DVD-A Thoughts June 2003

[timbre4]

What's DVD-A look like for me today? It's not mainstream yet, that's for sure.

Few announcements lately make it a frustrating experience. The highly-anticipated DVD-A hybrid concept is all but dead, which may seem troubling, but most SACDs were released and sold without being true to the hybrid promise either.

Honestly, 100 more niche or esoteric label releases have less market clout than 3 mainstream superstar releases. Laugh if you want to, but it reminds me of quad in 1972.

A DVD-A marketing council has been announced recently, which is like bringing up the rulebook in the seventh inning. Whatever they do has to be better than previous marketing which was nearly non-existent.

DVD-A releases were reduced in price about 18 months ago, yet Sony SACD prices stayed pretty much the same. Multi-channel DVD-A discs for $15 sounds perfect. A recent rumor of stereo only DVD-A catalog releases is disheartening.

The lowest price DVD-A player I'm aware of is $129 Panasonic DVD-S55S which can be further discounted to $104! This is extremely reasonable alongside other $100 progressive scan DVD players that don't also offer DVD-A. No sign of DVD-A capable 400 disc Mega-Changer beyond the sole Kenwood Sovereign (301) model. Portable or car DVD-A playback is handled with my Panasonic DVD-PA65 player.

In summary, because my playback options are better with DVD-A (4 places instead of 1), SACD is having a hard time getting beyond novelty status here.

Truth be told, both hi-res formats need to get out of footdrag mode and soon.

 

[Manmc]

Came across a quote on enjoythemusic.com the other day from the Home Entertainment Show in San Francisco which hinted at them trying flippers (CD on side 2) ! If they marketed them better it could help the cause.
Also Billy Squier was asked about his upcoming live Dvd-A and replied : "I have a live Dvd-A coming out !!!!"

This hi-rez is nothing if not entertaining !
Regards,
Manus

 

[R8der]

Well it would suck if DVD-A went the way of Quad, but to be honest, I don't know a single person outside of the internet who even owns one DVD-A. I do know a guy who has a DVD-A capable player, but he has no clue what DVD-A is.

Joe Six Pack, for the most part, thinks DVD-Audio means a DVD with music on it. Not hi-res music....just music. I've had several friends tell me they have DVD-A discs when what they have is really just a concert DVD. They need to explain these things better.....and get the Best Buys and Good Guys of the world to start promoting them. I've not been into one of these stores lately, but I highly doubt they have a DVD-A or SACD listening area set up to show people what it's all about.

Then of course we have Silverline putting out their crap (betcha that Billy Squier DVD-A will be Silverline) which they won't fool me into buying again. If a Silverline DVD-A is somebodies first experience.....what would convince them that this is the wave of the future? You might as well be trying to push cassette tapes!

 

[DPROKOPY]

Circuit City currently has listening set-ups for both DVD-A and SACD. The Best Buy I shop at, at least, used to have a set-up for SACD as well (although whoever set it up clearly had no clue what he/she was doing, and placed the speakers in weird places). Best Buy (at least the ones I've been to lately) have a seperate section for high-rez discs (surround and otherwise), including DTS discs (in with the DVD-A's). Tower Records is the same way (although they don't have hardware set-ups, at least not the one near me.) At Circuit City, it's a little less organized. Usually you can find a batch of each format with their respective demonstration set-ups, and sometimes you can find a few titles mixed in with the regular CDs. I don't think I've ever found a DTS disc at Circuit City, though.

FYI, I personally think that things would be better suited if this thread, along with the corresponding one in the SACD format, were combined and placed in the "general discussion" area, since it seems to be more about the future of high-rez/MC formats in general, rather than one or the other. But that's just me...

 

[danzigdanNY]

Circuit City may have listening stations for DVD-A/SACD, but it doesn't mean that their sales people know what it is! I asked a salesperson ( mid-40's) in the stereo component area in his if they had any DVD-Audio discs. He says "DVD-Audio? Like to record and play back video on?" Clueless.............

One of the CC locations near me has a SACD station but nothing for DVD-A. They don't even carry a single DVD-A disc in the entire store! Their SACD selection is about ten discs. The other store near me is a bit better and has both formats.

