Pink Floyd - Pulse - DVD or Laserdisc?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by seastman, Aug 21, 2017.

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  1. seastman

    seastman Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    Which format will deliver better audio quality? Picture quality isn't a concern since I never sit and watch concert films.

    I've heard the concert was originally recorded to tape and am wondering if the audio on the Laserdisc was sourced directly from that or converted to digital at some point.

    Another benefit of the Laserdisc would be that it can be seamlessly placed with the rest of my Pink Floyd LPs.

    Any help is appreciated, thanks.
     
  2. The Revealer

    The Revealer Forum Status: Paused Indefinitely

    Location:
    On The Road Again
    Wow. Sorry I don't have an answer, but you think someone would. I have just received my VHS in the mail - still sealed - and am playing it for the first time and it is head over heels better than the DVD. I find VHS to be comparable to vinyl at best. I don't know anything about LD, but if it does better than the lossy DVD quality - even at the higher bitrate playback offered on the DVD - then you'll be happier going that way.
     
  3. Rfreeman

    Rfreeman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lawrenceville, NJ
    DVD is 5.1 I believe, if that is a factor for you. Also includes a lot of bonus material.
     
    Shvartze Shabbos likes this.
  4. E-Rock

    E-Rock I Got a Rock

    Location:
    Madison, WI, USA
    For 2.0 stereo audio, the laserdisc of PULSE beats the DVD, hands-down.

    Laserdiscs utilized uncompressed LPCM 2.0 audio at 16-bit/44.1kHz resolution - identical to redbook CD. I bought the PULSE laserdisc new back in '95 and it sounds fantastic in stereo - very much like the CD version. The DVD of PULSE, however, does not include an LPCM stereo track...only a lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo track at 448 kbps.

    In it's favor, the PULSE DVD does include a dedicated 5.1 mix of the show in Dolby Digital 448 kbps AND 640 kbps (the maximum allowed for DVD). So if listening in surround is your preference, the DVD is essential.

    Some laserdisc players featured dedicated digital outputs (either coax or optical), so when paired with a modern outboard DAC, you can usually achieve excellent "CD-quality" stereo sound from the LD format (when the audio is mastered well, as is the case with PULSE).
     
    marka, coffeetime, scobb and 2 others like this.
  5. Hollow Horse

    Hollow Horse To pretend to be happy could only be idiocy

    Just arrived via the Amazon.

    [​IMG]

    Really looking forward to seeing this concert again for the umpteenth time. With a home cinema system thrice as powerful as my last, cant wait to experience that explosion again at the climax of Run Like Hell - last time it made the whole lounge shake!
     
  6. Hollow Horse

    Hollow Horse To pretend to be happy could only be idiocy

    Just tried this. Even on our HES at max volume it's nowhere near enough loudness to disturb the neighbours.

    WHY DO THEY ISSUE IT AT SUCH A LOW VOLUME SO YOU CANT ENJOY IT? :cussing:
     
  7. L5730

    L5730 Forum Resident

    One issue here is whether you want to complete, unedited and full length recording or one of the shorter versions.

    We recorded the analogue BBC broadcast to a mono VHS on that one-time only event.
    This was longer than the subsequently released VHS and a lot longer than the DVD.
    It's not just some audience clapping and silence that is shortened (as is the case DVD vs. VHS), but the original broadcast had more guitar solo and other things unedited! For better or worse (worse) you got Dave's fluff-ups in full glory.

    Now, that was a broadcast and we only recorded in mono on a not-great VCR. It was lousy quality-wise.
    The retail VHS, we made a copy of the audio to CD-R. This, using a rather pricey consumer Panasonic NiCAM "HiFi" VCR.

    Comparing that to a rip of DVD, there didn't seem to be a lot of difference, although I will have to re-evaluate.

    We never had a Laser Disc player or the medium, so no comment there.

