Principles of Digital Audio, Sixth Edition (Digital Video/Audio)

I mean it. When this book drops into your lap, you will feel the weight of it. And its Meaty! My Audio Engineering teacher told me that if you wanted to know everything about sound, then buy this book. So... I did.I don't think I will ever understand everything in this book.... in this lifetime.... but I am glad that when I may need to.... its here in this book! All of it.What does it cover? Everything from the Physics of Sound to the Fundamentals of Digital Audio, Recording Digital Audio, Optical Disc Media (and how that came about), Compact Discs, DVD, BluRay, Coding, Digital Signal Processing.It is precise. It is in-depth. And its very heady and codey. Is that a word? But for school ... when i don't understand something about Sound I know this book will have it.So, if you are a GEEK for sound, you will love this book. If you are not... well, you will know it when you get this book. Its so Meaty!

Ken writes beautifully. I first read his contributions to Stereo and Stereo Review and 20 years later I'm still loving his stuff. He also inspired me to start a business in the AV industry. Ken come visit us in South Africa.

A very well written book for someone who has a real interest in understanding how digital audio works. It is best to have some backgroundin the subject to get the most out of the book. Remember that this is a textbook so plan to go slow and be willing to devote some "serious"time to its study.

Every audio technician should read this book.

I love all the books, and in this book I have found a lot of interesting information and have learned a lot. I recomend it.

The BIBLE!

Professor Pohlmann tried to frighten us in the 1995 edition, he said: I promise I will never write a fourth edition of this title. After laping up the third edition in two woderful weeks, I had to wait for the decision. In 1999 I was hopelessly desperate, but Mr. Pohlmann left a "loophole in (his) vow", as he claims. So, a new gift came to us. Thanks to him, his dedication, and his talent, audio and electronics engineers have a text that covers the totality of the current science of digital audio. For those who read the previous editions, some obvious changes will come up. Some technologies are dead, because it is impossible to resurrect technnologies that the market or the customers have killed (imagine a book about vinile LPs or Betamax VCRs), and other technologies are very alive. Some new features you will find in this edition: DVD (finally an understandable treaty is in our hands), Internet Audio (very topical), new developments in DSP, and some changes made inside previously written chapters (i.e.: the Hoffmann Coding now is in the DVD chapter). For those who have not read the previous editions, this is a very good start in the science of digital audio. If you read the first four chapters very carefully, you are ready to read every single book on the subject that might fall in your hands. I used to recommend the third edition in my college course at Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria. Now my students are encouraged to acquire this new edition, which is indeed the main textbook for my course. I still think that we need a spanish translation of this book.

Though this may not be a book to read for a entertainment, it is probably the most valuable reference book on my shelf. At the Digital Media Division and Microsoft, you can't walk past a single office without seeing a copy of this book up there. Sure, there are some parts that are kind of like wading through mud, but those are there for reference. If you want to know what the 8th bit in a SPDIF stream is, it's in there. And as far as the DSP comment goes, this isn't a book about DSP. It is a catch all book, and the best one at that. It covers all topics in as much detail as is feasable without making it 10,000 pages. If you are serious in your field, this book is a necessity to get you started, and to keep you going.

Excelente libro para audio digital. Incluye desde los principios básico hasta blue ray. Una referencia indispensable para los que se inician en el área.

Teaches a lot about Digital Audio. I'm still learning and it has all the information I need. Recommended for all studying/about to study an Audio Engineering course.Quite a heavy read at times, but does explain most concepts.

Este libro es la Biblia del Audio Digital, todo lo que necesitas saber sobre él, está aquí.A mí me ha sido de mucha ayuda, y está a un precio de ganga.

Superb reference on the subject

Bought for my University course in Music Technology, very useful