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Category | Music Video | Theatrical Trailer(s) | None |
Rating | Other Trailer(s) | None | |
Year Released | 1998 | Commentary Tracks | None |
Running Time | 89:06 Minutes | Other Extras | Main Menu Audio and Animation |
RSDL/Flipper | No/No |
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Start Up | Movie | ||
Region | 2,3,4,5,6 | Director | Jim Gable |
Studio
Distributor |
Warner Reprise
Warner Vision |
Starring | John Fogerty |
Case | Super Jewel | ||
RRP | $39.95 | Music | John Fogerty |
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Pan & Scan/Full Frame | Full Frame | MPEG | None |
Widescreen Aspect Ratio | None | Dolby Digital | 5.1 |
16x9 Enhancement |
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Soundtrack Languages | English (Dolby Digital 5.1, 448Kb/s)
English (Linear PCM 48/16 2.0, 1536Kb/s) |
Theatrical Aspect Ratio | 1.33:1 |
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Macrovision | Yes | Smoking | No |
Subtitles | English | Annoying Product Placement | No |
Action In or After Credits | Yes, some video and music during credits |
The transfer is presented Full Frame and was presumably shot that way, as we don't seem to be missing out on any important imagery.
The transfer is razor sharp in spite of the technical limitations involved in shooting a live musical performance, with even the movements of John Fogerty's guitar strings in some close-up shots being easy to make out. One can see how the movements of his fingers perfectly correlate to the notes one hears at any given moment. The shadow detail is distinctly ordinary, but being that this concert was filmed in a studio specifically for transfer to one home video medium or another, this is of little consequence to the overall picture. No low-level noise was apparent in the abundance of black in the picture.
The colour saturation was perfectly accurate, with skin tones and stage lights being perfectly rendered throughout the transfer. There is a surprising multitude of shades apparent in the picture, and these are accurately transferred to give the performance a life-like quality that puts you right in the midst of the action.
MPEG artefacts were not noticed during the transfer although the imagery is rather tightly compressed in order to accommodate the two audio mixes and the animation in the main menu. Sometimes, the backgrounds appear to be just a little too hazy for their own good, especially in shots where the drummer is directly behind Fogerty. Film-to-video artefacts were not especially noticed, although this is hardly surprising given that there are very few panning shots involving aliasing-prone objects to be found. Film artefacts were not noticed at all, apart from the occasional lens flare from light reflecting off various shiny objects. Overall, this is a very clean and clear looking video presentation.
The vocals are extremely clear and easy to understand in spite of John Fogerty's thick-as-soup Southern drawl, and once you've learned how to interpret his accent, it is easy to sing along with him. The backing vocals that are provided in some songs aren't too shabby, either, with a surprising amount of clarity in spite of the fact that they are meant to hang in the background. The audio sync is absolutely spot on to the point where the precise movements of the musicians perfectly correlate to the notes coming from the speakers.
The music on this DVD was written by John Fogerty, with some songs also partly written by others, and some of the songs he performed with Credence Clearwater Revival being thrown in for good measure. These particular songs sound better than they ever have before just by virtue of having been recorded three years ago, as opposed to thirty or forty. Fortunate Son in particular is a great example of this: on the remastered CDs that are hobbled by trying to reproduce a decades-old recording session, the song sounds confined and indistinct. On this DVD, however, every ounce of the anger that was meant to be brought across in the vocals of the song comes out of the speakers and hits you in the face. This is not to say that the remastered CDs sound bad, but a recording made in the days when vinyl platters were considered the height of technology simply cannot hold a candle to one made in the days when the background fuzz of vinyl is considered to be unacceptable.
The surround presence in the Linear PCM mix is non-existent, although this is made up for by uncompressed clarity and presence. The Dolby Digital mix, on the other hand, is an extremely immersive, if relatively quiet, beast that immerses the listener in the performance. The Dolby Digital mix surrounds the listener with the sounds of cheering and clapping, as well as the ambient sounds of guitars and other such effects, however few there are on this DVD. There is a slight problem with the consistency of the overall level in the Dolby Digital mix, but you'd have to really be listening hard to notice.
The subwoofer had a whale of a time in both mixes, supporting the sounds of the bass and drums, as well as the occasional portion of the vocals, and was superbly integrated into the overall mix.
The video quality is excellent, and surpasses Ozzy Osbourne: Live & Loud by a nose to become the new benchmark in how a music video should look on DVD.
The audio quality is also excellent, and equal to the same title as an example of how music video should sound when presented on DVD.
The extras are almost non-existent, but they do set a great mood for the piece.
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Overall |
© Dean McIntosh (my
bio
sucks... read it anyway)
July 13, 2000.
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DVD | Grundig GDV 100 D, using composite output; Toshiba SD-2109, using S-video output |
Display | Panasonic TC-29R20 (68 cm), 4:3 mode, using composite input; Samsung CS-823AMF (80 cm), 16:9 mode/4:3 mode, using composite and S-video inputs |
Audio Decoder | Built In (Amplifier) |
Amplification | Sony STR-DE835 |
Speakers | Panasonic S-J1500D Front Speakers, Philips PH931SSS Rear Speakers, Philips FB206WC Centre Speaker, JBL Digital 10 Subwoofer |