occur to me to ever BUY anything I really enjoyed--I had no idea what this music was or where it was coming from or even that it was sold anywhere. But you learn quick.

 

Once I got my first job (at a forklift parts warehouse of all places) I began to earn real money for the first time in my life. By chance I had found a shop downtown with some psytrance CDs and vinyl. I remember two of my first purchases: Koxbox's Forever After on CD and the 2LP version of Growling Mad Scientists - Chaos Laboratory. Not too long after that I discovered online mail order shops like Throb, Chaos Existence, Chaos Unlimited, Replay Records, and Platenkoning. I spent countless hours indexing their catalogues, cross-referencing with whatever MP3s I had been able to scrape together from FTPs and other obscure locales, referring to online reviews where available to have an idea of what to either download or buy. TRiP came in a lot of help during this phase and then it was Psynews. There was nothing like Discogs back then--I remember trying puzzle out white labels with cryptic catalogue codes in order to make educated guesses about whether a record was worth taking a chance on.

 

From the very moment I began to earn a steady salary the bulk of my disposable has gone toward purchasing physical copies. This has only tapered somewhat since I decided to quit my job in order to enrol in university last September. Think about this--I've spent nearly ten years of my life investing heavily in psytrance--all because I stumbled upon some MP3s long ago. In my area of the world I somewhat doubt that I would have tapped in nearly as much if I hadn't found that first web site cache.

 

I should probably mention (for the record) that I don't condone my past behaviour as far as downloading concerns... I was broke, young, and naive--and naturally many of the choices I made ten years ago weren't exactly kosher. But this is what happens... and my best insight into what most kids do is my own history... altered slightly and magnified a thousand times, for it is far easier to pirate music in this day and age!

 

Does downloading hurt the music industry? Well, let me tell you... customer habits change with the times and it is up to the industry to adapt. Before the advent of recording technology employed musicians were people you would see out at the bar. Music was a communal experience--you simply didn't hear it unless there were other people around. Think about it--no portable music devices, no private home listening, nothing. Fast forward a little while to the time when recording technology really begins to take off. To the common man it's like magic--there is a box in your living room that emits sound on command. Musicians were fearful that recording technology would put them out of a job. And you know what? There's something to that. Think about all the places you hear music in public... and now imagine a world where all those sounds came from a real living human being who earned an hourly wage plus tips for the service. Of course, if shops and bars and other public venues needed to pay for a musician to make the music then many wouldn't bother. See where I'm going with this?

 

Let's face it: the major label music industry of the 1990s was bloated, greedy, and exploitive. It hasn't really changed except that they're more litigious than ever and not making as much. Suing their own customers. Really! I can't say I really sympathize with the RIAA's cause. Too bad for them that technology has once again changed the playing field. The recording industry was built on the backs of working musicians who had to adapt to survive. Now the wheel turns again and it is time for the industry to adapt. The conflict we've been experiencing over the last ten years is symptomatic of deep-seated resistance. It is already changing though... there are signs of promise all around.

 

As for the psytrance industry--this is a different matter. As chance would have it I wrote a little something about the state of affairs on my blog today. Check out this link:

http://www.ektoplazm.com/blog/100000-free-music-downloads/

[thorn726]

too much re-coding involved to make this look right (ha)

1. Do you download music from the web? Any kind of music. How much? How often?

 

yes, not that often anymore

 

2. Do you download specifically Psytrance releases?

 

not in years, but if i looked and found lossless cds lossless info

i might. i primarily rely on getting copies of cds.

a weird compromise= store that allows you to return new music for 75% of original price for 7 days.

they used to have a kick ass psy buyer, not sure anymore

the last psy i DL- a friend ftp-d me Ocelot. i liked it so i gave Ocelot (aaron) 15 bucks, he gave me 2 real copies.

i told one of the infected guys years ago i had dl's everything they made, never paid for it- so i said here take a dollar a t least. he laughed at me, the bald guy.

