Dire Straits Alchemy - Blu-Ray coming in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio!

[rhathawy]

z

 

[byrdman7]

CDUniverse has it listed for $19.99 plus shipping with a release date of 5/25/10.

 

[kap'n krunch]

I'm so happy for you guys!
It's a pity that I do not like Dire Straits...maybe I'll give it a chance once more......

 

[Chris Gerhard]

OPPS, Amazon UK is Region 3, so to Amazon US I go. Great buy from the UK if you own a Region-Free player.

Blu-ray releases are either all-region, Region A, B, or C. Other than Fox releases which are always coded for a single region, a big majority are all-region but I don't know anything about this particular release or the company releasing it or if different companies have rights depending on the country, but my guess is that it will be all-region. It is usually easy to find that information before ordering, I can always find out before I order but in this case the official U.S. release will likely be priced lower so I haven't bothered. I have an all-region player but only one non-Region A disc.

Chris

 

[byrdman7]

Blu-ray releases are either all-region, Region A, B, or C. Other than Fox releases which are always coded for a single region, a big majority are all-region but I don't know anything about this particular release or the company releasing it or if different companies have rights depending on the country, but my guess is that it will be all-region. It is usually easy to find that information before ordering, I can always find out before I order but in this case the official U.S. release will likely be priced lower so I haven't bothered. I have an all-region player but only one non-Region A disc.

Chris

I wrote what was written on the Amazon UK website. This is the most confusing release of any kind that I have ever seen. The information and release date are the same with CDUniverse and Amazon US with CDUniverse having the best price of 19.99 plus shipping. I will give it a shot and see what happens.

 

[Baker]

Finally got it. The picture is exactly how I expected it to be : awfully flat. The sound is an improvement over the CD and vinyl ; the music is not really surround (just the synth pads and hammond organ are coming from the rears) but the audience is very clear. Those who already thought that the drums and the overall sound were too "big" for Dire Straits, you'll be very disappointed : an audience THAT big enhances the "commercial" feeling.

 

[byrdman7]

Finally got it. The picture is exactly how I expected it to be : awfully flat. The sound is an improvement over the CD and vinyl ; the music is not really surround (just the synth pads and hammond organ are coming from the rears) but the audience is very clear. Those who already thought that the drums and the overall sound were too "big" for Dire Straits, you'll be very disappointed : an audience THAT big enhances the "commercial" feeling.

Thank you for the update. I was hoping for a "big" improvement on the sound and the semi-surround is also bad news. I will have to rethink my pre-order and perhaps get it later at a reduced price. What a shame :>(

 

[The Rang]

I am hoping for a good audio mix too. I watch the video of concerts on a discs first play. I can not think of a concert DVD in any format that I have watched over (2) times and I own more than a few, but I have had countless listening sessions. I have my hopes up for this one.

I agree on this point, I rarely watch the video so the audio becomes of prime importance to me.

Am not surprised it's coming via Universal.
Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler have been with Universal (or their predecessors Polygram) right from the start everywhere in the World except the US.
All of my Canadian Dire Straits releases on vinyl and CD are on the Vertigo label.

So if WB isn't interested it makes sense to let UM releases it in the US.

The one time I saw DS in concert I dozed off :slap:
So I'd like another chance to catch them "live".

 

[byrdman7]

This is a title I wish I had passed on.

 

[JonUrban]

This is a title I wish I had passed on.

That doesn't sound too good. Oh well........

 

[stormchaser]

Eh, I like it. Surround is not aggressive at all, and the film is grainy. However, I'm a huge Dire Straits fan and the sound quality on the Blu-Ray is improved enough for me to be quite pleased with my purchase.

 

[byrdman7]

Eh, I like it. Surround is not aggressive at all, and the film is grainy. However, I'm a huge Dire Straits fan and the sound quality on the Blu-Ray is improved enough for me to be quite pleased with my purchase.

I am not trying to offend anyone and I am a big Dire Straits fan too, but this project is a failure IMHO. I already knew that the video would be poor from owning it on VHS. There is not much you can do to improve the original video, but I had hopes for the audio. The vocals are drowned out with no presence and the surround mix comes up short. I listened to it again and I still wish I had passed on it.

 

[dobyblue]

Well not to go against the fold, but I absolutely love this disc, the sound of both the 2.0 and 5.1 tracks are amazing. To tell the truth I was a little surprised to find any sounds eminating from the surrounds, but I have no issues with the balance of the vocals in the mix and find this to be easily trumping my favourite version of Alchemy to date which is the original German vinyl pressing.

Romeo, Sultans, Private, Telegraph - I have never heard them sound this clear. The dynamics are really, really nice and I have my receiver turned up about 10~12dB more than I would for an average awful CD in 2010.

I ordered mine from the UK, one each for two buddies...worked out to US$20/ea to ship 3 from Amazon.UK to USA. I don't regret this for a second.

I knew the video would be not worth mentioning, filmed on video after all and limited to PAL resolutions...but I find the new 5.1 dts-ma mix to be a revelation, I've never heard this version of Sultans sound so incredible.

 

[Plan9]

@rtbluray
I noticed there isn't a poll for this title

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I bought this and am very disappointed in the picture / sound quality and mix. If there was a Poll, I’d give it a 4 (mainly because I love Dire Straits music.)

I’ve always thought the “On The Night” DVD-V (believe my copy is Canadian NTSC ver.) has good picture and sound, sadly only stereo.
https://www.discogs.com/Dire-Straits-On-The-Night/release/1168522

 

[scooob]

Surprised by all the negativity on this disc. I just got it for my birthday, listening/watching now for the first time. I like it. I suppose like most things, it could have been better. But as I sit watching and listening, I feel like I'm at the show... perhaps watching it on a grainy video screen at the side of the stage, but present nonetheless. The surround is not especially discrete, and the crowd noise is prominent, but again this contributes to the immersed feeling that I'm there watching it live. Which would mean that I'm 22 years old again, which is a bonus!

Love Over Gold might be my favorite DS album, if pressed to choose just one, so I'm very happy to have this tour documented. They were just on the brink of superstardom, prior to Brothers In Arms blowing them up so big that Knopfler didn't want to continue, and you can see that the band is energized, still enjoying themselves, before it became a slog. I'm enjoying with them. And Mel Collins, of Crimson fame, just came on stage! Very glad to have this disc.

 

[sjcorne]

Poll now available:
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/threads/dire-straits-alchemy-blu-ray.32723/