Pacific Microsonics Announces New HDCD Chip

High-definition audio is on its way to a DVD player near you. Pacific Microsonics has introduced a new High Definition Compatible Disc chip, the PMD-200, for the next generation of CD and DVD players. The device is a "feature-rich audio IC that provides HDCD processing for both the CD and DVD formats," according to a February 11 company press release.

The PMD-200, which can handle 100 million instructions per second (100mips), is based on Motorola's high-performance DSP56364 platform, and accepts up to 24-bit input data at sampling rates from 44.1kHz to 192kHz. "In addition to featuring HDCD decoding and precision filtering for the over 4000 HDCD-encoded CDs available today, the PMD-200 adds HDCD precision conjugate filtering for DVD-Video and DVD-Audio," the announcement stated.

The PMD-200 supports multiple formats and is said to be "ideal for consumer electronics products such as DVD players and A/V receivers that must be capable of playing audio from DVD-Video discs, HDCD CDs, conventional CDs, and HDCD DVD-Audio discs." HDCD is the preferred audio format among many audiophiles and recording studios worldwide.

"Pacific Microsonics is very excited to introduce the PMD-200 because it provides our customers with both HDCD for CD and HDCD for DVD on one chip," said Alex Limberis, VP of engineering for Pacific Microsonics. Limberis's enthusiasm was shared by Motorola marketing manager Flip Lockhoof, who said, "Motorola is very pleased that Pacific Microsonics has chosen DSP56364 as the platform for their high-quality PMD-200 audio product." He described the PMD-200 as an "extremely cost-effective solution." HDCD chips are made by a number of manufacturers, including Motorola, Analog Devices, Burr-Brown, Crystal Semiconductor's Cirrus Logic, Sanyo, and Zoran.

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