Dual Disc Bjork Surrounded Box Set

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So far, all the Bjork live surround discs I have are strictly Dolby Digital only.
My guess is that these will be the same.
I really, really hope I am wrong.
 
I am willing to place a bet that they will be DVD-A, for a few reasons. First is that these are apparently coming out on Rhino in the US - remember when the Talking Heads box was first announced, there was all sorts of confusion about what format the audio on the DVD side, because the first press release only said DD 5.1. I think because of what the labels percieve as the failure of DVD-Audio, DD 5.1 has become a catch-all labelling term for surround music, even when DVD-Audio is included as well. The last Foo Fighters disc was advertised the same way, as having DD 5.1 surround, when in fact it had DD5.1, DVD-A 5.1 and DVD-A stereo on the disc. I feel that the labels think that too many formats on the packaging is confusing to the average customer, and to an extent I agree - I think they should just put '5.1 surround sound' because if a disc has DD 5.1 and DVD-A 5.1 it's going to play on every player no matter what. However, I think DD 5.1 has become the default because it has a certain cache and name brand recognition for surround sound because people are used to seeing the Dolby Digital trailers before movies, etc. The other reason I think they'll be hirez is that Bjork has shown she is not hirez-averse, with her last two albums coming out in either SACD and/or DVD-A. It wouldn't really make sense (not that anything involving hirez makes sense) for them to all of a sudden say 'never mind MLP, Dolby Digital 5.1 is fine!' I think in the fullness of time we'll see that these are indeed full fledged DVD-A discs.

Dave.
 
steelydave said:
I am willing to place a bet that they will be DVD-A, for a few reasons. First is that these are apparently coming out on Rhino in the US - remember when the Talking Heads box was first announced, there was all sorts of confusion about what format the audio on the DVD side, because the first press release only said DD 5.1. I think because of what the labels percieve as the failure of DVD-Audio, DD 5.1 has become a catch-all labelling term for surround music, even when DVD-Audio is included as well. The last Foo Fighters disc was advertised the same way, as having DD 5.1 surround, when in fact it had DD5.1, DVD-A 5.1 and DVD-A stereo on the disc. I feel that the labels think that too many formats on the packaging is confusing to the average customer, and to an extent I agree - I think they should just put '5.1 surround sound' because if a disc has DD 5.1 and DVD-A 5.1 it's going to play on every player no matter what. However, I think DD 5.1 has become the default because it has a certain cache and name brand recognition for surround sound because people are used to seeing the Dolby Digital trailers before movies, etc. The other reason I think they'll be hirez is that Bjork has shown she is not hirez-averse, with her last two albums coming out in either SACD and/or DVD-A. It wouldn't really make sense (not that anything involving hirez makes sense) for them to all of a sudden say 'never mind MLP, Dolby Digital 5.1 is fine!' I think in the fullness of time we'll see that these are indeed full fledged DVD-A discs.

Dave.

Oh, I DO hope you are right Dave.
It's just that I thought this would be the case with all the live albums as well, and it wasn't. Not one of them had anything more than DD.
And the sound quality on them is pi55 poor compared to Vespertine & Medulla.
 
This is NOT going to be DVD-Audio.
Sadly, it is DVD-Video only - as suspected given the DualDisc format.
I will still be buying a set though.....the DTS is worthwhile, although the previous live albums with just Dolby Digital were awful.
Confirmation can be found at www.bjork.com, where it gives the following info:

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] What's in the box?
7 DualDiscs™ including:

{Debut} CD side includes the original album. DVD side includes the album remastered in Dolby 5.1 and DTS Surround Sound, plus all 6 videos taken from the album.
{Post} CD side includes the original album. DVD side includes the album remastered in Dolby 5.1 and DTS Surround Sound, plus all 6 videos taken from the album.

{Homogenic} CD side includes the original album. DVD side includes the album remastered in Dolby 5.1 and DTS Surround Sound, plus all 5 videos taken from the album.

{Selmasongs} CD side includes the original album. DVD side includes the album remastered in Dolby 5.1 and DTS Surround Sound.

{Vespertine} CD side includes the original album. DVD side includes the album remastered in Dolby 5.1 and DTS Surround Sound, plus all 5 videos taken from the album.

