Video Asylum

Posted by Brad G. on May 30, 2001 at 18:02:15

The problem is that I don't have a DVD-audio player. I bought Fleetwood Mac-Rumors DVD-Audio mainly for it's DD 5.1 studio audio tracks and to get a feel for the new format.

To say the least, even the DD audio sounds excellent due to the newly mixed and mastered audio.

The mix puts the band in a small room(studio), with you essentially sitting in the middle of the crowd. It's like you're a member of band! It's simply awesome. I've always liked my DD 5.1 concert DVDs but always wanted some studio 5.1 discs. I'm completely impressed. It seems this disc also offers 96/24 5.1 channel audio and 96/24 stereo audio, but both being in the MLP DVD-Audio standard. DD 5.1 being the DVD-Video compatible sound track.

Now when using this disc on a DVD-Video player, the disc doesn't react as normal DVDs. It acts more like a standard CD. Once you put it in, it detects the DVD-Video compatible audio track and starts play.

There is "NO" track scanning, although you skip tracks just like a CD player. The Menu gives the playlist, credits, and commentary with other special features.

For the exact same price of a dts CD from Ken Cranes, I also now have high resolution DVD-Audio multichannel surround sound when I convert to a DVD-Audio player. If DVD-Audio does NOT take off, I lose nothing when compared to a dts CD, as I still have a DD 5.1 audio only DVD. Not much different than a dts CD, just the different competeing audio format, and on a different disc format.

When more DVD-Audio discs come out with DD 5.1 or DTS 5.1 optional tracks on recordings I crave, I'll be adding more DVD-A discs!