Can you imagine a world without vinyl?

Gregm: I imagine a scenario when super high-speed connection bandwidth and device storage capacity have both become commodities, and we're no longer tied to limiting physical disk formats, then service and content providers will look to higher resolution as a low-cost way to add value in order for them to charge a premium. Kind of like gas stations offering high-octane gas at a higher price for drivers of high-performance cars. You can see this as a logical extension of the HE industry trend right now touting "high def" as a way of generating new revenues. In the future, music and video consumers could be offered the choice of downloading resolution-reduced content at one or two different price tiers (call 'em "regular" and "mid-grade"), or paying more and getting the full native master resolution of digitally-recorded content ("premium" or "ultra"). Compared with today, when iTunes customers are supposed to be happy with resolution that's not even CD-quality, the optional availability of higher than CD-quality resolution every time you choose to download or stream content should have the effect of raising public awareness about the high end (the "high performance cars" of my analogy). I think it's inevitable that the mainstream industry will eventually come around to the profitable possibilities inherent in promoting sound quality rather than trying to sweep it under the carpet, it's just a matter of tech advancement rendering capacity a non-issue from the provider-cost and consumer-convenience standpoints.

Zaike:

content providers will look to higher resolution as a low-cost way to add value in order for them to charge a premium

Could you spread the word a bit -- as in whisper into marketers' ears about where their next promotion and performance bonus may come from :)

That's probably the only way they'll jump on this bandwagon. Cheers

Gregm...I agree that a live feed sometimes has a certain quality which I have not heard from any recorded media. However, FM radio has some limitations. As you may know, FM radio consists of two signals, a mono one up to 19KHz and a multiplexed one, (Left minus Right) above 20 KHz. The two signals (mono and demultiplexed L-R) are mixed to get Left and Right.

Have you ever listened to the L-R signal by itself? Even with a strong RF signal the L-R signal is pretty bad, and this gets mixed with the mono signal to get stereo. It's a wonder that it sounds as good as it does. Of course as the RF signal gets weaker the L-R signal goes from bad to awful, and we switch our receivers to mono.

I know that you said "improved" FM. Fat chance. What you will get is digital, and here we go again with the debate!

What you will get is digital, and here we go again with the debate!

Perhaps they'll come up with a way like Arny had done to him in Total Recall....to implant you with sonic mamories?

Imagine it...you choose who you could be, say John Atkinson and take a weeks audiophile holiday!

Shadorne: Think girlfriends/wives of audiophiles get implanted with sonic mammaries?