Your old friend the audio CD may be on its way out to the pasture. Its likely replacement is a recent format called DVD-A, or DVD-Audio — and more and more music titles are being released (and re-released) on this format. Just imagine a standard audio CD that has been to the gym four nights a week for the past 10 years, and you get some idea of what DVD-A is like: either two or four hours of stereo music (depending on the type of media); interactive menus (just like with DVD video); and even the ability to store video clips.

But perhaps the most exciting feature of DVD-A is the addition of Surround Sound support. If you're enjoying a Surround Sound system, such as Dolby Digital 5.1, you know how realistic it is. If not, try out this type of system the next time you're in a stereo and video store. Although the extra data needed for Surround Sound cuts in half the capacity of a DVD-A disc, you're still talking about an hour or two of incredible-sounding music.