Are there any good sources for buying DVD-Audio CDs?

Amazon seems to only have a very few. Has / will this format ever 'take off'?

There are about 60 DVD-Audios reviewed at the site below, but that's still a very small selection.

Do SACDs work on the RDX player any better than normal CD's?

Will music DVD's play well in the RDX?


Thanks,
http://www.highfidelityreview.com/re...x.asp?offset=0

http://www.highfidelityreview.com/re...x.asp?offset=0

 

Well I overlooked the following link at my previous post.

http://store.acousticsounds.com/cate...tion=dvd&id=23

This has about 400 titles:
DVD-Audio
Dual Disc
DVD Audio/Video

A little better selection - but not overwhelming.

Does anyone want to provide info for the research-challenged on these formats?

 

i would think it should take off, but the selection has remained pretty limited for awhile. They dont' cost that much more, and the extra cost I think is worth it only depending on the music (some stuff probably doesn't sound any different in DVD-A). I just think that it's not a "step up" enough from CDs for people to really start buying them...and if only a limited amount of people are buying them, then it'll take longer to catch on, if at all. I think a lot of people still don't have the capabilities at home or in the car yet to play DVD-A's, and many of those that have 5.1 stereos at home usually use them for movies and not music (like me). So unless DVD-A starts to be installed in all makes/models like sat-radio, it'll be awhile.

i usually like soundtracks, but can find very few DVD-a soundtracks...i had to get the fellowship of the rings 3-box set+DVDa for that one...the DVD-a contained the entire soundtrack in the 3 discs but in DVD-A format.

 

Cars seem like the ideal environment for DVD-A, if I'm listening to music at home I'm probably not sitting in place..and if I'm moving around I'm not in the sweet spot or even inside the speaker 'perimeter' I bought a DVD player capable of DVD-A and I've used it..like..twice. :/

 

Another source for DVD Audio:

http://www.cduniverse.com/browsecat....2=221&mode=top

 

I've posted here a couple of times. I have a 2004 six-speed TL and also the owner of a small audio label that specializes in DVD-Audio titles. In fact, the new RL will include a "Gift of Music" disc that contains demos and 7 tracks from my catalog. I was the person the let everyone know about the ability of the TL to access addtional groups...

Anyway, the AIX Records website is a good source of DVD-Audio discs [obviously from our catalog only] that will demonstrate the ultimate potential of high-resolution surround discs. AIX doesn't make CDs, only 5.1 surround music that is recorded in a large room in one single session...no heavy post processing.

There are lots of audio examples on our site and a killer sampler disc that is can be yours with an order. If anyone wants suggestions for music, drop me a line. AIX Records is a very small label but we believe in creating uncompromised products. One of our titles took "Best 5.1, High-Resolution Demonstration Disc" in last year's CEA "Demmy" awards. These are definitely worth checking out if you want to hear what you system is really capable of doing.

 

Personally I perfer SACD over DVD-A. Because you can play SACD on most CD players.

But the selection of both formats are very limited...

 

You're right that the quantity and quality of high-resolution, surround music is limited...that's why AIX Records is producing new releases. The fact that many SACDs have a CD layer is an understandable advantage in convenience but does nothing to improve your listening experience. DVD-Audio/Video, especially the two-sided variety that AIX Records promotes, ensures great quality audio AND a complete multimedia experience in all DVD-Video players...if given the choice I think a great number of audio fans will gravitate to the multimedia aspects of DVDs.

Our discs have the DVD-Audio on one side and 3 hours plus, of video, interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, photos, out-takes, guitar lessions etc on the DVD-Video side. If you haven't yet had a chance to experience an AIX Records release you should check out the sampler.

 

For surround sound the Acura looks like it will do dts cd's as well as dvd-audio. I have quit a few of both and can only imagine how they'd sound in a car. I'd recommend any dvd-audio which Elliot Scheiner has mixed (he's the co-developer of the surround system for the acura). AIX records also puts out some great music. AIX gives you a lot for what you pay for, the sampler which comes free with your order is awesome. Laurence Juber from the AIX catalog and maybe The Flaming Lips Yoshimi would be the two discs which I'd throw at the Acura to see what it could do in the audio dept. The Juber disc for all the extras plus the great guitar work and The Flaming Lips for the extreme surround mix using all the speakers.

