Please welcome Bob Vosgien to QQ, the mastering engineer of the CTA Quad DTS Disc!!

[Quad Linda]

Having been out of the business for 10 years, I've become less "techy." I believe that Blu-Ray, and it's 1080P, yields about 4x the picture quality of DVD at 480P. The picture is markedly better through my 1080P Panasonic plasma.

I also prefer DVD-A to SACD, although SACD has far more titles, just as SQ did.

My then spouse gifted me a Blu-Ray player for Christmas. I was motivated by the Blu-Ray release of Elton John's Red Piano, having seen it in Las Vegas the previous summer. Fantastic show, great music & spectacular visuals! Since then, I've purchased every music Blu-Ray(A) that interested me, and a very few movies. Like any video format, the computer animations have the hottest picture.

I personally am more of a DVD-A fan rather than SACD.I'm grateful of SACDs though, cause we wouldn't have gotten a lot of releases otherwise. I even prefer DTS 96/24 to SACD.

I'm still resisting the urge to get a BluRay player...if (or when) I do, it's going to be for Audio mostly...i.e. , if they start releasing audio on BD: because , as I have mentioned , I am not convinced by the image "quality" of it...

 

[rusinurbe]

I personally am more of a DVD-A fan rather than SACD.I'm grateful of SACDs though, cause we wouldn't have gotten a lot of releases otherwise. I even prefer DTS 96/24 to SACD.

I'm still resisting the urge to get a BluRay player...if (or when) I do, it's going to be for Audio mostly...i.e. , if they start releasing audio on BD: because , as I have mentioned , I am not convinced by the image "quality" of it...

Pretty much where I stand SACD was/is a poor format gave not much extra.

Not got into blu-ray as there is not enough good quality product Audio or Video (two or three SW related releases being the exception but so far not purchased ) for me to even want to dip my toe in that pool.

 

[Quadwreck]

The major labels will only dabble in small-market formats, the only way to get surround mixes released is a dedicated independent label, the same way MFSL operates.

 

[elmer]

...Not got into blu-ray as there is not enough good quality product Audio or Video (two or three SW related releases being the exception but so far not purchased ) for me to even want to dip my toe in that pool.

I understand the rejection of a format based on lack of support, worthwhile content, cost of entry etc, and at the end of the day, you like what you like and your perception of audio/visual content is deeply personal & valid unto itself. I am, however, curious to know what the objections are in regards to Blu Ray based on it's ability to deliver hi res audio & video content. Even a basic, under $100 Blu Ray player will deliver 1080 P, backwards compatability for DVD including upscaling, lossless audio decoding, and media streaming. For me it's the bees knees. I LOVE movies and to me, Blu Ray delivers a superior media experience like no other. Pretty much every new movie release is available in Blu Ray. Of course not every new movie is great or even good, but that wouldn't change in any format. But there plenty of stunning visual feasts available. Recent releases of some of my childhood favorites, Ben Hur, West Side Story and Dr. Strangelove - all cleaned up, remastered & remixed into lossless surround renders any previous version archaic. Lossless audio is of course the other benefit. Yes, there is a dearth of audio only titles, but I believe that if there is to be a physical format that will take hold in the present or near present, it will be Blu Ray. In the meantime, there are many excellent music concert Blu Ray titles to fill part of that void. That's my take on it - just sayin'

 

[DKA]

I understand the rejection of a format based on lack of support, worthwhile content, cost of entry etc, and at the end of the day, you like what you like and your perception of audio/visual content is deeply personal & valid unto itself. I am, however, curious to know what the objections are in regards to Blu Ray based on it's ability to deliver hi res audio & video content. Even a basic, under $100 Blu Ray player will deliver 1080 P, backwards compatability for DVD including upscaling, lossless audio decoding, and media streaming. For me it's the bees knees. I LOVE movies and to me, Blu Ray delivers a superior media experience like no other. Pretty much every new movie release is available in Blu Ray. Of course not every new movie is great or even good, but that wouldn't change in any format. But there plenty of stunning visual feasts available. Recent releases of some of my childhood favorites, Ben Hur, West Side Story and Dr. Strangelove - all cleaned up, remastered & remixed into lossless surround renders any previous version archaic. Lossless audio is of course the other benefit. Yes, there is a dearth of audio only titles, but I believe that if there is to be a physical format that will take hold in the present or near present, it will be Blu Ray. In the meantime, there are many excellent music concert Blu Ray titles to fill part of that void. That's my take on it - just sayin'

This.

When looking at movies as well as audio, I think things change.

As far as the informed consumer goes, I'd wager to say the strong BR-resister is an outlier at this point.

 

[elmer]

This.

When looking at movies as well as audio, I think things change.

...

I don't mean to be obtuse, but I'm not sure what you mean.

