If you are sick and tired of hearing about the SACD/DVD-Audio format war, why not go with both formats? You can with Onkyo’s new DV-SP800, a universal player that decodes SACD discs, DVD-Audio discs, MP3 CDs as well as conventional DVDs and CDs.

The Linn “Silver Disk Engine” shown at CES 2002 integrates for the first time the SACD format, ESS Technology's decoding algorithms and navigation software incorporated in its Vibratto™ DVD chip family, and Linn’s audio-video processing capabilities to create the first implementation of this core technology to suit high quality consumer products and play any 12 cm disk. Sony has provided the key CD and SACD playback device which Linn has used in conjunction with ESS’s Vibratto MPEG decoder chip to produce a playback engine that plays the key formats desired by discerning end users. These formats include: CD, SACD and DVD. Many other disk types can be accommodated and full details are available on request from Linn.

At the recently concluded SAE-CEA Digital Car Conference in Detroit, representatives of the recording industry joined Panasonic in hailing DVD-Audio as the in-car music delivery system of the future. Panasonic Automotive Electronics Company (PAEC) used the conference and exhibition to introduce and demonstrate its first mobile DVD-Audio systems for OEM distribution. The company hosted seminars exploring how DVD-Audio will specifically apply to and benefit the automobile industry. "Vehicle manufacturers have powerful influence on consumer acceptance of new trends for in-vehicle entertainment," said Doug Pergament, Executive Director, PAEC. "Detroit is a strategic market for key Panasonic products, technologies and brand messages. OEMs are looking for suppliers with consumer electronics and market expertise to enhance a vehicle's brand image. This was a natural alignment for Panasonic Automotive Electronics to introduce DVD-Audio at the SAE Digital Car Conference."

Meridian Audio, Ltd., has announced important upgrades to Version 3 of the 800 Player and 861 Reference Surround Controller. A major enhancement is the addition of MHR Smart Link, a digital multichannel connection which directly couples the 800 Player to the 861 Reference Surround Controller and to Meridian’s family of DSP loudspeakers. The MHR Smart Link uses proprietary encryption and signaling technology and is the first system to be officially sanctioned for DVD-Audio content protection. For the first time, the full resolution of multichannel audio from DVD-Audio recordings (as well as those from CD and DVD-Video) can be losslessly transferred in the digital domain from player, to surround controller, to loudspeaker.

Meridian will soon be offering significant performance enhancements to their industry leading 800 DVD player and 861 AV preamp in the form of both hardware and software improvements.