Hi all, I'm an audiophile and love that my new ILX plays DVD-A files.

However, I've purchased a lot of FLAC (lossloss), hi bit rate files from HDTracks.com, which specializes in high-def audio, because the selection of DVD-A discs seems extremely limited.

They claim their files are not DRM protected, but when I burn them to a DVD-A disc, each song will only play for 30 seconds. Apparantly, this is due to a copy protection "watermark". I'm complaining to HDTracks since their "No DRM" statement is obviously untrue.

Anyone know a way around this?

Who would I contact at Acura to request that they add .FLAC as a supported file format for audio files (no pun intended). I assume this is just a software CODEC and shouldn't be that hard to implement.

Thanks.

 

Do you convert to WAV format beforehand?

 

Can you check out DVDAudiofile? I googled the question since you have my interest. I would like to make one just to say I did. I am a Mac person so I will have to look other places as well and do some more research.

 

Having just got and played a Beatles DVD-A, i am sold on the tremendous sound quality of this format. I would love if the more technically literate in this forum could provide a layman's guide to burning music from, for example, I-Tunes to DVD-Rs that would have similar quality, using some type of free authoring software.

 

Go to www.audiogon.com

they have an extraordinary amount of information from members and questions and answers that have been posted here would most surely be answered there. While I could help a little here it would be very limited in scope so I won't waste your time. Just go to the computer audio field and you'll find everything you need. Don't just go and create an account to ask a question or they'll be highly uncooperative. Read the threads.

 

So I finally got the Acura DVD_A Demo disc from my dealer. It has a lot of good songs and a coupe of tracks with Elliot Scheiner describing ELS and using China Grow by the Doobie brothers to demonstrate the difference between stereo and 5.1. The last two tracks he demonstrates how the different instruments on a jazz piece come together using the various speakers and Sub woofer. The Money for Nothing Dire Straits, one of my favourite tunes, is fabulous in 5.1.

This along with my Beatles DVD-a make it a little tougher to listen to other outputs, although the DVD-R cd i burned from I-Tunes music is pretty darn good as well. I tried playing with the settings as some other threads have suggested to maximize the sound, but find fairly standard settings seem to be the best - to my ear.

 

Wow! What title was this. If this is true, then this title must have been an original DVD-A release, and the stereo tracks contain the embedded watermark. I have to admit that I've never purchased a HiRez download of a title from HDTracks that I already had on DVD-A. (I have over 100 DVD-A's! )

I admin a website that specializes in HiRez and Surround music, and if this is true, I'm going to have to warn the membership that the watermark is contained in these downloads.

As an aside, I have been waiting for HDTracks to sell the 5.1 downloads of some of these titles, but alas, other than posting a poll asking if people WANT 5.1 downloads, they have done nothing.

 

Apparently, the Copy Protection watermark is in the original FLAC files that Warner Brothers provides to HDTracks. I've had no problems burning DVD-A's from other FLACs I've purchased from the site.

Not sure if it's still true for the newer Warner Brother's releases--am afraid to buy one.

As for burning to DVD-A, I've been using Cirlinca's software for Windows (not sure what to use on a Mac) with good results. http://www.cirlinca.com/ Figuring out *how* to use this software was a pain, kind of like how Nero is better than Easy CD Creator in terms of what you can do with it, but not very user friendly.

The Cirlinca software supports VST plug-ins and comes with one that does a nice job of converting stereo FLAC files into 5.1 surround sound. Not quite as good as an original 5.1 mix, but good enough.

For anyone who wants to listen to a DVD-A to see how the format can be used optimally, I *highly* recommend buying The Beatles "Love". The mix is superb. I also recently bought Tommy, by The Who but am a bit disappointed in the mix.

 

If you're interesting in seeing scans of some of the rare WB DVD-Audio discs released in the last 10 years, I create a page that displays most of them with the catalog number and release date. You can check it out HERE. (No ads, no crap)

Remember, it's only the WEA releases at this point.