Sony MD Interview in ``What HiFi?''

Sony = Sony Corp.
WHF? = What HI-FI ?

WHF?

In Japan, MD is currently the biggest-selling hi-fi format. Why hasn't it had that kind of impact in the UK

Sony:

If you look back at any new format - VHS, for example - it always takes a few years to evolve into the market. Also, people compared MD to CD at the start, and that's not the job it's there to do. People need to understand it's a portable recording format to replace analogue cassette tape - you can make recordings at home, take them out in the car, on your Walkman and so on. In that context it's a vast improvement, but CD is a better pre-recorded format.

WHF?

Sony believes 1997 is the year of MD in the UK. Why now?

Sony:

People are used to disc-based products, not just with audio CD but also games consoles, CD-ROM and so on. They want to a mass- market digital recording format to match. We think the products are the right and the market's ready.

WHF?

How have you improved MD hardware since it was launched?

Sony:

It's mainly due to improvements made to the ATRAC chip, which reduces the amount of data you need to record. Version 3.5 was a big breakthrough, essentially increasing resolution potential from 16-bit to 20-bit.

WHF?

Will future technology like DVD and Sony's own proposals for Direct Stream Digital ``super CD'' format mean MD is only a short-term stop-gap ?

Sony:

People say technology's moving too fast, that there are too many formats out there so punters are going to be confused. We don't belive that. For Sony, there are just 2 hi-fi formats - CD & MD, both performing different jobs. As for DVD, it will initially be a playback only movie format.

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