Return of SACD 2.0??

Remember SACD 2.0? It was mentioned by Philips and then we hear nothing of it after that.

Well, I was looking through J&R's website and I came upon the upcoming Samsung DVD-HD1080P universal player. Video up convertion....Faroudja....DVD-A....SACD 2.0....SACD 2.0??

I wonder what it is? HDMI v1.2??

 

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/printthread.php?t=494699&page=10&pp=30

SACD is going through its own changes with SACD version 2.0 expected to hit about the same time as the new high-def DVD players are launched. The current SACD version is 1.3. That's the version I-link currently carries and Denon-link is still fighting to be allowed to carry. What will be different about SACD 2.0 has not been nailed down yet but it is likely that it will include features such as enhanced copy protection that will require new hardware at both ends of the cable. I.e., current SACD 1.3 devices will not be upgradeable to 2.0. Whether that also means there will be new SACD discs that current devices can not play is also not clear yet.

 

You gotta be kidding! Enhanced copy protection??? Ya can't copy the bloddy things now!

 

Could this be another Big Sony/Philips misstep? Lets hope there is backwards compatibility with the current SACD format....

 

My theory is that Blu-Ray 'music disc' is to replace pop/rock SACD. However, they know that there's a much larger jazz/classical crowd that would rather stick with SACD.

Therefore, they have to keep SACD alive, but in their infinite wisdom they are going to screw it up.

 

A bit down the same page says:

"DVD Audio and SACD 2.0 / 5.1 Channel Virtual Surround"

which would mean the thing plays DVD-A and SACD in stereo (2.0) and surround (5.1).

The v2.0 in SACD could be an error. After all this is not the manufacturer website but just a store.

 

Could SACD 2.0 merely means the availability of HDMI v1.2 for DSD being transmitted digitally with one HDMI cable?

I started a thread with Panasonic's upcoming HT receiver being equipped w/ HDMI v1.2 inputs. I also noticed Sony's upcoming HT receivers having HDMI inputs (didn't specified as v1.2 though) taking pre-orders at below $300.00. With HDMI-equipped DVD players retailing at below $150.00, this may be a push of SACD via one single digital cable.

 

I'm sure in that case it simply means reg. old stereo.

 

From reading the ad at J&R, it looks like this machine will play stereo SACDs.

 

Oh, dear. SACD in its previous incarnations never gained mass appeal and has seen little support in the past year. Could they possibly launch a new version of SACD that would require new hardware?

 

Requiring new hardware would be a huge mistake. The real issue regards software availability. They need to fix that first.

Several of my industry sources say Sony and others are trying to get 24/192 off the ground with Blu-Ray.

If a slightly tweaked version of SACD creates a bigger flow of titles then I will be happy but I don't know how many people would invest in new hardware at this point. Sony and others justifiably have no credibility to say "we will stick to this format".

 

24/192 is basically as good as DSD isn't it?

 

Call me silly, but I read it as stereo. It even says 2.0/5.1

Grassy knoll, anyone?

 

Yes. Exactly.

I think the ad even says the Beatles remasters will be out in 2006.

 

In my tests, it is very close to DSD but DSD still sounds more natural to me. 24/192 has the advantage of being increasingly open to budget recording engineers such as the ADC1 we used from Benchmark which is under $2K. There still aren't many storage options available yet though. You can't record at this rate into an Alesis deck for instance (it's probably coming).

One of my recording friends has tested it versus reel to reel and it is identical to his ears.

 

Perfect example of "out of context"

It says:

 

Well if I can't have sacd's of my favorite rock music then I'll take 24/192.
I'm not a big classical or jazz fan, tried a few titles, but they didn't hook me.

 

DenonLink can carry SACD currently, both on the player side, and the receiver side. They also got approval to pass 2.0 when (or if) it ever comes out.

 

"if" may be the operative word there.

 

Change SACD 2.0 terms to Blue Ray Music cd, and people would think of it differently.

 

edit

 

1080p up conversion
DCDi by Faroudja
DVD audio/SACD v2.0
5.1 channel vitual surround

Right under the general description of the player.

 

that sounds like it means it plays SACDs in virtual surround (i.e., it takes info from all five channels and then renders it in stereo, through two outputs).

but the original poster was right, it DOES look a little confusing, because of the "v"

-s

 

I agree!!

 

IIRC I read a paper some time ago on the Internet regarding SACD 2.0 that mentioned basically that the changes in this version had to do with more stringent jitter management in the hardware.