From: lancer@oconnor.WPI.EDU (Stephe Lewis Foskett)
Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject: Specs for Radio Shack's DCC (was Re: DAT and SCMS, some info)
Date: 19 Nov 92 01:00:47 GMT
	<1992Nov17.002951.9577@nntpd2.cxo.dec.com>
	<1992Nov18.183824.12238@porthos.cc.bellcore.com>
Organization: ZikZak Corporation
NNTP-Posting-Host: oconnor.wpi.edu
In-reply-to: whs70@dancer.cc.bellcore.com's message of 18 Nov 92 18:38:24 GMT

>>>>> "william" == sohl,william h <whs70@dancer.cc.bellcore.com> writes:
william> I knew DCC was a digital encoded signal, but I thought the
william> inputs and outputs of a DCC deck would be analog only.

No one's mentioned it yet, so here's Radio Shack's plug (from the
latest direct-mail ad) for it's version of the Phillips DCC deck:
(emphasis added)

--

DIGITAL AUDIO BREAKTHROUGH!

Introducing the DCC - the world's first Digital Compact Casette recorder

*Records and plays _CD-quality_ digital stereo on convenient DCC tapes
*Plays standard analog casettes, too - _won't obsolete your existing
     tape library_
*Programmable memory stores 20 selections to play in any order you desire
*Once/continuous auto-reverse
*One-touch automatic music search
*64-times oversampling provides _purest playback of DCC tapes_
*Drawer loading
*Dolby B-C system for analog tape playback
*Quality-made in the USA

Optimus DCT-2000. Enjoy the best of both worlds-true digital home
recordings and compatibility with your existing casettes. The DTC-2000
records up to 90 minutes of pure digital stereo per DCC tape,
_delivering perfect copies of your compact discs_ plus superb
recordings from LPs and analog tapes. The drawer-loading deck is
simple to use combining the familiar features of CD players and
casette decks, like a 20-selection programmable memory, auto-reverse
and music search. There's even a unique text display that shows titles
and performers' names on prerecorded DCC tapes. Features fiber-optic,
coaxial and analog inputs for recording from both digital and analog
sources, a headphone jack with a volume control and a wireless remote.

contact your nearby radio shack for availability in your area

--

So there you have it.

now my comments:
* There's NO MENTION of the compression scheme.  They promise
"CD-quality" sound and "perfect copies of CDs".  This is simply not
true, but maybe they just didn't want to get into specifics with the
mindless masses...

* There's NO MENTION of SCMS.  See above...

* They indicate that the "standard" tape use is pretty good.  I was
expecting it to suck, but if they promise Dolby B and C, perhaps they
put some thought into it after all.  It's still not going to "obsolete
_my_ tape library", though, since I've already got a perfectly goot
casette deck...  :)

* "Purest playback of DCC tapes"???  I thought all decks would sound
more or less the same...  Advertising hyperbole?

* "Made in the USA"?  Like the rest of RatShack's products, more like
"assembled a little bit in the USA"...

* It's got fiber and coax ins, but no mention of the outs...  Hmmm...
Anyone know if there'll be a fiber out?

Now my comments on DCC:
I'm not convinced.  MD sounds good (MAYBE even good enough for me to
buy in a few years) but not DCC.  The audio advantages (and,
compression or none, I DO see advantages in DCC) are not balanced by
the packaging ones.  Tape snarls and wear are SERIOUS considerations
in my book, and I'm not convinced that DCC decks are immune...  Also,
the lack of an immediate portable unit and the larger size are
detractions to me.  In 5 years I see myself listening to my CDs at
home and my MDs in my car and at work.  Sorry, Philips.

Now, about SCMS and compression:
What if you open the decks up and physically wire the digital out
(before the DAC or "uncompressor") to the digital in (after the ADC or
"compressor") on another deck? What would happen?  I'm no expert (so
don't flame _ME_ for not reading so-and-so-lab's PI314159 report on
how they work) but there must be some pretty easy way to get around
SCMS and the MD and DCC's compression schemes...

And a final overheard comment:
"DCC?  Is that a computer?  DAT?  No?  Oh, you mean the little disks,
right?  I thought that was called MD!  Oh?  There's something that can
record digitally on regular casettes?  NOT regular casettes?
Something LIKE regular casettes?  Nope, never heard of it but it
sounds confusing..."
(I heard this yesterday afternoon.  Makes me wonder about Philips
advertising and head start and all...)

.s.

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