Hello,
No, SACD and DVD are not the same. In short, the coding algorithms are different, and they are read by lasers at differing wavelengths.
SACD utilizes Direct Stream Digital (DSD) - 1 bit data samples at a sample rate (freqency) of 2.8224 MHz. It's read by a laser at a wavelength of 650 nanometers (nm).
DVD-A uses PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) like CD, only with larger data samples and a higher sampling rate. CD use 16 bit data words to encode the sample, and samples at anything from about 32 KHz to 48 KHz, if I remember correctly. A sample rate of 44.1 KHz seems to be the most common. CD is read by a 780 nm laser.
DVD-A uses 24 bit data samples, usually sampled at 96 KHz, but can go as high as 196 KHz (maybe higher.) It's read by a 640 nm laser.
In addition, DVD-A uses a lossless compression scheme developed by Meridian. I have read that SACD uses lossless compression as well. I don't believe CD data is compressed.
DVD-V contains video encoded using some variation of MPEG, MPEG-2 I think. It also contains DTS or Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks using lossy data compression that throws some of the data away. The DVD box usually tells you about some of this.
These are the basics. There are several good articles on Wikipedia. Google SACD and you will find all kinds of info, both technical and non-technical.
Any Electrical Engineers out there feel free to make corrections where I have made an error.
Bob R.
PS: All's right with the world cause the Yankees just won.
