Now that CD's are close to extinction,

[W1GUH]

What will replace them as physical distributable media? The first and obvious thing would be SD cards, but the smallest available are far too big and expensive to replace CD's. Any thoughts on this?

[K7SGJ]

What will replace them as physical distributable media? The first and obvious thing would be SD cards, but the smallest available are far too big and expensive to replace CD's. Any thoughts on this?

Cassette tape?

[NA4BH]

Cassette tape?

That's still only a theory.

[K7SGJ]

That's still only a theory.

But, but, but, but, we have an SUV on Mars now.

[NA4BH]

8 track is the future. 8 track invest every dime you have.

[kf0rt]

Physical distributable media is going away. Download MP3s to your own flash memory today. Tomorrow, you won't even need the memory and things will be downloaded on the fly as you play - a lot of this is happening now. HD movies in the back seat of an Escalade still requires DVD, but that'll change.

[NA4BH]

Thinking about it, I can't remember the last time I burned anything to a CD. I used to buy them by the hundreds.

[XE1/N5AL]

8 track is the future. 8 track invest every dime you have.
Modern music media just doesn't have all the features that 8-tracks did. Remember the songs that fade-out in the middle, in time for the "KER-CHUNK" of the track change, then fade-in again and continue on? Or, hearing the cross-talk of adjacent music tracks during the quiet passages of your favorite song? You just can't find those features elsewhere.

Back to the original question about physical distributable media: I don't think there will be one. Content availability has already transitioned to downloadable formats and you can buy music from places like iTunes. Of course, bandwidth to the home is increasing for downloading other media content, also. When I signed up for DSL Internet service with the local telephone provider, Telmex, I got their cheap 512 kbps package. For what I did at the time, it was more than sufficient. Now, four years later, my basic Internet package runs at 6 Mbps, even though I have never signed up for anything faster than the old 512 kbps package. The 12x speed increase of my DSL connection was transparently provided, for free, by the telephone company to keep up with their competition.

[NA4BH]

Modern music media just doesn't have all the features that 8-tracks did. Remember the songs that fade-out in the middle, in time for the "KER-CHUNK" of the track change, then fade-in again and continue on?



:rofl: And when you were singing with the tape, you built the Ker-Chunk into the lyrics.

[KG4CGC]

What will replace them as physical distributable media? The first and obvious thing would be SD cards, but the smallest available are far too big and expensive to replace CD's. Any thoughts on this?

Implanted brain micro-semiconductors. ... Or pills.

[K7SGJ]

Physical distributable media is going away. Download MP3s to your own flash memory today. Tomorrow, you won't even need the memory and things will be downloaded on the fly as you play - a lot of this is happening now. HD movies in the back seat of an Escalade still requires DVD, but that'll change.

DVD's in the back seat? Where was this when I was a teenager.

[kf0rt]

DVD's in the back seat? Where was this when I was a teenager.

Wasn't invented yet. :lol: Man, I recall my first VCR. Cost about a grand (VHS) and I was one of the first people around with one. That was 30+years ago now. Had one of the first CD decks, too. 1985. I recall going into a record store at the local mall, and they had 6 CD's to choose from -- about $30 apiece, and kept in a locked case. John Fogerty's Centerfield was the first I bought (it was one of the 6).

These days, the tech is kinda boring. Or I'm getting old. Probably the latter. :dunno:

[XE1/N5AL]

^^^Back in the early 70's, when I was a kid, I had a neighbor who was a rep for a company selling professional video camera and reel-to-reel video tape recorders. His youngest son was a friend of mine, and we kids had lots of fun making silly parodies of our favorite TV shows. The neighbor always had recording equipment in his house, and although the equipment probably cost more than that house, he didn't mind us kids goofing around with it.

[KG4CGC]

and although the equipment probably cost more than that house, he didn't mind us kids goofing around with it. It was probably BUILT all to hell. IE: built very well.

[K7SGJ]

DVD's in the back seat? Where was this when I was a teenager.


Wasn't invented yet. :lol: Man, I recall my first VCR. Cost about a grand (VHS) and I was one of the first people around with one. That was 30+years ago now. Had one of the first CD decks, too. 1985. I recall going into a record store at the local mall, and they had 6 CD's to choose from -- about $30 apiece, and kept in a locked case. John Fogerty's Centerfield was the first I bought (it was one of the 6).

