05/07 Editorial: LET THE BACKLASH BEGIN!

[Anderton]

(Every month, a new editorial is posted in Sound, Studio, and Stage. Your comments and feedback are encouraged!)

 

LET THE BACKLASH BEGIN!

 

By Craig Anderton

 

What do SACD, DVD-A, Blu-Ray, DVD-HD, and the Playstation 3 all have in common? Plenty. They're demonstrably better than what came before, they utilize stunning technology, and they're all aimed at the consumer.

 

And they've all been greeted with yawns in the marketplace.

 

Paradoxically, get 100 consumers in front of a standard DVD playing back or a Blu-Ray/DVD-HD, and they'll invariably agree the Blu-Ray/DVD-HD looks better. And they'll tell you that SACD sounds better than a CD, and that the graphics on the Playstation 3 are absolutely superior to those on the Playstation 2.

 

So why aren't they buying?

 

There are several prosaic reasons: The housing bubble isn't what it used to be, wages haven't kept up with inflation, blah blah blah. But I don't think that's what it's all about, because there's the other thing all these devices have in common: You need to replace your collection of media, otherwise it's not worth owning the new devices. After all, if all you plan to do is play your existing collection of CDs on an SACD machine, might as well stick with the CD player. Ditto if your first question upon checking out a Playstation 3 is "Are my PS2 games compatible?"

 

And looking deeper, I think we might actually be seeing the beginning of a major backlash to the rate of technological change. You can see this on forums, too; people aren't upgrading their software with the same eagerness they once did. It's not that they don't appreciate new features - they do. But what they have works, and they're not willing to mess with that until forced (e.g., drivers no longer exist).

 

As to the longer-term ramifications, some people will say that with the cost of necessities going up dramatically (food, gas, utilities, insurance, and housing come to mind), people have less disposable income for these new goodies. And for some, that's probably true. But I'm starting to think that even if people had the disposable income, the consumer items mentioned above would still be having a hard time. I think we're starting to see a fundamental change, where the rapid pace of technological growth has outpaced people's desire to have it or exploit it. Sure, computer-based musicians will be thrilled when computers let us run all the virtual instruments we want, with latencies so low as to be imperceptible. But will the average person running Word and surfing the internet care? No.

 

I believe people are getting tired of life in the technological fast lane, and metaphorically speaking, would rather drive a little bit slower and enjoy the existing scenery instead. After all, in the real world, a logarithmic curve can't stay logarithmic forever.

[chipmcdonald]

 

So why aren

[MikeRivers]

1. Too many choices - unsure of what will be obsolete next year

 

2. They take people away from their computers and cell phones

 

3. Attention spans are getting shorter - it takes TWO HOURS to watch a movie on DVD when we could be surfing, blogging, or texting.

 

4.. None of them are free

[UstadKhanAli]

Craig, your post largely describes my attitude towards technology.

 

Add to that a lack of consumer awareness, too many choices, the fear of buying something that will be obsolete, the cost involved in upgrading, the seeming idea that people want cheap, convenient, portable things...

[markwayne]

Some quick thoughts:

 

I think people have started to wise up just a bit to the marketing tricks driving the consumer train. At some point we all realize that chasing technology and gadgets simply becomes an end unto itself.

 

Software used to be updated only for bug fixes and then the occasional complete, new feature set. There were only a few packages we owned and our OS was even more stable. It might not increment for the entire life of a computer. There was time to learn a piece of software and get some work done before having to grapple with the upgrade question. Now we can expect monthly software upgrades for at least one of our packages and two or more major OS upgrades over the life of our computer.

 

And some questions:

 

We have better tools and easier access to high-level gear than any generation ever. Why aren't we doing great work? Why are we not seeing a new renaissance in the arts?

 

I think people in general are discovering that owning more and more stuff becomes a trap. How do you justify purchasing a replacement for something that is not broken?

 

Thanks for bringing this topic up as it is something that has been bugging me for a while. I actually have to freeze my production system these days in order to get any work done. I realize that companies these days are looking for constant revenue streams to keep sharholders happy, but jeez . . . it used to be enough to produce a quality product, make a nice profit and move on to he next product line. Now it's let's milk this one product line as long as possible instead of using our imagination to create something really new.

 

Wayne

[UstadKhanAli]

I'd rather be creating music than tinkering.

 

If something works fine, I'll keep it instead of "upgrading" or "trading up".

[amplayer]

You've all made good points here.

 

My opinion is that there are various reasons why people choose not to upgrade, but I'd guess it is mostly because they just don't feel they want the product bad enough to pay for it.

