I'm surprised they wouldn't do a DVD-Audio disc, which always included a compatible DTS or Dolby Digital component also - so it would still be compatible with the "general public". Regardless I love the CTA surround disc and hope for more, although the Captain and Me was already released on DVD-A, so why do that title again. Pick titles which haven't been re-issued a million times on different formats.
I would love Blu-Ray, but if Bob (and welcome by the way), says they want to be "more compatible with the general public"... how would Blu-Ray fit in? Wouldn't a DVD-Audio disc (with a DTS and Dolby Digital track) be more compatible with the general public than a Blu-Ray disc. Again, I have multiple Blu-Ray players - so they can give me these discs in any format they want and I will buy them - although I would prefer a hi-rez in lossless format the best.
I am not so sure the sales would be different if this were Blu-Ray (probably less sales) than a DVD-V. I still don't understand why, even though Warner's considers DVD-Audio a dead format to them, they can't make exceptions (change their marketing and business approach) and bring it back for these Quad releases?
Blu-ray has a serious flaw at present time: car playback.
I think this disc is a great start, but it's a bit of a stab in the back to the folks that supported Warners DVD-A product of the past 10 years. Why would it have hurt to have a DVD-A section on the CTA disc? It still would have played in the same players it can play in now.
+1. Even still, great news for the future of quad and surround.
Car surround is a tiny niche within a tiny niche, even consumers part of that tiny niche should be able to understand that. When there is a market for Blu-ray automobile surround systems, that product will be available. DVD-A has been a market failure, no question, even the biggest fans of that format should be able to understand that. I think all market segments, even small ones like automobile surround can be addressed with Blu-ray eventually which is already huge compared to any better than CD and better than DVD format ever, bigger than all of them combined in terms of market by a huge margin. Of course bigger than SACD, DVD-A, DAD, HDAD, HD DVD and whatever else there was combined by a huge margin isn't very big, I understand that but it's a start. I thought about trying to determine what percentage of music sold is DVD-A but decided that surely isn't necessary. If DVD-A ever amounted to 1% of the music market in any given year after 10 years on the market, I would be surprised. If the average DVD-A release sold a quantity of 5,000 before hitting the cutout bin, I would be surprised.
For the last few years, we have seen a tiny dribble of surround releases, an SACD here, a DVD-A there, an occasional DVD-V, or even a Blu-ray release at times. When looking at home audio video, I think markets react far better to a single format for any given product type. Just look at DVD and CD for evidence of that, sales were huge during their heydays with an entire industry's support. As a surround music fan, I believe we will be better off with a single format for all surround music releases supported by all music companies with all consumer hardware manufacturers offering players. For starters, Blu-ray can have lossless 192kHz/24-Bit 5.1 audio simultaneously with 1080p HD video, I believe even 3D video. That same disc can have 192kHz/24-Bit LPCM stereo. That should be enough for all of us to say, let's make the one format for the future be the best format, Blu-ray. If that isn't reason enough, just look at the current situation with consumer electronics manufacturers and software providers. Sony never made a DVD-A player and Panasonic never made an SACD player, the two largest consumer electronics manufacturers in the world. Sony never released a DVD-A and Warner never released an SACD in the US, two the biggest music companies in the world. All of these companies are among the biggest supporters of Blu-ray. None of those companies are going to switch allegiances in the old SACD v. DVD-A format war, in fact none of them are doing much to support the side they chose during that period. I think all realize how foolish that would be.
I can't even think of a current manufacturer of quality DVD players without Blu-ray playback. If there are some esoteric brands, way out of the mainstream, that is probably the only quality straight DVD player without Blu-ray being offered now. I sure know I haven't seen one from Sony, or Panasonic, or Oppo, or Pioneer or any other in over a year. Apparently even Toshiba only makes sub $100 disposable DVD players without Blu-ray now. For the week ended April 4, 2010, the USA videodisc sales split according to Nielsen was DVD 88%, Blu-ray 12%. Blu-ray sales were up 97.3% compared to the same week in 2009. The previous week ending March 28, it was DVD 84% and Blu-ray 16%, again Blu-ray was up about 100% from the same period in 2009.
http://www.homemediamagazine.com/
Blu-ray is growing and is already an important part of helping to offset the gradual DVD decline. At the current rates, Blu-ray and DVD should split that market 50/50 in a couple of years. I don't see any reason that Blu-ray can't help offset the music sales decline as a result of CD declining. I don't know what percentage of the audio market cares about better audio quality, but I do know it isn't zero and I believe it should be big enough to matter to the music companies. MP3 and AAC downloads may become bigger than CD in the future, I don't know but I sure hope not. I know there are some attempts to offer high quality downloads, including high quality surround downloads but it isn't amounting to anything yet but let that market develop as it may. The Blu-ray market is much larger than the video download market and I sure prefer Blu-ray to anything I can envision for audio as well.
If Warner decides that DVD-V, not Blu-ray is the best choice for these Rhino Handmade surround releases, you won't see me whine about that decision, it will be a business decision and I just accept such things. I do hope the choice is Blu-ray of course. I also hope that the classical niche moves to Blu-ray away from SACD. I also hope Universal Music Group shows up for a Blu-ray surround music push as does Sony BMG. If I am going to dream, let's include Concord Music Group, EMI, AIX, and any other music company large and small when the push begins.
I am listening to a 2L Blu-ray release now in stereo with headphones so I don't wake up the head of the household or the two puppies. It is "Ole Bull Violin Concertos" by a Norwegian Orchestra I don't recall, the disc includes 192kHz/24-Bit 5.1 DTS-HD MA, 96kHz/24-Bit 7.1 DTS-HD MA, and 192kHz/24-Bit 2.0 LPCM. For some odd reason, it also includes an SACD in the package, I doubt if I ever remove it unless I just want to compare DSD to PCM but I have done that before and I just don't care about the differences if any I might detect or preference if any I might observe. At 58, I probably couldn't tell diddly, especially with my modest equipment, in any event.
My vote for the next Rhino Handmade surround release would be "Aqualung", lossless 5.1 and 192kHz/24-Bit 2.0 for that market. If there is a long list of possible titles, I would probably choose a different title but of the few mentioned so far, that gets my vote and I would be delighted with it but don't have a clue how well it would sell. I sure hope this forum doesn't drive Mr. Vosgien away with whining about no DVD-A or no whatever and just gets behind whatever business decision Warner makes. I was disappointed CTA wasn't a Blu-ray but not disappointed Warner once again offered a high quality surround music release.
My prognostication abilities are on an upswing. I picked the correct winner in the NCAA basketball tournament again this year, two years in a row although my bracket picks overall were much worse this year than last year. I had Duke beating Kansas in the final, not Butler. I did win the High Def Digest Forum bracket challenge though, a couple of Blu-ray discs is the prize. So if Warner is concerned about my ability to correctly pick future events, there is some evidence my crystal ball is in focus and properly working.
Chris