 

3. Do you think that downloading (and any other forms of piracy) really hurt the music industry?

probably, but not as much as they want us to think.

people are totally hooked on the ease of downloading, getting the majority to buy songs here and there, really at this point by the millions- what is the profit like on .99 cents for a 128k mp3?

still, i imagine labels make less, but smart artists can still make plenty, and maybe level the field a bit to where musicians don't get to make trillions, but more are successful enough to do more live shows and make a living

 

 

4. Do you think that downloading (and any other forms of piracy) really hurt the Psytrance industry?

 

for this i have a question, Basilisk's link gives me some idea, but are psy producers able to make better money whne thier music is spread worldwide for free, then they get booked gigs vs. trying to sell one record at a time off a site only a small portion of trance people see??

 

 

5. Would you like a world that every new album/comp would be released only in the web?

 

doesn't matter to me either way as long as the sound quality is all there

[thorn726]

oh, and as far as the big argument, yeah cds will not be used for new releases much longer..

 

DVD 5.1 , bluray, some crazy 658 channel surround disc , whatever.

 

but i don't think that changes the discussion, there will always be pirated vs. legally purchased, or at least for a really really long time.

 

a set of rca cables will (crappily) circumvent most digital copy protections currently available

[Sideffect...]

old but good question imo, very short

1. Do you download music from the web? Any kind of music. How much? How often?

 

yes I do, music a lot, huge music fan, how often euhm it depends on the speed and the time I have..

2. Do you download specifically Psytrance releases?

 

yes and no, I love other music styles too and psytrance is one of them...

 

3. Do you think that downloading (and any other forms of piracy) really hurt the music industry?

 

no not with a certain percent considering the entire music industry

 

4. Do you think that downloading (and any other forms of piracy) really hurt the Psytrance industry?

 

yes it does, psytrance industry has not the money multinationals have so experience downloading more +

I think lot's of psytrance listeners often know there access to the web for downloading (my imo not based on 100% certain facts)

5. Would you like a world that every new album/comp would be released only in the web?

no, I can wait

------

[buzzman]

Most of my gigs have been free. Gotten paid for some, but seldom more than 100 €. With the current price level in Norway compared to the rest of Europe ... well, you do the math

 

But I'm not complaining about the money, I started making music when I was 12 years old for fun. That's how I intend to keep it. If I make a few euros here and there, that's great, but it's not why I do it. Of course, I got bills like everybody else. As mentioned earlier, I'm studying these days and working a part time job, so I don't get to do as much music as I'd like to do.

Oh shit, i thought there were at least a little monet in it.. But i understand, you do it because you love it! I have much respect for that.. Can imagin how busy you must be with studying, working, making music and dj'ing at the same time!

 

Good luck with your music mayn

[NEMO.BOFH]

deal! we have a bet? allright! it's on baby, it's ON!

 

I think CD's will still be available as main product. There is no need to replace it cause it's perfect in memory size for music albums and backwards compatible with any CD/DVD/HDDVD/blu-ray/new format reader.

mp3 will never kill CD's, it's compressed and easier to loose and can only be played on players that hold the codecs, a CD is universal.

 

 

You prefer a tribal tattoo or just plain text? any specific font you prefer?

 

 

see you on 1/1/18!

Forehead is no go though, Ill do it on the side of my head for 2 months instead. I have to take into consideration that my forecast is wrong (which it aint) and I need to look professional at work at least. OR we could change it to I write it on my dick take photo and post here on psynews.

[Basilisk]

for this i have a question, Basilisk's link gives me some idea, but are psy producers able to make better money whne thier music is spread worldwide for free, then they get booked gigs vs. trying to sell one record at a time off a site only a small portion of trance people see??

There are a couple of things to think about here... not every artist is interested in making a career out of psytrance. Some people just like to make music and if more people hear their work--great! For those who do wish to make a little coin the situation is a bit different. New artists can't come out of nowhere and start earning good pay in this scene. They must become known first. A professional-grade free release is just about the best kind of exposure an artist can have. In time this can lead to gigs, travel, and tracks licensed on commercial CDs. That's what good promotion is all about... it can help achieve many other objectives.

[phobium]

OR we could change it to I write it on my dick take photo and post here on psynews.

WHAT?!= CAN WE POST DICK PICTURES ON PSYNEWS!?

