Will DCs or MC-1 work w/DVD-Audio???

Posted by Philip Brandes [IP: 171.212.42.25] on April 13, 1999 at 00:37:01
Using Mozilla/3.01-C-MACOS8 (Macintosh; I; PPC):

In Reply to: Will DCs or MC-1 work w/DVD-Audio??? posted by Troy on April 12, 1999 at 18:14:34:

The problem with this discussion is that it takes DVD Audio for granted as a viable format. That's the problem with the idealistic and purely theoretical reporting in the audio press. At present there are serious obstacles to it, on both the technical and market fronts.

The DVD Audio specs at present only call for analog output, a limitation foisted by opposition from the software companies who are concerned about pirating, and if they have their way they will preclude digital outs altogether. Obviously, this defeats the purpose of higher-resolution formats in the first place, since all but a very few surround processors are digital domain. That opposition will probably be overcome at some point, but what the final digital format for DVD Audio will be is not even defined. Factor in the ramp up time for studios to get on board (remember DTS?) and you're looking at two years before you'll see anything--if ever.

An underlying problem--and a far more serious one in my opinion--is that for the studios, there's no compelling need to support a higher resolution audio format than CD for music or AC-3 for DVD. It's not like the advent of CD or DVD, which had the momentum of a whole new technology that offered greater convenience over vinyl (plus cost in the case of LD), not just (debatable) sonic superiority.

In contrast, the high res formats are only a level of refinement and the market for it is a niche at best. Convincing companies to re-release their libraries for the sake of a marginal segment of purists is going to be a tough row to hoe. That bothers me as an audiophile, but the market reality is pretty hard to argue against.

Follow Ups:

• Will DCs or MC-1 work w/DVD-Audio??? - SMR [WizOp] 19:23:33 04/13/99 (1)
  • Will DCs or MC-1 work w/DVD-Audio??? - Philip Brandes 01:02:21 04/14/99 (0)

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