Older attempts at improving the CD format

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Hi.

Between the original CD and DVD-Audio / SACD were there other attempts
at improving CD ? Which ones and how did they work ? Any one that was
not based on PCM ?

If I knew the names I could probably find a description on the web,
although for HDCD, the only one I know about, it seems I am only
finding marketing-speak.

http/www.hdcd.com/about/whatisHDCD.html

BTW, this page about HDCD:
http/www.rotel.com/html/hdcd.htm

says that, in fact, there have been other proposed formats:

"There have been other attempts to improve the sound of Compact
Disc, but none according to Wired Magazine are comprehensive as
the HDCD Process:"

--
http/www.mat.uc.pt/~rps/

..pt is Portugal| `Whom the gods love die young'-Menander (342-292 BC)
Europe | Villeneuve 50-82, Toivonen 56-86, Senna 60-94

 

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Rui Pedro Mendes Salgueiro wrote:

> Hi.
>
> Between the original CD and DVD-Audio / SACD were there other attempts
> at improving CD ? Which ones and how did they work ? Any one that was
> not based on PCM ?
>
> If I knew the names I could probably find a description on the web,
> although for HDCD, the only one I know about, it seems I am only
> finding marketing-speak.
>
> http/www.hdcd.com/about/whatisHDCD.html
>
> BTW, this page about HDCD:
> http/www.rotel.com/html/hdcd.htm
>
> says that, in fact, there have been other proposed formats:
>
> "There have been other attempts to improve the sound of Compact
> Disc, but none according to Wired Magazine are comprehensive as
> the HDCD Process:"
>
The HDCD process basically encodes ~2 bits more of info into the stock
16/44.1 format, so you're supposedly getting an 18/44.1 CD. You have to
have an HDCD player to catch those extra bits. I have an HDCD of Gods N
Monsters, the classical music soundtrack to the movie. It sounds very
good . . . . . on my player which isn't HDCD. Go figure. HDCD is a dead
format anyhow. Microsoft bought it, and it sure wasn't to make their
Windows Media Player into an audiophile quality medium

Check out JVC'c XRCD format. I have 2 CDs mastered with XRCD. One of
them is the Mighty Sam McClain's Give it up to love. It's probably the
best sounding CD in my modest collection, by far. Sometimes I just
listen to it because of how good it sounds, and less so for the actual
music

CD

 

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Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

On 6/30/04 3:12 PM, in article dgEEc.5706$7t3.5681@attbi_s51, "Codifus"
<codifus@optonline.net> wrote:

> I have an HDCD of Gods N
> Monsters, the classical music soundtrack to the movie. It sounds very
> good . . . . . on my player which isn't HDCD. Go figure. HDCD is a dead
> format anyhow. Microsoft bought it, and it sure wasn't to make their
> Windows Media Player into an audiophile quality medium

Not quite dead - as many re-masters recently released are in HDCD - and many
CD players use that format.

Won't last in the wake of SACD and DVD-A, I will agree.

Microsoft bought it in order to be able ot have a higher throughput with
fewer bits for WMP - though I agree the motivation was NOT for audiophiles,
and more than McDo is trying to hit fine cuisine!

 

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Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

"Rui Pedro Mendes Salgueiro" <rps@rena.mat.uc.pt> wrote in message
news:IGCEc.3155$MB3.141@attbi_s04...
> Hi.
>
> Between the original CD and DVD-Audio / SACD were there other attempts
> at improving CD ? Which ones and how did they work ? Any one that was
> not based on PCM ?
>
> If I knew the names I could probably find a description on the web,
> although for HDCD, the only one I know about, it seems I am only
> finding marketing-speak.
>
> http/www.hdcd.com/about/whatisHDCD.html


There is better information on the Pro Audio section of the HDCD web site:

http/www.hdcd.com/partners/proaudio/overview.html

Charles Tomaras
Seattle, WA

 

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Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

Bromo wrote:

> On 6/30/04 3:12 PM, in article dgEEc.5706$7t3.5681@attbi_s51, "Codifus"
> <codifus@optonline.net> wrote:
>
>
>>I have an HDCD of Gods N
>>Monsters, the classical music soundtrack to the movie. It sounds very
>>good . . . . . on my player which isn't HDCD. Go figure. HDCD is a dead
>>format anyhow. Microsoft bought it, and it sure wasn't to make their
>>Windows Media Player into an audiophile quality medium
>
>
> Not quite dead - as many re-masters recently released are in HDCD - and many
> CD players use that format.
>
> Won't last in the wake of SACD and DVD-A, I will agree.
>
> Microsoft bought it in order to be able ot have a higher throughput with
> fewer bits for WMP - though I agree the motivation was NOT for audiophiles,
> and more than McDo is trying to hit fine cuisine!
The thing with HDCD is that you have to have an HDCD player. I don't
really see many more players coming out with HDCD encoding in the
future, and there areally aren't that many now. It isn't bad as a
format, just the execution.

JVC's XRCD, on the other hand, just takes a regular redbook CD and make
the best master to it. XRCD mastering could be applied to SACD and DVD-A
as well. HDCD, like the regular CD, will become completely obsolete
once one of the new formats, or both, really take off.

CD