INTERACT FORUM

More => Old Versions => Media Center 16 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: thomaspf on May 21, 2011, 08:18:00 pm

Title: DSDIFF decoder?
Post by: thomaspf on May 21, 2011, 08:18:00 pm

So far there have been only a few sources of dff files for playback on the PC

http://www.bluecoastrecords.com/blue-coast-collection (http://www.bluecoastrecords.com/blue-coast-collection)
http://www.2l.no/hires/index.html (http://www.2l.no/hires/index.html)

for playback with the Korg Audiogate software http://www.korguser.net/audiogate/en/index.html (http://www.korguser.net/audiogate/en/index.html) or the foobar dff plugin.

This about to change since someone figured out how to rip SACDs on a Sony PS3. http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/SACD-ripping-using-your-PS3 (http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/SACD-ripping-using-your-PS3)


I'd love the idea to get more than the Red Book layer from all the SACDs I own but I need a way to integrate all these rips into my JRiver library.

Any chance of getting a dsdiff decoder integrated into Media Center 16?

Cheers

   Thomas

Title: Native DSD playback?
Post by: thomaspf on May 23, 2011, 01:30:30 am

I spend a little more time investigating and it turns out that there is another even more intriguing option an that is native playback of the DSD stream via the ASIO interface.

I did not know this but the version 2.1 of the ASIO SDK does include support for playback of DSD streams.


There are a few solutions out there that does seem to support DSD playback via an ASIO 2.1 driver over USB. One comes from Switzerland http://www.rigisystems.net/index.php/usbpalen.html (http://www.rigisystems.net/index.php/usbpalen.html) and supports multichannel PCM as well as DSD.

The next piece in the puzzle is HQplayer http://www.signalyst.com/consumer.html (http://www.signalyst.com/consumer.html) which in addition to providing DSD-to-PCM conversion offers native playback of DSD stream to ASIO 2.1 devices.

Sounds like there is some movement for DSD support on PCs.

Is this something we might expect to see in Media Center?

Cheers

   Thomas

Title: Re: DSDIFF decoder?
Post by: Matt on May 23, 2011, 11:57:59 am

I don't personally like the idea of native DSD because it bypasses the entire audio framework of the computer (and by association any audio features).  And since DSD doesn't offer any compelling quality advantage over high bitrate PCM, it makes the compromise even worse.

My preference is that DSD be converted to PCM.  I think this is interesting, but probably too much of a niche for JRiver to pursue.

Title: Re: DSDIFF decoder?
Post by: thomaspf on May 23, 2011, 04:13:09 pm

I am sorry to hear that.

Is that too much niche like it was with ASIO and a VST host some years back or are you really not going to do it :-?

Good to hear from you Matt!

   Thomas

Title: Re: DSDIFF decoder?
Post by: JimH on October 27, 2011, 01:15:01 pm

DSD is available now in MC17.

Title: Re: DSDIFF decoder?
Post by: thomaspf on November 04, 2011, 12:11:21 am

Thank you so much!