How many of you can play DVD-Audio discs properly?

[Michael Brooke]

I know this looks as though it's in the wrong forum, but bear with me, as it's more of a software question!

I've just uploaded my second DVD-Audio review for DVD Times (of the new recording of Philip Glass' <A HREF="http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/index.cgi?page=AudioReview&id=380&story=2376">Koyaanisqatsi</A>), and I thought it might be worth asking how many of you can actually play DVD-Audio discs to their full Advanced Resolution capability - and if so, whether you have any that you'd particularly recommend?

For the record, I have five more reviews in preparation - <I>Carmina Burana, The Bluegrass Sessions vol 2, Blue Man Group, Immersion</I> and <I>Bach Organ Spectacular</I> - but any other suggestions would be most welcome as I'm still groping in the dark to a certain extent and there's very little info available online.

[Paul2]

Thanks for the comprehensive review Michael. The only multichannel DVD I've experienced is the Naxos Vivaldi disk, but via a DVD player and a DTS system-very impressive, though (as per your review).

The only true DVD-A reviews that I've seen in print are from Gramophone (vol 79, Awards Issue). The reviewer favoured the following disks (on the basis of true 5.1 recording and true concert hall ambience):

Tchaikovsky-1812 overture, Capriccio italien etc. Telarc (DVDA-70541)

Mahler 10th Symphony (Rattle, BPO) EMI (7243-492394-4)

Beethoven complete symphonies (Barenboim, Berliner Statskapelle) Teldec (8573-83060-9) or separately.

J. Strauss- selections (Harnoncourt, BPO) (3984-24489-9)

What audio setup are you using? Is it worth adding this info to your reviews??


Edit: 'For the record, I have five more reviews in preparation...etc Still comparing them to vinyl, eh?

[John Nelson]

What about the format war between SACD and DVD-A? Which is showing signs of winning?

-- J.

[A²]

Michael,

Cheers for your help the other day. As advised, caught a copy of Vivaldi in HMV Oxford Street. Odd, because I'd previously tried Tower, HMV and Virgin (all Piccadilly Circus) to no avail. :rolleyes:

I thought I'd read somewhere that my old Pioneer626D could play some variety of DVD-A. It certainly had '96kHz 24bit D/A' stamped on the front. :confused:

Having checked the fascia of the 636D I replaced her with, this now says 'Built in Dolby Digital & DTS Decoder'. Hmmm... Well, I settled for the DTS track as I seemed to be limited to this or DD.

how many of you can actually play DVD-Audio discs to their full Advanced Resolution
I suppose the answer is 'not me'. The player may well be up to it, but I'm darned if I can find out how...

Cheers :)

A²

[Mr Flibble]

Probably a daft question I know but:

Can I play a DVD-Audio disc on my normal DVD player?

I just don't know that much about this format - and I don't think the general public do either, is it more of a 'specialists' format, or do you think it will supercede normal audio CD's in the home eventually?

Somehow I DON'T think a DVD-A disc would work on my machine, just curious though :)

[RoyJones]

I have also got a copy of the four seasons thanks to Michaels review, but alas can only play the compressed formats.
The only 24 bit recording I can play is the intro to Seven, and I must admit it does sound a little over powering, as the reviewer described at Gramaphone of the DVD Audio track on the vivaldi disk.
I also read in Gramaphone that Pioneer have released an all format player. If this does not compromise the quality to much this seems the way to go.
I'm certainly will save up for one, I'll also keep an eye at Richer Sounds who usually discount new formats after a few months quite heavily.

Cheers.

[Bapapapa]

Mr Flibble - You can play DVD-A discs on a standard DVD player, but you'll only be able to play the DD5.1 track. You'd need a DVD-Audio capable player to use the DVD-A track.

Pretty good idea, IMO, to have both tracks on there.

[CLH]

I have the NAXOS disk. The DTS track is excellent. I have a Pioneer DV737 and was swapping classical discs over. The Naxos disk is superb.

I can't do the DVD Audio track BUT I did read a review somewhere (try a GOOGLE search) that said the DTS and DD track were superior to the DVD Audio track.

I've got my eye on the DV747A now so that I don't have to decide who's winning the audio war.

From all the reviews I have seen so far SACD shades it but it's gonna be great to have both.

[Mr Flibble]

Thanks for that :)

Do you think there will be a DVD-Audio track used as a track for a film, in the same way we have DTS etc. ?

[Bapapapa]

No.

[Mr Flibble]

Why not?

I thought it was supposed to be supererior to DD5.1 etc?

Just wondered :)

[A²]

Until the format settles down, isn't it pretty much limited to slide shows or browsables (max 19 pics)?

I think you need a DVD-AudioV player (and disc) to view proper video sequences. Even then, you're losing region control and some interactivity (user control).

You could watch a cartoon. But it would have to be a short one.

A²

[Bapapapa]

Mr Flibble - DVD-A is a rival audio format to SACD, so why would there be a need to go up against DD/DTS? Let alone think about the technical implications of remixing a movie soundtrack into the DVD-A format.

[Mr Flibble]

You're probably right Bap - I'll stick with my gramaphone player for now I think ;)

[ajm]

Michael, I play the advanced resolution and usually choose the multichannel, although for a couple the stereo just sounds better.

I'd recommend the Corrs - In Blue, and the soundtrack for A.I.

Although Fleetwood Mac - Rumours is ok, it's not great, nor is Foreigner - Foreigner.

for Classical, Bach - Organ Spectacular is good, and also Beethoven's 9th from Hodie (avail a dvd-video and a dvd-audio set for about $20).

