Check out the specs on this bad boy:

http://www.audiocubes.com/product_info.php...products_id=357

Is this thing for real? The ad makes it sound like it can decode MPEG-2 AAC, presumably passed through to the receiver via SPDIF. The only other blurbs I can find on it are in Japanese... arrgh.

Even if I can't afford this monster, it would warm my AAC-zealot heart to know that there was already a standard for building AAC support into receivers.

(w00t)

"Sony knows what's good ™"

My next question is: Will we be able to make our own AAC>SPDIF output filters, kind of like Valex's homegrown ac3filter? I am not sure to what degree soundcards allow you to control what can go out over the SPDIF. Any soundcard gurus have any thoughts on this?

I don't want to kill the enthusiasm, but I suspect it's a typo. They are referring to various Surround Sound formats this receiver can process for home theatre. I think they mean MPEG 2 AC3, not AAC.

But I could be wrong, and if so, great! B)

Den.

I was afraid of this too, so I searched google for more documentation of this product. All the info on this model seems to be pulled from the same Sony Japan press release, and they all say "AAC" in the specs. Also "Dolby Digital" is already mentioned in the specs, so I think saying "AC3" would be redundant.

Well, first, AC3 isn't an MPEG standard.

Second, it's already being mentioned in that features list, as "Dolby Digital / Dolby Digital EX" (Dolby Digital == AC3 with some constraints)

@lazyn00b: where did you find that press release?

You guys are probably right, which would be very cool. I can't help but be suspicious though.

Den.

Here it is:

http://www.sony.jp/CorporateCruise/Press/2...200209/02-0905/

Just scroll down a little, you will see where it says MPEG-2 AAC in between all the blah blah blah.

Thank-you for the link, lazyn00b.

Here's what babelfish gives us:


So, I guess we can be pretty sure now.

Now, I wonder how that works.

I believe AAC can be sent through S/PDIF. Sony wouldn't do it if it wasn't standards compliant - they created the S/PDIF standard (Sony/Philips Digital InterFace)


Edit: Anyway, AAC is dead (or so says Neo Neko). If it isn't dead yet it'll die soon. So, no reasons to commemorate, really. :B

Uh-oh, I think rjamorim has been reading Slashdot too much today... he has learned how to troll

Now someone is going to come in here with a 500 word post arguing about AAC, and then follow up with another 500 word post saying that he isn't the one arguing!

Wee! Way to go.

Posted the news at Doom9:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&t...&threadid=55239

at Everwicked:
http://www.everwicked.com/forums/showthrea...=&threadid=2177

and at Audiocoding:
http://www.audiocoding.com/phorum/read.php...1&i=3156&t=3156

Now that's some spamming.

Regards;

Roberto.

Cool, maybe someone at doom9 will have some ideas about what role AAC might play in a future HD-DVD format. From what I can tell, no decision has been made whether the DVD industry will use MPEG-4 for the video or an updated MPEG-2... it does seem likely, however that AAC will be one of the options for the audio. Certainly Sony would be one of the companies working on the specs, so maybe they know something the rest of us don't.

Yeah, thank you B)