Goodbye Yellow Brick Road DVD-A

[thewalrus]

Hi. I just bought the DVD-A of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and I cannot seem to play the advanced resolution audio stream. I have a Pioneer DV563-A hybrid player that plays both SACD and DVD-A and I have never had this problem before. Any suggestions or is this a defective disc? It does play back the Dolby digital stream. Thanks.
Dan

[Burke Strickland]

Dan -

Welcome to the HT Guide Forums and thank you for posting your question.

Although you say you haven't encountered the problem before, you haven't told us specifically what kind of discs you were playing before -- DVD-Video, multichannel SACD, or DVD-Audio. Each has different setup requirements either in the menus or the cable connections.

Assuming you've made the proper digital audio connections and settings for your receiver or pre/pro, (which you've done since you have been getting Dolby Digital sound), the Pioneer 563a will play DVD-Video discs just fine with the "DVD-Audio" selection in "Initial Settings" for "DVD Playback Mode", but it will NOT play the DVD-Audio tracks of a DVD-Audio disc if "DVD-Video" is selected in the "Initial Settings".

To play a DVD-Audio disc using the DVD-Audio layer, in your Pioneer 563a's "Home Menu" for "Setup", select "Intial Settings" and then "Options". For "DVD Playback Mode", select "DVD-Audio". When you play your DVD-Audio discs, you should then see something like "Surround Track List" instead of the "Dolby Digital Track List" that you are probably seeing now. (SACD playback is not affected by this setting -- it has its own menu setting.) If you have set the "DVD Playback Mode" to "DVD-Audio" and it is still only showing the tracks on the Dolby Digital layer on a DVD-Audio disc, then it is probable that the disc is defective.

To actually hear the multichannel output, also check to make sure your receiver or pre/pro is properly set for multichannel playback. For example, on some Onkyo/Integra/Integra Research products, this requires toggling the multichannel input selection via the remote at the time of playback in addition to having made a few menu choices beforehand to set up multichannel playback capability. (I'm assuming you have the analog multichannel cable connections for DVD-Audio/SACD made already.)

Good luck!

Burke

[David Meek]

Wow, we ARE a 24-hour service aren't we?!?! Ask a question at 1:23 AM and get a response at 1:40. . . .
:coffee:

Hi Dan, welcome to The Guide. :welcome: We hope you like it here and hang out with us for a while.

[NMyTree]

I will say this.

This is one of the friendliest A/V sites, I have come across. The people on here are just wonderful, informative and ...pretty funny too :B


Sorry I can't help with your question.

But I would like to know how that DVD-A (GYBR) sounds. I have the Remastered Redbook CD version, and I think it sucks barbwire. Harsh, convoluted...digital hell. :x

Been considering getting the DVD-A, but I'm afraid it will not be an improvement over the Redbook CD.

[gd]

The 563a was found to have a design flaw which prevents it from playing a small number of recently-produced DVD-As with new coding... GYBR is one of those specific titles... also Gaucho, Tommy.

The flaw can be corrected with a fairly simple firmware fix, but the player must be taken to a local Pioneer service center or shipped to one... you can sorta confirm if you need the fix by checking the manufacture date on the carton... anything made before Feb 04 (I think) will need the fix... the fix should be free, but you'll probably have to pay for shipping one way.

There is a long-running thread with lots of who-when-where-why details here: http://www.quadraphonicquad.com/foru...ead.php?t=3020

If that's too much trouble, Pioneer has come out with a replacement model, 578a, wherein the flaw should be fixed... otherwise, similar performance and price.

[Burke Strickland]

As with new coding... GYBR is one of those specific titles... also Gaucho, Tommy.

The flaw can be corrected with a fairly simple firmware fix, but the player must be taken to a local Pioneer service center or shipped to one...

Thanks, Greg -- Good to know that Pioneer has a "fix" for the 563a to allow it to handle the small number of problematic DVD-Audio discs. From reading the referenced thread, it sounds fairly painless if you have a Pioneer service center close by that can turn it around quickly. Otherwise the glitch sounds like a good reason to seek out SACD versions of these titles, if available. :>)

Burke

PS - Gaucho, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Tommy are reportedly available in SACD versions via "mail order". I've seen Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Tommy SACDs at Best Buy and Cactus Records locally.

[jimmyp58]

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road on SACD is phenomenal in multi-channel or 2-channel. Gaucho as well.

Before the others chimed in, I have read of the same hiccup on the Pioneer not being able to play certain DVD-A discs.

Jim

[thewalrus]

Hi. Thank you everyone for responding. I'm glad I found you guys. I'll definitely look into that upgrade. To Nmytree; Are you a Pearl Jam fan? I am. Just wondering. Also, the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix of GYBR sounds awesome. I can only imagine what the advanced resolution sounds like. I had a version of the SACD and this kicks butt. I sampled both formats extensively over the past year and I have to say I definitely prefer the DVD-A format for high quality audio.

Dan

[NMyTree]

Hi. Thank you everyone for responding. I'm glad I found you guys. I'll definitely look into that upgrade. To Nmytree; Are you a Pearl Jam fan? I am. Just wondering.
Dan

Yes Dan........I AM. :later: "I wave to all my friends..........":dudes:


"Don't it make you smile......:banana:............ "


:B