SACD....by the numbers

[4-earredwonder]

Coming from Universal Japan [Stereo/Multi~CH BD~A Stereo/ATMOS] ...a member of the Swiss band YELLO:

https://www.hraudio.net/showmusic.php?title=16408

 

[marpow]

Bruce Springsteen's "Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.", Dr. John's "In the Right Place"

Both have been added as of this writing.

 

[stoopid]

It's one thing to press discs, but how is the format actually selling? I'm still buying, but I feel like I'm in the minority even among surround enthusiasts. The surround listening community seems to be dividing into two camps -- Atmos v Everyone Else. Obviously SACD is, at best, a 5.1 format so it won't appeal to those looking for or requiring Atmos for it to be worth their ear time.

 

[Mr. Afternoon]

It's one thing to press discs, but how is the format actually selling? I'm still buying, but I feel like I'm in the minority even among surround enthusiasts. The surround listening community seems to be dividing into two camps -- Atmos v Everyone Else. Obviously SACD is, at best, a 5.1 format so it won't appeal to those looking for or requiring Atmos for it to be worth their ear time.

It seems SACD has a brand loyalty attached to it...
Whether that's due to DSD or some other reason is yet to be told...

 

[mandrix]

It's one thing to press discs, but how is the format actually selling? I'm still buying, but I feel like I'm in the minority even among surround enthusiasts. The surround listening community seems to be dividing into two camps -- Atmos v Everyone Else. Obviously SACD is, at best, a 5.1 format so it won't appeal to those looking for or requiring Atmos for it to be worth their ear time.

Well I'm definitely an Atmos guy. But I don't pass by good music and/or surround in 5.1. The last album I bought and have received is the recent Warren Haynes Benefit concert release...and it's in DD!

 

[mandrix]

BTW, even amongst the ATmos enthusiasts I know, never knew one of them to pass a disc by because it was "only" 5.1.

 

[stoopid]

BTW, even amongst the ATmos enthusiasts I know, never knew one of them to pass a disc by because it was "only" 5.1.

That's a relief to hear, but looking at the SACD polls as an indicator of overall interest it would seem that most interest is focused on new atmos releases/blurays. It's kinda tough to gauge because most new releases which will get the most attention and sales are on bluray. I kinda doubt SACD is doing well, but hopefully the lower cost of entry is still making it worth the publisher's time to put things out on the format. I'd hate to see it go away, mostly because it seems like the only means of getting certain classic albums in physical form right now.

 

[sjcorne]

The surround listening community seems to be dividing into two camps -- Atmos v Everyone Else.

First I’ve heard of this.

 

[barfle]

It's one thing to press discs, but how is the format actually selling? I'm still buying, but I feel like I'm in the minority even among surround enthusiasts. The surround listening community seems to be dividing into two camps -- Atmos v Everyone Else. Obviously SACD is, at best, a 5.1 format so it won't appeal to those looking for or requiring Atmos for it to be worth their ear time.

I’m not in the business, so I can’t answer your question, but I’ll chime in with an opinion. SACD is a niche within a niche. Although I love my SACD recordings (and my DSD files), blu-ray is playable on a lot more equipment than SACD, and I would expect that many producers of SACD would make a business decision to change to that format, even if they stuck to 5.1.

But then, I’m widely known as a failure as a fortune-teller.

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

I’m not in the business, so I can’t answer your question, but I’ll chime in with an opinion. SACD is a niche within a niche. Although I love my SACD recordings (and my DSD files), blu-ray is playable on a lot more equipment than SACD, and I would expect that many producers of SACD would make a business decision to change to that format, even if they stuck to 5.1.

But then, I’m widely kniwn as a failure as a fortune-teller.

I agree... With regard to surround sound music on disc, Blu-ray is the only disc format we need now. SACD and DVD-A just create more confusion!

