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Poll: When will the CD die?

The CD has been around for nearly 30 years, but is it on its way out?

headshots_Steve_Guttenberg.jpg
headshots_Steve_Guttenberg.jpg
Steve Guttenberg
Ex-movie theater projectionist Steve Guttenberg has also worked as a high-end audio salesman, and as a record producer. Steve currently reviews audio products for CNET and works as a freelance writer for Stereophile.
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Steve Guttenberg
Steve Guttenberg

The CD is fast approaching its 30th anniversary, and it's looking a bit tired. Funny, the LP is more than twice as old and its resurgence is ongoing. Not just among oldsters playing records they bought decades ago; a fair percentage of young bands are releasing new vinyl pressings.

CD box sets and remastered CDs, like the Beatles catalog that came out in 2009, still sell in big numbers. I remember when the CD was introduced, the media predicted the LP would be gone in just a few years. Now it's starting to look like the LP will outlast the CD. SACD, DVD-Audio, and Blu-ray music formats don't seem to be going anywhere, so it may come down to LPs and downloads. We'll see.

What do you think: how long will the CD, the original uncompressed, lossless digital consumer format be around? Vote in the poll and share your thoughts in the Comments section.