Music videos and sound quality

[mark-hants]

Torn between putting this in "Music" and "Audio". Since it touches on both. However that we do not have it now is largely a technical thing more in keeping with "Audio": music videos.

When growing up (that's still a work in progress..) I was heavily into dance music, one of the genres that rarely had videos.

There are some exceptions, though. And one that really stands out, which was Sven Vath's "Harlequin".

The video makes the track. This is 22 years old. And absolutely incredible.

Although many music videos don't really "add anything", "me too" affairs (originally necessary to make sure it got onto "Top of the Pops"), some do. That's one of them. On a very big-screen TV and decent system, that would be quite an experience.

Where we are now: I can play the video version of some things on the Apple box. Say, Paloma Faith.

No idea what the quality level (bit/sampling rate) of the thing is, something rather low by the sounds of it, and maybe I'm getting ahead of myself wondering how long it will be before music videos with an accompanying 32/768+ or MQA soundtrack are generally available. Decades, probably. Guessing that's going to need serious bandwidth to stream flawlessly.

I can watch things on YouTube. TV is fed to external DAC.

After a few drinks I can ignore the abysmal sound quality (320K MP3 at best) because I find myself transfixed by the visuals. They are a sufficient distraction that the sound quality isn't as important.

This is a totally different experience to my deeper "listening" mode, where I'll play vinyl, can shut my eyes, and I'm in the room with the musicians. When done well. I don't actually want to see visuals.

The visuals are "in my mind". I can "see" where everyone is through a combination of stereo imagery, decent mastering and probably also a touch of my own imagination.

Yet we don't seem to be anywhere near the technology to achieve the same with a video.

This got me to thinking: I see "audio" and "video" as somewhat apart.

There's YouTube TV and there's the hi-fi kit and ne'er the twain shall meet.

- Am I right to see it that way?

- Are the videos important to you?

- If you had the choice to watch the video at your preferred quality level, be that 16/44 or whatever it is, would you choose to do so?

- Do these play a part in "hi-fi"? Should they? I think that people have certainly become used to them with YouTube. Is "watching" part of the experience?

- Where's the technology for this now? How long before, at the very least, 16/44 videos become ubiquitous?

What do you think..

 

[windhoek]

The thing about music videos is that as well as there being music, what we get is what we see... and once I've seen it, there's nothing new to see. The music is what I'm really after, as perhaps is true for most of us, so once I've watched a music video - whether someone playing live in concert or theatrical-type videos - I normally play it but without making a fuss to watch the accompanying visuals.

The big, beautiful exception for me, however, is Beyoncés eponymous album on blu ray as the accompanying music videos are stunning and never fail to disappoint

 

[Fatmarley]

Someone played Yello vidoes on repeat at Scalford a few years back. I know I'm not the only one who enjoyed that room a lot more because of the visual experience.

A mate bought me a Metallica DVD a few years back and I found I couldn't enjoy It because the audio quality was awful.

Went to a Lionel Richie concert not so long back and even though It was outdoor and raining, I had a great time. I'm sure It wouldn't of been anywhere near as good without Lionel on stage.

Ultimately, I think I would prefer to see whoever Is singing.

 

[fay spook]

Now there's the technology to stream them in good quality the budgets are gone and the mini films of yesteryear are rare. I've never found the visuals vital for my enjoyment. That includes "blinding visuals mate". My telly is small and off to one side, I wouldn't get the full experience anyway.

Having seen Kraftwerk recently their shows are a lot more about the sound and video with their "4 bald blokes doing their email" physical performance. Fabulously enjoyable show but I am a fan.

 

[mattgbell]

OK, I think this is analogous if not exactly the same.

I enjoy watching opera at home. (Yes, I'm aware that makes me weird on many levels.) A decent-sized TV and a stereo speaker system, fed with video and audio from a blu-ray player, can be a wonderfully immersive experience. The source sound quality is as good as it gets. It can certainly sound superb through my Martin Logans. The visuals I'm not quite so bothered about, though.