High Definition Compatible Digital

High Definition Compatible Digital (HDCD) is a technology developed by Pacific Microsonics, now owned by Microsoft. The method attempts to take a recording made at high sampling rate (greater than 100 kHz) and with long word length (20 – 24 bits), and then transcribe it onto a 44.1 kHz, 16 bit CD. Additional information is stored on the CD so that when the HDCD recording is played back on a HDCD player, some of the benefit of the high sampling rate and longer word length comes through. HDCD discs are said to sound better even on a regular CD player, and regular CDs are claimed to sound better on a HDCD player. There are many HDCD CDs available, and numerous players have HDCD capability. High Definition Compatible Digital might be confused with High Density Compact Disc (also abbreviated HDCD), but which is now called Digital Video Disc, Digital Versatile Disc, or DVD (see below).