Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler Music/concert DVDs vs. CDs?

Since my new Axioms are driving an incredible elevation in my interest in music, I have been haunting CD stores and various web resources researching CDs. While I knew there were music videos out there, I was amazed at the number of music DVDs that I have come across. I borrowed Santana - Supernatural from a friend and it was interesting.

I'm wondering if these music DVDs offer anything better than CDs. Obviously there is the visual addition. Am I correct in assuming that the audio comes in richer options than CDs? What are the plusses and minuses of DVDs vs. CDs?

Ray, I have 2 concert DVD's that are phenomenal. AC/DC - Live at Donington, and Fleetwood Mac - The Dance.

Of course, AC/DC is a non-stop fireball of energy, assaulting you for a solid 2 hours. It was filmed in 35mm Panavision, with 26 cameras AND a helicopter. 18 songs in stereo, or 5.1 surround. Looks and sounds fantastic.

The Fleetwood Mac disc is even BETTER. It was recorded in 1997, and I believe it was their first public appearance since their break up in the 80's. They have never sounded better. I have watched this DVD over 150 times and I am still amazed at their flawless performance. Rumours was released in what, 1977? 20 years later and they can still pull it off. And I can't even begin to describe the quality of the recording. You literally feel like you are in the front row. Then, to top it off, the USC marching band comes out for 2 songs! 22 songs in stereo, or 5.1 surround.

I've only purchased 1 music DVD, Neil Diamond and while it is good, I was not overly impressed with the audio. The Fleetwood Mac does "sound" very interesting though....

Thanks Shawn, that's what I was trying to get at (I didn't articulate my question very well). It seems to me that aside from the added attraction of being able to see the performers, the DVDs offer a significant opportunity to hear the music in stereo AND 5.1 at least. There are likely more audio options available as well. Sure would like to see some additional input on this.

Hey Ray,

Haven't bought any music DVDs yet, though the Fleetwood Mac sounds attractive, but I bought my first two dtsCDs. Diana Krall - Love Scenes, and The Eagles - Hell Freezes Over. In hindsight I shoulda just bought the Hell Freezes Over DVD, so I could both watch AND listen. Haven't listened to the CDs yet, but I'll be interested to see how the 5.1 mix sounds. Too sick. I'll let ya know what I think when I listen to them.

Where have you been finding the DVDs? Can you steer me to a web site that has a good selection?

Norah Jones live in New Orleans is an amazing DVD, great picture (not that there's a lot going on) and even better sound. Fantastic for any Norah fan and they now sell a version that includes the DVD and her first CD. Picked up mine for $16.99 Canadian. Great deal!!!

In theory the DD or DTS 5.1 audio on DVD video can be better than CD. In actuality it varies depending on many things -- acoustics during recording (esp relevant if a live concert), quality of masters, quality of mix, etc.

I have Eagles - Hell Freezes Over DVD. Audio and performances are very good, plus you have the video. However the audio on the DVD-A Hotel California is much better.

If you want the ultimate audio, there's nothing better than the best multichannel DVD-A and SACDs. Unfortunately there are just a few truly great ones. Hopefully more will be released in time.

A particularly good DVD video is The Who - The Kids Are All Right. The DD 5.1 soundtrack varies in quality, because some of the performances (hence recording equipment) are old. But overall it's a superb example of high quality video (it's widescreen), high quality audio, and superb performances. Some of the performances are the best I've seen by any band, ever.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I am 2 channel (with sub) only. I can't comment on how those DVD's sound in 5.1.

When I was at Joe's (from Axiom) last year, he played a few tracks from this dts cd: http://www.dtsentertainment.com/sellsheet-md.php?upc=710215102122
Very impressive. Although, it could have been the system.....

If you like Tom Petty, (and who in their right mind doesn't? ) I recommend his Live at the Fillmore DVD.

Also, the recently released Led Zeppelin DVD set is great.

Give the well-regarded Eagles "When Hell Freezes Over" DVD a try... It's amazing. DTS or DD both sound incredible; it's as if they're doing the show in your room. On the DTS version, there's a bonus track (Seven Bridges Road) that is worth hearing. Enjoy.

lando

josh groban live on cd is a hit in our house; too bad it's not 5.1.
dan

I have some concert DVDs and noticed the sound is never really that good. On the ones I have anyway. Metallica: Cunning Stunts would be the exception. Also I noticed the sound is mastered 100% better on the DVD that came with Metallica's St. Anger CD than the CD itself. I'm really waiting for Pink Floyd: Delicate Sound of Thunder to be released. I'm sure the sound on that would be incredible.

Anyone watched Yanni: Live at the Acropolis?? I'm curious how the sound is on that.

Good stuff. I think I'll stick my toe in this pool and pick up a few music DVDs. The Eagles and Norah Jones are probable starting points.

Shawn, that's an interesting website for DTS CDs. Might be worthwhile to explore as well.