These days, the tech is kinda boring. Or I'm getting old. Probably the latter. :dunno:

Oh yeah, now I remember. That's probably why we had to find other things to do in the backseat, usually at a drive-in movie. Huh, probably still happens while a movie is playing, but now you have the convenience of not limited to a drive-in.

[XE1/N5AL]

It was probably BUILT all to hell. IE: built very well.
Yes, it was very sturdy equipment. We knew it was costly and treated it with care, even though we were all around 13 years old, and playing without any adult supervision. Not many dads would have permitted this, but my friend's parents were very liberal and we kids knew not to take advantage of a good opportunity.

[kf0rt]

Oh yeah, now I remember. That's probably why we had to find other things to do in the backseat, usually at a drive-in movie. Huh, probably still happens while a movie is playing, but now you have the convenience of not limited to a drive-in.

And ya know... I never met a cassette car stereo that worked for crap. Had a few -- the 8-tracks were more reliable, even with the burps. Come to think of it, had an AIWA home cassette deck; pretty high end and for all the design, the auto-reverse killed it. The head was on a pivot (head would turn 180 degrees depending on which direction you were playing). Problem was, the head wasn't securely fastened to the rotating mechanism. After many years, finally threw that thing in the trash; wouldn't even sell it to a stranger.

Wonder if there are any drive-ins left. I'd probably be the dude asleep in the back seat these days.

[N2CHX]

Wonder if there are any drive-ins left. I'd probably be the dude asleep in the back seat these days.

Less than 10 miles from me and it's extremely popular around here: http://www.transitdrivein.com/

[K7SGJ]

Less than 10 miles from me and it's extremely popular around here: http://www.transitdrivein.com/

We used to have several within a few miles of where I used to live. Now, they are apartment buildings. Progress, meh. The bastids

There was nothing like going t the drive in for the latest James Bond movies, or the spaghetti westerns with Clint Eastwood.

[W1GUH]

Trouble with electronic distribution is it takes some sort of connection. What are the budding musicians who sell on the street going to sell? Or at club gigs for that matter? Or if I transcribe vinyl to CD for a friend, what do I give him to take with? WAV files of a CD are abut 600 MB so unless someone has a decent speed connection, that's kinda big for electronic distribution via the internet. And MP3s aren't good enough for serious listening.

Cheap 1G SD cards? Some sort of cheap ROM?

[W1GUH]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H_vDy2p-pU

[W5GA]

Wonder if there are any drive-ins left. I'd probably be the dude asleep in the back seat these days.
A couple years ago, the drive-in in Tulsa burned to the ground. It was one of the last 10 known to be still in operation in the country. It has since been rebuilt, and reopened this summer. I oughta make the trek just for old times sake, it's been a long time since I've seen a double feature.

[NQ6U]

The only drive-in theater still in operation around here is in Santee. Best part is that they have a ham radio swap meet there on the first Saturday of every month.

[KG4NEL]

Trouble with electronic distribution is it takes some sort of connection. What are the budding musicians who sell on the street going to sell? Or at club gigs for that matter? Or if I transcribe vinyl to CD for a friend, what do I give him to take with? WAV files of a CD are abut 600 MB so unless someone has a decent speed connection, that's kinda big for electronic distribution via the internet. And MP3s aren't good enough for serious listening.

Cheap 1G SD cards? Some sort of cheap ROM?

The local guys are probably on Itunes.

Albums in lossless formats aren't too bad - a lot of torrents specialize in FLAC, and those are several hundred MB an album. Unless you're on a phone in the middle of nowhere, that's doable over most connections nowadays.

[W1GUH]

So I guess the consensus is that in the future, these scenarios plays out...

A musician is selling music on the street. Somebody want's to buy, and the musician says, "Please plug your device into this box while I download what you bought to your [whatever]."

Or at club gigs, the band announces, "If you want to buy our music, line up to stage [right/left] and wait your turn to plug into our computer to download?"

Yea, that'll work our real good.

[kf0rt]

iTunes or Amazon - surely you're not trying to deprive the middleman of his cut? :wtf:

[W1GUH]

Wow. Guess nobody's bought a CD on the street or at a club gig? That's were I get most of my best stuff. But most importantly, it's a chance to get the material directly from the artist, and that's always a good thing -- to see the appreciation in their eyes of actually selling something they've created is a real pleasure. And the good karma is outstanding.

