HappySqurriel said: From Wikipedia: "Laserdisc technology, using a transparent disc, was invented by David Paul Gregg in 1958 (and patented in 1961 and 1969). By 1969 Philips had developed a videodisc in reflective mode, which has great advantages over the transparent mode. MCA and Philips decided to join their efforts. They first publicly demonstrated the videodisc in 1972. LD was first available on the market, in Atlanta, on December 15, 1978, two years after the VHS VCR and four years before the CD, which is based on laserdisc technology" As you can see the technology for the CD was mainly produced by Philips and Sony's involvement was mainly to make CDs popular. Laser Disc also represents a technology that was much higher quality than its competition because its competition was far more convienient. |
I have to give credit to you, HappySqurriel, you are thorough. You are right. The Laserdisc as you call it (official name was Laser Vision Disc or DiscoVision) was invented by MCA and Philips. It failed enormously because of difference commercially as well as technically (different sizes, etc.). Luckily, a couple of engineers of Philips Audio (Boonstra and Van Alem) saved the ALP or Audio Long Play-technology.
At the start of the 1980's, it was a joint action of Sony and Philips, namely Dr. Toshi Doi (Sony) and Dr. K. Immink (Philips), that the standard format for the CD was developed. However, it was Sony who introduced the first CD-players and CD's, because of their technological supremacy. That supremacy was a bit foul play though, because Philips was ahead at first, but Sony insisted that CD's could contain 74 minutes of music, while Philips had everything set for 68 minutes. Those 6 extra minutes meant that CD's would have to get bigger (about 0,25 inches) and Philips just wasn't equiped for that, yet.
But the first to bring out the CD 'n so on, was Sony, therefore the founder of all the digital discs we now know!
