On Sun, 6 Jan 2008 18:08:08 -0000, "Serge Auckland"
wrote:

"Bob Latham" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Eeyore wrote:

However, if those first steps had not been made we wouldn't have the
truly excellent medium we have now. It just irks me that the CD standard
wasn't say 48kHz, 18 bit.

So in your eyes then 16bit 44.1KHz is not transparent otherwise why
bother.


Cheers,

Bob.

--
Bob Latham
Stourbridge, West Midlands

My preference for 48k sampling has nothing to do with audio quality, but to
do with compatibility. CD is 44.1, DVD digital TV and digital radio is 48k
or multiples thereof. Having CD at 44.1 means that for transmission on TV
or digital radio, there has to be an otherwise unnecessary sample rate
conversion between source and destination. I know that SRCs are nowadays
audibly transparent, but nevertheless, in a professional installation, it
adds an unnecesary level of complication.

It has caused the BBC for one, considerable extra complication and expense
when designing their new Broadcasting House infrastructure, as they decided
that network radio would run their studios at 44.1k, whilst News and Current
Affairs would run their studios at 48k so as to be compatible with TV. They
consquently had to provide both 44.1 and 48k routing, and for DAB and DSAT
distribution, they had to SRC the network outputs before transmission.

It would have been so much easier if CD had run at 48k.

S.

But their analogue terrestrial service needs NICAM at 32k. Yet another
sample rate conversion.

Conversion is such a trivial matter these days that I would suggest
that it need not be considered in making technical decisions.

d

--
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com