    To be completely honest, since buying the DVD we haven't really watched or listened to Pink Floyd much anyway. Switching out the discs halfway through made me feel like technology had made a massive backwards step. It's like vinyl all over again, getting up to swap it over to the other side half way through! :D
     
  8. scobb

    scobb Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    I have never had a DVD, CD, record or anything else too quite where turning up the volume won't work. I don't know what a HES is but I'd suggest the fault is there (or you have a defective counterfeit disc)?
     
  9. Hollow Horse

    Hollow Horse To pretend to be happy could only be idiocy

    Home Entertainment System.

    Nothing wrong with the volume on any other functions; AUX, CD etc.

    I'm not sure this is a laser disc?

    Also, of course some products, particularly CD's, are at a lower volume than others.

    Never been sure why but you only have to try different versions of songs on YouTube to hear that.
     
  10. znpnine

    znpnine Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ottawa, ON, Canada
    I know this show was shot on video and it will never look good (why they didn’t do it in film I’ll never understand) but I wish they would put it out on blu ray just so we would get a high res, lossless mix (stereo and 5.1)
     
  11. scobb

    scobb Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    You must have a counterfeit copy otherwise this issue would be widely known. Over 350 reviews on Amazon uk and they are overwhelmingly positive.
     
  12. Hollow Horse

    Hollow Horse To pretend to be happy could only be idiocy

    I asked the same in HMV. A guy said he had seen this discussed online where the band had decided that BluRay wasn't worth doing as it would not improve things much.
     
  13. Hollow Horse

    Hollow Horse To pretend to be happy could only be idiocy

    The visual reproduction isn't great either come to think of it.

    If I am unlucky to have been sold a counterfeit copy can I swiftly send it back to Amazon?
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2018
  14. scobb

    scobb Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    Oh, if you bought it from amazon direct rather than a third party it isn’t a counterfeit! I can’t believe no one has picked up on the lack of volume if it’s an issue. Are you playing the 5.1 sound track in stereo? How powerful is your amplifier? There must be a reason if you are the only (or at least in the vast minority of people) with an issue.
     
  15. Hollow Horse

    Hollow Horse To pretend to be happy could only be idiocy

    Thanks. I will check the settings on the system but there is an option for 5.1 or mono in the menu on the disc. We have a Panasonic home cinema system, its 600w I think so pretty loud on most things. Last weekend I played a Siouxsie and The Banshees gig on it and I would say its twice the output of this Pink Floyd disc.

    It looks genuine enough, it was shrink wrapped but that I itself doesn't mean it's not a fake copy. How is it impossible to be fake if it's from Amazon?
     
  16. scobb

    scobb Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    Amazon sources their items from reputable wholesalers so unlikely to have fakes. Third party sellers on the other hand....
    600w is incredibly powerful, especially for a Panasonic. What model number is it and what speakers do you have?
     
  17. Hollow Horse

    Hollow Horse To pretend to be happy could only be idiocy

    I will look this up - hang on!

    It is this one...

    PANASONIC SC-BTT405EBK 5.1 Smart 3D Blu-ray & DVD Home Cinema System

    Top features:

    - Sound is everything with dedicated speakers and a subwoofer

    - Gorgeous 3D visuals and upscaling for every film

    - Catch-up with the Smart home theatre kit

    Sound is everything

    Enjoy stunning 5.1 home theatre sound from this complete system which channels the audio from all your entertainment into a dedicated speaker to completely envelop you in rich, satisfying sound.

    Consisting of four bookshelf speakers, a centre speaker and subwoofer you'll find it easy to position each part around your home with a discrete design.

    The bass reflex subwoofer delivers that essential deep bass to reinforce the music and spectacular sound effects in movies. Enjoy powerful but controlled sound that combines the satellite speakers to deliver a big 600 W total power output.

    Gorgeous 3D visuals

    This Panasonic SC-BTT405EBK 5.1 Smart Home Theatre Kit comes with a 3D Blu-ray player. It's able to play both 3D Blu-ray discs and upscale your older DVDs to near high-definition quality. All your entertainment will look great, with new levels of detail and depth to pull you into the action.