Jack - I hope you are beginning to feel better. I really don't have a website or other resource to point you to on these things. I just wandered past a small selection in music store when I was trolling for CDs earlier this week. I thought about it a bit and this thread is the result. I remember seeing a really extensive thread on some forum last year where the denizens were in some kind of a feeding frenzy in explaining how to work Columbia House over and use their tactices to get 3,000 Cds for 16 cents each, or some such nonsense. I may try and track that down and see if the music DVDs can be gotten that way.

I was just sitting here thinking that the money I saved buying the Axioms will begin to evaporate as I spend it on things to listen to so I can enjoy the great audio from the speakers I saved money on. I will likely get dizzy going in this circle.

I'm still waiting for Prince's "Sign O' the Times" to come out on DVD.

Thanks Ray. Feeling a bit better today. No fever, but still a NASTY cold.

BTW. If you become interested in the DTS CDs (still haven't listened to mine yet, I'll let you know what I think when I get to them), be sure to check around. I got mine at Amazon for $3 cheaper per CD than on the DTS web site. Free shipping too if you go over $25 (I think).

Just curious about the DtsCD. Will my Elite DV-35 (older version that doesn't play DVD-A or SACD) play these in their Dts format? I know that it will play the Dts on DVD's, but does anyone know if this will work?
Thanks,
KOSMOS

Kosmos,

I used to play DTS CDs in my CD changer when I had it connected to my receiver with an optical digital cable. The CD player just read the digital data and sent it to my receiver for decoding. If your CD player is connected via analog cables, then you'll have to use your DVD player to play the DTS CDs.

Best thing I can suggest is to take a look at the manual for the thing (like anybody keeps those).

The other option, and MY personal favorite, is to go out and buy the latest receiver available. This should not, of course, be construed as an "upgrade", but rather an opportunity to possibly enhance the features and capabilities a reciever may offer beyond that which you currently have.

if i could suggest one musical DVD for an audiophile's collection, it would be the 3 disc set of THE COMPLETE MONTEREY POP FESTIVAL. this is a criterion collection series DVD that has over 4 1/2 hours of remastered footage from the 1967 monterey pops festival. all redone in 5.1 dolby digital and DTS. the collection also offers hours of additional commentary from the original film producer, and various performing artists. there are toooo many extras on this collection to even try and mention.. the set includes the ENTIRE set list from Jimi Hendrix(this is the famous show where he poured lighter fluid on the guiter and set it off). other artists in the collection include janis joplin, the who, otis redding, simon & garfunkel, mamas and the papas, jefferson airplane, buffalo springfield, canned heat, and many more. in my opinion, this is a must have for anyone, and especially someone who is a fan of the music from that generation.

here is a link for more info
http://www.genreonline.net/Monterey_DVD.html

enjoy, and its never too loud..

Ray

I second a lot of the discs suggested here - Hell Freezes Over, The Dance, AC/DC - all great discs and the sound is incredible. I would also suggest Eric Clapton - Live in Hyde Park. For a bit of a different format, try FleetWood Mac - Rumors on DVD-A. This is third time that I bought this album - everytime a new release comes out it just keeps sounding better (my transition was Tape -> CD -> DVD-A).

Thanks for the additional suggestion Sean. I have had DVD-A in the back of my mind since replenishing my whole audio arrangement (Axioms, SVS, Denon 3803). I haven't spent alot of time researching the subject beyond 1) I need 5 more interconnects, 2) they supposedly sound really good and 3) they are still a bit hard to find and generally pretty expensive. If I tackle a DVD-A, the first one will likely be Norah Jones' "Come Away With Me.

Thanks for the info! I'll just use the DVD player to listen via optical. My receiver may be a bit old, but I think it can handle it.
Thanks again!
KOSMOS

I have quite a few DVD-As and multichannel SACDs. There's a huge variation in mix quality. Some sound flat with relatively little surround. Sometimes this is an intentional artistic decision by the mixing engineer and artist. E.g. Neil Young - Harvest (DVD-A) has relatively little surround. On other albums the surround can be gimicky and artificial sounding.

Some music styles just don't lend themselves to lots of surround. For example Norah Jones is great music, but the arrangements are relatively simple. The limited surround usage on Come Away with Me is probably appropriate for that music style.

Other music styles benefit more from increased surround, if properly done. The most impressive surround is judiciously done such that it contributes to the overall presentation, without being distracting or artificial. When it's done well, and for material where it's appropriate, it's an entirely different experience from stereo, and I'd submit it's much better.

The most impressive surround albums I've heard are: Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon (SACD), Elton John -- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (SACD), David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust (SACD), Roxy Music - Avalon (SACD), Eagles - Hotel California (DVD-A), and Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (DVD-A). In terms of the audio experience, they are vastly superior to the stereo counterparts. It's like the difference between black and white vs color.

You can play multichannel DVD-As on most any DVD player, if your receiver has Dolby Digital 5.1 decoding.

