'A Hybrid DVD-A disc with a CD layer won't happen'

DVD-A(udio) and the SACD (SuperAudioCD) are currently in the race of becoming the next generation standard for audio CDs. Both have clear advantages and disadvantages and more and more manufacturers choose to include support for both formats in their hardware. However the SACD has a clear advantage above DVD-A, a hybrid disc. These discs contain a SACD layer and a normal stereo audio CD layer, this ensures compatibility and allows users to play the discs in both their SACD player as in normal CD players.

DVD-A also announced a hybrid disc, which would contain a DVD-A layer and normal stereo audio CD layer, but according to HighFidelityReview.com this won't happen. A Dolby employee named John Kellogg  stated that "a Hybrid DVD-A disc with a CD layer won't happen. Unfortunately he did not mention what kind of solution DVD-A will have regarding this, but there are some speculations:

While Kellogg did not provide details on what the DVD-A group was working on in this area, speculation at the DVD-A press event centered around some form of DVD-A "flipper disc". With a flipper disc, one side would have DVD-A information and when the disc was flipped over, Stereo CD information would be on the other side. We should know more soon when the DVD-A group announcement on this new development is made. We'll certainly bring you those details at that time.

On the other hand the DVD-A group could also leave the entire CD idea, as penetration of DVD-A capable hardware is pretty high.Read more in the article on HighFidelityReview.com!

Source: Hifireview.com