{Medúlla} CD side includes the original album. DVD side includes the album remastered in Dolby 5.1 and DTS Surround Sound, plus all 5 videos taken from the album.

{Drawing Restraint 9} CD side includes the original album. DVD side includes new version of the album (bonus track "Petrolatum") in Dolby 5.1 and DTS Surround Sound.


[/FONT]
 
What a missed opportunity this is ? :( I won't be buying this now. I mean Dolby and dts are already surpassed by the upcoming TrueHD and Dolby Digital+ codecs so whoo the hell are they trying to kid ?

IMO both the music and movie industries are in mess of their own making ......
~M~
 
Manmc said:
What a missed opportunity this is ? :( I won't be buying this now. I mean Dolby and dts are already surpassed by the upcoming TrueHD and Dolby Digital+ codecs so whoo the hell are they trying to kid ?

IMO both the music and movie industries are in mess of their own making ......
~M~
?????
DTS-HD and Dolby "True" HD are strictly BRD and HD DVD only.
DTS-HD is the ONLY mandated lossless High Rez format for both types, as the Dolby True HD (AKA MLP Lossless) is mandated as stereo support only, multichannel is optional.
Dolby Digital Plus is not really going to set the world on fire either - it's Dolby Digital with an extra Cs channel when you get right down to it, just like DTS-ES 6.1 except worse.
Okay, it will allow up to 640K as a bitrate, but you will be limited to playback on BRD and HD DVD players, immediately restricting sales to a tiny minority of customers. I seriously hope that future Multichannel releases are definitely NOT restricted to HD DVD and BRD.
As for DTS being surpassed by Dolby Digital Plus - forget it! DTS 96/24 is still a superior codec to the dreadful sonic mess of Dolby Digital. Plus or no plus.
And True HD is MLP by another name.

I feel it should have been done as DVD-A, but the problem here is that the DualDisc format will not allow DL DVD side. You are limited to a single layer.
I have just pre ordered my copy at £80.85 plus VAT, so for 7 albums in 5.1 DTS this is a good deal.

The format that works, and should be stuck to, is DVD-A/V.
These will play on ALL DVD players, not just the new hyper expensive ones.
All it needs is the following streams:
MLP
DTS 24/96
Dolby Digital (For full spec compliance)
it works, it can be done NOW - and will play on every DVD player that is currently installed in the world (currently over 500 million units).
How many HD DVD machines exist? 1,000?
BRD? None.
 
I'm waiting for an official announcement from Rhino. The Talking Heads duals had advanced resolution mixes in addition to the DD and DTS mixes. Hopefully the Bjork set will have the same.

I'll get them either way; I've waited a long time to hear Homogenic in 5.1!

Natiahs
 
I hope the announcement Neil refers to is simply incomplete. I know that DVD-Audio Director Spence Chrislu told me only recently that everything he works on is hi-res. I remember the LOTR: Fellowship of the Rings Complete Score CD + DVD box was very vague in its announcement re inclusion of hi-res audio, and sure enough it wound up hi-res. Still hopeful...
 
Oh, I do hope I am wrong about this.
The announcement I got from the record label, One Little Indian, said nothing at all about any High Res audio.
It said simply 5.1 Dolby Digital, DTS and all Music Videos from each album as well. That really could still mean High Rez 24/48 MLP, there would be room on a single layer disc - just - but the inclusion of Video material over High Rez audio is IMHO a mistake.
Sure, the videos are okay - but it is supposed to be about the bloody music, not Videos.
And all the Videos were recently released on another couple of DVD's.
 
" All it needs is the following streams:
MLP
DTS 24/96
Dolby Digital (For full spec compliance)"

Neil,
I agree with you.Once there's Lossless in there I'm happy. As for Hdvd and Bluray onne of them has to die and the winner needs to go Lossless Multichannel to tempt me :)

~M~
 
It also seems that this set is LIMITED to 1,000 copies.
(According to an email I got from 101CD.com)

Grab it now.
I did.
 
neil wilkes said:
It also seems that this set is LIMITED to 1,000 copies.
(According to an email I got from 101CD.com)

Grab it now.
I did.

