Play a SACD with my PC?

PaulW · 09-23-2004, 06:39 PM

Does anyone know if this is possible? I've found references to DVD-A, but nothing about SACD.

I want my HTPC to beable to play EVERYTHING!

Thanks,
PaulW

SethH · 09-23-2004, 10:53 PM

There may be a way, but I don't think there is. Many SACD's have a CD layer which will play. The #1 reason for SACD and DVD-A is copyright protection. Allowing users to play them on computers would pretty much defeat that purpose. The only exception being if they've began to incorporate some sort of DRM software that I'm not aware of.

Scott L · 09-24-2004, 05:20 AM

Yea a real bummer but on the other hand universal players are always getting cheaper.

Andrew Chong · 09-24-2004, 07:22 AM

You are right about DVD-Audio playability on computers. The Soundblaster Audigy 2 is capable of this. It even includes a sampler DVD-Audio disc of a variety of independent artists. Quite nice actually.

I haven't yet heard about SACD playability either.

PaulW · 09-24-2004, 10:40 AM

Ok, so we have these fairly cheap little players that can play everything, contain a PC IDE drive and single circuit board.

Why the heck can't I play it on my $1500 3 GHz PC? You would think it very simple to port the software to the PC or just write it from the ground up.

This is something I need to look into some more...

Paul

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PaulW · 09-24-2004, 12:01 PM

I've read the tech specs on SACD and current PC hardware is not capable of reading SACD discs. Here is some info on it.

"Super Audio CD content protection is built with five lines of
defense. Each line provides different obstacles against piracy.
The independency of these lines of defense means that, even if
one of the lines is broken, the others still protect the content
against piracy.
• First line of defense: Existing PC disc drives cannot read data from
Super Audio CD disc.
• Second line of defense: If Super Audio CD data has been copied, it
cannot be used
• Third line of defense: Hacking the scrambling of a title is expensive
and must be done for each new title again.
• Fourth line of defense: Details of the scrambling system are never
exposed
• Fifth line of defense: Sophisticated protection against commercial
piracy and counterfeiting"

So it looks like with out "hacking" it completely you have to have licensed software/hardware to play a SACD. So much for my dream to beable to play everything on my HTPC.

Paul

Rob Gardiner · 09-24-2004, 02:09 PM

IMO this is the biggest disadvantage of SACD. After buying my Audigy 2 soundcard, I gleefully went to Borders and picked up PET SOUNDS on DVD-A.

I am resigned to the fact that I will always need a turntable and a laserdisc player to play formats my HTPC is incapable of playing. It will be very difficult for me to justify another format and another piece of external equipment.

Now, if Sony were to add SACD support to one of their consoles such as the upcoming PS3, then I might have an incentive to check out the format. (At least my console would be capable of playing 3 formats - PS games, Blu-Ray movies, and SACD.) Are there any plans to include SACD support in the PS3? NO!

Some of the folks at Sony are making poor decisions, IMO. One of my favorite recordings artists of all time is the Japanese group PIZZICATO FIVE, a Sony artist. Several of their early albums were re-released on CD earlier this year. Were they released on hybrid, dual-format SACDs? Again the answer is no.

ChristopherDAC · 09-24-2004, 08:33 PM

Actually, Rob, you can get a LD-ROM drive for your computer, if you look hard enough [also possible to get a 72-disc megachanger, and I mean MEGA, but that's another story

]. Of course, getting your HTPC to decode the output from it might be tricky. It's probably an outboard component anyway.

As for LP drives, I admit I haven't seen any, but I know there is at least one IDE audio-casette drive out there, that is if you don't want to rip the guts out of an old TRS-80.

Tony Kwong · 09-25-2004, 11:30 PM

I have also a firmware modified Sony Data DAT drive that can play music as well as a modified SCSI MiniDisc Data drive...

My old MSX computer had a Pioneer LD-ROM option! All I need is nice software for the circa 1985 voice activated RDI Video Systems "Hal-c-yon" Thayer's Quest and NFL Football!

Rob Gardiner · 09-26-2004, 03:05 PM

That sounds like some crazy equipment, especially the 72-LD changer

!! I'm pretty sure my mid-tower case isn't quite big enough.