Music DVD Poll Nirvana - Unplugged in New York

[neil wilkes]

Please post your thoughts, comments & Observations.
Also, please state where you bought it & how much you paid, as prices vary wildly.
For example, UK via Play.com is £13.99, whereas Amazon.com (US) is $11.99
which is under 50% of the UK price.

 

[bugdaddy]

For someone like me, with fond memories of this performance, this is definitely a winner. Scheiner’s mix, while maybe not quite demo-quality like his job on Roy Orbison’s “Black and White Night” video, is tastefully done, and faithfully presents the warm intimacy of the performance. Not a ton of instruments to spread around or surround games in play, but I particularly like the discreet cello anchored in the left surround.

All in all, a very nice package which includes both the original MTV show plus the full concert version (which includes all of the songs on the CD version, plus plenty of extra between-song patter). The video quality is merely so-so, as one might expect from a TV show from that era. As such, after watching each version of the performance once, I found myself just digging the DTS audio while watching Thanksgiving football last weekend.

Also included are rehearsal versions of several songs - - the most interesting of which is “Pennyroyal Tea” (which went down very poorly at rehearsal). Kurt’s on-the-spot decision to do it solo during the live taping is shown in context to be a wise one indeed. There’s also a decent documentary featuring memories of those responsible for the show, as well as those in attendance. Sure wish I woulda been there….

 

[uffeolby]

I am 48 years old and I do not like Nirvana really... Though I have liked the unplugged concert CD when my eldest daughter has played it, some really good songs and arrangements there.

When I saw it was going to be released on DVD, with Ellior Scheiner doing the 5.1-mix, I thought - what the heck.

I am now glad I did. It is a very good concert with better than average picture and a stunning audio. I give it a 9.

//Uffe

 

[Kazaam]

Is it just me, or does anyone else here find that the Dolby Digital 5.1 manages to keep up with the DTS? Actually, I think the Dolby Digital 5.1 might sound a little bit fuller than the DTS.... Not that Dolby Digita 2.0 stuff, though. Such a shame that the stereo isn't uncompressed PCM. Oh, well.. We're surround sound guys here, anyway.

I thought the video looked decent. The sound quality itself (not the surround mix) actually disappointed me initially, but I find it decent enough, too. Scheiner's surround mix is fine. I'm glad he kept it ambient. That said, I've heard better sounding concert mixes. But this is MTV "Unplugged" and a small, intimate audience. This is probably the best we can do. And, frankly, I'm just glad to finally have this performance on DVD.

I dunno. Maybe an 8. Possibly a 9.

 

[neil wilkes]

Is it just me, or does anyone else here find that the Dolby Digital 5.1 manages to keep up with the DTS? Actually, I think the Dolby Digital 5.1 might sound a little bit fuller than the DTS.... Not that Dolby Digita 2.0 stuff, though. Such a shame that the stereo isn't uncompressed PCM. Oh, well.. We're surround sound guys here, anyway.

DD goes to mono above around 15KHz. (The separation just stops as part of the encoding process)
Normally, DTS will not do this.
However, the DTS component on this disc is half bitrate (boo) so will not be as good as it should be.
This is wrong, as it should be FULL bitrate for me. Sod the video, drop the 750kbps (It won't make much difference) and give us the bloody AUDIO - it is a music title, fer chrissakes!!

Sorry to keep going on about this, I know I should be grateful for whatever pitiful crumbs we get offered these days. Trouble is I have now gotten used to full, uncompressed audio.....

My copy only just arrived, so will post a full review in the next week or so.

 

[neil wilkes]

After some really critical listening, and some heart-searching, I wish I had worded this poll differently.
If - instead of what is written for the "Perfect 10" requirement - I had written "An Absolute Classic, A Must-Have disc", then this would get the 10 with no shadow of doubt at all in my mind.
Yet because of the wording, I am forced to vote an 8 because good as this is, there are things that irk me & irk me badly about this.
1 - Why only half-bitrate DTS Audio? It's a music album, not an MTV plug. Drop another 750kbps from the video, fer chrissakes!
2 - Why autoplay to Dolby Digital, with no way to set the DTS stream unless you top out & go through the main setup menu? I don't mind the autoplay, but I find the way that the DTS stream is utterly inaccessible unforgivable.
3 - The Mix.
In the main, I love what Scheiner has done here - but there are niggles for me. These include the discrete cello in Rs. Why is this? DId ES do it because he thought it sounded good, or as a stunt to draw attention to it. I cannot make up my mind here, because he hasn't mixed this with the picture at all - there is no angle or seating possibility in the film that corresponds to this cello position, so why on it's own in the left rear? Why not phantom centre it to the rear centre, or even use DTS-ES and do it that way? Because I suspect it is not mixed to picture. WHich sort of defeats the point, doesn't it?

Anyway - it is still almost sublime in places - TMWSTW is awesome - and is certainly an instant classic album.
In places, the surround mix almost seems to struggle to fill up the available space - it's almost too thin in places (too discrete, if you follow my meaning?) and feels almost empty compared to the original stereo mix. This is not necessarily a bad thing though, and I urge you to play this several times before final votes.

A true classic, and IMHO - wording of this poll or otherwise - a "Must-Buy" title.

 

[Kazaam]

Ahhh... Too bad about the half-rate DTS, stuff. I'll agree with ya, Neil, that this is still a must buy.

 

[bliss_band]

No argument from me. Nirvana legit releases always get my money. I am appreciative of the title on DVD, the rest is just little annoyances, but nothing majorly bad. I gave it a 9.

 

[The_Nephilim]

I just bought this tonight too late to play I will listen to it Sunday in the afternoon with a lil bit of Volume!! I think I will like it!!

 

[Sashaaa]

I haven't seen the video as I just ripped the dvd with dvdae, but even if the mix is a bit front heavy I honestly very much enjoy it and find it extremely immersive. Theres definitely occasionally things going on in the rears too, such as whenever that violin (I think) comes in, it's generally in the rears. Of course the music is incredible and I feel like not much needs to be said on that front. This isn't the top live 5.1 mix I've heard, as that would be Silent Shout: An Audiovisual Experience by The Knife, but it's certainly better than average. Just don't come expecting massive discreteness.

8