It is not strictly limited edition, it is just that their per unit costs are too high with the packaging to do small follow up runs. They under-estimated pre-order demand (in the 800-900 mark) so the UK allocation will now be 2000 units.

Universal will have about 10,000 for Europe and Rhino will have about 20,000 for the states.

And at least over here it will be CD and DVD dual packs rather than Dual Discs per se - according to Derek Birkett anyway...

BTW - he confirmed no lossless...

(Also Vespertine and Medulla are new mixes)
 
Must be that the limited of 1,000 is 101CD.com's allocation then.

Good news about the new mixes from Vespertine & Medulla.
Bad news to have the DTS only confirmed - although it's better than just Dobly.
 
Okay, I want to set the record straight, since none of you guys seem to be getting clear, precise answers. (Also, I wonder if I am one of the only real Bjork fans on this post)

First off, it has never been anounced by anyone that the DVD sides of these discs will be in DVD-A format, but neither has it been denied. One side of every one of the 7 discs will be the original stereo sound in PCM format; the flipside will be the remastered mix in 5.1 Dolbly Digital and DTS 5.1 surround.

The argument can be made that they will be in DVD-A considering only that Bjork's last DVD-A release, Medulla, also came with the option of DVD-A DD 5.1, DVD-A DTS 5.1, and DVD-A PCM 2.0 all in advalnced resolution audio, plus the tracks in DD 5.1, DTS 5.1, and PCM 2.0 for those with DVD-video players, plus the making-of documentary.

Secondly, as Neil Wilkes has an affinity for spouting erronious information, Bjork has never relesed any live surround discs. The only thing live and in 5.1 has been "Live at the Royal Opera house." All the other live sets were only in 2.0 Dolby Digital. Bjork's "Live Box" was a collection of 5 discs (4 CDs in PCM audio, and a DVD in Dolby Digital). Bjork's "Volumen" DVD contained three videos with optional 5.1 DD surround.

Third, all I know for certail is that Rhino/WEA is releasing (_surrouned) in the United States. As for the limited 1000 copies, I'm unsure as to the validity of the claim. It might be true, so decide now if you want to buy it. What confuses the matter is that One Little Indian in the UK also offers the set for sale at their site. OLI's American site has not announced any distribution rights.

Also, this post hasn't been shown here:
"2005-12-23 Happy Times for 5.1 Fans
Happy times are ahead of 5.1 audio-philes, as mixing of all of Björk's albums has been completed in Iceland by Björk and P-Dub working the console. P-Dub previously worked with Björk on the mixing of the Drawing Restraint 9 soundtrack. In conversation with bjork.com Björk said she was extremely happy and excited with the results of these mixes of the albums.
We can start re-discovering these albums when they are released and the release dates are set for early next year, hopefully March 2006. We might get a limited edtion in box set, yeah!"


AIFOL always,
SexyToad
 
What a missed opportunity this is ? :( I won't be buying this now. I mean Dolby and dts are already surpassed by the upcoming TrueHD and Dolby Digital+ codecs so whoo the hell are they trying to kid ?

IMO both the music and movie industries are in mess of their own making ......
~M~

A message to Manmc: it's dissapointing that you're so offended by Bjork's generous box set (or rather the possiblity of only recieving lowly plain-old DD and DTS 5.1). While it's true that DTS HD and Dolby Digital TrueHD are superior audio formats, they are still limited to those with with HD DVD and BluRay players. If you've got the $8-900 to buy one those, fine. But I think that you should be grateful that we'll finally be able to hear some music we've been listening to for the last 13 years in 5.1! Isn't that what this site is about?


Oh, also I meant to mention that the footnote about (_surrounded) at Bjork.com wan't included on this forum either. It states that the DVD-video content will be in NTSC format which may only be the videos or the 5.1 content foe DVD-video players; it's vague. As to whether that means that all copies on the box will be manufactured by WEA is also unclear. We'll know for sure in a few weeks.
Video content aspect ratio: (4:3) and (16:9) [DVD region: 0] [NTSC] Compatible with most PAL players [E] Exempt from classification. Designed at M/M . These audio visual recordings ® 1993-2005 Wellhart Ltd/One Little Indian Ltd © 2006 Wellhart Ltd/One Little Indian Ltd. The copyright in these audio and video recording is owned by Wellhart Ltd/One Little Indian Ltd and is exclusively licensed to Polydor Ltd (UK), a Universal Music Company, for the world excluding the UK, North America and Iceland. All rights reserved. Made in the EU ¬ go to: http://www.bjork.com
 
Okay, I want to set the record straight, since none of you guys seem to be getting clear, precise answers. (Also, I wonder if I am one of the only real Bjork fans on this post)

You haven't set anything straight, all you've done is sum up everything that's been said earlier in this thread and injected it with your apparent pissiness and arrogance.

