HDCD was developed by PM. The initial PMD100 decoder/digital filter chip was certainly one of the best at that time. PMD200 was the successor and based on Motorola 24bit DSP, so it was superior to anything else available. Then when more and more audio manufacturers started using powerful 24 and 32 bit DSPs from Motorola, Analog Devices, TI, Cirrus Logic, etc. to use in their products, the HDCD algorithm was something already available as a programming software to existing DSPs used for audio, so if a certain manufacturers like to offer such feature, they simply pay the licensing fees.
Bottom line, if you see "HDCD" light on a recent digital player, it means that it has a powerful DSP inside that takes care of it, usually in 32 bit precision. So it is the best HDCD processing you can get.
Hope this helps!
Alex Peychev
Bottom line, if you see "HDCD" light on a recent digital player, it means that it has a powerful DSP inside that takes care of it, usually in 32 bit precision. So it is the best HDCD processing you can get.
Hope this helps!
Alex Peychev