 

[mandrix]

I think that a few artists tend to go DVDA because it's cheaper. There are DAW's that will make a fundamental DVDA, that for example Giancarlo Erra (Nosound) said he uses (don't remember name of DAW).
Then discWelder is still hanging on by it's teeth but still works in Windows 11.
I would think the cost of having a BD authored is not cheap, but what the cost is exactly I do not know.
At the least, a DVDA is playable in Foobar with correct component added.

 

[Mr. Afternoon]

Costs are actually DVD-A = SACD < Blu-ray.
Unlike the other two formats, DVD-A essentially requires old abandonware to author correctly.

 

[mandrix]

Costs are actually DVD-A = SACD < Blu-ray.
Unlike the other two formats, DVD-A essentially requires old abandonware to author correctly.

Yeah I've never authored a full blown BD, looks like it's a PITA to learn. AudioMuxer will do a simple AVCHD, which should play in most/all BD players. Plays in Oppo anyway. SACD I have authored but it's been a while.

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

Yeah I've never authored a full blown BD, looks like it's a PITA to learn. AudioMuxer will do a simple AVCHD, which should play in most/all BD players. Plays in Oppo anyway. SACD I have authored but it's been a while.

The great thing about blu-ray audio discs is, they don't need a menu at all. All you need are: -

A bunch of 'lossless' audio streams, such as: Atmos, Dolby True-HD, DTS-HD MA, 2ch up-to 8ch LPCM. Or 'lossy' audio streams such as: DTS, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus (all around the same duration).
A black encoded H.264 video stream (the same duration as the longest audio stream). But this could be a different video stream for each track.
A chapter navigation file.

After muxing the above together you get a perfectly playable 'audio only' BRD-A disc. It's even possible to burn the afore-mentioned onto single or dual layer DVD~R media as an AVCHD disc, if your player supports them

 

[mandrix]

The great thing about blu-ray audio discs is, they don't need a menu at all. All you need are: -

A bunch of 'lossless' audio streams, such as: Atmos, Dolby True-HD, DTS-HD MA, 2ch up-to 8ch LPCM. Or 'lossy' audio streams such as: DTS, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus (all around the same duration).
A black encoded H.264 video stream (the same duration as the longest audio stream). But this could be a different video stream for each track.
A chapter navigation file.

After muxing the above together you get a perfectly playable 'audio only' BRD-A disc. It's even possible to burn the afore-mentioned onto single or dual layer DVD~R media as an AVCHD disc, if your player supports them

Yes menu-less is more AVCHD I believe. But you're right, blank video and still pictures displayed are pretty easy.

 

[mandrix]

Not to get too far afield here, but there is an app I've used that let me remove stereo audio from two BD's and sub in surround, since the identical music was on DVD in DD 5.1. It's two Tangerine Dream concert video BD's.

EDIT: Although the covers displayed 5.1 audio, for some reason there was only stereo. Once I discovered there were DVD's with 5.1 I just extracted that and placed on the BD's.

 

[Jeffrey Michael]

Damn! I clicked on this Thread because I saw Heartaches By The Numbers.

 

[Mr. Afternoon]

Guys I completely forgot about copy protection costs. I am stupid. I don't use copy protection on DVD-A.

The real ranking is SACD < DVD-A = Blu-ray, at least, for a company that cares about copy protection.

 

[mandrix]

Guys I completely forgot about copy protection costs. I am stupid. I don't use copy protection on DVD-A.

The real ranking is SACD < DVD-A = Blu-ray, at least, for a company that cares about copy protection.

OK so you're saying that if encryption/copy protection is involved it's cheaper to have a SACD authored?
Hmm. Although I've never knowingly used it, encryption I think is available in discWelder.
Just don't remember about SACD...it's been a few years since I took some most excellent CD-4 rips and made SACD's. Have to look at the software again I guess.
I still need to look at some more BD authoring programs. Scenarist hurts my brain, as a friend says.

 

[mandrix]

I would think whatever route, once an .iso is created a pressing plant would be able to create a glass master and stamp them out.