TimeForDVD.com
- "The everyday consumer's guide to DVD & home
theater"
home | back to the previous page
Super Audio CD (SACD) Compatibility Notes
The Super Audio CD (SACD)
format specification allows for an optional hybrid CD layer that conventional
CD players and CD-ROM drives can read for backwards compatibility with the
existing one
billion CD playback equipment worldwide. Here's a summary of the major variants of
the SACD disc and their implications in terms of SACD/CD playback equipment
compatibility:
Hybrid
Multi-Channel: This hybrid SACD has a high density layer for high
resolution multi-channel and stereo DSD recordings, and a hybrid CD layer
for backwards compatibility with existing CD players and CD-ROM drives.
The high density layer contains a multi-channel DSD recording and usually a stereo
DSD recording as well. The multi-channel DSD recording requires a
multi-channel SACD player and a multi-channel audio system for playback.
The stereo DSD recording can be played back by a multi-channel or stereo SACD
player and only requires a stereo (2-channel) audio system. The hybrid CD layer
can be played back by any audio CD player or CD-ROM drive.
Hybrid
Stereo: This hybrid SACD has a high density layer for high resolution
stereo DSD recordings, and a hybrid CD layer for backwards compatibility with
existing CD players and CD-ROM drives. The high density layer contains a stereo
DSD recording. The stereo DSD recording can be played back by a
multi-channel or stereo SACD player and only requires a stereo (2-channel) audio
system. The hybrid CD layer can be played back by any audio
CD player or CD-ROM drive.
Single
Layer Multi-Channel: This single layer SACD has a high resolution multi-channel DSD recording
and usually a stereo DSD recording as well. The multi-channel DSD
recording requires a multi-channel SACD player and a multi-channel audio
system for playback. The stereo DSD recording can be played back by a
multi-channel or stereo SACD player and only requires a stereo (2-channel) audio system.
This disc cannot be played back in a conventional audio CD player or CD-ROM
drive.
Single
Layer Stereo: This single layer SACD has a high resolution stereo DSD recording. The stereo
DSD recording can be played back by a multi-channel or stereo SACD
player and only requires a stereo (2-channel) audio system. This disc
cannot be played back in a conventional audio CD player or CD-ROM drive.
For more information, read:
<<
Back to the previous page
home |
tutorials | dvd hardware |
dvd software | news & refs |
site