Thanks for the tip on the Fleetwood Mac - The Dance DVD. I bought it this weekend. What an enjoyable disc!

I haven't spent much time shopping for CDs over the last few years and I ended up thinking about this particular thread on Sunday. I stopped into a Borders book store for the first time and noticed they had signs for CDs in the back of the store, so I wandered back there.

Wow, big selection, but the neat part is that they had earphones set up on over 1/2 of the 5 foot sections and there was a choice of 5 CDs to listen to. On the ends of the rows, they had 10 CDs to listen to. By count, they had 35 sets of earphones in all. I was in there for 2 hours. I didn't buy anything (spent all of my money on an exceptional set of speakers recently), but I'll be going back to pick some out.

On a separate note, I followed another thread where Ben Harper and Jack Johnson were mentioned with quite a following. I ended up getting 2 Jack Johnson CDs yesterday and listened to them last night. Good stuff.

Borders is great for listening before buying. (They've had the headphones for years, now.)

I would also highly recommend Hear Music. I don't think they're as widespread as Borders, but their music selection is great. They have listening kiosks, and if you find a CD that you want to hear that's not in a kiosk, they'll open it for you and you can listen to it at the front counter.

I'm glad we could help relay his music to others. Just don't go telling everybody about him, cause if you do, he just might retire...

Well. I took a llok at the county library selection and found 6700 titles. As we speak, my wife is watching a Faith Hill concert that has her enthralled. I also picked up a Chicago concert (A&E Live By Request), Diana Krall Live in Paris and Riverdance Live From New York City.

The library also has Hell Freezes Over, Monterrey Pops and Norah Jones in New Orleans among many others. I'll swing by tomorrow and put a hold on them.

I also picked up "The Others" to try out the audio based on multiple recommendations.

Last night was kind of interesting. I was doing one of those "Let me try THIS CD now that I have my Axioms" things. I played Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion doing "The Prayer". Good God!!!! Not only were the voices incredible, but there is a level of bass that must be heard/experienced to be appreciated and it continues throughout the song.

The I popped in Season 6, disk 2 of Stargate SG-1 and watched the episode titled "Nightwalkers". At one point, the army guys are called in in their duece & 1/2s. My wife wandered in just as one of the trucks appeared on the left surround . She turned back to the speaker and spun slowly around as the truck made it's way completely around the room and stopped at the rear surround. She just grinned.

Celine Dion? And you call yourself a man? 3 DEMERITS!

The best DVD of music I have is the DTS version of the Nine Inch Nails live DVD. For a live show, it's incredible. Really feels like you're there.

Well, I DO feel pretty when I listen to Celine. But right afterwards I listen to my sound effects CD - "Chain Saws Around the World".

Gotta agree with you there Ravi. The DTS NIN rocks. And guess what....new album is coming out this year!

Can't wait. I've gotta see them on tour this time around.

I think I'll have to grab that disc.
Zarak WHEN is the new album scheduled for release? I can't seem to find info on the web.

There's no date yet. I believe both the MTV site and Rolling stone have something about it. Later this year is as specific as they get. Summer I believe.

Has anybody seen either of the live Peter Gabriel dvd's? I'm interested, but wouldn't want to waste my money if they aren't really good.

I can only speak for Growing Up Live, as I don't have Secret World. I read a bunch of reviews on both before I bought, and my head was starting to spin. From what I could glean, Growing Up has better audio/video quality than Secret World.

Since people are so anal about this stuff, I think some were critical of Growing Up also, but I could care less about nit-picking. The picture looks fine to me, the DTS sound is great, and it's a good set list. Good enough reason for me to pick it up for $20 as I won't be paying to see him live necessarily. I think possibly Secret World might have been the better tour from what I read, but that didn't necessarily translate into production quality.

Just a little alert. It looks like DirecTV will have a Free View concert of Ben Harper and the Innnocent Criminals on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I show it as being broadcast on PPV channel 103.

for the wayback machine, I heard that HDNet did a showing (in HD and Dolby Digital) of Motley Crue the other day and that it was actually decent. Unfortunately, I missed it so I can't comment from direct experience. Doesn't seem like there's a replay.

They had it last weekend, too. I tivo'd it. Was good.

I recently viewed the Jazz Channel / BET BB King concert DVD. It is fairly recent (the old, sitting-down BB); he and the band are in fine form. The video and surround production quality was absolutely astounding. Highly recommended.

Was that in 5.1 DTS or 2 channel,Tom?

Honestly, Mark, I can't remember if it was in Dolby Digital or DTS, but it was definitely a "reference" quality digital surround experience, IMO. Very immersive and very realistic.

I gotta be honest, I am having trouble hearing alot of difference between DD 5.1 and DTS. I haven't listened to a bunch of DTS yet, but it's not grabbing me. I even put on my special tin foil hat. Hmmm, may have something to do with my rather impressive collection of ear hair.