HiRez Poll Led Zeppelin - HOW THE WEST WAS WON [DVD-A/Blu-Ray Audio]

[JonUrban]

Please post your comments, thoughts and observations.......

First released as a double DVDA-V set in 2003, the same mix has now been reissued on Blu-Ray Audio disc in 2018.

DVDA-V scans:

Blu-Ray Audio Scans:

 

[Cai Campbell]

Pretty darn good for a live surround mix. I mean, for what they had to work with, they did a stellar job. However, it's not enough to keep me coming back. I consider this more a curio than a standout surround title. I gave it a 6. I sure wish the original Zep studio albums would be released in surround-sound. Now that would be something to get excited about!

 

[rusinurbe]

I like the Music great choices from both shows. I had hoped that this would lead to the full back-catalog being mixed in 5.1. still waiting.
As to the mix sometimes i listen to it in Stereo sometimes in 5.1 . The 5.1 Involves the listener more, by spreading the sound and having more ambient crowd noise.
If I was asked to recommend HTWWW or DVD it would I am afraid be DVD first every time though.

 

[neil wilkes]

Given an 8 by me.
The reason for the 8 is twofold. Firstly, because the Audio is at 24/48 as opposed to 24/96. I do not knopw the reasoning behind this decision, but it still sounds better to me than the DVD-V release - it is so much fuller sounding to me. More depth, better mix, more clarity.
The disc itself is primitive, but so what - it is the music that counts here and that is stunning.
The centre channel is doing a lot more than the DVD-V release, but once again we have the rears as though you are at the back of the stadium.
Personally, I'd rather be in the middle of the mix.

Yet again we see another Warner release that is at least technically "Out of spec" - why is this?
The lossy versions really should be accessible from the DVD-A menu system. They are not.

If you don't already own the Live DVD-V, buy this one.
If you are a serious fan, buy this one.
In fact, even if you do already own the DVD-V, buy this one anyway.

 

[Patrick Cleasby]

Given an 8 by me.
The reason for the 8 is twofold. Firstly, because the Audio is at 24/48 as opposed to 24/96. I do not knopw the reasoning behind this decision, but it still sounds better to me than the DVD-V release - it is so much fuller sounding to me.

I think there was a HUGE problem at the authoring stage with this one - Kevin Shirley told me he had prepared a 24/96 version - I see no reason why that could not have been on the disc...

 

[neil wilkes]

I reckon the only possible reasons are one of the following:
A/. (most likely) the Surround mix is 6.1, not 5.1 - so there is a matrixed Rear Centre in the DD version, and according to the cover a discrete version in the Advanced Resolution. This could well have been the problem getting MLP encoding. I do not know of an MLP encoder that does 7 channels as yet.
The Minnetonka one I have does not, and to my knowledge neither does the Meridian one.
And 24/96 in 6 channels MUST be MLP encoded or the bitrate is too high. So in 7 channels it is an even worse situation.

The other option,
B/. Disc space. Although I don't buy into this.
My money is on the 6.1 mix being the problemm here, as it cannot be MLP encoded.

Edit on the review - the surround mix is much, much bbetter than the DVD-V disc.
Dazed & Confused is particularly good.

 

[Scottmoose]

Oh I like. Yes indeed, I like. Led Zep in surround. Perhaps not a spectacularly good mix, but who cares. It's Led Zep. It's surround. It's bought. It's in the machine. It stays there. The neighbours hammer on the walls. I turn the volume up.
Enough said.

 

[neil wilkes]

Scottmoose - I hear you loud and clear on thatt one.
I SAID, I HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR

 

[EMB]

My house is just far apart from anyone else's to get away with even the loudest, noisiest stuff, so I'm covered there, though frig 'em even if they could hear it and didn't like it...

Hey Jon, you misspelled "Zeppelin".....just thought I'd use the 'Ed Spellchcker' today instead of your faulty one.....


ED

 

[JonUrban]

Oooops!

 

[EMB]

Sorry, couldn't resist mentioning it.....

Good concerts, though I've only the DVD edition, so don't feel comfortable reviewing the DVD-A only, which I'm still too lazy to track down.....sigh!