 

*gets cam*

[NEMO.BOFH]

WHAT?!= CAN WE POST DICK PICTURES ON PSYNEWS!?

 

*gets cam*

well, I dont think that anyone would object to see me pwnd by daniel

 

Other than that, I have very good inside information from people working for Sony that there is something in the doing, and we all know what happens when Sony tries to change something... IT CHANGES! (Whether we want or not)

[reger]

We probably have discussed this again, but here are some questions I wanna ask.

 

1. Do you download music from the web? Any kind of music. How much? How often?

 

2. Do you download specifically Psytrance releases?

 

3. Do you think that downloading (and any other forms of piracy) really hurt the music industry?

 

4. Do you think that downloading (and any other forms of piracy) really hurt the Psytrance industry?

 

5. Would you like a world that every new album/comp would be released only in the web?

Ill be short:

1-I do, not much recently, ive done my share in past, not that i intend to stop, still too much of oldies not to miss.

 

2-Yes, almost 99% of what i have is psy or psy related

 

3-I dont think so, people whod like to buy music they enjoy certainly will buy it, if they can afford to buy cd. If they cant, they wont buy it anyway, no matter if they downloaded and listened to release or not.

 

4-I dont think so, i doubt that people, who used to buy music they really love all of a sudden dropped cd's and went for "piracy". Those who love the release they have downloaded and can afford to get cd, will get one or buy wav/mp3 or donate to artists, if thats possible to do.

 

5-i wouldnt mind, that wouldnt be bad, but i think that some "limited" quantities of cd's still could be pressed, for collectors or dj's etc, not upon request, but shifting music releases towards losless and spinning this all stuff more through web, rather than old way as pressing cd's and selling them in street shops.

[Daniël]

well, I dont think that anyone would object to see me pwnd by daniel

 

Other than that, I have very good inside information from people working for Sony that there is something in the doing, and we all know what happens when Sony tries to change something... IT CHANGES! (Whether we want or not)

 

I hope so for the wellbeing for your wiener.

 

[sERIOUS MODE]

Actually, i would like to know what those people from sony told you. New developments at Sony interest me, i'm a bit of a technology freak when it comes to audio & video hardware. So leave this silly bet & discussion aside for a while and tell me please.

[/sERIOUS MODE]

 

[PSYNEWS MODE]

let's get back to business.

Playstation 3 should have been the big multimedia revelation to start the blu ray revolution.

But PS3 didn't do too wel...

Blu ray is loosing ground against HD-DVD. Viacom has abandoned blu ray, although this is not a knock out, it certainly is an uppercut. Blu ray still has most of the Hollywood studios but I think blu ray will loose the commercial market, but it will have a long & succesfull life on the professional video market.

 

Sony is in for a hard time.

They should learn from the past, focus on the professional market.

BAck in the 70 Sony's betamax lost the battle against VHS because it was smaller & cheaper.

Today Sony is fighting the clash of the titans against HD-DVD , a.... smaller & cheaper product.

PLaystation 3 lost the clash against Wii & Xbox 360 cause they are.... smaller & cheaper.

Can you see a pattern emerge here?

 

Don't get me wrong, i adore sony, as professional equipment. Betamax camera's & SX recorders are my most loyal friends.

They always made the best camera's, nothing else even comes close.

 

AS for the CD, we've had CD-rom, CD-DA, CD-RW, CD-R, this is an established product, and compatible with any other reader.

The only possible replacements i know about are DVD-A (dvd-audio) and SA-CD. (super audio CD)

I don't believe a DVD will ever be a format for music. Costumers won't buy it. DVD is for video, needs TV and costs too much, both the disc and the player are more expensive than SACD.

 

But i do think the SA-CD has a fair chance. and you know what? SA-CD is a product of Sony!!!

It will still have this logo:

with "super audio"

 

 

Only time will tell.

too bad 10 years is soo freaking long!!!!

someone invent a timemachine, Please!.

only a day has passed and i'm allready impatient!

[/PSYNEWS MODE]

[NEMO.BOFH]

I hope so for the wellbeing for your wiener.

