Video = 5 of 5
Audio = 4 of 5
Using the Pro-Logic 2 processing built into my Onkyo TX-SR605 receiver, I was able to simulate a full 5.1 channels of music from the Stereo 48/24 LPCM tracks. Furthermore, I was able to achieve a sense of immersion that the lossless TrueHD 96/24 5.1 tracks fail to create. However, for whatever reason, the TrueHD 5.1 mix has much more clarity and detail in the music than does the fuller sounding Pro-Logic 2 simulation. And so it is that I found the Blu-Ray version of "Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds: Live at Radio City" to be somewhat frustrating.
The TrueHD 5.1 mix is multi-channel, to be sure, but there's not much in the surrounds. I expect a live performance to be an ambient mix, of course, but with this disc I keep feeling as though there needs to be a bit more than we're given. I want to feel surrounded, and I believe the extra speakers in my 5.1 setup should've been able to recreate the sound of the Radio City Hall better than, say, the mix we're given here. Underutilizing the surrounds, it seems to rely on the same principles of stereo mixing in order to create a wider soundstage. Oh, well... The center channel is mixed perfectly in so far as it blends quite well with the other speakers. And the sound quality itself is reference quality.
The TrueHD version has a little bit more heft to it than does the 640kbps Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Though, even that is quite decent.
And the camera work on this disc is a thing of beauty. Detailed and colorful shots, all in high-definition, capture the performance without flaw. There are enough changes of view to keep things interesting, be it angles of the musicians from in front of or behind the stage, or of the audience from up close or afar. And none of it goes by too fast to become a distraction from the music.
I docked the audio score slightly due to its less-then-obvious surround mix, but ultimately, I recommend giving the high-resolution, TrueHD 5.1 mix a chance to grow on you. Even if I think it could be better, it's still quite good. Very good.
P.S. - I'd be remiss if I forgot to mention that the performance, itself, is incredible! It's amazing the sound that two guys can make with a couple of acoustic guitars. I never was a Dave Matthews fan before, but the music on this disc has been a pleasant surprise.
Note: The Blu-Ray edition comes with a second disc that is essentially a short film with numerous interview segments with both Dave and Tim. Stereo only.
