Posted by: robricc
HDCD - 28/08/2003 16:44
I'm sitting here ripping my CDs and I come across
13 Ways to Bleed on Stage by
Cold and it has an HDCD logo on the back. What the hell is this all about?
http://www.hdcd.com/
I am not a rocket scientist or kooky audiophile, but this seems like a load of crap to me.
Posted by: robricc
Re: HDCD - 28/08/2003 17:15
You know what the problem with this HDCD thing is? The public would likely never hear the unmolested version to compare.
It's like packs of cigarettes have a state tax-stamp on them. Now CDs have a Microsoft tax-stamp on them.
Oh yeah, sorry for bringing up a topic that's already been covered
Posted by: Dylan
Re: HDCD - 29/08/2003 05:01
HDCD has been around since the mid 90's, I believe. It was developed by a company called Pacific Microsonics. I hadn't realized that MS had bought them. I never paid much attention to it but I believe even the kooky audiophiles declared it to be crap.
-Dylan
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: HDCD - 29/08/2003 06:41
I've never seen one, but there are supposed to be HDCD-compatible players that can actually access the additional four bits of data on each sample. I could believe that they could have marginally higher fidelity, but their statement that ``HDCD recordings will always sound better than conventional CDs when played on any CD player'' is pure crap.
Posted by: Ezekiel
Re: HDCD - 29/08/2003 07:37
My Harmon Kardon receiver decodes HDCD signals, and lights a nice HDCD logo when I put one in. I only have one HDCD - Roy Rodgers "Slideways". I can't hear any difference.
-Zeke
Posted by: tonyc
Re: HDCD - 29/08/2003 07:43
My Harmon Kardon receiver decodes HDCD signals, and lights a nice HDCD logo when I put one in. I only have one HDCD - Roy Rodgers "Slideways". I can't hear any difference.
That's the point. The extra 4 bits don't increase audio fidelity in any way. They actually just contain subliminal messages which tell you to purchase more HDCD's and other Microsoft-branded products.
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: HDCD - 29/08/2003 07:45
buy microsoft bob
buy microsoft bob
buy microsoft bob
buy microsoft bob
Posted by: tman
Re: HDCD - 29/08/2003 07:55
On a normal audio CD you're getting worse fidelity. It must be dedicating some of the low bits to encoding this crap if it's to remain compatible with standard audio CD players.
Keith Johnson is a GRAMMY-nominated recording engineer who also coauthored several patents covering optical disc technology that are the basis of today's video discs and digital audio CDs.
Johnson cofounded Gauss Electrophysics where he invented the technology used throughout the industry that allows high-speed, high-quality duplication of prerecorded audio tapes.
The RIAA must love his invention!
Posted by: tman
Re: HDCD - 29/08/2003 07:56
I thought we'd all been saved when they cancelled the Microsoft Bob project. And then I saw Clippy...
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: HDCD - 29/08/2003 08:02
They're probably talking about bulk high-speed duplication of cassettes for manufacture, not home equipment with a ``copy faster'' button.
Posted by: tman
Re: HDCD - 29/08/2003 08:16
Yeah I know. Some pro pirates would have it but nearly everybody else wouldn't.
It just reminded me about the inflated numbers of CDR writers they quoted once. They increased the number because most of them were above the average speed and therefore should be counted more than once...