DVD-Audio is an exciting new high-capacity, high-resolution audio format that is part of the DVD family of products. Taking advantage of the large storage capacity of the DVD format, DVD-Audio gives music listeners the incredible experience of high-resolution, studio-quality audio in both stunning surround sound and stereo. Music fans and audiophiles will delight in the incredible detail and smooth sonics available in the DVD-Audio format. In addition to the master quality sound, DVD-Audio discs can also contain bonus features such as DVD-quality music videos, photos, lyrics and behind-the-scenes interviews.

DVD-A discs can even be played back on PCs equipped with compatible sound cards (see the Links section), and many DVD-A discs contain links to websites with even more information for fans. Check out the latest DVD-A releases from Universal in the Releases section, and get ready for the ultimate listening experience – DVD-Audio!

The Details
DVD-Audio discs can support high-resolution audio up to 192kHz/24-bit stereo and 96kHz/24-bit surround sound. DVD-Audio titles may also contain extra content, such as video material, photo galleries, bios and discographies. To experience the high-resolution audio, DVD-Audio discs require playback in a DVD-Audio player. You can tell if you have such a player by looking for the DVD-Audio/Video logo on the front of the player. Many DVD-Video players being sold today are also DVD-Audio players.

The audio format of DVD-Audio is LPCM, which stands for Linear Pulse Code Modulation, a standard digital audio format that has been in use in studios for the last 20 years. PCM is so well-supported in the studio and mastering environments that many consoles and outboard equipment process audio natively in LPCM, allowing extremely high audio quality with virtually no degradation. What you hear on a DVD-A disc is what the artist and engineers intended you to hear at final mastering.

DVD-Audio discs can take many forms, from the full-featured multimedia releases to “audio-only” discs. It is even possible to put a “CD boxed set” on a single DVD-A disc, such as all of a classical composer’s symphonies on one disc.

Generally, you will find that many of Universal Music Group’s DVD-A discs will have a Surround Sound and a Stereo mix. Some other content publishers omit the Stereo mix and allow the DVD-A player to “mix down” the Surround Sound mix to Stereo.

Backward Compatibility with DVD players
While DVD-Audio discs contain high-resolution DVD-A audio, they can also have lower resolution audio that is playable on DVD-Video players. This allows music fans with DVD-Video players to experience the surround sound audio without owning a DVD-A/V (DVD-Audio/Video) player. Other extra features on the disc may be available only with DVD-A/V players.

Because the DVD-A format is so flexible, it is important to read the content list on a DVD-A disc’s packaging to determine what content it contains, and if extra features or bonus materials are present. The graphic below demonstrates the content and player compatibility options:

* Players with the DVD Audio/Video» Logo

Summary
DVD-Audio offers an exciting combination of quality, compatibility and flexibility: