Chicago "Heart Of Chicago" MVI - March 11

[dr. simple]

All we get now is just another Chicago greatest hits package...
and absolutely no reason to buy it...

Oh well it's back to the old quad lp's again...

I have to disagree... this has instant messenger icons. INSTANT MESSENGER ICONS, MAN! I can't tell you how long I've waited for these. "I've been searching, so long... now I know my life has meaning... whoa whoa."

 

[stormchaser]

yep, this ensures I won't be buying this or the Sabbath Dio Years MVI. Fargin Bastiches.

 

[ChristopherLees]

perhaps there is one thing that can be done....
in the description it says...
Nu-Myx® computer application – create your own remix of “Free”

perhaps you can do different mixes then sync them up for a new multichannel
version....

 

[SoonerCaniac]

!@#!^@$*!@#%!^@$!@#$^&!@#^!@$^

Yet, I'm not surprised. I was really psyched for this release; what a huge opportunity wasted. Tower.com pre-order canceled.

I hope this release tanks. Shame on everyone involved. Thanks for the warning tomwrock, you prevented me from wasting $15 on ringtones and IM icons.
Josh

 

[tomwrock]

!@#!^@$*!@#%!^@$!@#$^&!@#^!@$^

Yet, I'm not surprised. I was really psyched for this release; what a huge opportunity wasted. Tower.com pre-order canceled.

I hope this release tanks. Shame on everyone involved. Thanks for the warning tomwrock, you prevented me from wasting $15 on ringtones and IM icons.
Josh

Your welcome. I cancelled my order too.
Maybe if everyone suddenly cancelled their pre-orders it would send a message: NO SURROUND = NO SALE!!

 

[Philip Spinner]

I was all ready to order this but decided to come here first.

 

[JonUrban]

I just left this message in the MVI feedback section, which is here:

http://www.mvimusic.com/feedback?keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=472&width=547

I can't believe that you are releasing this new Chicago MVI without surround sound tracks. Chicago is a group with a rich heritage of using surround sound. Their first 10 albums (excluding the live 'IV') were released in the '70s as quad LPs and tapes, and two of those were released BY YOU as excellent DVD-Audio discs. Even though you seem to have abandoned DVD-A for some inexplicable reason, the MVI format should AT LEAST have a DTS surround track to make it an effective package. Without 5.1, this format is on a short trip to nowhere.

 

[SoonerCaniac]

I just left this message in the MVI feedback section, which is here:

http://www.mvimusic.com/feedback?keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=472&width=547

Thanks for the effort Jon. I went ahead and submitted a post, for what it is worth. I don't pretend that I have proof for some of my business-related comments, but I wanted to express my opinions (which I've learned recently is the same as lecturing folks, but I digress):

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Recently, any mention of surround sound audio in DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 for the upcoming Chicago - Heart of Chicago release was removed. I wanted to take the opportunity to comment on my extreme disappointment and frustration regarding the lack of surround-sound audio in this upcoming release.

For a time, Rhino Records supported the DVD-Audio format, a format producing superior, high-resolution stereo and surround-sound audio. It was discovered after poor mainstream acceptance (partially due to poor marketing) that this medium was not profitable in the current record industry paradigm of requiring the sale of tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of units to turn a profit. Unfortunately, companies like Rhino failed to realize that there has been and continues to be a smaller, but important market in high-resolution, surround-sound audio. That particular consumer market continues to clamor for and is willing to pay top dollar for superior mastering and high resolution-surround sound in the DVD-A and SACD formats. Record companies continue to fail to realize that this smaller market has tremendous potential and can be profitable with the right business model. Considering the continued decline of CD and the struggle of the record industry to adapt to a digital music world, the inability to capitalize on a group of consumers who would nearly do anything to purchase physical DVD-As and SACDs is truly inexplicable.

Instead, R&D is spent on abandoning a format like DVD-A, which is a wonderful and high-potential audiophile format, and investing in formats like MVI and DualDisc, both of which have largely abandoned: 1) the audiophile market by failing to include surround-sound audio and if surround sound is included, failing to provide it in a high-resolution format like Meridian Lossless Packing or Direct Stream Digital (opting instead for inferior Dolby Digital); and 2) the mainstream market, which continues to reject the record industry's attempt to "modernize" the physical formats by including trendy ringtones, instant messaging icons, computer wallpaper, et cetera.

This brings me back to the upcoming MVI release for Chicago's Heart of Chicago compilation. While the initial release did not promise high-resolution surround sound, surround sound aficionados were drawn to the promise of DTS 5.1 surround sound, which, while not superior to DVD-A, is superior to Dolby Digital. Now we learn that this information was posted in error and yet another tremendous opportunity is wasted. I, as well as many others, have promptly canceled our pre-orders for this release as it provides no significant value to justify its support. Our money is better spent supporting those record labels and artists which embrace high-resolution surround-sound audio.

I encourage the record industry to do extensive research on the audiophile market. Websites like QuadraphonicQuad.com, SA-CD.net, Stevehoffman.tv, AVSForum.com, DVD-A.info all show there exists an untapped enthusiasm for exquisitely produced, high-resolution surround sound and that people would be willing to pay a premium to expand such physical collections in their homes, especially for artists with such storied histories as Chicago. Until then, I cannot justify the expense of the MVI format when the return in terms of additional features is so critically lacking.

Most sincerely,

 

[Philip Spinner]

I also mailed them a note expressing my disapointment. Basically I noted that without 5.1 it's just another greatest hits package.

 

[Kazaam]

Well, this sucks.

If we can't even get regular DTS 5.1 (or, ugh, Dolby Digital 5.1) surround mixes on these MVI's or other new deluxe releases, such as Michael Jackson's 30th Anniversary reissue of "Thiller", then I guess I might as well stop saying, "I'd just be happy to get a quality DTS mix."

Nope, that's not gonna happen anyway. So I might as well shoot for the moon. Here's what I want. Give me a deluxe Blu-Ray boxed set of every single Chicago album ever made. Even 21! And on these Blu-Ray discs, I want to have high-resolution, lossless TrueHD soundtracks done in 5.1 surround by the same folks who did such an excellent job on the DVD-Audios of "II" and "V". Plus, I want any unreleased demo tracks, too, and whatever other bonus tracks they can give me. And on each and every Blu-Ray disc in the series, I fully expect to have any and all promotional videos ever done for the respective album. And give me interviews from the band with local TV stations over the years. Plus any documentaries. Also, go ahead and throw in both lossy MP3 stereo tracks at 320 kbps and lossless FLAC, Windows Media Lossless, and Apple Lossless stereo tracks so that I can move the stereo version to my iPod and/or home music server. Did I mention I wanted QUALITY high-resolution, 5.1 TrueHD soundtracks? Yeah, I think so. But nowhere did I mention anything about ringtones. No need for that crap. Instead, I'll just settle for a short film that answers the eternal questions of "Why are we here / what is our purpose in life / where did we come from / where did God come from" and that sort of stuff.

 

[spenceo]

I sent this comment to MVI via Jon's link.

On word at Rhino that this had a DTS 5.1 versions of the tracks, I had this title pre-ordered. Upon hearing that this Title was incorrectly described, I promptly canceled that order. I also canceled the new Black Sabbath - Dio Years MVI on fear of the same problem.

Reply

Hi Spence:

Thank you for your feedback. I've forwarded your message along to the folks at Rhino who are part of the Chicago MVI project.

Best regards,

No clarification on the Dio MVI, I got to assume it's a pipe dream.

Spence

 

[JonUrban]

I got almost the exact same reply. Well, at least they replied!

Jon:

Thank you for your feedback. I've forwarded your message along to the folks at Rhino who are working on the Chicago MVI project.

Best regards,

 

[SoonerCaniac]

Hi Spence and Jon!

I was happy to find a very unexpected response as well! It is very similar to yours, but I'll take whatever I can get! Perhaps it's silly, but I do feel like our messages were worth something; it is a very small, perhaps insignificant accomplishment getting a response and a forward to folks at Rhino, but it's something and that's cool.

I can appreciate the cynicism, but I would encourage others to send a polite message expressing your disappointment; this time around it is very likely representatives at MVImusic.com and Rhino will at least SEE your message.

Best,
Josh

Hi Joshua:

Thank you for your feedback. I've forwarded your message along to the folks at Rhino who are part of the Chicago MVI project.

Best regards,
-Tom Capodanno

 

[Philip Spinner]

I received a responce also. Well at least someone read my message.

 

[jaybird100]

Yeah, sounds like the typical "form letter" response. Do they really hold fans of music in 5.1 in such low esteem? Sure seems like it.

 

[SoonerCaniac]

Yeah, sounds like the typical "form letter" response. Do they really hold fans of music in 5.1 in such low esteem? Sure seems like it.

When I posted my message I was told not to expect a response, so it was better than nothing IMO.

Best,
Josh

 

[bugdaddy]

Yeah, sounds like the typical "form letter" response. Do they really hold fans of music in 5.1 in such low esteem? Sure seems like it.

fwiw, the response i got was similar, but it also noted that they had received several similar comments reccently (the rest of you, no doubt) - - so at least i could see it wasn't a strict form letter.

 

[SoonerCaniac]

Anyone else notice that the release date on MVImusic.com has been removed? It now just says "TBD". If you check out Amazon, they have pushed the release date back to June 17. Do they ever get these discs out on time? I found the "TBD" relatively amusing. . .without surround I'm not sure why this release should ever see the light of day and for whatever reason, it appears Rhino is starting to wonder why themselves.

 

[rusinurbe]

Maybe one letter to many asking about Hi rez Surround.
I wrote a polite letter asking why no surround and why no hi rez given that Chicago had already released to reference surround discs.

got the response that my letter along with others had been passed to the project team at Rhino.