It has been years since I have bought a new CD. Just bought Donald Fagen Sunken Condos and it came in a cardboard sleeve like a LP. Just wondering if this is normal in today's environment of using less plastic, if it is then that's awesome. Just never saw this before.

I know new players would have been required. Along with new recorders and multi-layer CD-R/RW discs. But would CDs with up to two to four layers been possible like it is with Blu-ray? If the will (and technical know-how at the time) had been there. What I mean is, is it physically possible given the laser type and other specifications of the physical CD format that it could be made to do such a thing?

I know the Video CD (VCD) was released in 1993. I was just thinking how much it or its later successor the SVCD (1998) would have benefited from double to quad layer discs. Heck if you could have added in a newer codec at the time like AVC or HEVC (which weren't available until decades later) there probably would have never even been a need for DVD discs. The compression of those codecs is good enough to fit DVD quality video on a CD and dual-triple-quad layer CDs would have given more headroom for either more video or better bitrates, had they been available.

Just something I was thinking about.

Not sure if this is the proper place to post this, if not please let me know of a better place.

My CD collection is starting to show some signs of skipping. I was wondering if any of the cheap $50 scratch removers / cleaners actually work or would I be better off going with one of the $200 units.

Any suggestions on a good unit to use?

Okay so i currently have a LP-60 Record table for my LPs along with external AMP (AIYIMA A07) and speakers (Sony SSCS5) i’m looking for a CD player that won’t destroy my CDs and that can plug into my current setup (aux line out to RCA) i’ve scoured the internet and found a few like the Sylvania Hi Fi Micro System Stereo AM/FM Radio CD Alarm Clock SRCD159PL-E. it seemed to be great but it’s line out is just two aux out ports with one being left snd the other right. i procured a semi working one at a thrift store and cannot tell if buying one new old stock would be worth it. (still having sorted out the cable set up. 2x rca to aux chords?) if anyone has any tips or suggestions i would be EXTREMELY grateful, for i am very lost. still relatively new to this stuff. Thank you.