OTOH....in this day when people seem to prefer soulless (not always, but usually), impersonal and, above all SAFE (personal contact is to be avoided at all costs?) interactions with billions of bits protecting them from those messy, smelly, dangerous actual human beings, above real and genuine and in-person human contact, well...

[W5GA]

The only drive-in theater still in operation around here is in Santee. Best part is that they have a ham radio swap meet there on the first Saturday of every month.
I well remember El Swapo. Had a lot of good times there.

[kf0rt]

Wow. Guess nobody's bought a CD on the street or at a club gig? That's were I get most of my best stuff. But most importantly, it's a chance to get the material directly from the artist, and that's always a good thing -- to see the appreciation in their eyes of actually selling something they've created is a real pleasure. And the good karma is outstanding.

OTOH....in this day when people seem to prefer soulless (not always, but usually), impersonal and, above all SAFE (personal contact is to be avoided at all costs?) interactions with billions of bits protecting them from those messy, smelly, dangerous actual human beings, above real and genuine and in-person human contact, well...


I've bought CD's from Cast in Bronze (Frank DellaPenna -- was on America's Got Talent this week). Did the CD, or buying it from his table make or break the experience for me? Nah. (And the carillon sounded out of tune on the show.)

I could see how it might enhance the artist's revenue a bit though from the "spur of the moment" buying. Had I waited until I got home, it might be easier to say no. I do see being able to buy music "on the street" as a good thing for both consumer and artist, though. Maybe after the CD, they'll do this with USB memory sticks or something. I'm sure there will always be some options.

[n2ize]

Trouble with electronic distribution is it takes some sort of connection. What are the budding musicians who sell on the street going to sell? Or at club gigs for that matter? Or if I transcribe vinyl to CD for a friend, what do I give him to take with? WAV files of a CD are abut 600 MB so unless someone has a decent speed connection, that's kinda big for electronic distribution via the internet. And MP3s aren't good enough for serious listening.

Cheap 1G SD cards? Some sort of cheap ROM?

CD's will be around for quite some time. They will go obsolete whence there is a replacement. MP3's are in my opinion excellent for serious listening. I have challenged several "music experts" to tell the tape from the mp3 aqnd most of the time they get it wrong.. However, I think they should bring back reel to reel tape.

[KA9MOT]

It was 1974. I had enough money saved from my paper route to go buy my first album...Aerosmith's "Get Your Wings". I rode my bike 6 or 7 miles to the Wyoming Valley Mall and purchased my exciting new LP! Imagine the excitement I felt as a peddled my ass back home (That's illegal now). The only record player we had was mom and dad's big console..... I had to wait until mom said it was OK. It killed me! The Train Kept on Rollin' ever since and now it is all MP3 and FLAC for me.

A 4Gig thumb drive plugged into the front of my Alpine head unit, Kenwood speakers front and rear and the old red truck rocks on down the road daily. I change the content of the thumb drive when I get bored... and yes, I still have the Aerosmith Album... only now it is in MP3 format. The one I bought in 1974 melted in the rear window of my 1972 Gran Torino Sport in 1978....along with my KISS ALIVE! album. :(

[W1GUH]

CD's will be around for quite some time. They will go obsolete whence there is a replacement. MP3's are in my opinion excellent for serious listening. I have challenged several "music experts" to tell the tape from the mp3 aqnd most of the time they get it wrong.. However, I think they should bring back reel to reel tape.

You're right about MP3s. Seems the "bad" ones I've heard were actually bad source material. Other MP3s have been just fine.,

Thanks for the correction.

[HUGH]

CD's will be around for quite some time. They will go obsolete whence there is a replacement. MP3's are in my opinion excellent for serious listening. I have challenged several "music experts" to tell the tape from the mp3 aqnd most of the time they get it wrong.. However, I think they should bring back reel to reel tape.

Reel to reel with splicing block. So much fun..........6895

I wish I still had mine, it was abandoned only because the pinch wheel perished.

[KG4NEL]

Someone mention R2R?

http://www.tapeproject.com/

[KA9MOT]

When I was a kid only the very rich had Reel to Reel. My friend Kevin Haydens' dad had Reel to Reel. When we got older his dad bought him a perfect 1965 Impala SS and a Panasonic FM Radio/8 Track under dash unit that I coveted so badly...... plus he had 6X9 Speakers mounted in the rear deck! The thing rocked! 300 horse 327, 4-speed, Cragar SS Rims and awesome tunes. The girls loved Kevin!