 

[Quad Linda]

My only beef with DVD and Blu-Ray formats is the slow access time. It is lightning fast on my Sony SACD/CD player with the AMS (track select) knob. I've had a couple car stereos with that, too. If I just want one/a few tracks, it's great. With DVD and Blu-Ray formats, go out and get a sandwich while it recognizes the disc, or to access tracks. lol!! Beyond that, Blu-Ray-A is the bomb, followed by DVD-A. Perhaps they can work on the speed of the circuitry that recognizes formats, as well as menu/track access. IMHO

 

[elmer]

My only beef with DVD and Blu-Ray formats is the slow access time. It is lightning fast on my Sony SACD/CD player with the AMS (track select) knob. I've had a couple car stereos with that, too. If I just want one/a few tracks, it's great. With DVD and Blu-Ray formats, go out and get a sandwich while it recognizes the disc, or to access tracks. lol!! Beyond that, Blu-Ray-A is the bomb, followed by DVD-A. Perhaps they can work on the speed of the circuitry that recognizes formats, as well as menu/track access. IMHO

Can't disagree with the access time issue - but it is important to keep in mind that you are trying to load and access up to 50 GB of info. Once my disc has been loaded - I have no issues accessing tracks - plus if enabled, the pop up menu function is quite a plus. Another issue is the inconsistencies in BD Authoring from one studio to the next. All in all, though these are minor quibbles compared to the clear upgrade in image and sound.

 

[Quad Linda]

I absolutely agree. Still, it's great to play selected tracks, sing or play along, with quick access. But, I wouldn't trade that for the improved lossless, sound or 1080P pic. Can you say 2160P? I knew you could. hah! 20 years ago, people would come to my house, see me load a little silver disc coated in aluminum aspic, and ask "what the hell is that?" Only my friends in the business knew. It's the future of audio, I would proclaim. How arcane CD's seem today! The march of technology is a wonder!

Can't disagree with the access time issue - but it is important to keep in mind that you are trying to load and access up to 50 GB of info. Once my disc has been loaded - I have no issues accessing tracks - plus if enabled, the pop up menu function is quite a plus. Another issue is the inconsistencies in BD Authoring from one studio to the next. All in all, though these are minor quibbles compared to the clear upgrade in image and sound.

 

[elmer]

I absolutely agree. Still, it's great to play selected tracks, sing or play along, with quick access. But, I wouldn't trade that for the improved lossless, sound or 1080P pic. Can you say 2160P? I knew you could. hah! 20 years ago, people would come to my house, see me load a little silver disc coated in aluminum aspic, and ask "what the hell is that?" Only my friends in the business knew. It's the future of audio, I would proclaim. How arcane CD's seem today! The march of technology is a wonder!

Back in the day, I worked for a little company called Taiyo Yuden - they were introducing a new CD recording audio tape called That's (That's was a disaster - and my introduction to the CE business). To attract crowds to our booth at CES in Chicago, we did a live demonstration of Recordable CD technology complete with Japanese engineers in white lab coats - and a very talented buddy of mine playing a Midi Synth set-up live as proof. The CD-R set-up was a real Rube Goldberg contraption the size of a small refrigerator with a rather complex Sonic Solutions authoring set-up. This was the first demonstration of Recordable CD technology in the US- ah the good ol' days!

 

[jaybird100]

Average consumer wouldn't know a DVD-A from a stereo 8 track. Isn't the DVD-A the shiny one?

It's the one you can dangle from your rear view mirror!

 

[jaybird100]

Back in the day, I worked for a little company called Taiyo Yuden - they were introducing a new CD recording audio tape called That's (That's was a disaster - and my introduction to the CE business). To attract crowds to our booth at CES in Chicago, we did a live demonstration of Recordable CD technology complete with Japanese engineers in white lab coats - and a very talented buddy of mine playing a Midi Synth set-up live as proof. The CD-R set-up was a real Rube Goldberg contraption the size of a small refrigerator with a rather complex Sonic Solutions authoring set-up. This was the first demonstration of Recordable CD technology in the US- ah the good ol' days!

I remember That's tape; I worked in a store that sold it. I also tried it, and it really wasn't all that bad, but clearly there were better ones out there. I usually preferred Maxell or TDK.

 

[jaybird100]

Back in the day, I worked for a little company called Taiyo Yuden - they were introducing a new CD recording audio tape called That's (That's was a disaster - and my introduction to the CE business). To attract crowds to our booth at CES in Chicago, we did a live demonstration of Recordable CD technology complete with Japanese engineers in white lab coats - and a very talented buddy of mine playing a Midi Synth set-up live as proof. The CD-R set-up was a real Rube Goldberg contraption the size of a small refrigerator with a rather complex Sonic Solutions authoring set-up. This was the first demonstration of Recordable CD technology in the US- ah the good ol' days!

I remember That's tape; I worked in a store that sold it. I also tried it, and it really wasn't all that bad, but clearly there were better ones out there. I usually preferred Maxell or TDK.

