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compact disc player
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Portable compact disc player. the laser scanning method employed in compact disc players Portable compact disc players, introduced by Sony Corporation in 1991, pack the disc drive and pickup assemblies, along with control circuitry, digital-to-analog convertor, and display, into a case that can be held in the hand and connected to earphones or even loudspeakers. The extraordinarily high fidelity characteristic of all compact disc recordings is made possible by the laser scanning method, shown in the movie at lower left.
Study how an infrared laser scans the metallic reflective layer of a disc to read recorded sound
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compact disc player

device
Also known as: CD player
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Quick Summary

Portable compact disc player.
Portable compact disc player.

A compact disc (CD) player is a device that reads digital data stored on a compact disc using a laser beam to reproduce recorded sound and other information. Invented by Philips and Sony in 1980, the CD has largely replaced the phonograph disc for high-fidelity music.1

A standard CD is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, made of polycarbonate plastic with a reflective metallic layer. Data is stored as tiny depressions (pits) and flat regions (lands) in a spiral track. When a CD player's laser scans these, it generates electrical pulses that are translated into audio signals by a digital-to-analog converter. CDs can hold over an hour of music and have a dynamic range of about 90 decibels. The term "CD" is short for "compact disc".12

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  1. CD
  2. compact disc

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