Can I play DVD-A (1 Viewer)

[DarrylWHarrisJr]

Thinking about buying some DTS discs and DVD-a discs. I don't have a DVD audio player, just your standard Toshiba dvd video player. I do have a surround sound systems and receiver with a DD and DTS decoder in it. I just want the higher resolution of DTS...will this play in my current setup?

 

[Anthony Stephan]

You will be able to play dts discs but not DVD-A.

 

[Charles J P]

Actually you will be able to play most DVD-A disks, you just wont be able to play the DVD-A track. Most of the disks out so far have a standard resolution DVD-Video Dolby Digital or DTS audio track like what might be recorded on a concert DVD. This should sound better than CD but not as good as the high resolution DVD-A track. I have heard that some people are buying the disks they really want, even though they cant play the DVD-A track yet.

 

[John Geelan]

The DVDA discs can play in any DVDVideo player but you will only be able to access the Dolby Digital track, not the Advanced Resolution tracks.

The DD tracks do sound very good on an HT set-up by the way. Try one and see for yourself!

JohnG

 

[Anthony Stephan]

Doh!

Yes of course I was refering to the multi-channel portion of the disc.

sorry. :b

 

[RicP]

The DD tracks do sound very good on an HT set-up by the way. Try one and see for yourself!

If by good, you mean in comparison to the wailing of dying llamas, then I agree with you. If you mean good as in listenable for long periods of time then I will have to disagree respectfully.
The "alternate" mixes on DVD-Audio discs are quite honestly "throw-ins". The discs were meant to be played as DVD-A, either in stereo or Multi-Channel, but always the MLP track. This is evidenced by the complete lack of ability to play the "alternate" mix on a true DVD-Audio player. Only on a few select players that can be set to DVD-V mode, can you even access the "alternate" versions.
That to me says that even the designers of these discs intended them to be heard on DVD-A machines only, and merely threw in the DVD-V tracks so that people who bought the disc but didn't have a DVD-A player would at least be able to hear something.
Buying a DVD-A disc just to listen to the massively inferior DVD-V tracks just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me if you are honestly interested in the music and not just the "wow" factor of having a multi-channel mix of an album.

 

[Chris Madalena]

Page didn't load all the way when I posted.

 

[Brian O]

I dont have DVD-A yet, but I picked up the first Foreigner release on DVD-A and it sounded outstanding in DD 5.1. Best I have ever heard it.

Cant wait to hear it in DVD-A!

 

[Kevin Fox]

I picked up the Fleetwood Mac Rumours DVD-A a few months ago and was very disappointed.

The claims that DVD-A's with alternate tracks will play on DVD-V players is apparently untrue since I cannot get the disc to even load on my Toshiba SD-3109.

And its definitely not a problem with the disc since I gave it to a friend of mine and he was able to successfully play it on both his Toshiba SD-5109 (DVD-V) and Pannasonic RP-91 (DVD-A). I also tried his copy of the same disc on my player with the same result.

Consequently, I believe the studios should warn consumers that DVD-A discs will not play on all DVD-V players. I would guess that older models will have trouble.

Has anyone else had this experience? If there's a fix, I would appreciate it.

 

[John Kotches]

Kevin,
The flaw has to be in the 3109 then. Since the DVD-Video portion of a DVD-Audio disc is literally identical to the (likely) 100s of other discs you've played successfully in the past.
DVD-Video resides in VIDEO_TS on DVD-A and DVD-V discs. So the failre of the 3109 is the real culprit. I covered this in pretty substantial detail in the Link Removed at Secrets.
Feel free to post back and discuss this further after reading the article.
Regards,

 

[KeithH]

John Geelan, I have to agree with Ric regarding the sound quality of Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks on DVD-Audio discs. While I don't feel that Dolby Digital works well for music in general, I have heard better uses of the compression scheme than what appears on DVD-Audio discs. An example is the James Taylor Live at the Beacon Theater Dolby Digital 5.1 DVD. This DVD sounds far better than any Dolby Digital track on a DVD-Audio disc I have heard. As Ric said, the Dolby Digital tracks on DVD-Audio discs are throw-ins.

I have read comments from many people on this site claiming the excellent sound quality of Dolby Digital tracks on DVD-Audio discs. However, these same people always seem to come back astounded by the sound quality of DVD-Audio (high-resolution PCM) when they get around to purchasing a player or hearing the format at a store. My feeling about people's excitement over the quality of these Dolby Digital tracks is that they are often times excited about hearing their favorite music for the first time in surround sound. It's more the surround-sound experience that is exciting than it is sound quality of Dolby Digital on DVD-Audio software. It's hard to make a meaningful comparison between the sound quality of a CD (stereo) and a surround-sound Dolby Digital track, especially when the listener is new to and excited by the surround-sound experience. Just my $0.02.

