A single-chip SACD solution, which should enable manufacturers to more easily integrate the format into mass-market products, has been announced by Philips Semiconductors.
The SAA78993HL incorporates multi-channel bass-management, volume control, time-alignment and DVD-Video pass-through compatibility. Due to a design that provides an integrated multiple loader and numerous host interfaces, the new IC can be used with many different DVD transports and CODECs. DVD-Video content, once passed through the player’s PCM digital to analogue converters, can be routed via the SAA78993HL to allow for seamless automated switching between DVD-Video and SACD content. All CPU intensive operations required for Super Audio CD playback and post-processing can be executed by the SAA7893HL, thereby placing little burden on the DVD-Video host processor.
Jeroen Keunen, regional market segment manager of consumer and multimedia with Philips in the Asian Pacific commented “As a result of breakthroughs in the field of audio coding, Super Audio CD is now accepted as the highest possible audio quality, both in the field of stereo as well as in multi-channel. Large volume player manufacturers have announced that they are developing and shipping SACD DVD-Video players. With the SAA7893HL, SACD will become a cost-efficient ‘must-have’ feature in the DVD-Video market and will bring SACD possibilities to the end-consumer.”