Whatever happened to HDCD?

I think you are correct that HDCD do sound better. The technology seems buried buy its new owner. However new formats like SACD and DVD-A seem to be getting all the attention. If all CDs were made like XRCDs or HDCDs and recorded correctly there might not be a change. That and the desire of the manufacturers to find a non-recordable system and discontinue the royalties paid to Sony/Phillips for CD technology (though I think this is running out). Many companies don't want SACD to succeed because it will further inrich Sony/Phillips.

Not being in the music business, I don't know why HDCD is not used more. Perhaps its not being marketed well by the technically inept boys in Washington. As a consumer, I own about 20 and they sound pretty good to me. I hope it doesn't disappear. HDCD releases are still coming out. Recent ones (last year) include The Mavericks (self titled).

They are issued frequently. Joni Mitchell's two most recent are HDCD. Playing these the Lindemann is without peer.

Yes, Microsoft now holds the patents for HDCD from when they bought Pacific Microsonics. Microsoft is trying to integrate it into online media.

If Sony/Philips had also owned HDCD, it would probably be part of every DAC chip made today, and would have been the standard long long ago. HDCD does not have the compatibility problems with Redbook like SACD does. HDCD is more like an enhancement or upgrade to Redbook, rather than a totally different technology like SACD. But SACD is the one being pushed hard because Sony/Philips does also own that (which is not catching on because of the added cost).

I don't think that SACD will catch on. Don't hold me to it, But I just don't. The average Joe Shmo isn't buying into SACD. The audiophile already has a hi-rez format ( LP)
No need for SACD. I just don't believe there is a market for it. DVD-audio, well maybe. The avrage Joe Shmo does love DVD. Who doesn't? So the AVERAGE consumer will sit there and watch clips on his TV while listening to his Home Theatre in a box system. So DVDA does stand a chance.
I ahev several HDCD's, and they do sound very good. I would be very happy with more of those released and drop SACD.

Thanks folks - this at least let me know that my impression that the format was dead was inaccurate. I still find it puzzling that it isn't used more - given the no pain backwards compatability .

again thanks

We just came out with a HDCD Tube CD Player at Eastern Electric
www.eeaudio.com

We think it still sounds the best .

Interestingly the Dick's Picks series from the Dead are all HDCD. My player is not though, so I can't say if the HDCD sounds better or not...

It's difficult to ask "What Happened to HDCD" when it really never happened at all for much the same reason that SACD isn't happening. Good ol' Doc Johnson and friend came up with the idea, but wanted too much money for the encoding chip for the recording side and too much money for the decoding chip on the cd player side. They killed it themselves so they found the perfect suckers to buy it for too much money - Microsoft who didn't know the audio biz nearly as well as they did computers and there it lies pretty much dead and buried. If the recording industry made cd's in the same way that Audioquest did and didn't ask for half your paycheck as JVC XRCD does, we wouldn't be asking questions like "where is HDCD" or "does SACD or DVD really sound better than redbook."

Let's face it....Surround sound is where all the "Sheep"(myself included) are being led......

The folks that make speakers must love surround sound. Now they'll sell you 3 pairs instead of one.

An aquaintance of mine was over on Saturday and I mentioned HDCD and the Joni Mitchell reissues on HDCD. He said that there is very little difference, other than the HD discs play louder. With volume matching, damn if he wasn't right. Joni's "Hejira," when volumed matched sounds pretty much the same on redbook and HD.

On my system there is no comparison or to my ears there is no comparison. That is all I can say.