to PMoshay, you better read this!

[diver]

Have you heard about the new tech war??
Yes, once again Sony and Philps against the rest of the world. If you read further, you will see that you need not affraid of MP3.
Sony and Philps have developed the Super CD format. Forget about 96Khz, it's sample rate is more than a million (!!!) heartz...and it uses a new 1 bit technology.
People want better sound, eventhough they can't say it in words. Many people can't tell 7.1 from ordinary stereo, but people do feel. I have not heard it yet (the super cd), but I can't wait

[Stratman]

It's call DSD (Direct Stream Digital). It only uses 1 bit...yes that's right, one bit! The sample rate is 2.8 million. The audio files are huge because the sample rate is so high. About an hour of 2 track stereo can be upwards of 10GB and the Super CDs can only store 5GB, so Sony has come up with a lossless (or so they claim) compression of 2:1 (or something like that).

I heard a demo of it at AES last year and it was pretty amazing.

[imported_yes]

I just read an article about the Sony Super CD Player. It goes for $5,000.00! It's a long way off until the general public can afford it (look at the DAT player).

[PMoshay]

I heard it at AES also, it is fantastic.
Sony engineers are incredible, i am also a fan of their SBM (super bit mapping).
In high end listening tests on 16bit source, a few of us all picked it to be the best.

I feel as engineers, we need to voice our opinions about where we feel it should be headed.

1. Super CD
2. DVD 24/96
3. 5.1
4. ???? some new web authoring algorithm????
5. leave it at 16/44.1


My personal feeling on 5.1 is that while it will create lots of work for us in the pro audio world, re-mixing older stuff, etc, i feel that it is a eclectic audio heads format.
Yea, ive heard all the responses that everybody is getting home theater systems, but nobody really cares if its 5.1 or not, they just like the fact that it's digital and it sounds good in stereo (and that its not a VHS tape!)
I do think 5.1 is cool, but so was quad!

Super CD or 24/94 has my vote.

The idea of asking the consumer to buy and setup 5 speaker systems might be a tall order for the average family, but so far people don't mind buying DVD players, especially since the can play 16bit and 24bit audio CD's and DVD movies.
Most people don't have the disposable income that all of us Protools junkies have

Mabe i just haven't heard anything 5.1 that would make me buy a 5.1 system,it dosen't do much for me with music, in fact its distracting (mabe movies would be ok) but send me some, i'd consider it.