 

[sERIOUS MODE]

Actually, i would like to know what those people from sony told you. New developments at Sony interest me, i'm a bit of a technology freak when it comes to audio & video hardware. So leave this silly bet & discussion aside for a while and tell me please.

[/sERIOUS MODE]

 

[PSYNEWS MODE]

let's get back to business.

Playstation 3 should have been the big multimedia revelation to start the blu ray revolution.

But PS3 didn't do too wel...

Blu ray is loosing ground against HD-DVD. Viacom has abandoned blu ray, although this is not a knock out, it certainly is an uppercut. Blu ray still has most of the Hollywood studios but I think blu ray will loose the commercial market, but it will have a long & succesfull life on the professional video market.

 

Sony is in for a hard time.

They should learn from the past, focus on the professional market.

BAck in the 70 Sony's betamax lost the battle against VHS because it was smaller & cheaper.

Today Sony is fighting the clash of the titans against HD-DVD , a.... smaller & cheaper product.

PLaystation 3 lost the clash against Wii & Xbox 360 cause they are.... smaller & cheaper.

Can you see a pattern emerge here?

 

Don't get me wrong, i adore sony, as professional equipment. Betamax camera's & SX recorders are my most loyal friends.

They always made the best camera's, nothing else even comes close.

 

AS for the CD, we've had CD-rom, CD-DA, CD-RW, CD-R, this is an established product, and compatible with any other reader.

The only possible replacements i know about are DVD-A (dvd-audio) and SA-CD. (super audio CD)

I don't believe a DVD will ever be a format for music. Costumers won't buy it. DVD is for video, needs TV and costs too much, both the disc and the player are more expensive than SACD.

 

But i do think the SA-CD has a fair chance. and you know what? SA-CD is a product of Sony!!!

It will still have this logo:

with "super audio"

 

 

Only time will tell.

too bad 10 years is soo freaking long!!!!

someone invent a timemachine, Please!.

only a day has passed and i'm allready impatient!

[/PSYNEWS MODE]

Insider information can not be shared. Sowwy. However, have you checked PS3 sales lately?

[Tatsu]

Most things allready have been said, I still have to add my two cents.

 

1. Do you download music from the web? Any kind of music. How much? How often?

 

Mainly psy, not that much atm. Maybe once in a month or something like that.

 

2. Do you download specifically Psytrance releases?

 

Yes of course, if I see an interesting new release I check if I can download it. I've discovered a lot of new albums or was able to sneak into some albums I was not too interested in beforehand. This is important for me since I don't have the money to buy as much CDs and vinyls as some months or years ago. I have to add that I buy all the stuff I really like and that I delete the stuff I don't like. Not good enough to buy --> move to trash.

 

3. Do you think that downloading (and any other forms of piracy) really hurt the music industry?

 

Yes I do, sales are going down and I think that downloading is one reason for that. But also the expensive CDs themselves. Somebody has made that point before and I agree with what has been said (think it was Mars who posted it).

 

4. Do you think that downloading (and any other forms of piracy) really hurt the Psytrance industry?

 

Yes, imho it hurts psy and other less commercial styles way more than the commercial releases since psy has less listeners and buyers than commercial stuff to begin with. That's why I try to buy as much as possible. And because I love the music of course.

 

5. Would you like a world that every new album/comp would be released only in the web?

 

No, to be honest I'm very old fashioned and I own only very few net reases. I want to have the real deal.

[NEMO.BOFH]

is there ANY proof that psytrance sells less than it did before? and especially if you compare to the number of labels in the past when it sold more. I mean, what is the outcome in percentage, if you compare. I dont think its less, I think its MORE actually. Its the number of labels that is getting this down I thing. Even my friend that has a couple of techno labels complains more about the amount of labels with crap that come every month, more than mp3 scenes.

 

I mean, lets say that there was 100 labels that sold 100 copies per month, I think its 1000 labels selling 30-40 copies a month now

[Tatsu]

is there ANY proof that psytrance sells less than it did before? and especially if you compare to the number of labels in the past when it sold more. I mean, what is the outcome in percentage, if you compare. I dont think its less, I think its MORE actually. Its the number of labels that is getting this down I thing. Even my friend that has a couple of techno labels complains more about the amount of labels with crap that come every month, more than mp3 scenes.

