DVD-A only currently works on the Audigy 2 as all other cards that support 24bit/192khz don't come with software that will decode MLP (Meridian Lossless Packaging). I have heard rumor however that WinDVD and another company were going to be releasing software decoders soon for soundcards that are capable of putting out 24bit/96khz -24bit/192khz. The problem is licencing, as the lables are very worried about copy protection.

Something else that I find rather funny, Audigy 2 also can decode DSD but there is no optical drive currently on the market that will read SACD.

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A shame, i was going to get the David Bowie - Heathen SACD, but seeing how it's single layered, i doubt that now. I need my rips!


See THIS is the problem. You are going to rip the disk.
What are you going to do with the 4.7GB of data when
you are done? Compress the hell out of it and stick it in
an ipod?? Makes no sense. Any software out there to
deal with the dsd or converted 192/24 stream???

Lets say i could point you to a computer dvd drive and a
small piece of software that allowed the extraction of the
un-encrypted data. Would you use it? Why would you bother
over ripping a cd?

I don't get it.

Quote:



I wouldn't bother with CDs.

However, I would increase the sampling rate that I use to rip analog sources as high as I could get it. I'm now ripping LPs at 24/96 (the limits of my present system). I'd love to be able to write those files out to DVD to play at that resolution. The limitation appears to be the burning software, which so far is limiting me to 48KHz (44.1 for CD). I'd love to get rid of the downconverting step I use prior to the final burn.

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i think the other possible use for this would be that you could "share" the sacd data with others.

Umm, i don't share music. I only wanted to rip the stereo layer of the SACD, if it were possible.

Actually the level of noise in current PC soundcards is lower than required for CD audio meaning that you should be able to start hearing the benefits of higher resolution content. If you do some RMAA measurements you'll see that SNR and dynamic range are breaking 100dB while CD playback is up to about 98dB, depending on several things. I was extremely surprised to see such good results on a very simple looking Revo card especially since there's so much EMI but it really looks pretty clean. Perhaps there's some very high frequency stuff but ferrite would take care of that.

I'm not well versed on the high res formats, but I thought this might be of interest:

http://www.apple.com/macosx/technologies/audio.html