I can't tell you how enlightening it has been to read all the posts. Tok20000, you in particular appealed to the accountant in me.
In my humble opinion, it's all about the value. When we part with hard earned dollars for a coveted piece of equipment, it's because we perceive a very high cost to value ratio.
When we look at cd's, I, for one, compare them to concert footage on dvd that, in many cases, is less expensive. I compare them to much higher resolution media like DVD-A and SACD that may be a dollar or two more expensive. I compare them to the cost of a movie on dvd, and find them wanting.
Twenty years ago, when cd's were perceived as THE high rez alternative (at least by some), the fifteen dollar price tag may not have seemed so onerous. Now, with all the alternatives offering so much more entertainment bang for the buck, they do seem a ripoff.
Again, IMHO, the cost of the plastic is irrelevant. It's what's on the plastic that matter. Put another way, 2 pieces of plastic, one contains a 15 year old episode of Barney, the other has your favorite latest run hit movie in THX. They both cost the same 80 cents or whatever to make. Which has more value?
If I do know one thing about economic imbalances, it's that there is always a correction and a day of reckoning. It's my theory that the BIG one in the music industry is at hand. Take heart.
In my humble opinion, it's all about the value. When we part with hard earned dollars for a coveted piece of equipment, it's because we perceive a very high cost to value ratio.
When we look at cd's, I, for one, compare them to concert footage on dvd that, in many cases, is less expensive. I compare them to much higher resolution media like DVD-A and SACD that may be a dollar or two more expensive. I compare them to the cost of a movie on dvd, and find them wanting.
Twenty years ago, when cd's were perceived as THE high rez alternative (at least by some), the fifteen dollar price tag may not have seemed so onerous. Now, with all the alternatives offering so much more entertainment bang for the buck, they do seem a ripoff.
Again, IMHO, the cost of the plastic is irrelevant. It's what's on the plastic that matter. Put another way, 2 pieces of plastic, one contains a 15 year old episode of Barney, the other has your favorite latest run hit movie in THX. They both cost the same 80 cents or whatever to make. Which has more value?
If I do know one thing about economic imbalances, it's that there is always a correction and a day of reckoning. It's my theory that the BIG one in the music industry is at hand. Take heart.