Has anyone else adopted Blu-ray yet?

[Guest GregM]

Aside from a couple titles, including the Ramsey Lewis-hosted Legends of Jazz series, there is currently little reason to mention Blu-ray here. It is essentially a next-generation DVD technology that delivers 1080p resolution and 24-bit surround sound. But there is already a Greig title (piano concertos) that is audio only. Conceivably more music-only titles could be issued on blu-ray. Though I'd be more interested in seeing jazz artist footage from the library of congress released on BD.

[Claude]

I don't think audio-only Blu-ray titles will find a market. There is already a hi-rez surround audio format - the SACD - which has the huge advantageof being backward-compatible (CD layer on hybrid SACDs). Blu-ray audio discs have nothing new to offer. The debate about what sounds better - DSD or hi-rez PCM - is mainly academic and of no relevance for 99% of the users.

There is also the precedent of DAD discs, DVD-Video discs with no video content but 24bit/96kHz PCM sound (stereo-only), which were released already in 1998 but were limited to a few audiophile labels. Ironically, Nine Inch Nails has announced music-only Blu-ray discs with 24/96 PCM stereo sound, although that audio format would also fit on DVD.

So as far as music goes, I think there will only be Blu-ray video discs, just like with DVDs, but with potentially better sound.

Some people will advance the theory that video freaks who want HD picture will also start appreciating hi-rez sound and become audiophiles, but I don't believe in it. I visit a couple of movie fora where people spend thousands of $ on projectors and video players, but rarely discuss sound quality. Just like with music DVDs, I think there will be many Blu-ray music discs with sub-par (CD quality) sound, because very few people (including the producers) care about the sound of video discs.

[porcy62]

I don't think audio-only Blu-ray titles will find a market. There is already a hi-rez surround audio format - the SACD - which has the huge advantageof being backward-compatible (CD layer on hybrid SACDs). Blu-ray audio discs have nothing new to offer. The debate about what sounds better - DSD or hi-rez PCM - is mainly academic and of no relevance for 99% of the users.

There is also the precedent of DAD discs, DVD-Video discs with no video content but 24bit/96kHz PCM sound (stereo-only), which were released already in 1998 but were limited to a few audiophile labels. Ironically, Nine Inch Nails has announced music-only Blu-ray discs with 24/96 PCM stereo sound, although that audio format would also fit on DVD.

So as far as music goes, I think there will only be Blu-ray video discs, just like with DVDs, but with potentially better sound.

Some people will advance the theory that video freaks who want HD picture will also start appreciating hi-rez sound and become audiophiles, but I don't believe in it. I visit a couple of movie fora where people spend thousands of $ on projectors and video players, but rarely discuss sound quality. Just like with music DVDs, I think there will be many Blu-ray music discs with sub-par (CD quality) sound, because very few people (including the producers) care about the sound of video discs.

Totally agree, you don't need audiophile stuff for Bruce Willis' movies, just a big subwoofer.

[Guest GregM]

I don't think audio-only Blu-ray titles will find a market. There is already a hi-rez surround audio format - the SACD - which has the huge advantageof being backward-compatible (CD layer on hybrid SACDs).

Ok, but SACD has unfortunately failed to gain traction among consumers and the record labels and even CD is now a dying format. In contrast, analysts predict that Blu-ray sales will overtake DVD sales by 2012, so there will be a huge installed base should studios want to dabble in blu-ray. It would be a niche format, as is SACD. Frankly, I wish Sony would have included DSD in the blu-ray spec.

Some people will advance the theory that video freaks who want HD picture will also start appreciating hi-rez sound and become audiophiles, but I don't believe in it. I visit a couple of movie fora where people spend thousands of $ on projectors and video players, but rarely discuss sound quality.

I think this may be starting to change with Blu-ray and the visibility of new, high-bitrate audio codecs and LPCM. Certainly, even the most obsessed videophile has to realize that the sound of effects, dialog and music shape the emotional impact of a movie even more powerfully than the video. All you have to do is watch a scene without the sound vs hearing it without the video to know it is the audio cues, not the video ones, that make you get scared during horror movies, sad during tear-jerkers, etc.

Just like with music DVDs, I think there will be many Blu-ray music discs with sub-par (CD quality) sound, because very few people (including the producers) care about the sound of video discs.

Yes, but there are also astonishing feats of audio engineering that go into the production of some movies and soundtracks deserving of awards, etc. Sony has done a great job on the audio of some of its BDs but I think Disney/Miramax is the best so far. Many of the Warners and Paramounts are no better than CD quality.

