After Sony and Philips reached an agreement on the Compact Disc Digital Audio after 6 meetings, they officially presented the format in a press conference held at the Plaza Hotel in New York on may 27, 1981.

This document is part of the Philips/Sony press kit which was specially prepared for the New York press conference.

The 1981 Philips/Sony press kit also includes:

CD Format Gaining As World Standard

NEW YORK, NY, May 27, 1981 — Sony Corporation and North American Philips Corporation today demonstrated prototypes of the Compact

Disc (CD) Digital Audio System. Akio Morita, co-founder and chair- man of Sony, and Frank Randall, vice chairman of North American Philips jointly announced that the market introduction of the revolu- tionary sound reproduction system will begin in the fall of 1982.

Philips/Sony press kit 27 May 1981 New York

The announcement of the marketing plans reflects growing endorsement of the Compact Disc system as the preferred digital audio format by equipment manufacturers and software producers around the world. Movement toward that broad acceptance was given impetus in June 1980, when Sony and Philips agreed to take full advantage of the technological capabilities of both companies and to co-develop the CD system.

Most recently, the worldwide Polygram Group, one of the leading international record manufacturers, and CBS/Sony Ine., the largest record company in Japan, announced plans to produce music programs in the CD format. In 1982, for example, CBS/Sony will re­ lease more than 100 Compact Disc albums in Japan simultaneously with the introduction of the CD players.

Philips/Sony press kit 27 May 1981 New York Philips/Sony press kit 27 May 1981 New York

Since its inception, improvements in disc recordings have been substantial. Mechanical recording via acoustic horn microphone was replaced by more sophisticated techniques using electrical microphones and amplifiers. Electro-magnetic pick-up systems were developed. Vinyl replaced "shellac" in record production, micro-groove was adopted, and monophonic rePhilips and Sony jointly submitted the CD format to the Digital Audio Disc Standardization Conference and, in April 1981, the final report of its study of three major systems was presented. The study recommended the CD format as the Standard for audio disc record- ing and reproduction. The system continues to qain international acceptance.

"Live" Fidelity

The Compact Disc Digital Audio System delivers concerthall fidelity, eliminates distortion, preserves the original "live" sound quality, and can be played through any home stereo system. lts unparalleled musical realism results in listener enjoyment which previously could be fully experienced only at a live performance. It is said to demolish the "distance" and the difference between the sound produced in the recording studio and the sound heard in the listener's living room.

On a complete break with all earlier recording-playback techniques, the Compact Disc Digital Audio System employés a record that has no grooves, which rotates faster than conventional LP or 45 discs, and is smaller than either. Only 4.7 inches (12cm) in diameter, the smooth-surfaced Compact Disc carries up to a full hour of digitally-encoded stereo music on one side compared to the LP's maximum of 30 minutes per side. The sound is recaptured, exactly as recorded, by means of a miniature, low-power, solid state laser pick-up unit within the CD player.

Since the invention of the phonograph in 1877, the record­ing and playback of sound has been baséd on an analog principle in which the physical energy of a sound wave is converted to variations in the grooves on the record.

Philips/Sony press kit 27 May 1981 New York

The most noticeable problem in conventional records is that, as the Stylus responds to the physical variations within the wavy groove, it also picks up the presence of dust, dirt and groove imperfections as additional — but unwanted — sounds. The Stylus also is the link through which turntable rumble and tonearm resonance are transmitted to the system's amplifier.

Digital Advantages

In digital recording, the original sound wave is sampled thousands of times per second and converted into binary computer language. At about one-sixth the size, the Compact Disc offers many advantages over the conventional analog LP record. It provides wider frequency response (20-20,000Hz) and less high frequency dis- tortion (0.05%). The system provides a signal-to-noise ratio and dynamic range of more than 90dB for each. There is no contact between the laser pickup and the disc, resulting in an extremely long record life.

The digitally-encoded sound, in the form of microscopie pits and flat areas along a 2J5-mile-long spiral track, is sealed with a transparent plastic that protects against dust, dirt, scratches and other damage.

Significant Advances

Recognizing the sound advantages of digital systems, more and more manufacturers have been recording their artists in digital master tape for release as improved LPs. Although these recordings have been acclaimed as clear advances over conventional LPs, they do not completely close the distance between studio and living room and they force the LP record to its design limits.

Philips/Sony press kit 27 May 1981 New York

"The Compact Disc Digital Audio System," notes Sony's Akio Morita, "achieves a genuine technology breakthrough that establishes a direct, trouble-free link between the musician and the listener."

Frank Randall of North American Philips called the new system "the most significant advance in consumer sound reproduction in more than 25 years."

Sony and Philips will both demonstrate the Compact Disc Digital Audio System at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago, May 31 through June 4.

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