 

For me, the reason I don't own the latest CD and DVD equipment is because the difference in quality doesn't matter to me. I can listen to a 128 kbit mp3 and be perfectly happy most of the time.

 

As for why I don't jump on the Vista bandwagon: Why should I? NONE of my music software currently runs well on it. Besides that, I never buy anything from Microsoft until it's been out for a while. Once they get a service pack out, it will undoubtedly be a much better product.

Nevertheless, in my opinion, both OS X and Windows XP are miles ahead of what they came from, and they were both worth every penny of the upgrade price.

[MikeRivers]

We have better tools and easier access to high-level gear than any generation ever. Why aren't we doing great work? Why are we not seeing a new renaissance in the arts?

Because there aren't any more artists than ever before. It's not about the tools. There's the occasional physically disabled artist whose creative talent is enabled by better tools, but the talent disabled will only be able to create more clutter if enabled with tools.

How do you justify purchasing a replacement for something that is not broken?

Because the replacement gives you more than what you had. You have the money, so why not? We get bored too easily. Kids are no longer amused by wooden airplanes that they build themselves with hand tools, they need X-Box games on wide screen TV sets with surround audio. And adults are just big kids who have to buy their own toys.

I actually have to freeze my production system these days in order to get any work done.

The problem with this is that eventually there will be a tool that you really can use, and if your system has been frozen long enough, you can't just buy that tool, you'll need to do a whole series of updates, which is always a cost and time setback. This isn't much of a problem for a hobbyist, because it's part of the hobby. But for someone who is actually working, it's more expensive than meets the credit card.

[markwayne]

 

but the talent disabled will only be able to create more clutter if enabled with tools.

 

 

Yeah, this is what I beleive has actually happened. Threre are some creative people doing interesting work but they are lost in the sea of garbage that easy access to these tools has wrought. That and the fact that too many people are spending the majority of their time learning about software instead of learning something about music.

 

 

Kids are no longer amused by wooden airplanes that they build themselves with hand tools, they need X-Box games on wide screen TV sets with surround audio. And adults are just big kids who have to buy their own toys.

 

 

How sad. How true. This, of course, could also be an answer for my first question as well. Too many big, lazy kids who prefer to use ready-made entertainment (be it x-box or loops) rather than build it themselves. It takes work to create something of value and we don't seem to like work much anymore.

 

 

The problem with this is that eventually there will be a tool that you really can use, and if your system has been frozen long enough, you can't just buy that tool, you'll need to do a whole series of updates, which is always a cost and time setback. This isn't much of a problem for a hobbyist, because it's part of the hobby. But for someone who is actually working, it's more expensive than meets the credit card.

 

 

Well, I only freeze my production machines. I have several other computers around here that stay up to date and even run some beta software. If something new comes along that fits my workflow, does not jeaopardize stability and is just flat-out good, I'll think about moving the production machines. With that said there are several major pieces (which shall remain nameless) for which the upgrades will be staying on my test computer and will not be making the jump to my production computers. The vast majority of these pieces did not bring anything usefull to my workflow and some caused problems that I don't care to sort out at the moment.

 

That's my complaint. Too many companies releasing stuff just to try and keep that revenue stream flowing.

 

Wayne

[UstadKhanAli]

A lot of people are purchasing HD and flat-screen TVs, so new technology does not always enter into it. I think when the consumer is not confused, is familiar with the technology, and obviously WANTS it, it's not a problem.

 

But with all these various formats and whatever, it is confusing...and that's assuming that the consumer even knows what it is.

 

Almost no one at my work (a school) knows what SACD, DVD-A, Blu-Ray, DVD-HD, etc. is, and only knows what PlayStation is if they have kids who are interested in it. The only one or two people who know what this stuff is work heavily with technology, fixing computers.

[Frantag]

I'm waiting for the infinite-core 1 bit audio system before I buy anything else.

[ggm1960]

I recall I really got into computers and the associated music and other peripherals about the same time as I got my first plastic. Back in '91-'92 things really seemed to be happening and keeping up was a real challenge. A 386 computer for $1200, inkjets were something new and priced well over $300. MIDI keyboards were new, exciting and a must have. I tried to keep up and ran myself into a nearly $10,000 hole over a few short years!

 

At some point I finally realized I must have lost my mind and stopped spending money I didn't have on things that would be headed for the trash bin in short order.

 

A few years ago I finally paid off all that debt and have since turned that situation around.

I'm a little more hesitant in my new purchases now. I have some pretty good stuff that seems to work well for me. A lot of it is showing some age, USB took me by surprise somewhat but I getting by for now. By not jumping on the USB 1.1 bandwagon I didn't have to stress out over USB 2.0!