Secondly, as Neil Wilkes has an affinity for spouting erronious information, Bjork has never relesed any live surround discs. The only thing live and in 5.1 has been "Live at the Royal Opera house." All the other live sets were only in 2.0 Dolby Digital. Bjork's "Live Box" was a collection of 5 discs (4 CDs in PCM audio, and a DVD in Dolby Digital). Bjork's "Volumen" DVD contained three videos with optional 5.1 DD surround.

Firstly, you spelled erroneous erroneously. It's erroneous, not 'erronious'. Secondly, Neil Wilkes is a golden god and one of this forums most knowledgable posters on technical issues. How many other professional DVD-Audio authors and/or surround mixers that post on this board or any other board for that matter? Neil is a weath of information and his complete willingness to share is a true asset to this board. Thirdly, the 'live surround' discs that Neil was referring to are Bjork's DVD-Video releases, and everyone else on this thread seems to realise that except for you. You then go on to confirm what he said, that they only sport Dolby Digital tracks, either 5.1 or 2.0.

A message to Manmc: it's dissapointing that you're so offended by Bjork's generous box set (or rather the possiblity of only recieving lowly plain-old DD and DTS 5.1). While it's true that DTS HD and Dolby Digital TrueHD are superior audio formats, they are still limited to those with with HD DVD and BluRay players. If you've got the $8-900 to buy one those, fine. But I think that you should be grateful that we'll finally be able to hear some music we've been listening to for the last 13 years in 5.1! Isn't that what this site is about?

I'd hardly call a $100+ box set 'generous'. Generous is volunteering at a soup kitchen for the homeless. This is an item produced for commercial gain, and quite a clever ploy at that, making you re-buy a CD side you probably already have just so you can get the 5.1 mixes you crave. This box set is a wholesale ripoff if it doesn't include DVD-Audio streams; if Bjork wanted to be 'generous' she 'd sell the 5.1 streams as multichannel mp3 or Windows Media downloads for $5 an album, because both those codecs offer sound quality of about the same level as Dolby Digital 5.1.

Oh, also I meant to mention that the footnote about (_surrounded) at Bjork.com wan't included on this forum either. It states that the DVD-video content will be in NTSC format which may only be the videos or the 5.1 content foe DVD-video players; it's vague. As to whether that means that all copies on the box will be manufactured by WEA is also unclear. We'll know for sure in a few weeks.

This information is no help at all either. NTSC is the de facto standard for DVD-A/V hybrids - even discs such as Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells 2003 and David Gray's A New Day At Midnight, which were both authored in the UK were done in NTSC for maximum compatability. The meagre budgets these authoring jobs are done on don't allow for seperate PAL and NTSC versions; the costs involved are just too great. However this is all moot because the video standard of the discs doesn't tell us anything about the audio formats contained on the disc. We'll just have to wait until either Rhino updates their site or someone gets a review copy. I remain hopeful (not for my sake but for others, because I think Bjork is an insane shrieking pixie) because as Neil (you know, the guy that spouts 'erronious' information) said, a DVD-5 is big enough to hold all of the content specified in the press release AND a 24/48 MLP track. If not, I suspect you'll see Europe-only SACDs of these titles in a year's time or so, because these 'generous' artists always find a way to make their die-hard fans re-buy their back catalog many times over.

It's also worth noting that play.com has listings for the individual albums from this box set so don't get conned in to buying the box set by the old PR hype of "It's a limited edition! Buy it before it's gone forever!" Sure it's limited - strictly limited to an edition of as many copies as they can sell and then a few extra for good measure.

Dave.
 
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