Page 1 of SACD

I was reading the linked comparison of DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD and noticed a couple of things.

( http://www.dvdnews.co.uk/features/dvd2ksacd.php )

"but SACD uses a sort of hybrid format with one CD layer and one DVD-type layer, giving backwards compatibility"

Does this mean that SACD players can play CDs (I`d hope so anyway), or does it mean that a SACD would be playable on a normal CD player, although obviously without all the new stuff like improved bitrate and surround?

...

I also saw and noticed that DVD-Audio is abbreviated as DVDA.

South Park fans will know this as the name of Matt & Trey`s band, the name coming from the pr0n term Doulbe V----a Double A--l (well, you get the idea -- I remember a discussion on IRC about how this would be possible, and it was eventually worked out).

SACD players will play CDs, and they can have a CD layer too which allows them to be backwards-compatible with existing CD players. It`s not a compulsory part of the spec - only discs mastered with this in mind will be able to.

As I understand it, it`s kind of like dual-layer DVD; except that one of the layers uses the wider CD-spec track pitch.