# What is DVD audio? (Beatles, LOVE) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 28, 2006, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-dvd-audio-beatles-love/385930 "2006-12-28T23:52:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2006, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-dvd-audio-beatles-love/385930/1 "2006-12-28T23:52:52Z")
In early December **kaylasmom** and I bought the Beatle’s _Love_ CD. **kaylasmom** mentioned how much she would like to have the deluxe version with the DVD on it. So a friend got it for her for Christmas. Well, two days ago, we sat down to watch the DVD, and there’s no video content on it! In examining the packaging, I found a tiny little logo indicating that thi8s was DVD _Audio_. What is this? My DVD player already has the ability to play CDs. What’s supposed to be the point of making a DVD with an audio program, but no video content? Or am I supposed to find Easter eggs? ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-dvd-audio-beatles-love/385930/2 "2006-12-29T00:31:38Z")
The DVD audio disc contains Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, and DTS encoded tracks. Unlike standard CDs which are only capable of reproducing 2 channels (left and right), DD and DTS can reproduce 5.1 channels of sound (left, centre, right, left surround, right surround, bass). _Love_ has been mastered to take full advantage of the entire 5.1 channel soundstage and it is quite stunning when played on a DD or DTS capable system. If you have such a system, lean back and enjoy. On the other had, if your home theatre consists of a simple plain-vanilla stereo setup, then you’ll hear no difference and you might as well just play the CD. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-dvd-audio-beatles-love/385930/3 "2006-12-29T00:58:13Z")
Great. Who wants this Beatles _Love_ DVD/CD set, cheap? 'Cos I’m not buying a new stereo system, just for this. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-dvd-audio-beatles-love/385930/4 "2006-12-29T01:03:21Z")
A system requirements label like you get on a box of computer software would seem to the the thoughtful approach to take. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-dvd-audio-beatles-love/385930/5 "2006-12-29T01:05:38Z")
[QUOTE=Hodge] The DVD audio disc contains Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, and DTS encoded tracks. Unlike standard CDs which are only capable of reproducing 2 channels (left and right), DD and DTS can reproduce 5.1 channels of sound (left, centre, right, left surround, right surround, bass). _Love_ has been mastered to take full advantage of the entire 5.1 channel soundstage and it is quite stunning when played on a DD or DTS capable system. If you have such a system, lean back and enjoy. On the other had, if your home theatre consists of a simple plain-vanilla stereo setup, then you’ll hear no difference and you might as well just play the CD. [/QUOTE] DVD Audio is NOT DTS. DVD Audio, also called DVD-A, is a newish standard specifically for high resolution audio. The main difference is that DTS is still a lossy encryption method which compresses 5.1 audio so that it will fit on a DVD along with the video. DVD-A is a lossless, high-resolution audio format that uses much more space on a DVD than does DTS. There are audio-only DTS discs out there, specifically designed to play on any DVD player that will support DTS. I just looked at the box for my Beatles Love deluxe set, and it has both DTS and DVD-A logos on it. So the DVD may actually be a hybrid that will support both formats, in which case it will play in any DVD player, so long as the player or your receiver decodes DTS. But if you have a DVD-A compatible player, you’ll get the music in even higher resolution.