HDCD Decoding

[JulioCat]

Will be great!!!!!!!!

[jimmanningjr]

I def agree That is why I still use Foobar sometimes...for HDCD decoding...this should not be a hard thing to add even if only a plug in......Come on Steven for us sound quality chasers...ADD HDCD or at least let us know if its on the TO DO list for the next release.

[Steven]

there is a plugin - if it works as i expect this should be no problem to implement. I'll need one of you to test as i dont have any HDCD CDs

[drbeachboy]

I'll test.

[butty]

"HDCD indicator" will be fun

[Steven]

just to be clear, i'm only going to do this for ripping a cd. The software i am planning to use only is suitable for that, not for adjusted playback directly from the CD

[butty]

Cannot decode already ripped files?

[Steven]

this version has an option when ripping cd's to indicate the cd is HDCD encoded and should be ripped to 24-bit output (there is no point ticking this option if the cd is not HDCD encoded).
However if you encode to a lossy format its gets converted to 16-bit output by the encoder but should still be higher quality because the input data is 24-bit
For lossless formats the output file is 24-bit data
http://www.mediafire.com/?9kpt80jtbk7jgfj

Please let me know how it goes

[butty]

Even when the CD is not HDCD, the HDCD option can be ticked.

[Steven]

i dont know how to detect such a CD before reading it. As far as i can tell it does no harm to tick it when its not really HDCD encoded

[butty]

I wish that the text label is "if this CD is HDCD encoded, rip as 24-bit output",
and that the HDCD icon is displayed during ripping if the CD is actually HDCD encoded.

[drbeachboy]

Gosh, I have quite a few HDCDs that are ripped to 16 bit FLAC files that play as HDCD in fb2k. kode54 has written a plugin that streams and converts. You may want to take a look.

[Steven]

it sounds like foobar is doing the HDCD decoding on the fly, but the method i am using is only suitable for "batch" processing doing the decoding as the file is ripped. It produces 20-bit output padded to 24-bit in order to capture the additional sound data. One advantage is the replay-gain calculations can be applied to the final output so should be more accurate than when decoded on the fly. The downside of course is the FLAC files will be bigger.
I'll see if i can also implement on-the-fly decoding using a plugin at a later date

butty, i can make the change to show the track is actually HDCD encoded when ripping. But once the file has been decoded to 24-bit there is nothing to indicate that i came from a HDCD (apart from the fact thats its a 24-bit file)

[butty]

butty, i can make the change to show the track is actually HDCD encoded when ripping. But once the file has been decoded to 24-bit there is nothing to indicate that i came from a HDCD (apart from the fact thats its a 24-bit file)

Thank you! I can be able to see if it is actually an HDCD. (Why I want to know that is that there are many discs without HDCD mark in Japan.) And I am looking forward to on-the-fly decoding because I may have some HDCD discs already ripped.

[jimmanningjr]

I really must check this forum more often. ,Steven Thank you so much for looking into and implementing HDCD, for ripping HDCD's I am a bit of a Deadhead "GratefulDead" and all of their remasters are HDCD. Also there is a company that seems to have taken their lead from Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs and has put out a whole series of great cds with HDCD:
http://www.audiofidelity.net/24kgold
I believe that "Gold" series is HDCD encoded...BUT....I already have ALOT of flac (16bit) that is encoded with HDCD and the only way I can enjoy it's extra Bitness is going back to Foobar. I am trying to use Music Bee for my "Only" music player...but I can not at this time.Please, something to decode the files we already have with HDCD and an indicator light would be tops!!!!! Thank you Again