DVD-Audio: A Booming Format? Or Is It Floundering? (1 Viewer)

[Rachael B]

Michael, I'll find out in awhile. I liked them in stereo. If this ain't as kool as fizzies, I'm gonna blame you Michael!

 

[Bill Cowmeadow]

Lee said:
"good 2 channel can sound just as enveloping a 5.1."

This was the refrain of all 'audio-philes' when digital surround became mainstream. I still have doubts that any 2-channel set-up can produce the soundstage available in the 5.1 digital domain.

And yes Rachael, this has been hashed to death, but since Lee insists on going down that path, I'll head on down too.

Tigerlilly (Natalie Merchant)is as good as DVD-A gets (IMO).

 

[Robert James Clark]

Gosh, what were the odds that Lee would use a DVDA thread to pimp for SACD again????



:rolleyes

 

[Chu Gai]

I would also add that audiophile sales for SACD remain incredibly strong.
That's like saying buggy whip sales remain incredibly strong amongst those riding horse drawn carriages in Central Park Things will get better(?) once the music industry figures out how to create a format that can't be copied by consumers and is easily hooked up. 'Course there's those enterprising 13 year olds that manage to circumvent everything!

 

[Angelo.M]

Data? And how do you identify yourself as an 'audiophile' when the cashier is swiping your Amex?

 

[Jean D]

QUOTE: I would also add that audiophile sales for SACD remain incredibly strong.

I think he means that people continue to buy the same few titles out there.

I have a question. I heard that other countries (perhaps in Asia) have titles on DVD-A and SACD that arent available in the States. is this true? if so, where on the WWW can I see/order them, or would they be from artists I would never hear of?

 

[Phil A]

Jean - if you go to the bottom of this page there are links for multi-channel discs available in Europe, Japan, etc. and what is coming soon. www.sa-cd.net has a list of all titles and some links where to get stuff. I'm sure elusivedisc.com acousticsounds.com musicselection.com various Amazon sites (like UK) and various HMV sites will have many of the discs that are overseas readily available.

 

[Lee Scoggins]

I know people at MusicDirect (owns MoFi and is a major retailer), Chesky Records, Groove Note, and Acoustic Sounds. These cater almost exclusively to an audiophile community and they all report SACD is doing well. I have read some comments from Michael Bishop that Telarc sales are doing fine.

I think that sales are doing well because there are, in fact, new releases on the order of 2-3 releases per day. Many audiophiles love jazz and classical music and there is a steady stream of quality releases there. Look at Christine Tham on Audio Asylum: in the past few weeks she has bought 117 discs alone. Audiophiles tend to buy in volume, while a small share of the market they are valued relationship customers.

 

[Angelo.M]

Don't mean to bust your chops, but anecdotes don't qualify as solid support for your assertion.

Has been a niche format, is now a niche format, and always will be a niche format... That is, if it continues to exist.

 

[Paul.S]

David VP:

I think it also merits saying, since no one else specifically has yet, that the way Amazon lists and searches (but doesn't find) hi rez discs has long been fakakta. I wouldn't want to over-invest in any significance/lack thereof WRT hi rez based upon Amazon.

For instance, if you enter "Seal IV" under the "Popular Music" search parameter on the home page, the stand-alone DVD-A is not returned as a hit.

If you click on the CD currently listed as the #1 most popular search result, the "Other Formats" link that sometimes appears under "Product Details" and which takes you to hi rez versions of that title is not there.

But if you choose "Popular Music" from the home page's search engine but don't enter anything in the search field, you are taken to a more specific search interface that allows you to enter such things as a Label name and choose a format (including "Vinyl" and "DVD Audio" . . . but not SACD; WTF?).

If you enter "Seal IV" in the "Title" field here and select "DVD Audio" under format--voila--you are taken to the stand alone DVD-A of this album (as opposed to the "Deluxe," which bundles the CD and DVD-A . . . even though the DVD-A is not conspicuously labeled as such).

And of course, Seal IV--a more recent release than many on that list of 51 titles you link to--is not on that list.

See--wasn't that easy? :rolleyes

Now, back to Rachael's the "Why DVD-A and SACD can't succeed" thread.

-p

 

[Robert A. Willis Jr.]

1. The number of new SACD releases far exceeds that of DVD-A this year. Just visit www.highfidelityreview.com you will see that lately the list of SACD releases far exceed DVD-A's. I even buy SACD's and I don't have a player (yet).

2. Amazon.com's search facilities are absolutely horrible. I have purchased DVD's, CD's, print books and ebooks from the company and I get thoroughly peeved whenever I need to do an extended search. So part of your problems looking for Seal IV stems from the poor programming and/or database design of the search facilities.

3. I was on the Circuit City site and found that they have a good listing of DVD-A's and SACD's available.

 

[Paul.S]

Precisely my point, RAW: I wasn't having trouble finding the release (I obviously know how to do so). I was using it as an example of why not to rely too heavily on Amazon.com's DVD-A listings.

BTW David VP, if you like Sting, he has DVD-As out. I also recommend Shania Twain's Up!, which is on DVD-A.

-p

 

[Jean D]

www.dvdempire.com has a seperate listing for DVD-A's but they dont do SACD's

 

[Lee Scoggins]

One of the reasons it is popular is that it is backward compatible. Also, you can still benefit sonically from new masterings.

 

[Rachael B]

The Flaming Lips were red hot! Me like-y!

 

[ElevSkyMovie]

I've been trying find the dvd-a version of "In Absetia" on Amazon since it came out. I've finally realized that (I think) they have it listed as a dts cd. Click here and tell me what you think. The album cover pictured says dvd-audio on it, so I assume it is, even though they have it listed in the cd category.

 

[John Kotches]

Kyle,

That's the disc. At top left is the DVD Audio/Video logo.

Cheers,

 

[ElevSkyMovie]

Listing it as a DTS cd makes it as clear as mud. Doing a search for dvd-audio discs yields nothing.

And we wonder why no one knows about SACD/dvd-audio.

 

[AricB]

precisely. you could check dts website, but not quite as cheap, I'm sure. I think I found the steve stevens dts at amazon the same way.

 

[Rich Malloy]

They're making enough new DVD-As to keep me happy. I'm not really sure if mainstreaming is such a good idea anyway. Here's what I'd like to see:

1. Focus on the niche and bring on the 24/192 stereo tracks! Definitely do multichannel whenever possible, but don't forget all those yummy stereo tapes just sitting in the vault, collecting dust and hoping for a hi-res release...

2. Bring on the catalogs! When they were remastering the Paul Simon catalog, did anyone say "hey, dontcha think this stuff would sound great in hi-res?!?" Duh...

3. Let the DVD-V only crowd have their DADs! Hi-res music playable without an MLP-capable DVD-A player!

I know I know... mainstream wants multichannel. Or do they? Do they really know or care? Many seem quite happy with toslink-in to their budget Pioneer receivers, 2-channel DSP-d to surround and punched-up with nasty EQ-boosts conveniently available at the touch of a button. And I keep reading how some seem to prefer DTS tracks ("more aggressive" is a common remark). I suspect these tracks simply sound better in the avg home theater 'cause it's so hard to bass-manage/time-align/level-calibrate a hi-res signal properly and thus their existing "calibrated" home theater system sounds better than what they hear from DVD-A. It's not easy selling someone the latest/greatest when the old format might sound better on their existing equipment (the real point being it's too damn hard for the avg consumer to properly calibrate an analog-based, hi-res, multichannel system: most folks can't even get two channel right).