 

[Quad Linda]

Ditto, Jaybird. We sold Triad, which was That's alter ego. I still have several. I thought they were great tapes. I rarely play a cassette anymore. I have over 1000, nearly all are mix tapes, my Oz series. Figure it out! The later projects were dbx encoded, which made them more unforgiving on dropouts. 1/3 of them are dbx, which can blow CD out of the water, especially LP transfers from my Ortofon MC cartridge. dbx LP's transferred to dbx reel or cassette are spectacular. I also had a Concord car fi w/dbx module.

How long has it been since this thread discussed Bob or Quadio? Perhaps I just did.

Yes, Elmer, they were the good ol' days.

I remember That's tape; I worked in a store that sold it. I also tried it, and it really wasn't all that bad, but clearly there were better ones out there. I usually preferred Maxell or TDK.

 

[jaybird100]

Ditto, Jaybird. We sold Triad, which was That's alter ego. I still have several. I thought they were great tapes. I rarely play a cassette anymore. I have over 1000, nearly all are mix tapes, my Oz series. Figure it out! The later projects were dbx encoded, which made them more unforgiving on dropouts. 1/3 of them are dbx, which can blow CD out of the water, especially LP transfers from my Ortofon MC cartridge. dbx LP's transferred to dbx reel or cassette are spectacular. I also had a Concord car fi w/dbx module.

How long has it been since this thread discussed Bob or Quadio? Perhaps I just did.

Yes, Elmer, they were the good ol' days.

I also had a DAT recorder, which didn't work all that well for all that long. I found DAT tapes from That's/Triad, and they worked pretty well. It was a cool format at the time, but nowadays, anything tape-based is obsolete. I had also put a Sony DAT head unit into my car, and although it worked really well, it was hard to get good recordings on the home machine due to its problems. I tried getting it repaired under warranty, but Sony couldn't solve the problem.

 

[Quad Linda]

I never ventured into digital tape formats, although I got into recordable a/v discs early on. I still have lots of tape gear, though I favor digital formats and LP's. Also embraced hard drives. my main system has three, and I own six total, nine inclucing PC's.

For awhile, we sold large quantities of DAT's to data shops when I was in the computer industry. At that time, there were data cartridges with far higher capacity, which we sold in mega quantities to large data shops. Optical media obsoleted all the computer tape formats. Sorry, if I'm now reminiscing about a whole 'nother business.

For photos & more info on Triad/That's cassettes: http://vintagecassettes.com/triad_thats/triad_thats.htm

 

[jaybird100]

One of my prized pieces of gear is a Sansui QSE-5B quad encoder. I've made some great QS-encoded recordings with it from discrete sources so I could play them where a discrete source couldn't go. When I had the DAT player in my car, I also had a Fosgate Audionics "Gavotte II" car surround processor, which did a great job decoding the QS matrix. It also did a great job synthesizing surround from stereo sources. Alas, it drowned when my car sprung a leak.

 

[Quad Linda]

Now THAT's way cool!

One of my prized pieces of gear is a Sansui QSE-5B quad encoder. I've made some great QS-encoded recordings with it from discrete sources so I could play them where a discrete source couldn't go. When I had the DAT player in my car, I also had a Fosgate Audionics "Gavotte II" car surround processor, which did a great job decoding the QS matrix. It also did a great job synthesizing surround from stereo sources. Alas, it drowned when my car sprung a leak.

 

[elmer]

Ditto, Jaybird. We sold Triad, which was That's alter ego. I still have several. I thought they were great tapes. I rarely play a cassette anymore. I have over 1000, nearly all are mix tapes, my Oz series. Figure it out! The later projects were dbx encoded, which made them more unforgiving on dropouts. 1/3 of them are dbx, which can blow CD out of the water, especially LP transfers from my Ortofon MC cartridge. dbx LP's transferred to dbx reel or cassette are spectacular. I also had a Concord car fi w/dbx module.

How long has it been since this thread discussed Bob or Quadio? Perhaps I just did.


Yes, Elmer, they were the good ol' days.

Triad was actually Taiyo Yuden's first attempt in the US - it was sold and distributed by Harmon Kardon. With That's it was a redesign and a foolish attempt to go direct - head to head with TDK, Maxell, Sony & Denon. All of the type II tapes were pretty comparable, give or take. They were trying to hang their hat on the Metal Bias Sonos tape -which was quite good if I say so myself - but they didn't have the marketing guns to go up against the big boys - it was a fun trip but a short one.

And yes, we have driven this thread completely off it's original course - and I will share equal blame for that - perhaps it should be renamed. " Say farewell to Bob Vosqien - we hardly knew ye!'

 

[DKA]

I don't mean to be obtuse, but I'm not sure what you mean.

I mean, if the argument for not buying a BR player is "well there's just not enough stuff to play on it," that argument changes rather quickly if we're including movies as well.