I don't know any sales figures and I also didn't claim any if you know what I mean. I personaly just have the feeling that smaller scenes are more affected by people who download mainly instead of buying than pop for example. I can very well imagine that the sales have gone up. But from what I can tell there are also way more people listening to psy than 5 years ago so...

[NEMO.BOFH]

I don't know any sales figures and I also didn't claim any if you know what I mean. I personaly just have the feeling that smaller scenes are more affected by people who download mainly instead of buying than pop for example. I can very well imagine that the sales have gone up. But from what I can tell there are also way more people listening to psy than 5 years ago so...

yes, and artists are getting 5 times as much for playing than 5 years ago. Lets take the Techno scene, wich has less sales as well, and suffers from "mp3ritis conspiracy theory": I used to be able to book Adam Beyer for around 500-600 euros. Now I have to pay at least 5000 or more... And do the artists not playing enough?! NO WAY! They make on 2 gigs, what they would make out of 2000 sold copies, and they have around 10 gigs a year at least. (Im not talking in General here, so dont go flame me Colin).

[Tatsu]

yes, and artists are getting 5 times as much for playing than 5 years ago. Lets take the Techno scene, wich has less sales as well, and suffers from "mp3ritis conspiracy theory": I used to be able to book Adam Beyer for around 500-600 euros. Now I have to pay at least 5000 or more... And do the artists not playing enough?! NO WAY! They make on 2 gigs, what they would make out of 2000 sold copies, and they have around 10 gigs a year at least. (Im not talking in General here, so dont go flame me Colin).

Sure the prices have gone up, no doubt about that. But Adam Beyer (or most likely also Infected Mushroom to add a name from the psy scene) is a rather big name, I think for him getting gigs and selling albums is not as much as a problem as it might be for less known acts. But how is the situation for acts like, well you named Collin, so let's say OOOD? I don't have a clue but maybe Collin can enlighten us. I can very well imagine (and as I've said before, this is my personal feeling) that artists in that range are sort of dependable on record sales as well. Not so much for the finances but also for the promotion of their sound and getting gigs. I'm very well aware that you can promore and realease over the internet. I still have the feeling that (at least some) organisers also check which artists sell ok or well to see who they want to book.

[AlieNed]

i used to call it ' try before buy ' , u can find the thing u want , u listen to it and u decide if u really want it if so u go and buy it ( much better to get a full mp3 album instaed of being a fool and judge the song after listin some short 45 second sample in e-shop)

 

there r lots of rare stuff u can not buy at all , u wont find it anywhere exept the web so its either u downloadin mp3 or u gettin nothin

[NEMO.BOFH]

Sure the prices have gone up, no doubt about that. But Adam Beyer (or most likely also Infected Mushroom to add a name from the psy scene) is a rather big name, I think for him getting gigs and selling albums is not as much as a problem as it might be for less known acts. But how is the situation for acts like, well you named Collin, so let's say OOOD? I don't have a clue but maybe Collin can enlighten us. I can very well imagine (and as I've said before, this is my personal feeling) that artists in that range are sort of dependable on record sales as well. Not so much for the finances but also for the promotion of their sound and getting gigs. I'm very well aware that you can promore and realease over the internet. I still have the feeling that (at least some) organisers also check which artists sell ok or well to see who they want to book.

YEah, i would like to see what OOOD sold compared to today actually. Feelings apart, all my friends that have labels, tell me the same, sales gone down, artists earning more from gigs than ever. more labels, more moosik = less sales per label.

[Tatsu]

YEah, i would like to see what OOOD sold compared to today actually. Feelings apart, all my friends that have labels, tell me the same, sales gone down, artists earning more from gigs than ever. more labels, more moosik = less sales per label.

Imho this does not automaticaly mean less sales for other "quality" labels if lots of "crap" labels appear on the scene if you know what I mean.

 

Besides that I personaly would be more interested in the ratio of people downloading instead of buying OOOD albums (or from other artists) today and lets say five years ago or whatever. Maybe this would give us (or at least myself) a better view on the subject than just the blank sales figures.

