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Happy 25th Anniversary Compact Disc!

PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 11:11 am
by Ian
It's kinda hard to believe that the first CD was manufactured 25 years ago today. It makes you feel kinda old. :cry:

http://origin.newscenter.philips.com/ab ... ry_cd.page?

Exactly 25 years ago tomorrow, on August 17, 1982, Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE:PHG, AEX:PHI) manufactured the world’s first Compact Disc at a Philips factory in Langenhagen, just outside of Hanover, Germany. The invention of the CD ushered in a technological revolution in the music industry as CDs – with their superior sound quality and scratch free durability – marked the beginning of the shift from analogue to digital music technology. The CD became a catalyst for further innovation in digital entertainment, helping pave the way for the launch of DVD and the current introduction of Blu-ray optical media. Having played a key role in the innovation of digital music, at home and on the move, consumers continue to witness huge advances in entertainment and lifestyle technologies.

The Philips factory in Germany, where the world’s first CD was pressed, belonged to Polygram – the recording company, which Philips owned at the time. The first CD to be manufactured at the plant was “The Visitors” by ABBA. By the time CDs were introduced on the market in November 1982, a catalogue of around 150 titles – mainly classical music – had been produced. The first CDs and CD players – including Philips’ CD100 – were introduced in Japan in November, followed by a US and European market introduction in March of 1983.

As early as 1979, Philips and Sony set up a joint task force of engineers to design the new digital audio disc. Many decisions were made in the year to follow – such as the disc diameter. The original target storage capacity for a CD was one hour of audio content, and a disc diameter of 115 mm was sufficient for this, however both parties extended the capacity to 74 minutes to accommodate a complete performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. In June 1980, the new standard was proposed by Philips and Sony as the “Red Book” containing all the technical specification for all CD and CD-Rom standards.

PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 2:04 pm
by DrageMester
I still remember the Wow! experience I had the first time I heard a CD player. I was in a music/hi-fi shop in 1983 and I suddenly heard what I thought was a live performance of a guitarist in the store. But it wasn't live - it was the first Philips CD100 CD player and it was amazing!

A year after that in 1984 I used almost all my savings from my summer job (I was in college at the time) to buy a top of the line Philips CD303 and two CDs. This player is still working - my parents "inherited" it and it's been playing all these 23 years!!! =D>

The two CDs were The Alan Parsons Project - Eye in the Sky and Genesis - A Trick of the Tail.

PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 2:51 pm
by Ian
I didn't get my first CD player until the early 90's. I think I bought a Discman. #-o

PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 6:48 pm
by Morpheus
I bought my CD player in 1994 (I think) and it still works. I'm still using it. (it's a Sony ES single CD player). :D

PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 10:41 pm
by ruderacer
I got my first in 1991 and it was a Sony multi changer for my truck. It stopped working in 1995. I got an Onkyo carousel for my home system in 1992 and that one still works. Though I don't use it much. Funny though, cd players didn't give me the same excitement that my first cassette player gave me. Remember the old 8-tracks? Wow, now that was progress!

PostPosted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 10:25 am
by redk9258
I still use my JVC that I bought in 1987. I think the 1st CD I bought was "A Decade Of Steely Dan". I wish the stuff made these days was still made like that. I have my doubts that a CD player bought these days would last 20+ years.

PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 3:16 am
by Dartman
I bought my first CD at least a year before I had my own player, Peter Gabriel SO =D> I gave t to my friend till I had my own because he couldn't decide if it was good or not and I had all ready heard the main hits so I got it and said here, I want it back when I get a player.
My first player was a nice very basic Denon 520 4x oversampling unit with a remote, used my first decent X-mas bonus to buy it about late 89 or early 90, sounded nice.
I use my DVD players now hooked up on the digital ports mostly, except when I happen to play SACD or DVDAudio on my Pioneer 563a unit. Thats another kettle of worms right there.... :cry:

PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 4:10 pm
by stix
Still using my original Sony single disk CD Player, manufactured in 1991. See photo below. Still works perfectly, still part of my audio system.

My first CD player in my car was a Panasonic car stereo unit I installed. It was a good one and outlasted the car.

PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 11:12 am
by Wesociety
Viva la CD! 8)

I cannot recall my first CD or player.

PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:42 pm
by socheat
My first player was in '92 or '93. Can't remember the brand, but it was a little tape cassette/radio/single cd player combo. First CD was Aerosmith's "Get a Grip". Brings back memories of listening to music during late night BBS'ing. :)

PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:44 pm
by SithTracy
Wesociety wrote:I cannot recall my first CD or player.

Sadly, I do... Me being the obvious Kiss FAN and all. My LP for the 1978 Ace Frehley solo got damaged and it had been released on CD... I snatched it up and did not even own a CD player at that point... Had to be around 1986/1987... I think I got a Sony CD player for HS graduation in 87... it lasted about 9 months... I then got a Pioneer... I sold it two years ago in a garage sale for $10.00.