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PULSE DVD Review
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PULSE DVD Review
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A voyage of discovery. With the 5.1 system cranked, DVD 1 was inserted and then the show began.
DVD 1 opens up with the enigmatic PULSE pupil/planet that is surrounded by another bunch of minor planets revolving around the central one. Then a small planet comes into view, and suddenly the ground vibrates, as the haunting and eerie Floydian soundscape erupts.
Easy to navigate menus, with the main options being
All sub menus have soundscape tracks, and individual graphic effects.
To
start off, we decided to select the Concert (Part 1) option and
sat back to watch. Within seconds we were enveloped by the sound, and
transported back to that magnificent show at Earls Court on 20 October
1994. The sound is simply amazing. Where were those voices coming from?.
Look out, duck, here comes a plane! The surround sound is certainly the
most incredible you are ever likely to hear. James Guthrie has outdone
himself here, with every note clear & resonant. This is the cutting
edge, outstanding, brilliant and oh so good.
Getting to the end of the concert Part 1 presents a challenge. Do you go for part 2? (Which is on the second disc and means getting up to change it) or do you continue to explore DVD 1? Being lazy, it was an easy choice.
Next we checked out the Audio Setup
Deciding
we would like to sample some of the Features
next, we were offered the following menu..
We started at the top, and went for Bootlegging The Bootleggers. This brought up the following bootleg videos.
What Do You Want From Me was filmed from somewhere up the back, and the distance shots are a bit blurred. Somebody's hand was also a bit shaky, but some really nice close up shots, and excellent sound.
On
The Turning Away . Once again filmed from some way back. Shaky
was here again. Reasonable sound.
Poles Apart. Filmed a bit closer to the stage, but slightly right. Not too shaky!
Marooned. Perhaps the worst quality of the bootlegs, but the best emotionally! Very touching crowd scenes, as tears are shed, as Whales are projected. (Oslo - Norway show August 29 & 30 1994).
(Great to see credits for the archive material go to our good friend Vernon Fitch)
Conclusion. Nice to have this stuff, and in excellent quality. But when you compare it to the official footage it's not in the same league. (Even though James Guthrie has cleaned up the sound on each of these videos).
Next we explored the Screen Films.
A great little collection of films that Pink Floyd have used on tour. Beautiful quality.
Then there are a couple of promotional videos.
A really nice pair!
Here's a list of the Tour Stuff.
Static displays. For hardcore fans we suspect. You can zoom in on the maps and see where Pink Floyd played!
End of Disc 1!
DVD
2
'Suspended Man' floats into view. Very Floydian background, with tolling bell. Menu appears and offers.
Once
again the Concert selection won out. See Concert Part 1 to
read how absolutely wonderful this concert is.
It has been some time since we last viewed the PULSE Video, so have not done any comparisons as to screen shots etc. (But the sound was never as good as this!)
The Audio Setup & Song Selection items are the same as Disc 1, so we won't dwell on that, but we will delve into Features. Lots of things to explore here.
Looking at Screen Films we find lots more stuff here.
Another
great collection of videos used by the Floyd on tour. But hang on, what's
this little item called Alternate Versions?
Excellent! What a great find. A fantastic little collection of films, many seldom seen! Here's the list.
These are great. Still exploring, as this is a rare treat.
Next the documentary Say Goodbye To Life As We Know It.
Oh my goodness. Now this is something different. A 15 minute montage of video footage of the tour. This is all backstage material, with some of the crew in search of beer, a study of urinals, David Gilmour juggling flaming bowling pins? People stuffing food into their mouths, and much dancing. This really is fascinating. Don't know whose idea this was, but this footage alone is worth the cost of the DVD.
Photo
Gallery.
A large collection of still from the tour.
Wish You Were Here with Billy Corgan
Billy does tend to prattle on a bit at this Hall Of Fame induction. Acoustic version of Wish You Were Here.
Cover Art
A collection of album covers.
Additional Credits
Cast & crew.
That's a quick run through on this incredible DVD. Pink Floyd have said that they want this DVD to set the standards, and they have certainly have done that
Highlights for us, were the concert footage (of course!) With such amazing sound, this just cannot be beat. We also loved the documentary Say Goodbye To Life As We Know It, which opens up a whole new world.
The addition of the alternate versions of some screen films is also very welcome.
We know we are biased, but really, this DVD is quite exceptional. Not a dull minute on it, and the sound has to be heard to be believed.
Don't hesitate to get this, you will be getting quite simply the best DVD ever produced.
North American release: NTSC
2 x DVD-9 (Dual Layer)
Disc one data: 6.9 GB
Disc two data: 7.86 GB
Authored with Sonic Scenarist 3.1
Region coding: ALL regions
Video Format: 4:3 NTSC 1.33:1
Bitrate: 8.5 Mbps (nominal)
Jacket Pictures: none
Available audio streams:
1) Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (448 kbps) Default track
2) Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (640 kbps)
3) Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (448 kbps)
Subtitles: none
It's clear that substantial work has gone into the video and audio preparation of the
DVD version of Pink Floyd's Pulse. Although the image still shows its video, (as opposed to film), origins; the overall quality is good.
Video noise is slight, but varies from scene to scene, with some portions of the concert appearing 'noiser' than others. Colour appears to be accurate, with very little bleeding. Detail is average to good. I made comparisons with the old Pioneer Laserdisc release, and the difference is substantial.
For the first time I could see all kinds of visual information that is absent from the Laserdisc release.
As for the audio? Well...in a word, spectacular. This is the first concert DVD I've come across that accurately replicates the sound and feel of being at a live performance. The weight and power of the bass/drums is breathtaking. This, combined with a sense of air and space, creates an enormous and enveloping soundstage. By the way, the user is free to change between the three available audio streams on-the-fly.
The 640 kbps track is the way to go, (if your system supports this bitrate). However, the 448 kbps 5.1 Surround track is no slouch either. The 640 kbps track is just that much richer, fuller sounding. The 448 kbps 2.0 stereo track is very good too, but I much prefer the 5.1 Surround mixes.
Whether the 5.1 mixes are an accurate replication of what the audiences experienced at Earls Court, I do not know. However, the use of the surround channels to feed crowd sounds, and more importantly, elements of the music being performed, is extremely effective. Many of the prerecorded elements of the songs are gently filtered through the surrounds, and on numerous occasions instruments pan from front to back, left to right surround. All of this is achieved without sounding in any way gimmicky.
The new edit of the concert is a great improvement too. Cuts are now slightly more frequent and many new camera angles have been introduced. All in all, a much more involving visual presentation compared to the old Laserdisc/VHS releases.
Final thoughts. The only thing that could improve upon this release is an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray disc release, with both formats superior audio and video properties. Given that the title is handled in most territories by Sony, a Blu-Ray release seems likely sometime in the future.
Technical review thanks to Peter Calcroft
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