New Format but not surround, but hi rez

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AllAroundSurround

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Since 2002/2003
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I came across this format .
Does anyone have any info about it.
24 bit 176khz stereo DVD-r data disc for computer or home servers.

MusicDirect.com

reference recordings

In Stock and Now Shipping...
Reference Recording’s New HRx DVD-R Recordings
HRx is Reference Recordings trade name for high resolution audio WAV files on a DVD-R data disc. These files contain exact bit-for-bit copies of Reference Recordings' master recordings. They are the ultimate in fidelity for digital two-channel sound! NOTE: These DVD-R data discs ARE NOT playable in standard DVD or DVD-A player. They are 24bit/176k high-resolution digital data files for computer or server system playback.

sibelius

Sullivan / Sibelius
Shakespeare's Tempest
(HRx DVD-R Data Disc) (Reference Recordings) $44.99


exotic dances from the opera

Various Composers
Exotic Dances From The Opera
(HRx DVD-R Data Disc) (Reference Recordings) $44.99


crown imperial

Various Composers
Crown imperial
(HRx DVD-R Data Disc) (Reference Recordings) $44.99


rachmaninoff

Rachmaninoff
Symphonic Dances
(HRx DVD-R Data Disc) (Reference Recordings) $44.99


hot club of sf

The Hot Club Of San Francisco
Yerba Buena Bounce
(HRx DVD-R Data Disc) (Reference Recordings) $44.99

:alienrob:
 
Not new, really.
Straight Stereo WAV files, probably upsampled (or why the multiple of 44.1KHz?) too.
It's a data stream, not a finalized playable disc - although you could write this to a DVDA with no trouble at all.

It's another case of re-inventing the wheel.
Other sites doing this - or similar - are getting more & more common.
What bugs me is how they think they can trademark a stereo WAV file on a DVD-R - that is a worry.
 
I know nothing of this company other than their web site but they may not be upsampled from 44.1KHz. They may be genuine 176.4KHz samples from the masters (although the source of the masters is not clear) for marketing reasons. By that I mean that a salesman would tell you 176.4KHz "must be better" than 96KHz, and is "twice as good" as 88.2KHz. (Linn have offerred 88.2KHz FLAC downloads for a while.)

I wonder if there is also some perceived processing benefit? Are the ADCs/DACs in DAWs and PC soundcards hardware optimised for 44.1KHz and so would find it easier to process simple multiples of 44.1KHz rather that non-integer multiples like 96KHz?

Talking of Linn I've just looked at their website for the first time in a while and they are now offering some hi-rez 5.1 downloads i.e. FLAC 5.1 24/88.2. The small downside is £20 per album, the big downside is it's all classical releases. But it is new hi-rez surround material, with no DRM. (See http://www.linnrecords.com/recording-Acis-and-Galatea-Original-Cannons-Performing-Version-1718.aspx )

(Linn also have some surround and non-surround test files at http://www.linnrecords.com/linn-downloads-testfiles.aspx )

PC
 
I wonder if there is also some perceived processing benefit? Are the ADCs/DACs in DAWs and PC soundcards hardware optimised for 44.1KHz and so would find it easier to process simple multiples of 44.1KHz rather that non-integer multiples like 96KHz?
PC

Well it's possible the engineer who transfered them or mixed them wanted them to be in a multiple of 44.1. Going by the wording they are using I would expect that this isn't an analog to digital transfer of the masters but digital copies of the digital masters. But it's not exactly clear the way they word it.

Either way some engineers will stick with even multiples of the target sample rate (still 44.1 for the vast majority of releases).

Neil actually understands the technical end better than I. But I think certain SRCs (Izotopes?) can actually upsample to something divisable by 44.1 and then go back down to it from 192kHz to avoid errors.
 
But I think certain SRCs (Izotopes?) can actually upsample to something divisable by 44.1 and then go back down to it from 192kHz to avoid errors.
They certainly can - and do.
Izotope I tried out at version 1 & again at version 3, and I really do not like it much. That's a personal thing though. Don;t know anything about version 4 (just out).
Voxengo's R8Brain Pro definitely uses whole numbers only, as do most of the seriously good ones these days. This works by taking the GCD (Greatest Common Denominator) and going up then down. It works like this:
GCD = 300
44100 / 300 = 147
48000 / 300 = 160
88200 / 300 = 294
96000 / 300 = 320
176400 / 300 = 588
192000 / 300 = 640.
So, to go from any one to the other, you first go up by the value for the target SR, then down again by the value for the original SR.
As an example, if I wish to SRC from 192KHz to 44.1KHz, I take my initial samples and upscale by a factor of 147 then downscale by a factor of 640.
(192000 * 147 = 28224000 / 640 = 44100).
Earlier & cheaper SRC simply round up/down and use fractional conversion values - I have even heard of one converter that when going from 88.2 to 44.1 actually simply threw away every other sample!! (I will not mention the name).
To get a good idea of how good your SRC is, go to http://src.infinitewave.ca/ and check carefully.
Another thing to watch out for is the type of SRC used - there is both Linear Phase and Minimum Phase.
Each has it's pro's & cons.
Linear Phase might appear to be the best option but it can introduce a kind of ringing artefact into the top end that is definitely audible.
Minimum Phase eliminates this at the price of introducing a minimal amount of phase colouration, but with the bonus of an exceptionally high quality conversion that is extremely close to going via a seriously high-end Digital>Analogue converter, and then back the other way from analogue to resample at the chosen rate.

But I have gone OT on the original thread - sorry about that.
I'm still a bit concerned that this company are (to my mind) implying a trademark on a stereo WAV file written to a DVD-ROM, and a written disc to boot.
HRx is Reference Recordings trade name for high resolution audio WAV files on a DVD-R data disc.
(my italics)
 
It sounds like a good idea as more and more people go to hard disk based audio systems. And you're probably right that they still find their target market at 44.1kHz, but probably do record at 176kHz. Philharmonic and opera houses are struggling to pay their performers, I think they're probably having trouble with CD sales as well. It appears that they aren't worried about piracy.
 
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