DVD audio

I've not heard anything new about it in quite a while, so probably is gone to pastures new. Be aware that it didn't use straight DVDs and required a different type of ROM drive to be read. In addition, the decoding was not DTS or DD, used it's own specific method which IIRC was based on MLP (Meridian Lossless Processing).

Most DVD-A has DD and DTS tracks that can be played by most DVD players.
It's the lossless MLP tracks that need the DVD-Audio player.
2 latest releases are the Beatles "Love" and all the Doors albums remastered and named " Perception". I love them both. Some of the Beatles songs are absolutely astonishing.

the internal and external Creative sound cards will play DVD-A(or most of them). if they were Mac compatible I would have one of the external ones for me Rev. A iMac.

I do not keep up with it but Rhino Records has been releasing DVD-A and the Dual Disc. The Jesus and Mary Chain, Psychocandy is one that I would like to have of which I think is a fairly recent release.
http://www.rhino.com/store/hirez_store.lasso

The I realize the utter stupidity of buying JAMC albums on DVD-A in order to hear more detailed fuzz, yet I am very excited and now wish I hadn't bought the Psychocandy CD a few months ago. Nope, DVD-A isn't quite dead yet.

it's been many years since I have heard Psychocandy, on vinyl at that, but I do not remember it being that bad of an album. it's that bad? me has been wanting another copy of it for quite awhile. I'll easily take it off your hands if ya wanna send the CD this way..

edit: I miss interpreted your post but if you would like to get rid of the CD copy I am willing to make a deal for I need a copy of it once again.

Hi all,

just want to know, can I use DVD Audio with my computer using spdif out?

even though there is an SPDIF out on the Creative cards, I do not think with DVD-A it is allowed..

what do I have to do to be able to play dvd audio today?????   help please!

DVD-A's can be ripped in any PC-based DVD drive, special hardware is not needed.  I do this every day; I have a nice collection of DVD-A's, and the sound quality is typically superb.

 

But special software is needed.  Relax, it's free.  What you get is the 24-bit, 96000 LPCM (WAV) file on your PC, ready to play like any computer audio file (USB, SPDIF, whatever).  You can get the stereo mix, or the 5.1 mix, or both.  Some of the 5.1 mixes even have a hidden stereo mix in them, which the software will unearth (it's called a sub-stream).

 

One or two of the DVD-A's have non-standard copy protection and the software doesn't work, but that's rare.

 

You have to enter the artist, title, etc. yourself, but that's quick in FooBar or Media Monkey or whatever you use -- no biggie.  I convert the WAVs to FLAC -8, then add the metadata and cover art.  I play these on my PC.  Then I convert to 48000 ALAC (still lossless) -- a downsample with little loss of quality since it is an exact half-sample -- for the iPod/iMod.  Sometimes the 5.1 version converted to 2-channel by FooBar sounds better than the stereo mix from the DVD-A, sometimes the other way 'round.  I have fun listening and figuring out which way to go.

 

My Metallica Sandman, and Eagles Hotel California were made this way: 5.1 24 96000 mixed down to 2-channel then downsampled.  People who hear them -- like at a recent meet in NY, and a micro meet in Philly -- on my iMod (with iQube) are astounded ... the SQ is amazing.  Doors, Led Zep, The Who, many more on DVD-A.  I buy every rock DVD-A I can get my hands on.

 

The software is DVD-A Explorer, and it is a dream to use.  Brilliant.  The download sites are listed at this url, among others:

 

http://www.videohelp.com/tools/DVD-Audio_Explorer

 

 

Also check out Wikipedia (this is always the first step IMHO before any other research):

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD-Audio_Explorer

 

and for general info:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD-Audio

 

 

 

I know I'm digging this thread from the grave, but I am wondering if anyone knows more about this.

 

I have several DVD audio discs (my car has a DVD audio player) and I want to rip the lossless, high resolution tracks to my computer and then put them on my sansa clip mp3 player in FLAC format. Is this possible? Will the file be enormous?

It will work fine -- everything I said in my post above is still true, and I do this all the time.  DVD-A's make great source material, and I use FLAC -8 to control the filesize.

 

In general, take the stereo sub-stream if you can find it, otherwise mix the 5.1 down to 2-channel.  (The 5.1 files are indeed huge).  Nearly every player package allows you to downmix the 5.1 and save the result.

 

The FLAC -8 resulting 2-channel stereo 24x96000 LPCM file is large, but not too large, and it sounds great.  Of course you have to fill in the metadata yourself, and add the album art, but I love doing this, and I hand tailor it to meet my needs exactly (for instance, I usually use the cover art from the single, not the album, which is way kewl.  I also the the "The" as in "The Doors" in the artist name or not, as I please.)

 

Now here's a trick -- the down-conversion to 16x48000 involves only a "decimation", not a real interpolation, and I can't hear any difference most of the time -- maybe all of the time!  Now you have a FLAC file of less than half the size, and it plays on iPods too (which use 48000 as a native format) once you convert to ALAC.

 

Nearly any package will do that.

 

HDTracks and other companies are selling the same 24x96000 files that are on these DVD-A's ... and you already have them!

 

If you want to dispose of the DVD-A's when you are done, I will buy them from you if I don't already have them and the price is cheap enough.  But I will not steal the music (you will have already made the only legal copy).  I will audition the music, and if I like what I hear, I will buy the track from HD so that the artist gets his money, and then I will destroy the DVD-A in an environmentally responsible way.  I am a nut about both not making illegal copies, and proper disposal, trust me.  PM me whenever you like.

Nice read.I have a collection of High Resolution 24/96 files purchased and downloaded from the usual retailers,even though the pickings are still slim.

Sometimes there is a need to cut the PC or MAC out of the way as a transport for the HD music.

Converting these files to DVD video allows playback from most mid-fi DVD players with S/PDIF out to your DAC.

I use Cirlinca Audio Solo (free trial,burn 5 discs), a great little bit of software that does the conversion perfectly,no coasters.

Picked up a spool of 50 Memorex DVD-R 16X discs for $16.00 a couple of days ago, archive your vinyl records 24/96 to a DVD media too.

Useful to backup your HD collection in another playable format,in the event you do not have access to a computer capable of playing back these files properly.

You can insert JPEGS and the like on the DVD to watch as the music plays but navigating through a menu for music may be off putting for some people.

I will burn a high definition playlist and just hit play,the sound is wonderful.

Pack up an inexpensive DVD player,your high resolution files on DVD video disc,hook it up to your friends DAC/stereo and get that party going in High Definition,minus the laptop and dodgy USB connection...
Edited by 5aces - 12/6/11 at 4:12pm

Great idea!  Great find!  Good DACS today can recover from all kinds of jitter so even a $39 supermarket DVD player will work if it has SPDIF coax or TOS.  And they are tiny, as are many fine dacs.  A great party solution, avoiding the dreaded "Bud Light in the Hard Drive" problem.  Run the DAC output to high-quality powered speakers, the industrial kind with tough outer skins, and there you go.  I've been using an iPod doc for this application -- you have KILLED that!  Shoot, I just bought yet another iPod doc to power another set of outdoor speakers ... this would be so much better!  Even with the digital iPod docs that pump SPDIF to a DAC, you are limited to 48000 ALACs unless you RockBox.  Plus I did a party at a gym and someone stole the iPod!

 

You ARE five aces!!