Sour DOW/NASDAQ to kill digital future?

SACD has more advantages than just better sound.

1. It has multichannel option. CD's don't.

2. It has a video option. CD's don't. Right now, SACD's don't either, but could.

3. Hybrid discs are downward compatible to CD players. DVD-A is not. Sony even states that the CD layer is superior to normal CDs.

4. Has copy protection. The record companies like this. CDs don't have this.

5. Has copy protection that does not affect the sound. DVD-A can't say the same.

6. Does not require a DVD player and TV to play.

7. About 20 minutes longer play than CDs is possible. One current SACD is 87 minutes long, but futre SACD theoretically could exceed 100 minutes.

8. SACD equipment is far cheaper than buying a TT, cartridge, and pre-preamp. It'll take a $10K setup to get in the ballpark with a $1,500 S9000ES CD/DVD/SACD player.

9. SACD equipment is far cheaper than buying a top notch CD transport and DAC.

Thanks, Tommart, for the information. I stand somewhat corrected about the technical advance of SACD, however, I was speaking about the general public's possible unwillingness to finance a change of format..prices have to come down and down fast. If anyone can pull it off, it will be Sony.
I did listen to the multichannel SACD demo at Montreal and was extremely impressed with the sound.

I may have mis-understood this but I was told that the patent that Sony/Phillips have on Cd's is up in 2002. For that reason they will be pushing this hot and heavy so they can reap the money for another 20 years? Hope it works.