Sony released the first CD audio player on this day in 1982(www.tomshardware.com)
15 pointsby Brajeshwar5 hours ago3 comments
  • malgorithms2 hours ago
    > Without sample-and-hold circuitry, this meant the stereo channels were approximately 11 μs out of sync.

    Am I correct in assuming this wouldn't be perceivable on a stereo, based on the speed of sound?

    • gottheUIblues2 hours ago
      Yes indeed, it's about the time sound takes to travel 4mm
  • Kon5ole3 hours ago
    How did the market support all these weird inventions that required so many unique, precise components?

    CD's, LP's, 8-tracks, CRT's, minidisc, microcassettes, VHS, Jaz and Zip drives, laserdiscs. Needed lasers, magnet sensors, tiny motors, gears and whatnot.

    Today everything seems to be a chip in a box and still it's often more expensive.

    • robotmay2 hours ago
      I came across DCC (Digital Compact Cassettes) this month: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Compact_Cassette. A digital cassette tape format with the players being backwards compatible with standard audio cassettes. Not massively surprising that I didn't remember them from the 90s, as they were about for roughly 4 years and lost to MiniDisc, which itself wasn't particularly successful. So many of the inventions of that era are a fascinating combination of mechanics and electronics.
    • TitaRusell2 hours ago
      Built by tiny Asian hands- remember in the 1980s there were a lot of young people and various countries desperate for economic growth.
    • fragmede2 hours ago
      Tomtom's origin story is freaking amazing. Now, satnav is a free add on, supported by advertising.
  • sidewndr464 hours ago
    It's pretty common where I live when someone passes that all their belongings are just moved to the curb for collection. I picked up one of these sometime around 2015 off the curb. I took it apart for parts. I was confused why a CD player seemed to be so over engineered and over built. I eventually searched up the model number and realized it was the first one to reach the US market around 1983.
    • GenericDev4 hours ago
      Did you regret taking it apart after finding out?