I've been in the game long enough to have noticed that while consumers clamor for ever better picture quality (Super 8, VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray), they readily accept falling standards in audio (vinyl, CD, MP3). The reason I think is very simple: people have a more intimate relationship with movies. When you watch a movie, you've got to sit down and concentrate. But most people use music as background when they iron shirts or they are on the go in the car, bus, or train. I come from a big family, but I think I'm the only one who actually sits down and plays an album from start to finish with total concentration. I think the big four will drop physical in ten years' time. I just hope there'll be enough nutters like BGO around after that to satisfy my craving for a decent package. And that I'll be able to PLAY my CD's in ten years' time!

It's also worth noting that, unlike music and music accessories, the prices of video and video accessories tend to drop over time. In 2001 I paid something like $175 for a Sam's Club DVD player; in 2007, a comperable player would cost well under a third of that amount. The costs of DVD's don't seem to have changed noticibly in that same time, either.

My main time to listen to music is while driving; other than that, I really don't have ANY time to sit around and listen to an album from start to finish with total concentration.

I realize some people are in your situation where they don't have time to sit back and listen and do nothing else, but I know people here at Imwan care about sound, I'm sure you do too.

I really can only listen to music in my car-sometimes I'll take detours on the way home to squeeze in an extra song! I wish I could come home and crank up the CDs and relax-but my wife has a say here too and she likes to watch TV at night, so the car it is!
After she goes to bed, I do slip on the music DVDs for about an hour or so-but sometimes I doze off.
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