Term of the Week - SACD
While the current CD format is tied to 44.1 kHz sampling rate, SACD samples at 2.8224 MHz. Also, with a storage capacity of 4.7 gigabytes per disk (as much as a DVD), SACD can accommodate separate stereo and six-channel mixes of 100 minutes each. The SACD format also has the capability to display photo and text information, such as liner notes, but this feature is not incorporated into most discs.
SACD players are backward compatible with conventional CDs, and some SACD disks are dual-layer discs with PCM content that can be played in standard CD players. In other words, the same disk can hold both current CD versions of the its SACD content. That means that you can invest in dual-format SACD's to play on your current CD player and then access the SACD content on the same disc later on an SACD-compatible player.
Comments
Well-engineered SACDs are so breathtaking. They truly put CDs to shame. That includes dual-discs and many DVD-Audio discs. What needs to be done so this format catches on in the U.S.? It is truly the next evolution in digital sound reproduction.
SACD is an excellent sounding format - but there are several reasons for its (and DVD-Audio’s) lack of success. Some these factors include:
1. Requires a new player (Although SACD hybrid discs also include a standard CD layer, to get the benefits of SACD quality you need an SACD-compatible CD player or a DVD player with SACD compatibility).
2. Cannot be played in a Car Stereo.
3. Emphasis more on re-cycled older Vinyl and CD recordings re-issued on SACD, rather than putting more new recordings on SACD.
4. Lack of education of retail sales force.
5. Lack of marketing emphasis on the part of SACD backers, which includes lack of outreach to the average consumer.
It is interesting to point out that annual SACD and DVD-Audio sales combined are about the same as the annual sales of Vinyl Records (Yes, people still buy Vinyl Records).
Does anyone have any other comments on this? Sound off!
Robert Silva
hometheater.guide@about.com
www.about.com
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