Plot: What’s it about?
Ever want to just kick back, listen to some classic music and view imagery of the countryside and other beautiful sights? Now, thanks to DVD International you can do just that, right in the comfort of your own home, using your home theater environment. And not to limit your choices of music or scenery, there will be an entire series of these releases, up to one hundred in fact! One of the first entries in this series takes the music of Bach and conjures images of vineyards, statues, and rolling gardens. If you enjoy the music of Bach, this is one of finest ways to listen, especially at home. This is a superb release, with bright visuals, dynamic sound, and a wonderful overall presentation. I recommend the disc to those who have “classical” tastes in music, and a purchase is in order, since the imagery and music never become repetitive. The disc is broken down into chapters, so it’s easy to find your favorite audio or visual segments. At this price, fifty-six minutes of high quality audio and video is a steal, so make sure to check out this top drawer release.
Video: How does it look?
The video for this release is full frame, as intended by the creators. The image is not as sharp as film, due to the nature of how it was shot. It appears as though the footage was gathered using a hand held camera, but a very high caliber one. The image is very clear, much better than I expected from a hand held. The colors are rich and lush, and no errors crop up at all. Since these shots are of nature, buildings, and such, the colors retain a natural, yet bright, tone. Shadows play a minor role, but the image is never too dark or overly bright. There are no compression errors to be found here either, AlphaDVD continues to excel at authoring high quality titles on the format.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio is presented in your choice of Dolby Digital 5.1 or six channel DTS surround sound. I listened to both for a time, and I have to choose the DTS, as it handles the music much better. While the DDS does a wonderful job, almost always DTS will have the edge on music when properly mastered. I don’t think either side of the audio coin will be let down here, both are enveloping tracks, but given the choice, choose DTS.
Supplements: What are the extras?
There are some production credits, which give information on the forces behind the music, images, and production of the actual DVD.