 

Here's another source:
http://www.amusicdirect.com/products...sp?category=70

 

Anyone know a good site where I can listen to samples of some of these songs on the various DVD-As. I know I won't get the surround sound affect on my PC, but I'm not familiar with a lot of the song titles. I'm sure I will recognize many of them once I hear them though.

 

When you play an SACD in a regular CD player, it is the same as playing a regular CD. That is not an advantage.

 

It is if you want one disc to be able to play in a hi-res 5.1 player and also in a 44.1 player when that's what's available (other car, home system, etc.). Otherwise, you need the same album on DVD-A and CD. I find this a limitation with my home DVD-A collection -- can't play any of them in my TSX. For this reason I've always felt SACD is the superior format, although I'm not able to properly debate the 1-bit vs. 24/96 deal. They both sound incredible to me, but the SACD is more versatile.

I don't understand why there aren't more aftermarket DVD-A or SACD head units.

 

What he said.

 

Dual-disc would have been the solution to that problem. However, it seems the the music industry didn't really get behind dualdisc, SACD, or DVD-A. Conversely, the consumers don't seem to want high-quality audio. A shame, really.

 

Yes, but the CD+DVD-A DualPack is really the BEST way to buy music. You get a CD for your "other" car, walkman, ripping to MP3, etc, and a HiRez DVD-A for your Acura and home surround system. Hopefully, this will become the standard, then everyone will be happy.

The advantage to DVD-A over SACD for surround is tremendous. Not so much for the audio quality, but for the number of "homes" that can play the discs back in surround. Without an SACD player wired with 6 cables to a receiver, you cannot hear 5.1 SACD*, however, anyone with a video surround system can play DVD-A discs in surround by playing the Dolby Digital and/or DTS tracks.

Some of the recent releases in the "Dual Pack" with a CD and a DVD-A in the same package include:

Flaming Lips - Yoshi, At War with the Mystics, Soft Bulletin
Donald Fagen (from Steely Dan) - Morph the Cat
The Beatles - Love
David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name
Jackson Browne - Running on Empty
Seal - First, Second, Fourth and Hits
Mark Knopfler - Sailing to Philadelphia
Mark Knopfler - Shangra La
Beck - Guero
R.E.M. - Hits, Around the Sun, Up!, Green, Monster,Reveal, Automatic for the People, New Adventures in Hi-Fi
Barenaked Ladies - Everything to Everyone


* - Very few high end systems from Denon, Pioneer, etc. can play surround SACDs and DVD-A's via an RJ45 iLink connector.

 

Hey all - I am very disappointed that several of my newly purchased Depeche Mode remastered DVDs will not play in the RDX. The DVDs are in 5.1, but apparently not the correct format for the RDX player, which baffles me a bit considering this description of the format of these discs:

"Digitally remastered double disc edition of the Depeche Mode classic album that includes a hybrid SACD of the original studio album coupled with a DVD-A (NTSC/RC-0) with the full contents of the SACD plus 8 bonus tracks and a band featurette."

Can anyone think of a reason why these would not play properly? I am wondering if I can re-burn them in the correct format...? They play perfectly on our Denon 2910 DVD player.

Thanks!

 

These are, unfortunately, DVD-V discs. Yes, the two formats are incompatible, that's why you must have a DVD-A capability on your home player to access the DVD-Audio high resolution tracks.

It seems that some labels have recently released HiRez titles in the DVD-V format, thinking that they would be playable in more players, since every DVD player can play them.

However, the ELS system is one of the few players that can play DVD-A but not DVD-V. Not sure how difficult it would have been to do DVD-V audio in the ELS, but it may have something to do with the PRESS PLAY deal on DVD-V discs.

Anyway, Neil Young, a big proponent of DVD-Audio, has released his greatest hits disc and his new live archive CD as DVD-V!! Of course, these too will not play in the RDX/TL/RL. This really sucks.

Your only option is creating a DVD-Audio out of the DVD-V tracks, which takes a bit of software are time.

 

Thanks for the reply and clarification oblio98. I wouldn't mind taking the time converting the DVD-V disc to a DVD-A disc. Do you know of any software that can perform this? Thanks again...

 

There are many ways to get the 5.1 wav files off the DVD disc. You can search the internet for those.

The least expensive program that will create a DVD-Audio in 5.1 that I know of is called DiscWelder Bronze. With this program, you can take those 6 wav files and create a DVD-Audio disc that will be a "real" DVD-Audio disc in the RDX and any DVD-Audio player you can find.

Since DVD-Audio discs hold more than a CD can, you might be able to fit a couple of these albums onto one disc! Even at 5.1, since the sample rate of a DVD-V is 48kHz.

