History of the cd - timeline 1841-1999
| 1841 | Augustin-Louis Cauchy Proposes a Sampling Theorem. |
| 1842 | Charles Babbage Proposes analytical engine for performing and storing calculations. |
| 1854 | George Boole publishes "An Investigation Into the Laws of Thought." A book that contained, among other things, theories that were later used to build digital circuits. |
| 1855 | Leon Scott de Martinville invents the phonoautograph, a machine that records vibrations on a carbonized paper cylinder. |
| 1876 | Alexander Graham Bell introduces the telephone |
| 1877 | Thomas Edison invents the phonograph while trying to invent a device that would record and repeat telegraphic signals (digital) |
| 1887 | Emily Berliner replaces Edison's wax cylinder phonograph with the audio disc. |
| 1915 | 78 R.P.M records introduced |
| 1922 | J.R. Carson examines the idea of time sampling for communications |
| 1928 | Harry Nyquiest publishes "Certain Topics in Telegraph Transmission Theory." His theory contained proof
that the technology used in todays audio cd's could work. 33 1/3 Records Introduced |
| 1937 | A. Reeves invents pulse code modulation (PCM), a technology used by computers and CD's for audio in the present
day. H. Aiken from Harvard approaches IBM and proposes a electrical computing machine. |
| 1943 | The U.S. Army turns on the first computer (ENIAC) at the University of Pennsylvania. |
| 1947 | Magnetic Tape Recorders hit the U.S. market. |
| 1948 | The transistor is invented by Bell Laboratories. Claude E. Shannon publishes "A Mathematical Theory of Communication." -- Yet another important development for theories used in CD technology |
| 1949 | 45 rpm records hit the U.S. market, thanks to microgroove technology. |
| 1950 | Richard W. Hamming publishes information about error detection/correction codes. It would be impossible for CD's to work without error correction. |
| 1958 | Invention of the Laser. Stereo LP's produced. Integrated Circuit introduced by Texas Instruments |
| 1960 | Computer Music experiments take place at major laboratories. I.S. Reed and G. Soloman publish information on multiple error correction codes. These come to be known as the "Reed-Solomon" Codes which are the codes used for enconding and reading CD's. Working Laser produced. |
| 1967 | NHK Technical Research Institute demonstrates a 12-bit PCM digital audio recorder with a 30 kHz (30,000 times per second) sampling rate. The digital recording goes onto a high-grade video tape. |
| 1969 | Sony introduces it's 13-bit PCM digital recorder at a 47.25 kHz (47,250 time per second) sampling rate. The digital
recording is sent to a 2" video tape. Klass Compaan, a Dutch physicist comes up with the idea for the Compact Disc. |
| 1970 | At Philips, Compaan and Pete Kramer complete a glass disc prototype and determine that a laser will be needed to read the information. |
| 1971 | Microprocessor produced by Intel Digital Delay line used by BBC's studios (first digital audio device). |
| 1972 | Compaan and Kramer produce color prototype of this new compact disc technology |
| 1973 | BBC and other broadcast companies start installing digital recorders for master recordings. |
| 1977 | Mitsubishi, Hitachi & Sony show digital audio disc prototypes at the Tokyo Audio Fair. JVC Develops Digital Audio Process |
| 1978 | Philips releases the video disc player Sony sells the PCM-1600 and PCM-1 (digital audio processors) "Digital Audio Disc Convention" Held in Tokyo, Japan with 35 different manufacturers. Philips proposes that a worldwide standard be set. Polygram (division of Philips) determined that polycarbonate would be the best material for the CD. Decision made for data on a CD to start on the inside and spiral towards the outer edge. Disc diameter originally set at 115mm. Type of laser selected for CD Players. |
| 1979 | Prototype CD System demonstrated in Europe and Japan. Sony agrees to join in collaboration. Sony & Philips compromise on the standard sampling rate of a CD -- 44.1 kHz (44,100 samples per second) Philips accepts Sony's proposal for 16-bit audio. Reed-Solomon code adopted after Sony's suggestion. Maximum playing time decided to be slighty more that 74 minutes. Disc diameter changed to 120mm to allow for 74 minutes of 16-bit stereo sound with a sample rate of 44.1 kHz |
| 1980 | Compact Disc standard proposed by Philips & Sony. |
| 1981 | Matsushita accepts Compact Disc Standard Digital Audio Disc Committee also accepts Compact Disc Standard. Sharp achieves production of semiconductor laser. Philips & Sony collaboration ends. |
| 1982 | Sony & Philips both have product ready to go. Compact Disc Technology is introduced to Europe and Japan in the fall. |
| 1983 | Compact Disc Technology is introduced in the United States in the spring The Compact Disc Group formed to help market. CD-ROM Protoypes shown to public 30,000 Players sold in the U.S. 800,000 CD's sold in the U.S. |
| 1984 | Second Generation & Car CD players introducted. First Mass Replication Plant in the United States built. Portable (i.e., Sony DiscMan) CD Players sold. |
| 1985 | Third generation CD Players released. CD-ROM drives hit the computer market. |
| 1986 | CD-I (Interactive CD) concept created. 3 Million Players sold in U.S. 53 Million CD's sold in U.S. |
| 1987 | Video CD format created. Allen Adkins of Optical Media International joins with SonoPress in Amsterdam and demonstrates a desktop system for pre-mastering CD's (Adkins and SonoPress, produced a replicated CD in less than 24-hours using this system). |
| 1988 | CD-Recordable Disc/Recorder Technology Introduced |
| 1990 | 28% of all U.S. households have CD's. 9.2 million players sold annually in the United States. 288 million CD's sold annually in the United States. World Sales close to 1 Billion |
| 1991 | CD-I format acheived. CD-Recordable Introduced to the Market "QuickTopix" the first CD-R pre-mastering Software introduced by Allen Adkins. |
| 1992 | CD-R Sales reach 200,000 |
| 1996 | DVD Technology Introduced. Prices of Recorders and CD-R Media go down significantly. High Demands cause World-Wide CD-R Media Shortage. |
| 1997 | DVD Released. DVD Players/Movies hit consumer market. DVD-R standard created (3.9 Gig). Mitsui builds it's first CD-R production plant in the U.S. World-wide shortage ends. Price of CD-R media lower than ever imagined. |
| 1998 | DVD-RAM, DVD-Recordable systems/equipment hits market. DVD-Video/ROM authoring tools hits the market. CD-R prices continue to drop. |
| 1999 | DVD-Video Becomes main stream. Consumers begin purchasing DVD Players & Movies on a mass level. Most major film studios have titles on DVD. DIVX Dies (DIgital Video eXpress). Second Generation DVD Burners. 4.7 Gig DVD-R Media Developed. |
