DVD Audio

Compact Disc has been around over 20 years and from it we learned how well digitally recorded audio can sound on low-cost equipment. DVD Audio is one of two new high-resolution multi-channel audio formats.

Not only is DVD Audio recorded in 5.1 channels, but the resolution of all five channels is much higher than that of two channel PCM recordings found on CD. CDs recorded in Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) take 16-bit samples at a rate of 44.1kHz from two channels. DVD Audio uses 5 discreet channels taking up to 24-bit samples at a rate of 96KHz. In other words, sound from a DVD Audio is so over-sampled with a frequency response of 0-96kHz a well-made DVD Audio disc is like listening to a master tape.

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DVD Audio media cannot be played on a regular DVD player, you must look for the DVD Audio logo on the player. To play back DVD Audio, you require a 5.1 channel analogue input on your receiver as DVD Audio won't output through digital formats. HDMI stands to be the first digital interface to support DVD Audio. Fans of the format look forward to universal DVD players and receivers that support HDMI.

DVD Audio is currently only a niche market. The DVDs themselves aren't yet widely available. DVD players that play DVD Audio tend to be more expensive. You're not likely to hear any difference between a well-recorded CD and DVD-Audio's higher resolution unless you're using a higher-end system with good speakers.

Growth of the format has suffered due to competition with media giant Sony, who came out with their own high-resolution multi channel audio format called SACD. But new Universal DVD players can play both formats.

Multi-channel audio allows a more immersive musical experience, especially if it can capture the ambience of a live performance. But many feel multi-channel audio is gimmicky and don't have any use for music outside two channels. Like CD, DVD Audio's quality will have to be judged by individual discs. Some discs might not take full advantage of the format's capabilities and may not sound any better than a regular CD.