Totally agree, you don't need audiophile stuff for Bruce Willis' movies, just a big subwoofer.

I don't think that's what Claude was saying. As I pointed out above, the dialog, music and sound effects of movies are responsible for their emotional impact. Getting the best possible sound from movies is every bit as important as from music (soundtracks from movies are music anyway).

[Claude]

In contrast, analysts predict that Blu-ray sales will overtake DVD sales by 2012

Is that because there are so many Bluray discs being sold, or because DVD sales will go down as they are being replaced with movie downloads (as with CD --> MP3)? In the latter case, the Blu-ray hardware base will remain small.

I doubt very much that Blu-ray will overtake DVD + download sales, given that Blu-ray is "only" a DVD with better image quality, and that most people are satisfied with DVD image quality. Unless the industry makes a huge price effort to push Blu-ray, it will be very difficult to convince the mass market to upgrade. It will be easier than with SACD/DVD-A vs CD, because most people are able to notice the quality difference, but I rather predict that Blu-ray will remain an up-market niche for many years.

[Guest GregM]

In contrast, analysts predict that Blu-ray sales will overtake DVD sales by 2012

Is that because there are so many Bluray discs being sold, or because DVD sales will go down as they are being replaced with movie downloads (as with CD --> MP3)? In the latter case, the Blu-ray hardware base will remain small.

It's mostly because NTSC TVs are being replaced with HDTVs and the only way to view movies at 1080p (now that HD DVD is dead) is with Blu-ray. The downloadable content is another issue that may or may not hinder Blu-ray adoption. We'll have to wait and see.

I doubt very much that Blu-ray will overtake DVD + download sales, given that Blu-ray is "only" a DVD with better image quality, and that most people are satisfied with DVD image quality. Unless the industry makes a huge price effort to push Blu-ray, it will be very difficult to convince the mass market to upgrade.

Yeah, that's a fair analysis, but it would be more fair if you factored in the migration toward HDTV. I'm not sure about the situation in Europe, but in the US we all stop receiving NTSC broadcasts in 2009. At that point, most people will be very interested in HDTV because once you get a taste of it, it's hard to go back to 480i.

[7/4]

Neil Young to release archive on Blu-ray discs

Tue May 6, 2:41 PM ET

Rocker Neil Young plans to release his entire music archive on Blu-ray discs, a sign that the discs' capabilities are building appeal among musicians as well as movie studios.

Blu-ray discs hold much more data than DVDs, are easily updated over the Internet and offer better picture and sound quality.

Young revealed his plans Tuesday at a Sun Microsystems Inc. conference in San Francisco. Santa Clara-based Sun makes the Java technology that gives Blu-ray discs their interactive menus and ability to accept updates over an Internet connection.

The first installment of Young's archive will cover the years 1963 to 1972 and will be released as a 10-disc set this fall on Reprise/Warner Bros. Records.

Young said the archives will be released chronologically and include some previously unreleased songs, videos, handwritten manuscripts and other memorabilia, in addition to the high-resolution audio that Blu-ray technology is known for.

Fans can download more content like songs, photos and tour information directly to the Blu-ray discs as the content becomes available.

Blu-ray's rival format HD DVD effectively died with maker Toshiba Corp.'s announcement in February that it will no longer produce HD DVD players.

Most of the Blu-ray discs manufactured so far have been used for high-definition movies.

Musical artists such as AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen and Destiny's Child released concert videos on Blu-ray discs, but Young's support of the technology for his ambitious archive project demonstrates more fully the capabilities of Blu-ray as a music medium.

Earlier technology didn't offer the ability to browse archive material while listening to songs in high-resolution audio, Young noted.

"Previous technology required unacceptable quality compromises," he said in a statement. "I am glad we waited and got it right."

[GregK]

why does he think people need to see and interact with music that wasnt good enough to release at the time? Most people just want to listen to it, on a machine that isn't attached to a tv. Mind-boggling.

[jazzbo]

I agree, it's very disappointing if this is not relased on redbook discs!

[vibes]

I agree, it's very disappointing if this is not relased on redbook discs!

I like the idea of the set, but then I wonder about portability. His DVD-As were great for me because I can listen to them in my car. The HDCD-encoded CDs have been great, too...and if they included DVDs with 96/24 stereo, so much the better--I can make DVD-As from that as well. But, if there's neither CDs nor DVDs in this set, then there's no portability--a huge blow for me, since I'm rarely able to listen to music at home these days.