Yet another failed format by Sony.... They've got a shot with Blu-Ray, although I would like to see that one fail too. Maybe they should focus more on what the customers want and not what they tell us we want.
ATRAC as "another failed format" is a bit wrong to say. It served its purpose but failed to get the public in the shadow of mp3. But it was not a bad format, latest version is on par with the other better formats.
But one less thing that people can complain about sony for, and that is a good thing.
I'm not saying that it was a bad format. I actually think that each of the formats that Sony released had its merits. I was a big Mini Disc supporter, my wife had a Beta play up until the late 90s and I really thought the UMD concept was pretty good. Sony just has a bad track record with formats they develop.
I agree about people being under the MP3 shadow, I've been a WMA user for a long time myself and get sick of any digital format being called MP3.
Trust me, I'm not bashing the format but Sony as a company seems out of touch with the majority of the end user community.
If the fact that it's "coming to an end" doesn't mean "failed" then what does? MP3 will be used for tens of years from now. Sure it will be supplanted by something else, but it won't be "ended" probably ever.
Geir, what purpose did it really serve? ATRAC gimped Sony's entrance into digital media, effectively ending their twenty-year-or-so dominance of the portable audio market.
It's original purpose of compressing audio for minidiscs was fine, but it should have been allowed to die with that medium.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
zsyco @ Aug 30th 2007 8:16AM
Yet another failed format by Sony.... They've got a shot with Blu-Ray, although I would like to see that one fail too. Maybe they should focus more on what the customers want and not what they tell us we want.
Geir E @ Aug 30th 2007 8:31AM
ATRAC as "another failed format" is a bit wrong to say. It served its purpose but failed to get the public in the shadow of mp3. But it was not a bad format, latest version is on par with the other better formats.
But one less thing that people can complain about sony for, and that is a good thing.
zsyco @ Aug 30th 2007 9:06AM
I'm not saying that it was a bad format. I actually think that each of the formats that Sony released had its merits. I was a big Mini Disc supporter, my wife had a Beta play up until the late 90s and I really thought the UMD concept was pretty good. Sony just has a bad track record with formats they develop.
I agree about people being under the MP3 shadow, I've been a WMA user for a long time myself and get sick of any digital format being called MP3.
Trust me, I'm not bashing the format but Sony as a company seems out of touch with the majority of the end user community.
Scott @ Aug 30th 2007 9:22AM
If the fact that it's "coming to an end" doesn't mean "failed" then what does? MP3 will be used for tens of years from now. Sure it will be supplanted by something else, but it won't be "ended" probably ever.
typo @ Aug 30th 2007 9:14AM
Geir, what purpose did it really serve? ATRAC gimped Sony's entrance into digital media, effectively ending their twenty-year-or-so dominance of the portable audio market.
It's original purpose of compressing audio for minidiscs was fine, but it should have been allowed to die with that medium.