[UstadKhanAli]

I think for a lot of computer or computer-related items, a good way to go for many people (unless you constantly have to be on the bleeding edge due to clients or whatever) is to let one "wave" go, catch the next...you know what I mean. I know, this is coming from a guy who's never had a cellphone, but still...

[philbo]

 

By Craig Anderton What do SACD, DVD-A, Blu-Ray, DVD-HD, and the Playstation 3 all have in common? Plenty. They're demonstrably better than what came before, they utilize stunning technology, and they're all aimed at the consumer. And they've all been greeted with yawns in the marketplace. Paradoxically, get 100 consumers in front of a standard DVD playing back or a Blu-Ray/DVD-HD, and they'll invariably agree the Blu-Ray/DVD-HD looks better. And they'll tell you that SACD sounds better than a CD, and that the graphics on the Playstation 3 are absolutely superior to those on the Playstation 2. So why aren't they buying? ...

 

 

Damn, Craig, you really have a knack for sensing how the tide is moving.... I agree completely with your assessment.

 

As for me personally, I find it a lot more satisfying to want what I have than to have what I want.

[markwayne]

 

At some point I finally realized I must have lost my mind and stopped spending money I didn't have on things that would be headed for the trash bin in short order.

 

 

This is bound to be a big part of what we are seeing. The boomers with the most discretionary capital to spend have matured enough to realize that money squandered on items that will be short-lived would have been better off in a retirement account.

 

Wayne

[Xance]

imo... A lot of it has to do with the WOW factor over the item it intends to replace. For example The Playstation 3 was a replacement for the PS2. Sure it looks great, but take a look at the competition. The Xbox2 came out a year before and the PS3 isn't that big of a jump. The Wii is just plain awesome. That makes the PS3 a yawn.

 

this is how I sum it up...

 

Black & White TV to Color. WOW

Color to HDTV. WOW

Toaster Oven to Microwave. WOW

VCR to DVD. WOW

CD Changer to iPod. WOW

[UstadKhanAli]

Homemade soup to Cup-O'-Noodles. Not WOW. Sorry, just kidding!

[Xance]

Homemade soup to Cup-O'-Noodles. Not WOW. Sorry, just kidding!

 

lol

[the stranger]

 

Ditto if your first question upon checking out a Playstation 3 is "Are my PS2 games compatible?"

 

 

Are they? If not, than that's pretty stupid. That would be one of the strongest selling points.

[the stranger]

I also agree with Chip that the rate of change is going to fast. Maybe not "too much", just too soon. Compnaies are trying to cycle change faster than a natural pace. People can only adapt to so much change at a time. Anything over what's reasonable, and people will just shut down. They are yawning, but not due to lack of intrigue, they're just fatigued.

[the stranger]

GEF -Gear evolution fatigue.

[Anderton]

Are they? If not, than that's pretty stupid. That would be one of the strongest selling points.

 

PS2 games are mostly compatible with the PS3 except for those requiring special controllers, and some old ones (like the early Final Fantasies). At least that's what my daughter tells me, so I'm sure it's 100% correct

[the stranger]

Kids know better than we do.

[Jeff Leites]

 

So why aren't they buying? After all, if all you plan to do is play your existing collection of CDs on an SACD machine, might as well stick with the CD player. Ditto if your first question upon checking out a Playstation 3 is "Are my PS2 games compatible?"

 

 

My standard CD's sound fine to me.

I have better things to do with my life than play video games.

 

 

And looking deeper, I think we might actually be seeing the beginning of a major backlash to the rate of technological change. You can see this on forums, too; people aren't upgrading their software with the same eagerness they once did. It's not that they don't appreciate new features - they do. But what they have works, and they're not willing to mess with that until forced (e.g., drivers no longer exist).

 

 

Thankfully, I was able to buy a new p/c with XP, allowing me to use my current software. MS Office does far more than I need it to do, I didn't want to buy another version.

 

I don't even see the point in updating drivers anymore.... IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT!

[Lakisha]

 

I believe people are getting tired of life in the technological fast lane, and metaphorically speaking, would rather drive a little bit slower and enjoy the existing scenery instead. After all, in the real world, a logarithmic curve can't stay logarithmic forever.

 

Let me take a guess.

 

Hmmmmmmmm

 

could you be over 50?

 

Its not that PEOPLE as you said are getting tired of life in the fast lane its OLD PEOPLE who are doing waht OLD PEOPLE do and YOUNG PEOPLE are doing what YOUNG PEOPLE do.

 

Ask someone who's young and you get the opposite answer.

 

Just my 2 cents but you know im right.

 

peace.