Neil Young: High Resolution Audio in 2012

[PanaPlasma]

Here's the link: http://www.facebook.com/OccupyAudio

Keep clicking "like". You never know what will happen.

Hope the recordlabels haven't kidnapped Neil Young and hijacked his facebook-group

[blu2]

Some new Neil Young with Crazy Horse streaming at http://www.neilyoung.com/

It's mainly jamming (plus Cortez the Killer), but there is talk of a new album being completed.

[blu2]

A conversation with Neil....

http://allthingsd.com/20120131/neil-...mission-video/

[blu2]

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/ne...ormat-20120403

They might sound like great song titles, but "21st Century Record Player," "Earth Storage" and "Thanks for Listening" aren't new Neil Young tunes. They're trademarks that the rocker recently filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Rolling Stone has found, and they indicate that Young is developing a high-resolution audio alternative to the MP3 format.

According to the filed documents, Young applied for six trademarks last June: Ivanhoe, 21st Century Record Player, Earth Storage, Storage Shed, Thanks for Listening and SQS (Studio Quality Sound). Included in the filing is a description of the trademarks: "Online and retail store services featuring music and artistic performances; high resolution music downloadable from the internet; high resolutions discs featuring music and video; audio and video recording storage and playback." The address on file corresponds to that of Vapor Records, Young's label. (Young's representatives declined Rolling Stone's request for comment.)


Young faces about a year of paperwork before the government will register his trademarks. Last week, they were approved for publication in a public journal for 30 days, a step that allows competitors to challenge Young if they find his registration harmful. The journal is set to be published later this month; if the trademarks face no opposition or snags, Young must then file documents detailing how he intends to use the trademarks, which the government could register as early as the holidays, according to the filing schedule.

[...]

[Josh]

Well, isn't that an interesting turn of events! Especially SQS!

I wonder if Apple really did pull back from releasing high resolution audio, like Young said last year? Or if this will be a joint venture with Apple where Young owns the brand and Apple does the distribution? "Earth Storage" and "Storage Shed" indicate Apple may be out of the high rez game, and "Ivanhoe" and "21st Century Record Player" indicate an actual player. Blu-ray Profile 3.0? Hopefully.

Dammit! I wants it! I wants it now!

[Aquel]

Another medium?

Why not try and focus on 1 hi-res format, so it actually stands a chance?

[Josh]

Originally Posted by Aquel

Another medium?

Why not try and focus on 1 hi-res format, so it actually stands a chance?

I doubt this would be another physical format, or codec format, for that matter. Young don't have the R&D funding nor the time to do that. He would likely use existing technology (Blu-ray?) and simply do a better job of marketing the products by using key phrases (like SQS).

[Aquel]

Originally Posted by Josh

I doubt this would be another physical format, or codec format, for that matter. Young don't have the R&D funding nor the time to do that. He would likely use existing technology (Blu-ray?) and simply do a better job of marketing the products by using key phrases (like SQS).

Why use a whole new term when you already have two recognisable codecs , DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD (I mean both Dolby Digital and DTS have been thrown around since the DVD days, so it should ring a bell with most people), which could be used for lossless music promotion?

I think it would be easier to market something as having lossless DTS/Dolby 2.0/5.1 than another vague term which doesn't have a simple connotation to music (a DVD Audio/Super Audio CD is a bit more obvious from the offset what it offers, SQS isn't).

[singhcr]

Originally Posted by Aquel

Why use a whole new term when you already have two recognisable codecs , DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD (I mean both Dolby Digital and DTS have been thrown around since the DVD days, so it should ring a bell with most people), which could be used for lossless music promotion?

I think it would be easier to market something as having lossless DTS/Dolby 2.0/5.1 than another vague term which doesn't have a simple connotation to music (a DVD Audio/Super Audio CD is a bit more obvious from the offset what it offers, SQS isn't).

It would be a bit confusing, but I don't really think most buyers would care about the particular codec name, just that it's "HD". The SACD format used "high resolution" for their DSD tracks, I believe DVD Audio used "high definition" for theirs. I don't think the average person buying BDs knows anything about TrueHD, PCM, or DTS-HD MA, just that BD is better than DVD because it's in HD and it has "perfect picture and perfect sound".

Us A/V nerds can wring our hands in frustration in forums like this

[Aquel]

Originally Posted by singhcr

It would be a bit confusing, but I don't really think most buyers would care about the particular codec name, just that it's "HD". The SACD format used "high resolution" for their DSD tracks, I believe DVD Audio used "high definition" for theirs. I don't think the average person buying BDs knows anything about TrueHD, PCM, or DTS-HD MA, just that BD is better than DVD because it's in HD and it has "perfect picture and perfect sound".

Us A/V nerds can wring our hands in frustration in forums like this

I'm curious if they really know that. I mean, a lot of people don't have the equipment to enjoy lossless and most of the advertising I can remember clearly focused on the PQ aspect of HD. But still, SQS doesn't exactly sound as HD music (why do they love to make it so hard for themselves when there are more marketable terms ?).

Oh, we certainly can wring our hands in this forum . Though music/sound has to be THE section for it, with a standard from the 80's still in use and contemplated to be replaced with even an inferior alternative, combined with loudness wars.