The company that makes DiscWelder Bronze is called Minnetonka

 

Thanks again for the information oblio98... any particular ripping software you would recommend?

Also, have you authored any DVD-A discs, burned them to DVD-R/RW, and played them in the RDX? I am asking because the owner's manual states that DVD-R/RW discs are not supported ...

 

Yes. I have created many DVD-Audio discs with DiscWelder and played them in my RDX and RL (and former TL) with no problem. However, I always use DVD-R discs.

You can check out the TL forum here for a lot about DVD-A, and you can also check out the www.quadraphonicquad.com forums, especially the DVD-A workshop forum, for hints and tips creating your own DVD-A's.

 

Excellent - thanks again - I really appreciate it!

 

will the player play the disc if you just extract the DTS tracks from the dvd and just burn the DTS audio only without the video? If so, this would be the easiest way of re-making the dvd to work in the RDX. If this works here's a cheap, easy way to do it: There's a program call "DVD Audio Extractor".....load your dvd into your computer and the program will show you each audio track on the disk. Select the tracks you want, click next and "direct stream demux". You then save each dts song to a folder on your computer. Then burn just the audio to a dvd. The files are small enough you could fit about 90 songs on one dvd. Sure wish I could afford the RDX....

 

Thanks for the replies!

elshagon - I actually stumbled onto DVD Audio Extractor last night... it works perfectly. I was able to extract the 6 channel source from my DVDs without any trouble. I then used DVD-Audio Solo to author a new DVD-A based on this content. I tested it this morning and it worked as advertised.

oblio98 - thanks a bunch for pointing me in the right direction and the information.

 

Tower Records has an online store that sells DVD-A

http://www.towerrecords.com/Music/De...mat=DVD+Audio&

 

Found one other place for DVD-A
http://www.dvdempire.com/html/DVD_Em..._10007496.html

 

For those of you with a Mac, I just downloaded DVD-Audiofile from versiontracker.com. It lets you import wav and flac files and then creates a DVDA .iso image that you can burn to a DVD-R. I just did it and it plays just fine in the RDX. One thing I did test that didn't work was putting different albums into different groups. The RDX didn't recognize the groups and therefore only allowed me to play group 1.

I'm not sure yet if there is any real benefit of burning DVDAs vs MP3s, since the source is still regular CDs, but it's something new to play with for sure and lets me say "play dvd" more often.

 

oblio98 - have you ever tried using Dual Layer discs to author DVD-As (for the extra capacity)? I'm guessing they will not work, but may give it a shot.

 

Don't you get the benefit of the additional stoarge (about 8X) a DVD provides over a CD?

 

No, I have not. That's a good question, though. Maybe someone over at QQ knows.

 

Yes you do have alot of space, but the format you have to write it in takes up 10x more space.

 

So I gather there's no way to write CD formatted audio files (MP3 or AAC) to a DVD and have them read by RDX's audio system. Guess you can't have it both ways.

 

Actually if you burn the audio only dvd files vs. cd files in surround sound it doesn't add a lot more space. You can also easily turn any dvd source into a dts cd and still get the surround sound. I have plenty of dts cd's and dvd's and they are interchangeable. You can convert them back or forth, about 20 songs or so can fit on a cd in dts surrround or 80 to 90 on a dvd. You can convert any cd to dvd frequency and burn them to dvd, but with the RDX system you might as well go for quality and burn a hi-rez surround disc instead.

 

I think he was asking about the comparison of the size of a compressed format like mp3 compared to the size of a DVD-A formatted file.

 

I just wanted to know if I could store and play a lot of standard stereo music (not necessarily enhanced audio or 5.1) on a DVD. It appears I can - correct?

 

You can but no advantage over an MP3 CD disc. I think an MP3 CD disc would hold more songs.

 

I just gave it a shot (to a DVD+R DL) - no luck. The player acts like it is reading it, but it ejects it with the standard "CHECK DISC" message. Back to single layer...!

 

Try dvd-r single layer. That's what worked for me. I doubt that the RDX player would support DL, as it didn't even support the Groupings I tried to create. Seems like it is pretty basic.

 

The one disadvantage with the MP3 CD is that MP3 is compressed on record and decompressed on playback which degrades sound quality. Generally not noticable with road noise but can be under some road conditions with some songs. Wonder how many uncompressed stereo songs can be recorded on a DVD vs MP3 on a CD?