DVD-Audio

Bucon

My first impressions on listening to some stuff in stereo, is that the quality is exceptionally good, twice that of a CD. Vocals were really crisp and clear.

I cant wait to get the full 6 channels set-up, should be very interesting!

Anyone else used DVD-A, good?...bad?...is it gonna takeover from CD's eventually?


Bucon.

cournioni

Well I have got a pantera video dvd and the music on it sounds twice as good as normal cd's. I dunno if its DVD-Audio though.

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chernobyl

Its not DVD audio, its AC3.A dvd audio player (and their only dedicated @ the mo) will cost roughly twice a dvd player.

same can be said for the dvd audio disks.

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Ashley Lyn

Ashley Lyn Cafagna

_CreeD_

Very few current music disks are AC3 (Dolby Digital), DTS is much more common for music DVDs (And there are 20/24 bit DTS CD's out there too). The exception being pop-concert DVD's as these do tend to be DD for some reason, maybe to conserve space on the disk.

DVD-Audio is confusing. While you'd think it meant anything primarily audio based on DVD It specifically refers to disks/players that use a 192Khz/24bit MLP audio stream - this is a lossless compression system that currently only allows stereo (Blue Laser DVD should allow the introduction of Multi channel MLP).
Existing DVD-video players are not equipped for this, 96Khz/24 bit PCM/DD/DTS being the max. If you want real DVD-Audio make sure your player specifically states it can play it (the cheapest Ive seen is ~700 quid, disks are around 25. The first models were DVD-A only but nowadays are also video players)

96Khz 24bit PCM stereo is uncompressed but very rarely used. I have one disk, Glory Soundtrack, that uses it and it is phenomenal. I can't see dedicated 192Khz MLP being much better since the most audible improvement is in the bit depth not the ludicrous frequency range.
While DTS does use lossy compression it is also usually 20/24 bit on the 5 main channels and to me sounds way better than CD. The surround effect is amazing and will make your jaw drop. You're not in the audience, you're sitting in the middle of the stage.
DD I don't think is as good for music as DTS.

One big flaw with DVD-Audio (and SACD) is the Digital out is crippled. Most existing DVD-A players, bar the new Pioneer and models afaik, limit the digital out to 48Khz/16 bit to prevent copying. Soooo, you have to rely on their internal decoders, if you already have a DD/DTS decoder without analog 5.1 channel inputs it's redundant. Pioneer's at least will output 96/24 for your existing DVDs, just not DVD-A.

Last (Yes I know lots of babble, I was just thinking of buying one last month, so giving you the benefit of a lot of trawling) there are only around 60 or so DVD-A disks out there. Personally I went with SACD instead as DVD-Audio disks will also have 96/24 DTS tracks aswell that will work on an existing player/decoder. So, you can buy them anyway and wait until DVD-A is mainstream (And the digital out block removed) to listen to them in full effect.

[This message has been edited by _CreeD_ (edited 12-08-2001).]

b20uvkft6m5xwg

I read a big thing in the Sunday Times a few weeks back about DVD-Audio. The consensus did seem that the quality was superior etc. but...

The upshot of the whole thing was that, to consider it being the next rung in the ladder of audio formats is likely incorrect. From what was said it seems that improved compressed formats (beyond mp3 quality) will be the next big thing providing 6 channel audio. In essence anything on a disk is just an antiquated transportation / delivery system !!

OH BTW there does also seem to be some warfare between the big players sony et al. as to what the standard format should be which also may affect the uptake of DVD-A.

IMO, i would say my musical usage future as being a disk free zone (which in truth is already becoming a reality w/mp3 etc.)

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80p.
SAVE CHIP !!

Bucon

I finished setting the full kit(Pioneer DV-939A, Pioneer VSA-E08, Mission 78 series speakers) up today, and I am pleasantly surprised! Everything sounds so clear, and its like your IN the recording studio. Brilliant. Cant wait to give it some proper listening!


Bucon.

_CreeD_

Aye, the 939a was very tempting, it does 24bit upsampling on CDs right?.
I ended up ordering the Sony DVP9000ES, DVD (Video)/SACD...and it arrived 4 days after I left home for 3 months.
It's sitting at home gathering dust til November...

Anyway, even if you don't like them, I recommend you get the Police greatest hits DTS CD. I'm not a big fan of theirs but it really is a showpiece for DTS music (Doo Doo Da, I used to hate it, on DTS it's amazing).

Have you any full DVD-A's yet?

_______________

80Project - That article must be a few years out of date. DTS and DD are 6 channel compressed formats. DTS being of way higher quality than MP3 (20/24bit, besides a different psycho-acoustic model).

The 2 formats battling it out are DVD-A and SACD. DVD-A was the initial favourite, as having your video and Hifi integrated provides more value and handiness - but the lack of software for it has put SACD back in the running (60 DVD-A disks as opposed to ~350 SACD, and with Sony's personal stable of artists you can expect SACD availability to increase rapidly).
Unfortunately as I said digital-outs on both are limited to 48Khz/16bit forcing many people to upgrade their AV decoders to those with 5.1 analogue inputs to enjoy multichannel disks.
There is light on the horizon though, with a few combined SACD and DVD-A players coming out. They are incredibly expensive at the moment, Pioneers model retailing at something like $5000 last time I looked.

If you really need to upgrade the 939A, or the Sony DVP9000Es represent the best buys at the moment. Neither are too expensive (relatively), provide excellent cd quality, DVD Video performance and either DVD-A or SACD depending on which way you wish to go - without being so prohibitively expensive that you won't be able to upgrade when the formats finally settle.


[This message has been edited by _CreeD_ (edited 15-08-2001).]

b20uvkft6m5xwg

FAO: Creed
My technical knowledge of the whole thing isn't that great (as you probably saw!!), so I was a bit general on the whole thing. The article was from 3 weeks ago though, in the Doors Section.

My real point though is...
will formats such as dvd-a or sacd take off @ all, when we have such improving technology in other compressed formats? ie mp3 ?? Will in fact anything on a disk, whether it be high quality or not be used. Afterall the transportation of data will soon enough be over cables, phonelines, satelite !!??

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80p.
SAVE CHIP !!

_CreeD_

I think you're right that the market is moving towards solid state/net deliverable music. But the sheer amount of data needed for top quality audio would swamp even the fastest of today's home links. A full bit-rate 24bit DTS soundtrack needs a 1.5mbs stream (Lossy-Compressed). And as I said the newer formats are much larger again. I don't have exact figures but keep in mind that a 192/24bit MLP (Lossless compression) multichannel soundtrack will need next generation Blue-laser (Higher storage) DVD, which means over 17gb of data.
Also, no matter how good the compression format in use audiophiles will still go for an non-lossy/uncompressed source - most will prefer knowing they're getting the full shebang to wondering if there's something really missing (even if they can't hear it, there'd still be doubt).

Methinks you're looking at the best part of a decade before the likes of DVD-A and SACD are obsolete (They may be improved in the interim but not replaced)


[This message has been edited by _CreeD_ (edited 16-08-2001).]