[Kit_Taylor]

"When will this primitive race wake up to the superior sound quality of vinyl?"

[Hendrik]

.

. . . sigh . . .

(...just knew someone would come up with that!...)

[Bapapapa]

:D

[CLH]

My dad's Mark 1 Escort had a vinyl roof. It sounded awful and it got scratched a lot.

[Paul2]

Originally posted by Kit_Taylor
"When will this primitive race wake up to the superior sound quality of vinyl?"

Is that a Charlton Heston quote?? :D

[Michael Brooke]

Just to answer a few of the questions above:

<B>Format war:</B> - too early to tell. This time next year the picture will probably look clearer. At the moment, SACD is winning on quantity, DVD-Audio on quality (at least according to the comparative reviews that I've read).

<B>Alternative to Dolby Digital/DTS:</B> - not really viable because DVD-Audio needs much more space in which to function: the massively increased sound quality comes at a price! I don't see why it would be especially hard to produce DVD-Audio film soundtracks, though - if a high-definition 5.1 master exists already, surely producing a DVD-Audio version would be a mere formality?

<B>Compatibility:</B> all six DVD-Audio discs that I have will play on a standard DVD player, but you'll only be able to play the lower-quality 5.1 tracks (Dolby Digital/DTS), not the high-resolution DVD-Audio ones. Apparently there are a couple of discs that won't play on standard players, but they're very much in the minority - not least because it would be commercial suicide at the moment!

<B>Superiority to existing DVD sound formats:</B> no question about it - Advanced Resolution DVD-Audio is truly spectacular. Effectively, you're listening to uncompressed sound across six channels (unlike Dolby Digital or DTS, it uses a lossless compression system), so no compromises have to be made - and the 24-bit 96kHz recording is several orders of magnitude better than a CD's 16-bit 44.1kHz sampling rate in terms of detail. Even friends of mine who don't normally notice these things have been blown away by my DVD-Audio demonstrations! (I'm writing this with the fascinating <I>Immersion</I> playing in the background - a disc where various contemporary composers were asked to write pieces specifically for the 5.1 surround format).

[CARL]

I have a Pioneer 939 with DVD Audio, I`ve only tried a couple of more mainstream titles yet so will let you know when i`ve tried some others.

Interestingly the player came with a chesky sampler disc but to hear it fully you have to wire the outputs in a different configuration including using the Centre and Sub outputs for Left and Right side channels, i`ve never tried it as i can`t be bothered reconnecting and moving speakers about :D

Cheers Carl

[CraigKORE]

I remember reading a thread on these forums a while back, that said that "Queen - A Night At The Opera" was getting the DVD-Audio treatment (Or was it D.D and DTS treatment?)

Just wondering if anyone has any info on this, or know where I can purchase it from. Had a look about, but cant seem to find any info.

The thought of hearing that album in either D.D or DTS gives me goosebumps! :eek:

[baconjoe]

Presumably I don't need a new amp to decode DVD-Audio?

[CLH]

Night at the Opera seems to be at Amazon.com. There are two and both are described as a GOLD DISC. One of them looks like the DVD Audio track.

One of the Queen sites has a picture of the new disk and it looks like one of the ones at Amazon. Perhaps if you check out the catalogue number it may help. Sorry I can't be more help!

[AndyWilson]

Originally posted by CraigKORE
I remember reading a thread on these forums a while back, that said that "Queen - A Night At The Opera" was getting the DVD-Audio treatment (Or was it D.D and DTS treatment?)

Just wondering if anyone has any info on this, or know where I can purchase it from. Had a look about, but cant seem to find any info.

The thought of hearing that album in either D.D or DTS gives me goosebumps! :eek:

Are you sure that's not nausea?

Back on topic, I bought the Bella Fleck DVD-A album after a discussion on these forums a while back, and I've got to say it sounds wonderful even just in DD5.1 on a standard DVD player. Just a pity it doesn't have more "soul" rather than being a demonstration of technical prowess...

As for compatibility, as I understand it a DD/DTS amp won't decode DVD-A, but most if not all DVD-A players have a built in decoder and a 6ch ouput... I could be wrong tho...

[Bapapapa]

So how does DVD-A compare to DTS CDs (which can be played in a regular CD player)?

Anyone know?

[ajm]

Bapapapa, in theory at least, the dvd-audio version of dts cd should be better. It will have the same source, but the dvd-a disc won't use a lossy compression system which DTS does. Therefore you really get all the bits!

Apparently, Sting's, Ten Summoner's Tales is comming out soon to dvd-a, then I should be able to do a direct comparison, as I've got the dts cd (and the normal cd).

[bddidier]

As anybody had a chance to try both DVD-A and the new dolbyheadphones (are they already out anyway?)?

http://www.dolby.com/dolbyheadphone/

[Boink!]

So where's the best place to buy DVD-Audio disks then?

Cheers,

Boink!:)

[Bapapapa]

www.dv-depot.com have a 5.1 audio section.

[ajm]

dv-depot's dvd-audio selection sucks.

try dvdempire or dvdplanet. Even ezydvd have some (and are of course the cheapest I've found).

[RoyJones]

I see Amazon.com now have Bjorks new DVD A, Vespertine @ $22, any one seen it anywhere cheaper.
No sign of any extras but does carry a DD 5.1, DTS 5.1, DVD A 5.1 and DVD A 2 soundtrack.

Looks good.