Kevin wrapped that car around a tree one rainy night and the 327 and 4-speed found it's way into my 68 Chevelle.... along with that Panasonic under dash unit........and the center console. People used to ask me why the console was Black when the rest of my interior was Blue......Oh well, we didn't care. Some of you will remember that the shifter opening on that console was gated and that chrome plate that covered it with the Hurst shifter sticking out was so hot...... I used to caress it lovingly.....I'm not sure any of my girlfriends understood.

[N2NH]

I've seen some places selling movies on flash drives. Not a bad idea as all computers have USB ports and most new TVs have them too.

As far as SD cards, J&R sells a very good 32GB SDHC for $20. Now, SDHC micro cards are about double that for the same 32GB.

Nothing will replace the sound of a 45 played on a good turntable IMHO.

[kf0rt]

When I was a kid only the very rich had Reel to Reel. My friend Kevin Haydens' dad had Reel to Reel. When we got older his dad bought him a perfect 1965 Impala SS and a Panasonic FM Radio/8 Track under dash unit that I coveted so badly...... plus he had 6X9 Speakers mounted in the rear deck! The thing rocked! 300 horse 327, 4-speed, Cragar SS Rims and awesome tunes. The girls loved Kevin!

Kevin wrapped that car around a tree one rainy night and the 327 and 4-speed found it's way into my 68 Chevelle.... along with that Panasonic under dash unit........and the center console. People used to ask me why the console was Black when the rest of my interior was Blue......Oh well, we didn't care. Some of you will remember that the shifter opening on that console was gated and that chrome plate that covered it with the Hurst shifter sticking out was so hot...... I used to caress it lovingly.....I'm not sure any of my girlfriends understood.

We weren't rich (Dad was a schoolteacher, Mom didn't work outside the home), but my dad was into the toys. In high school, I had access to one of these:

6909



Has two of them, but I doubt they've seen power in many years.

[KA9MOT]

We weren't rich (Dad was a schoolteacher, Mom didn't work outside the home), but my dad was into the toys. In high school, I had access to one of these:

6909



Has two of them, but I doubt they've seen power in many years.

That thing looks awesome! Man, what is it that is so attractive about an analog VU Meter?

Both my mom and dad worked and Grandma took care of us kids until we were old enough to fend for ourselves. Dad had 2 jobs, one as an electrician and the other as an Alarm installer. Sometimes he'd take an extra job painting or something similar. Mom was a bookkeeper and an accountant. She worked for some pretty significant companies but I can't remember any names. In the end, they had 10 kids and money didn't go far in the 1960s and 70s. I don't think they were ever in debt until they moved to Illinois.
I never heard my dad complain about having to work until we moved to Illinois. He got a job at Gates Rubber as a machine operator.... he hated that machine. It didn't take him long to find another job as an electrician. Mom went to work as a bookkeeper for the same electrical company.

One thing was certain, there was always a roof, clean clothes and we never went hungry. I was a very happy young person...... then we moved to Illinois. :wtf:

[kf0rt]

That thing looks awesome! Man, what is it that is so attractive about an analog VU Meter?

Both my mom and dad worked and Grandma took care of us kids until we were old enough to fend for ourselves. Dad had 2 jobs, one as an electrician and the other as an Alarm installer. Sometimes he'd take an extra job painting or something similar. Mom was a bookkeeper and an accountant. She worked for some pretty significant companies but I can't remember any names. In the end, they had 10 kids and money didn't go far in the 1960s and 70s. I don't think they were ever in debt until they moved to Illinois.
I never heard my dad complain about having to work until we moved to Illinois. He got a job at Gates Rubber as a machine operator.... he hated that machine. It didn't take him long to find another job as an electrician. Mom went to work as a bookkeeper for the same electrical company.

One thing was certain, there was always a roof, clean clothes and we never went hungry. I was a very happy young person...... then we moved to Illinois. :wtf:

Illinois seems to be a common deal there. Whaddup wid that? 10 kids? Yikes!

