Search - The Dave Matthews Band: Live at Piedmont Park on DVD

The picture quality is lacking, but the 2.0 PCM stereo track

Steven Burke | Earth | 05/15/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"After the thrill of watching the Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds Blu-ray Disc release, it was very exciting to hear of the Piedmont Park release being announced as shot in high definition. Unfortunately it didn't come out on Blu-ray, only on DVD and CD, but after watching the DVD it's easy to see why! I don't know what cameras were used for this recording, but they were certainly not of the same calibre as the ones used for the Central Park release.

The highlight of this release is the LPCM 2.0 stereo track, which blows the Dolby Digital 5.1 track clean out of the water. In addition the LPCM stereo track is 24-bit, so it is of higher fidelity than the CD, which is not often the case with DVD releases.

Most DVD releases still include a Dolby stereo track, which is lossy compression just like .mp3 - fortunately under the SonyBMG umbrella we're lucky enough to see an uncompressed 24-bit track. To put this in perspective:

Dolby Digital 5.1 (DVD) = 448 Kbps
CD 2.0 stereo (CD) = 1,411 Kbps
24/48 2.0 PCM (DVD) = 2,304 Kbps

That's right, the 2.0 PCM track on the DVD is almost twice the fidelity of the CD release.

If you have a nice home theatre system you might wonder why the 5.1 track might not be the better choice, but do yourself a favour and set your system to either DIRECT, STEREO or 5/6/7 CHANNEL STEREO and experience the difference in quality of the PCM track over the Dolby track. You will no doubt appreciate it and never select the Dolby 5.1 track again!

The only other DMB release to feature a PCM track, also 24-bit, is the Central Park Concert, which should hopefully see a Blu-ray release sometime in the future complete with a 5.1 PCM 24-bit track. The 2.0 tracks on Listener Supported and the Gorge releases are both Dolby stereo, so you're better off with the 5.1 tracks on those releases.

The performance itself is well worth owning, marking the first time some of the new songs like Cornbread have been performed full band, but it's also the first time we've seen tracks like One Sweet World and Dreaming Tree on DVD and this performance of Dreaming Tree alone makes this DVD a must in any DMB fan's collection.

Hopefully with Tim Reynolds joining the band this Summer we can look forward to another DMB release sometime in the near future and hopefully this time they'll get it right and release it on Blu-ray. The format was made for music!

I can't give this release 5 stars because of the picture quality, but it is an easy 4-star release with this excellent PCM 2.0 audio track.
"

Not their best dvd

Ranman | Alabama | 01/05/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"First I want to say that seeing this show in person was a great experience and I loved every minute of it. However, with that said, this dvd does not do it justice. I've given it three stars because of the quality of the songs and because there are many great moments. I'm very disappointed in the picture quality and sound. The video is not nearly as sharp as some of the band's past releases. Also the sax and trumpet can barely be heard in the mix. I don't know if it was my system I was using, but I had to turn the center speaker way down because Dave's vocals were overpowering most of the music. With all of that being said I still recommend this release if you are a fan simply because it was a great concert that deserves to be viewed. If you are a casual fan or this is your first time watching them in concert, I'd recommend "Listener Supported" or the "Central Park Concert"."

Awesome

gcasey | Dallas, Tx | 12/25/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"An absolute must for DMB fans. A great mix of older and newer songs. DVD really gave me an appreciation for the band that I didnt get at the live shows I've attended(cheap seats),even though they were outstanding. A very entertaining concert, great vocals, great musical jams, great camera work. It seemed the band spent every last ounce of energy putting on this show. This DVD shows why DMB is one of the greatest live bands of all time."

Mediocre At Best

Gary Michael Clemens | Gary C | 05/22/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Let me say I love the Dave Matthews Band and own many of their DVD's, most are awesome! The key word is "Band". Whoever mixed the sound on this DVD obviously knows nothing about them. Sound on jams is UN hearable on that member, and video of them jamming is literally non existent, and focuses on other band members not doing the jam. The DVD pretty much focuses on Dave, unlike other past DVD's, that show the other band members musical talent. Ex: Boyd and or others will be doing a killer jam and the camera will be focused on Carter or Dave. If you like the "Band" this isn't a good DVD."