Intrada Soundtrack Forum

High Definition Compatible Digital, or HDCD is an audio encode-decode process that claims to provide increased dynamic range, a more focused 3-D soundstage, and extremely natural vocal and musical timbre. With HDCD, you get the body, depth, and emotion of the original performance not a flat, digital imitation
HDCD encodes the equivalent of 20 bits worth of data in a 16-bit digital audio signal by using custom dithering, audio filters, and some reversible amplitude and gain encoding; Peak Extend, which is a reversible soft limiter and Low Level Range Extend, which is a reversible gain on low-level signals. There is thus a benefit at the expense of a very minor increase in noise.

For some time, I've been searching in my collection for the soundtracks that have been released in HDCD. The logo must be shown on the back cover or/and on the disc, and some times on the front cover, like for Eraser in 1996. Sometimes, the logo cannot be found anywhere on the disc or cover but the CD appears to be encoded in HDCD, like I found out by chance on the CD of Contact and Volcano (Silvestri seems to have been the most fervent user of HDCD during the late 90's). I'm still trying to find all of those by checking the coding of each one of them.



Most of the HDCD encoded soundtrack discs I've found were made in the second part of the 90's. here is the list I could make for myself, based on the CDs I own. It would be cool if some of you could check their own collection to tell me if you have some HDCD discs, to help me complete that list. Thanks !

List of HDCD discs :

The American President (Marc Shaiman), 1995 (MCA)
The Eraser (Alan Silvestri), 1996 (Atlantic/Warner)
Independance Day (David Arnold), 1996 (RCA Victor)
The First Wives Club (Marc Shaiman), 1996 (Varèse Sarabande)
Primal Fear (James Newton Howard), 1996 (Milan)
Alien Resurrection (John Frizzel), 1997 (RCA Victor)
Starship Troopers (Basil Poledouris), 1997 (Varèse Sarabande)
Contact (Alan Silvestri), 1997 (Warner Bros Records)
Volcano (Alan Silvestri), 1997 (Varèse Sarabande)
Mousehunt (Alan Silvestri), 1997 (Varèse Sarabande)
Ghosts of Mississipi (Marc Shaiman), 1997 (Columbia)
The Odd Couple II (Alan Silvestri), 1998 (Cinerama/Edel)
Antz (Harry Gregson-Williams & John Powell), 1998 (Angel)
The Magnificent Seven (Elmer Bernstein), 1998 (Rykodisc)
The Parent Trap (Alan Silvestri), 1998 (Walt Disney Records)
Meet Joe Black (Thomas Newman), 1998 (Universal)
Blade (Mark Isham), 1998 (Varèse Sarabande)
Armageddon (Trevor Rabin), 1998 (Columbia)
The Thin Red Line (Hans Zimmer), 1999 (RCA Victor)
The Story of Us (Marc Shaiman), 1999 (Warner)
October Sky (Mark Isham), 1999 (Sony Classical)
The Tirteenth Floor (Harald Kloser), 1999 (Milan)
Tarzan (Mark Mancina/Phil Collins), 1999 (Walt Disney Records)
The Green Mile (Thomas Newman), 1999 (Warner)
The Out of Towners (Marc Shaiman), 1999 (Milan)
Body Shots (Mark Isham), 1999 (Milan)
Princess Mononoke (Joe Hisaishi), 1999 (Milan)
Rules Of Engagement (Mark Isham), 2000 (Milan)
Galapagos (Mark Isham), 2000 (Milan)
Robin and Marian (John Barry), 2001 (Silva Screen)
The Lion in Winter (John Barry), 2001 (Silva Screen)
The Mummy Returns (Alan Silvestri), 2001 (Decca)
The Mexican (Alan Silvestri), 2001 (Decca)
Hairspray (Marc Shaiman), 2002 (Sony Classical)
The Bride of Frankenstein (Franz Waxman), 2003 (Silva Screen)
Angels in America (Thomas Newman), 2003 (Nonesuch)
Cinderella Man (Thomas Newman), 2005 (Decca)

Almost every Thomas Newman album from 1995 to 2005 is HDCD-encoded. Endurance by John Powell is another that springs to mind.

It's true, I have seen many of these in Thomas Newman's discography. I'm gonna try to make an exhaustive list from what I can find. Thanks !