Four kids in my brood and Dad pretty much ran the finances with a lot of frugality, but we always had food and clothes. Those were some very good (and uncomplicated years). Dad still lives in the house he bought with my Mom in 1958 (Mom passed away about 6 years ago).

My older brother and I used to exchange correspondence via reel-to-reel tape. They made these little mailers that would hold a 3" reel of tape and we'd pass one of those back and forth between here and Kansas City and Newark, NJ (the two places he worked right out of college). That went on for maybe 3 years in the mid-late 70's, until his company shipped him overseas. With access to a couple RR decks, I made copies of of all that and still have the copies -- about ten 7" reels. The 3" reels (and mailer) were reused until they wore out and as I recall, we went through a few of them. Wonder if those tapes would even play today.

Fun times they were...

[n6hcm]

A musician is selling music on the street. Somebody want's to buy, and the musician says, "Please plug your device into this box while I download what you bought to your [whatever]."

Or at club gigs, the band announces, "If you want to buy our music, line up to stage [right/left] and wait your turn to plug into our computer to download?"

bluetooth addresses this reasonably.

[W1GUH]

I've seen some places selling movies on flash drives. Not a bad idea as all computers have USB ports and most new TVs have them too.

As far as SD cards, J&R sells a very good 32GB SDHC for $20. Now, SDHC micro cards are about double that for the same 32GB.

Nothing will replace the sound of a 45 played on a good turntable IMHO.

32GB? WAY too big for a ~640M effort.

$20? WAY to expensive for the application.

Besides, if by "memory stick" you mean RAM, even THAT's inapproiate. What this country needs is a good 5 cent, 1G, user programmable, PROM!

Re: micro-SD. Yea, but don't they always come with the micro to "regualr" SD adapter?

[W1GUH]

bluetooth addresses this reasonably.

Hadn't thought about that, but of course you're absolutely right. I'd wager that bands are already doing that. Even regular Wi-Fi (the band could set up an ad hoc one for the gig) would work. Thanks for setting this OF straight!

[n2ize]

Hadn't thought about that, but of course you're absolutely right. I'd wager that bands are already doing that. Even regular Wi-Fi (the band could set up an ad hoc one for the gig) would work. Thanks for setting this OF straight!
\
My brother plays for a band and they recorded the show and handed them a guess what... a CD. For certain things optical disks are still quite good.

I play in an orchestra but I haven't been recorded as yet. When that happens I wonder what the medium will be. In the old days the medium was human memory.

[K7SGJ]

\
My brother plays for a band and they recorded the show and handed them a guess what... a CD. For certain things optical disks are still quite good.

I play in an orchestra but I haven't been recorded as yet. When that happens I wonder what the medium will be. In the old days the medium was human memory.

Probably parchment and quill.

[NQ6U]

Probably parchment and quill.

Too high tech, requires fire and possibly metal tools. I think a clay slab and a stick is more like it.

[KG4CGC]

Too high tech, requires fire and possibly metal tools. I think a clay slab and a stick is more like it.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/bebop5/drinks/10acab82.jpg

[NA4BH]

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/bebop5/drinks/10acab82.jpg


Sandskrit vagina?

[KG4CGC]

Sandskrit vagina?

No. As old as you and the Pope are, this one should be easy for you.

[NA4BH]

Vitalis hair tonic?

[K7SGJ]

Too high tech, requires fire and possibly metal tools. I think a clay slab and a stick is more like it.



Nah. He'll put his eye out, or turn it into charcoal.

[NA4BH]

I LOLed

[KG4CGC]

Vitalis hair tonic?

Think, "Cuniform" ya olde pharte.

[NA4BH]

OK. It looks like a flask/vessel of sorts. Might it be a tube for a donor to procreate life?

[n2ize]

Vitalis hair tonic?
Yeah Vitalis... None of that "greasy kids stuff".

[n2ize]

Too high tech, requires fire and possibly metal tools. I think a clay slab and a stick is more like it.
And a goose with some nice flight feathers.

[W1GUH]

http://www.dreamstime.com/ancient-cuneiform-writing-thumb5758874.jpg

[KG4NEL]

No. As old as you and the Pope are, this one should be easy for you.

Pizza with a carrying handle.

[KG4NEL]

http://www.dreamstime.com/ancient-cuneiform-writing-thumb5758874.jpg

The world has been on a decline ever since we didn't have to learn Sanskrit at 20 words, er, glyphs per minute.