ED

 

[LizardKing]

FYI - I've created a mix of this with the center channel tweaked up by 8.5db & L, R, RS & LS down by -2db - based on the comments here from Neil: https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...(In-Surround!)&p=142411&viewfull=1#post142411

Sounds much better - you can hear the bass and vocals a lot more clearly...

 

[Quad Linda]

8. Great mix for live. Fantastic performances. This is the REAL DEAL. 8 is more based on technical shortcomings, than the performance.

 

[kap'n krunch]

A solid Tenner!!!
Great performance, the mix is what you get for a power trio plus a vocal , so not a lot you can put in the rears except for the crowd and the odd weird effect...
And great sound quality...
Somehow whenever I sit down to listen to the whole thing , SOMETHING ALWAYS HAPPENS that I have to interrupt it..maybe the fact that it's THREEE FREAKIN' hours long has to do with it....(how could they do it...a 3 hour show??? No wonder Bobby lost his voice during this tour!)

 

[fredblue]

I voted it a "7" years ago and I've not shifted in my feelings on this one.

I'm thankful it got a DVDA release and for the most part it sounds very nice.. but I much prefer to see Zeppelin perform live and there's just enough decent video material available of them that does it for me far more than this, even if it's in just stereo/mono (blasphemy on QQ to admit, I know!).

Plus like our Kap'n I can never seem to be glued down long enough to sit through the whole two discs! Perhaps that says it all about this live sets inability to hold my attention.. and I can't say the same about other live sets which I happily devour time after time in their entirety (Queens' Live Killers double LP and Eltons' '95 'expanded to double' Here & There set, immediately spring to mind as live albums that I enjoy all the way through).

I know it's not this releases' fault but of course it's ultimately so disappointing this was the only Zeppelin in surround - and particularly galling that the 5.1 of the fourth album never saw the light of DVDA-day.

 

[Blrac]

The fact that it is Zeppelin holds a lot of weight in my giving this a 9. Just being honest. That being said it still sounds great should be in everyone's collection.

 

[ProgRules]

The fact that it is Zeppelin holds a lot of weight in my giving this a 9. Just being honest. That being said it still sounds great should be in everyone's collection.

Wow- hard for me to believe someone could give WYWH a 7 and this a 9. Yes, the music is awesome, but the surround mix is average at best, imho. I know it's a concert, but I still prefer more discreetness (SW has set the bar for live surround mixes; Gabriel in Athens is another great example) and the SQ is not stellar either. Perhaps your bias (which you were honest about) explains it, but you have that much more love for Zep over Floyd? I agree HTWWW is well worth having, but it's a cut or two below great in my book. Ironically, I had an experience similar to your WYWH experience when I first heard this disc.

 

[Quad Linda]

 

[Blrac]

Wow- hard for me to believe someone could give WYWH a 7 and this a 9. Yes, the music is awesome, but the surround mix is average at best, imho. I know it's a concert, but I still prefer more discreetness (SW has set the bar for live surround mixes; Gabriel in Athens is another great example) and the SQ is not stellar either. Perhaps your bias (which you were honest about) explains it, but you have that much more love for Zep over Floyd? I agree HTWWW is well worth having, but it's a cut or two below great in my book. Ironically, I had an experience similar to your WYWH experience when I first heard this disc.

My disappointment with WYWH stems from my (probably too) high expectations thinking of the potential and owning/listening to DSOTM first. That was heads above both of these actually. Yes, I admitted my bias here, not to mention the fact HTWWW was my first purchased DVD A. That also factors a bit into this. I am a bigger fan of Zeppelin than of Floyd, but I am fond of both. I will admit that Floyd does in fact transfer to surround better, for the most part. I will also say that I do agree with SW's live mixes being much better than this one. Until two days ago, (I purchased Arriving on dvd, and it is very good), I was ignorant to that potential, and this disc falls way short of that. I rated this disc I guess as much on the music as well as the surround, and again with my favoritism coming out.

 

[IMachine]

I gave 7 points here.
I also like it discrete, but it is live and not music like SW does.

Really hope for a surround mix of any LZ studio album.