[NEMO.BOFH]

Imho this does not automaticaly mean less sales for other "quality" labels if lots of "crap" labels appear on the scene if you know what I mean.

 

Besides that I personaly would be more interested in the ratio of people downloading instead of buying OOOD albums (or from other artists) today and lets say five years ago or whatever. Maybe this would give us (or at least myself) a better view on the subject than just the blank sales figures.

No, you got to see how many people NOW are into psy, how many people were into psy before, how many labels and releases now and before. I bet you if you calculate it, its pretty much the same, and I dare to say, sales are %ually MORE.

 

1000 cds sold per month by 10 labels vs 1000 cds sold per 100 labels is NO DIFFRENCE in scene sales, right? People have more to chose from now, and dont really collect labels anymore, but buy what they WANT to buy, cause they had the chance to listen to a FULL preview.

 

Let me add that listening through all these mp3's that I download is just the substitute to the time that I spent in recordshops 6 years ago. (which was around 2-4 hours a day)

 

Edit: BAN mp3, make it so noone can listen to any mp3 anymore on ANY system on the earth, and i BET you a tattoo on my balls, that sales will go down even further.

[Tatsu]

No, you got to see how many people NOW are into psy, how many people were into psy before, how many labels and releases now and before. I bet you if you calculate it, its pretty much the same, and I dare to say, sales are lly MORE.

 

1000 cds sold per month by 10 labels vs 1000 cds sold per 100 labels is NO DIFFRENCE in scene sales, right? People have more to chose from now, and dont really collect labels anymore, but buy what they WANT to buy, cause they had the chance to listen to a FULL preview.

 

Let me add that listening through all these mp3's that I download is just the substitute to the time that I spent in recordshops 6 years ago. (which was around 2-4 hours a day)

 

Edit: BAN mp3, make it so noone can listen to any mp3 anymore on ANY system on the earth, and i BET you a tattoo on my balls, that sales will go down even further.

There's one thing I don't get. I just stated I think that smaller scenes are more affected by illegal downloading than pop music or similar genres. You also know I download myself to prelisten so why on earth do you act as if I would want to forbid MP3s? Because I stated I'm old-fashioned and want my CDs and vinyls if I like something or because I dare to be not a too big fan of online releases? I don't really get your point at the moment to be honest. I never stated nor do I think that MP3s should be forbidden. I just like it when people actually buy some of the stuff they downloaded (if they did like it obviously).

[NEMO.BOFH]

Honey, you said:

 

4. Do you think that downloading (and any other forms of piracy) really hurt the Psytrance industry?

 

Yes, imho it hurts psy and other less commercial styles way more than the commercial releases since psy has less listeners and buyers than commercial stuff to begin with. That's why I try to buy as much as possible. And because I love the music of course.

 

You said that it hurts the psy scene. This is what I am discussing. I dont think it does.

[Ormion]

Insider information can not be shared. Sowwy. However, have you checked PS3 sales lately?

Have you?

They're still extremelly dissapointing. The new 40 GB system has boosted the sales a lot, but it's still pwned by the other two consoles in all three big markets.

 

I agree with Daniel about Blu Ray .....and HD-DVD.

Most ppl simply don't give a damn about those two products. I know cause I work in a video store. The fact that the industry is half and half is plain ridiculous too. I mean the new Transformers movie has been released only in HD-DVD, can you imagine how bumped the Blu Ray owners would be with that? The same about the Blu Ray exclusively releases.

 

Also, both Blu Ray and HD-DVD offer nothing more that more quality. And more capacity too, but I'm talking about the entertainment features.

HD quality means nothing for most movies IMO. Who cares that much about high definition for a movie that's not a special effects festival?

 

I'm not saying that DVD will stay forever, but ppl that thought that Blu Ray and HD-DVD would eliminate DVD in a period of two years are simply arrogant.

 

And here's a tip from a guy that works in a video store. 70% of our costumers have no any idea what Blu Ray or HD-DVD are. You know, I know, but most ppl don't.

 

Sorry, for going off topic