In my opinion DTS tracks on DVD-Audio software are passable and Dolby Digital is not worth having. I would gladly listen to CDs over these Dolby Digital tracks. For surround-sound music, Advanced Resolution DVD-Audio and SACD are where it's at. That's just me.

 

[Richard Travale]

A little off topic but if you have seen Orgazmo, the title of this thread is hilarious
Sorry

 

[Charles J P]

Yeah, my Orgazmo loving, non-techie former college roommate used to chuckle as I told him about this new format they were coming out with called DVD-A.

 

[Kevin Fox]

John K,

Thanks for the link and your help. Unfortunately, in skimming your (very thorough) article I didn't really see anything that specifically referred to my problem other than to mention that DVD-A's have the VIDEO_TS directory specifically so DVD-V players can play at least a portion of the disc.

However, your article does lead me to clarify my original message. I believe in my original post I already concluded that the problem was with the player. Now I'm curious as to whether it's my player or all SD-3109's that have this problem. That's one of the reasons why I asked if others had the same experience. I'm hoping someone with an SD-3109 will reply, or perhaps someone else is having this problem with another brand or different Toshiba player.

Thank you, but it appears I now must wait patiently for some feedback from other members.

 

[John Geelan]

I had the same problem with my old Toshiba 2109. "Rumors" wouldn't load at all. Yet my other DVD-A's played on the 2109 with no problem.
Then I purchased a RP91 and that same disc played fine.
Ric and Keith, your right in that the Advanced Resolution tracks do sound far superior to the DD tracks on a DVD-A player.
But for someone curious about how a DVD-A works and how multi-sound performs, picking up a disc now will whet the appetite to upgrading to a DVDA player.
And the DVDA players are pretty reasonable now.
JohnG

 

[Emmett Maguire]

Kevin I have the Toshiba 3109 and have the Doors L.A. Woman, Deep Purple Machine Head as well as the Steely Dan Two Against Nature DVD-A's. These play well im my Toshiba. I haven't tried the Fleetwood Mac DVD yet but it is on my list to purchase. Hopefully you will get a response from another owner of the same machine. Hope this helps to some extent.

Prior to posting this, I read through some of the other posts and noticed that someone else had a similar problem with this specific title. It may be specific to this player and I'm afraid that I will be holding off purchasing it until I hear a positive response from someone else. I have had only one problem since I purchased this player going on three years ago. That was the Holy Grail subtitle problem. Sorry if I couldn't help.

Regards

Emmett

 

[Chris Brunner]

While everyone is here...

I just purchased a DVD-A player, but haven't yet purchased a receiver with 6 channel inputs. Will I be able to appreciate the STEREO DVD-A versions to their fullest? Do I need to tell the player (Toshiba SD-4700) to use the PCM channels?

Thanks!!!

Chris

 

[Philip Hamm]

The player will play the PCM no problem. If your receiver has an analog pass-through for a stereo input you will get all there is from stereo DVD-A, and it sounds very good.

I will defer to Ric's opinion regarding the DD tracks on DVD-V compatible DVD-A discs. The one that I've heard (Firesign Theater: Boom Dot Bust) sounds OK, but I haven't listened critically. However, when there is a DTS track, that track is easily as enjoyable as a DTS CD and definitely acceptible. Unfortunately very few DVD-A discs that I've seen have a DTS track. The one on the "Steely Dan: Two Against Nature" disc sounded fine to me before I got my DVD-A machine.

 

[Chris Brunner]

f your receiver has an analog pass-through for a stereo input...

Thanks Philip, but that's the first time I've heard that term. I suspect that's something more than a typical "DVD L/R IN" connection???

C

 

[Emmett Maguire]

I purchased Fleetwood Mac's Rumors DVD-A yesterday. After looking forward to hearing it all evening I put it in my 3109 Toshiba in the early hours and set down to relax and enjoy. It wouldn't even load so it's going back to the store. When I upgrade my TV I am going to get a new DVD player with progressive scan and DVD-A capabilities. It will probably be cheaper to buy DVD-A's by then.

Regards

Emmett

I would like to add that I have a number of DVD-A's which I thoroughly enjoy with DD5.1 and DTS 5.1 tracks on them. This is an exception like the subtitle problem on Spygames and this player (Toshiba 3109) otherwise excellent machine.

I just reviewed this thread, I came across is while doing a search this am, and realize that I had previously posted that I was going to hold off on this title. My patience ran out after recently reading the reviews. I'll just have to wait a while longer.