From: logan@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Logan Shaw)
Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject: Re: I'm gonna axe DCC
Date: 21 Dec 92 06:10:26 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin

In article <Mf=umI200iV144IvEM@andrew.cmu.edu> bc2y+@andrew.cmu.edu (Brian T Cheek) writes:
>Atro Tossavainen writes:
>
>>  I took a look at Philips' DCC900 ad. Though it mentions that the
>>technology uses a "coding" scheme in the recording, the ad claimed
>>flat out that the sound quality is _equal_ to a CD. This is, of
>>course, a lie; but is it grounds enough to, say, sue Philips for
>>customer misleading?
>
>I just had a great idea.  I don't work for Phillips.  I don't like DCC.
>I hope it dies.  *IDEA*  Why don't I kill it?
>
>Heck, if they can lie and say it is equal to CD quality, I'll tell all
>my friends that it doesn't work, eats tapes, takes too much electricity,
>and has a yearly renewal fee.  50% of the purchase cost goes to the
>record companies, 1% goes to the Jimmy Fund (I want to gain
>creditibility so they believe me).  DCC blank tapes are $10 now but will
>go up to $25 each in the required 10 pack you must buy in a year (if
>they ask why I'll say blank tape royalty tax).

[ additional humorous fabrications designed to kill DCC deleted. ]

Well, I think that's a good idea.  It sorta worked with New Coke.  They
taste tested lots of people and found they mostly couldn't tell the
difference.  So, they figured people would like it because it was new, and
well, what really happened is that people didn't really like it.

My theory is that the people who could tell the difference told everyone
it was bad stuff and they believed it.  Also, people just wanted what they
were used to.

In light of this, I think it would feasible for us right here in this
newsgroup to start a "kill DCC" trend.  Most of us are technical geeks, and
so we have influence with our non-technical friends.  In fact, they'll
probably believe us no matter what we say.  (I know a guy who cautioned me
once when we were carrying a computer not to get the keyboard connector too
close to the monitor, because it would 'magnetize' it, and then I'd have to
buy a whole new keyboard.  When I asked where he heard that, he said "Well,
my parents know alot about computers and they told me.")

Anyway, so what we do is make sure we make a claim that makes them want
to steer away from DCC, but is still plausible, and something that sales
droids can't deny as a complete lie (in other words, we need to put
great stress on real weaknesses).  Here's my proposed anti-DCC dogma:

	(1)  The tape sheds alot, and that means DCC owners will have to
		clean their tape heads all the time, which is difficult.
	(2)  It's a two sided format, which is not near as convenient as
		a single side.
	(3)  The big evil corporations are lying when they say it's CD
		quality - they're trying to deceive the consumer.
	(4)  It's partially based on old technology (i.e. cassettes), which
		wasn't even originally intended for anything other than
		dictation.
	(5)  It's not random access like a CD player.
	(6)  IT'S NOT IBM COMPATIBLE.  (Oops - wrong irrational argument)
	(7)  The writable CD will be coming out soon - professionals can
		already buy them.
	(8)  Because of all these weaknesses, it's going to go the way
		of the 8-track and Beta and DCC owners will end up with
		a worthless machine they can't get blank tapes for and
		they will have wasted their good hard earned money on it.

I think it'll work.  I just wish we would all have know about VCR Plus
enough in advance to try to kill it.  People are paying good money so
that they can type in 1 meaningless number instead of 3 or so meaningful
numbers!

Adios,
  Logan
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Newsgroups: rec.audio