ATRAC Generation
The named generation of ATRAC audio encoding or decoding technology used by a MiniDisc device.
ATRAC generation identifies a revision of the processing that encodes or decodes compressed MiniDisc audio. A generation name can concern recording, playback or both. It is separate from the disc’s recording mode and the amount of playing time that mode provides.
ATRAC Generation — MiniDisc
For MiniDisc, check which operation the named revision improves. Encoding processes audio when making a recording; decoding reconstructs it for playback. Type-S, for example, includes improvements for playing MDLP recordings. A processing revision does not convert an existing long-play recording into an uncompressed original.
Compare generations within the maker’s documented scheme and for the same recording mode. Different manufacturers’ version numbers are not a common quality scale. Check format support separately: a generation label alone is not a complete statement of compatibility with every MiniDisc recording format.