    Smart home theatre kit

    Enjoy BBC iPlayer for catch-up TV, Netflix for streaming movies and YouTube for all kinds of entertainment. Make your home entertainment setup smarter – all you need is an existing wireless router and appropriate connecting lead.
     
  18. scobb

    scobb Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    I wonder how they managed to fudge those figures? No 199 system can produce 600w in any meaningful test. If I were a betting man I’d say the system is fine in normal use but would lack the oomph for lower volume recordings (if that is he case with the pulse DVD)?

    Maybe try the DVD on a hi fi system?
     
  19. Hollow Horse

    Hollow Horse To pretend to be happy could only be idiocy

    Thanks. Especially for the knowledge. Your average street man like myself needs info like this. So you would reckon this isn't putting out anywhere near what they claim? I think they do a 1000w version too!

    Now how could I see this if I tried playing the DvD on a hifi system? I mean, I might just as well play the CD on the Panasonic to get louder output but I was hoping to see the concert!
     
  20. scobb

    scobb Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    Don't thank me at all!. No 199.00 pound surround system is going to replace even a cheap hifi or even sound very good, it's probably an improvement on the TV speakers but nothing more. I have had Panasonic PVR's for 10 years + and they are great for visuals but never had good analogue sound (they don't even provide analogue on my latest one (I don't upgrade for quality but two have broken down so I'm on my third)). I took a closer look at the specs and your total watts are 500 + 100 for the sub woofer. Measurements were taken at 4 ohms but I can't really confirm details but if all channels were driven then it's probably about a 50w (very rough figure) per channel in an 8 ohm system (the way things should be stated). 50w isn't bad but nothing about a 199 pound system is going to be outstanding!, The speakers are small so probably don't have a great dynamic range etc. Get yourself to a hi fi shop and listen to a 1k pound system and you'll hear what I mean.
     
  21. Hollow Horse

    Hollow Horse To pretend to be happy could only be idiocy

    We've got a Richer Sounds just around the corner! I bought some Cambridge Yoyo bluetooth speakers from them this year! Around £300 but superb quality, of course you get what you pay for!
     
  22. Hollow Horse

    Hollow Horse To pretend to be happy could only be idiocy

    As I said before, I was suspicious about this DvD. Now having waited to watch it in full Christmas Eve I discovered that Disc 1 is normal with part one of the concert, Disc 2 is just a copy of part one and has no menu at the beginning!

    Can I approach Amazon though I have purchased one month ago? You might imagine I'm quite disappointed by this.

    EDIT: I messaged the seller on Amazon.
     
  23. aphexj

    aphexj Sound mind & body

    I think (given the same source) I'd be very hard pressed to tell the difference; that's a far better bitrate than any MP3 or iTunes format. Is the mastering better? Mix different? These are the pertinent points of comparison, not bit rate
     
  24. Hollow Horse

    Hollow Horse To pretend to be happy could only be idiocy

    So Amazon do sell faulty goods then. Here's the reply from the seller.

    Thank you for bringing this to my attention. We have been made aware that a batch of Pulse DVDs were manufactured incorrectly, with disc 2 having the same content as disc 1. I apologise for any inconvenience caused by this - it is a very rare occurance but something we regrettably can't identify ourselves until the product is viewed by a customer. We have removed all affected stock from sale, and it is being returned to the manufacturer. We tested a number of them and found they all suffered from the same fault. I would normally provide a full refund immediately, however in order to be credited for the faulty items, we need to return them to the manufacturer. Therefore, would you be able to return the item by visiting amazon.co.uk/contactus and clicking return / replace items? (You won't be charged for the return). Sadly, this seems to be an general fault, so I would be unable to replace it on this occasion (you would probably have the same issue again unfortunately).

    Didn't stop me getting one, did it.

     
  25. Pinknik

    Pinknik Senior Member

    Why not the LP or CD, since you aren’t watching it? The LP has an extra track if memory serves.
     
    Shak Cohen likes this.
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