high definition
 | |
| Media type | Optical disc |
|---|---|
| Capacity | Typically up to 700 MB |
| Read mechanism | 780 nm wavelength semiconductor laser |
| Developed by | Pacific Microsonics Inc. |
| Usage | Audio storage |
| Extended from | Redbook |
High Definition Compatible Digital, or HDCD is a patented encode-decode process, now owned by Microsoft, that improves the audio quality of standard Redbook audio CDs, while retaining backward compatibility with existing Compact disc players.
At over 5000 titles [1], HDCD-encoded releases constitute a fraction of the total CD commercial music catalog, but many popular artists insist on using HDCD for their new releases in favour of technologies that don't need additional decoding hardware, e.g. Sony's SBM Direct(DSD). A web site has been devoted to listing HDCD recordings.
A number of universal CD and DVD players include HDCD decoding, and version 9 and above of the Windows Media Player software (on personal computers with a 24-bit sound card) are capable of decoding HDCD.
An HDCD-encoded CD usually, but not always, has the HDCD logo printed on the back cover. An HDCD logo may also be displayed in Windows Media Player 9 or above when an HDCD encoded disc is played.
New HDCD-encoded CDs are still being mastered and being added to various catalogs, and there is no additional cost for these HDCD recordings, unlike the higher prices charged for newer digital audio formats based on higher bit-rate media such as Super Audio CD (SACD) and DVD-Audio. However, as the technology still needs additional playback hardware support, and also as the industry has seen the rise of alternative technologies which do not require additional hardware, a reduction in HDCD releases has been seen, but a great number of new albums is still HDCD-encoded as well.
