Hdcd/sacd/dvd-a/cd

[Vancouver]

I am curious to know what your favorite format is in order and where you spend most of your budget when it comes to these formats.

 

[j_garcia]

Favorite format is SACD, because it generally sounds better to my ears, but DVD-A is a very close second. Both SACD and DVD-A are completely dependent on the mixing/mastering though, because I own some titles that sound hardly any better than the CD version, and some that are like night and day.

Most of my money is spent is on redbook CDs though...because most of the titles I want are not on SACD or DVD-A.

 

[DISCMAN]

1st choice is SACD: I am buying everything I'm even remotely interested (Carpenters, Dire Straits & Wham are a few things I wouldn't have bought on other formats).

2nd is DVD-A: I am buying everything I want. Some of the best surround mixes are on this format & while I am blown away sonically most of the time, I'm more often & more amazed with SACD.

CD: When I can't get it on (SACD/DVD-A).

HDCD: Doesn't factor into my decision.

 

[goodman]

The Sony player I bought three years ago doesn't play DVD-A. Since I've never heard DVD-A, I don't know how it compares with SACD, but I am very pleased with most of my SACDs. I agree with other posters that some SACDS are no better than redbook CDs, but the good ones are superb.

 

[Vancouver]

I cant wait to get my SACD player! Anyone buy HDCDs? dont hear to much about them

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

CD. Neither of the hi-rz formats have any albums I want, and I'll take a format that plays in 99% of households over one that plays in 1%.

Redbook CD as a audio medium is capable of far more than anything the labels seem intrested in putting on it. People tend to lose sight of that sometimes.

I don't even know what HDCD is.......

 

[Vancouver]

HDCD is high def CD as far as I know.

 

[Duffinator]

CD for me. Good old stereo will be hard to replace. I have a hard enough time telling the difference between a properly ripped MP3 from a CD so the hi-res stuff doesn't seem to add much for me. The multi-channel aspect of the other formats is interesting but I haven't been bitten by that bug....yet.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I don't even know what HDCD is.......

Oh, a marketing attempt at another competitor to CD. They make some alterations to to bs people about its improvements. It is still red book. Forget about it.

 

[Nomo]

My player doesn't do SACD. I chose DVD-A purely for it's sound over that of CDs. Although the visual extras on DVD-A are sometimes a nice plus.

 

[s2pdname]

Favorite format is SACD, because it generally sounds better to my ears, but DVD-A is a very close second. Both SACD and DVD-A are completely dependent on the mixing/mastering though, because I own some titles that sound hardly any better than the CD version, and some that are like night and day.

Most of my money is spent is on redbook CDs though...because most of the titles I want are not on SACD or DVD-A.

Exactly my feelings.

 

[MDS]

HDCD is 'High Definition Compatable Digital'. It is a technique for putting 20 bit masters on a CD (which requires 16 bit). The whole process sounds like nothing more than downsampling and dithering to me. Although obviously not the same thing, you can think of it as an encoding process llike Dolby Surround. An HDCD compatible player will know how to extract the information that was encoded. A regular player will still play it just fine in the same way that a Dolby Surround encoded track will play normally even if the player doesn't have ProLogic.

I think it was originally created and patented by Pacific Microsonics but has since been bought by Microsoft.

I have a few HDCDs (Van Halen Remasters) and while they do sound good, I don't think you can really tell the difference between HDCD and plain old Redbook CDs.

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

OK, heres a dumb question, why are CDs called "redbook" CDs?

 

[mitch57]

I prefer SACD. However I also like DVD-A. They are both excellent. The only reason I like the SACD over the DVD-A is because it plays like a regular CD.

The DVD-A works like a Video DVD. You have to use chapters instead of tracks and the disk doesn't start playing immediately. You have to either select the chapter or keep pushing play to get it start the first chapter.

 

[westcott]

You forgot HD DVD and Blu-ray

I think I am going to go with Microsoft and Intel on this one.

They make some very strong arguments for HD DVD and it seems it will be out before Blu-Ray has full recording capabilities and everyone makes the financial investment to retool.

I just hope they make a player that is backward compatible with all formats or one of the newer technologies bumps them all off.

 

[MDS]

OK, heres a dumb question, why are CDs called "redbook" CDs?

Because the technical specification of the CD format is contained in a book with a red cover. Here is a site that shows most of the CD formats and their respective book colors: http://www.disctronics.co.uk/technology/cdbasics/cd_books.htm

As silly as it may seem, it is not uncommon; eg the federal reserve's survey of manufacturing activity is known as the 'beige book'.

 

[Vancouver]

I think I am going to go with Microsoft and Intel on this one.

They make some very strong arguments for HD DVD and it seems it will be out before Blu-Ray has full recording capabilities and everyone makes the financial investment to retool.

I just hope they make a player that is backward compatible with all formats or one of the newer technologies bumps them all off.

we are only talking audio...not video.

and personally i hope that people dont buy either format.

 

[Johnny Canuck]

HDCD is a Panasonic thing. Some DVD players have difficulty playing them, like all Yamaha players. You get pops and clicks. I found a way around it by switching to analogue but you can't enjoy it in digital so what's the point?

I have to say SACD is the best but my DVD A sound very close.

I am getting giddy thinking of Pink Floyd releasing more SACD titles, like Wish You Were Here and The Wall. I will be at the store first day they come out (along with the Pulse DVD)

 

[MBauer]

I will

and personally i hope that people dont buy either format.

For my computer anyway. Blu-Ray should be a great backup solution

 

[j_garcia]

The Sony player I bought three years ago doesn't play DVD-A. Since I've never heard DVD-A, I don't know how it compares with SACD, but I am very pleased with most of my SACDs. I agree with other posters that some SACDS are no better than redbook CDs, but the good ones are superb.

NO Sony players play DVD-A, since it is a competing format to SACD.