 

[DPROKOPY]

Circuit City is pretty useless when it comes to finding specific titles. Like I said, they've got a lot of their DVD-A titles mixed in with the regular CDs, and like you mentioned, maybe 10 titles over with the DVD-A display set-up. Best Buy is a little better - although when I went their yesterday, they didn't have any of the titles I was looking for that were just released (Fagen, Chicago), and were lacking lots of other titles as well. So far, the best retail place I've seen is Tower, but their prices are kinda high. I only really buy stuff there if a) I can't find it at another retail outlet and b) I don't feel like waiting for an online order.

 

[kstuart]

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>The highly-anticipated DVD-A hybrid concept is all but dead[/quote] Unless there has been news over the past couple of weeks, this is not true.

There are plans to make Hybrid DVD-A disks by simply making them "flippers" with DVD-A on one side and CD on the other side.

 

[John the Depot Dude]

or alternatively, then make a 2 disc package - I have seen one DVD-A title like this..

My personal opinion is that they will go towards adding the CD layer and follow the sacd strategy..

 

[Patrick Cleasby]

John, the HFR article on the DVD-A update from HE2003 states that Cd layer has been abandoned. Probably due to the compatibility and thickness tests failing as described in tthe new scientist link which is somewhere in this forum.

Word is that CD / DVD back to back sandwich is where it's at - Dieter Dierks' (Scorps producer) DVD+ concept <a href="http://www.dvdplusinc.com/" target="top">www.dvdplusinc.com/</a>.

I have a Judie Tzuke concert DVD made like this as part of the DVD+ trial and it seems to work. Rumour seems to be Flaming Lips might be the first one.

Hate double sided though - scratches, fingerprints, and having your DVD layer face up in a slot-in-the-dash car player? Ugh!

 

[Guy Robinson]

Quote:
Hate double sided though - scratches, fingerprints, and having your DVD layer face up in a slot-in-the-dash car player? Ugh!

Well since you bought the disc there should be no problem making a copy to play in your car. This is what I do with my SACD hybrids.

Also, someday you will have the DVD layer facing down in your car.

 

[John the Depot Dude]

My preference would be the 2 disc set over the dual sided approach..

Play one disc in your car/ghetto blaster etc and leave the high res one with your setup..

However I'd take a dual sided over no CD..

 

[bmoura]

That could happen since Warner Music did exactly that in Hong Kong.

Warner Music HK initially released their Stereo SACDs in what they called "1+1" format. It was a package with 2 discs: a Single Layer Stereo SACD and a conventional CD of the same album. Once a Hybrid SACD production line was opened in Hong Kong they switched to Hybrid SACDs for their new SACD titles.

So you never know....

>>or alternatively, then make a 2 disc package - I have seen one DVD-A title like this..<<

 

[High Fidelity Review]

Guys,

For what its worth, there <em>were</em> issues with the thickness of DVD Plus discs which gave problems with slot loading players (compatible with approximately 98% of the players on the market). However, as coincidence would have it, DVD Plus are about to begin producing their next generation product, DVD Plus II.

This, according to CEO Steve Millard will “<em>…lift player compatibility to 100% and provide new possibilities for content owners.</em>” From the blurb: “<em>The manufacturing process for DVD Plus V2 is even more automated and therefore more cost efficient to produce. The overall thickness of the DVD© [ plus ] stays at 1.2 mm (version 1 is presently 1.48 mm) which is achieved through a new sputter (target) material…</em>”

On the subject of the Flaming Lips title and the rumours that this will be a flipper… I spoke to Warner Music Group’s representative just the other day and ask her about this. The disc will be a DVD-Audio title only, it will <strong>not</strong> have any CD content either by way of a separate disc or alternative side/layer.


Stuart M. Robinson
Publisher & Editor, High Fidelity Review
www.highfidelityreview.com/

 

[JonUrban]

I don't see why they can't just package a CD with a DVD-A in a double jewelbox and sell it as a double package.

In the old days of software, we got our titles on 5 1/4" floppy as well as 3 1/2", then we got a CD and a 3 1/2" floppy.

Since as a purchaser, I am paying for the music initially, the inclusion of the extra disc should not create a "double" price, and then you would have the disc for the car or walkman, and the disc for the house (DVD-A or SACD).

Full compatibility and wide distribution.

 

[bming]

Jon's suggestion just makes too much sense for the corporate world.:x