The Video: Sizing Up the Picture
Sony BMG has certainly rolled out the red carpet for 'Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds: Live at Radio City,' giving the release the two-disc treatment. The entire 168-minute show is included on the first disc, which is BD-50 dual-layer, while the supplements get a second platter all their own. The generous treatment really pays off, as this 1080p/VC-1 encode looks terrific.
'Live at Radio City' was quite an elaborately-filmed event, captured with nine high-def cameras. It's top tier when it comes to shot-on-HD source material, with fantastic clarity and detail to the image. From close-ups to wide shots, the image is always razor sharp, and depth is palpable. Color reproduction is perfect, with the vibrant but restrained lighting washing the stage in warm oranges and reds, and more striking purples and blues. Hues never falter, with no noise or other impurities. Blacks and contrast are also spot-on -- the presentation looks slick and glossy but still natural, while shadow delineation is top drawer. There are also no compression artifacts to speak of. Dave Matthews fans rejoice -- this is a first-class, five-star transfer.
The Audio: Rating the Sound
As great as the video is, the audio is perhaps even more impressive. Sony BMG offers an uncompressed PCM 2.0 Stereo mix (48kHz/24-bit), and -- in a first for the music label -- a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround track at a hefty 96kHz/24-bit[EDIT sound bitrate is ~7mbps...nearly as much as an entire SACD or DVD-Audio disk!!!]. As terrific as the PCM track is, I have to give the TrueHD mix the nod -- simply put, it's pitch perfect. (Note there is also a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix at a lowly 640kbps, but why would you want to listen to that?)
What dazzles the most is the transparent clarity of the presentation. The amazing, diverse sounds Dave Matthews and particularly Tim Reynolds are able to create with just a pair of acoustic guitars (and a few foot pedal-fueled effects) are as breathtaking as the sense of realism and purity to the TrueHD track. It truly feels as if sounds are simply hanging in the air, floating dreamlike, rather than emanating from a set of speakers. I couldn't even pinpoint their location in the soundfield, so transparent is the effect of one expansive wall of sound from the front stage, just as it would be if you were at the show yourself. Dynamics are terrific, too -- from the ultra-tight low tones with the warm, spacious highs, this is as good as it gets. The concert is also expertly balanced, with Matthews' vocals crystal clear and never fighting for dominance with the instrumentation or the crowd.
In comparing the discs two showcase tracks, in terms of envelopment there's surprisingly little perceivable difference between the PCM 2.0 Stereo and the TrueHD 5.1 Surround tracks. Perhaps its because the crowd is so subdued during this quiet show that the mix is almost entirely front and center. Having said that, I would still choose the TrueHD track, because its higher bitrate pays noticeable dividends in sounds quality. To be sure, neither track is a slouch, but the TrueHD is without a doubt the best audio presentation I've yet heard on a next-gen release. I mean it -- it's that good.
