DTS Entertainment has just announced a March 9th street date for the DVD-Audio version of Porcupine Tree's In Absentia. Known for their unique blend of rock, atmospherics, songwriting, and dark intellectual cool, Porcupine Tree is a British band whose goal is to dissolve the boundaries between different music genres.

Sources in the pro audio business in Europe tell AudioRevolution.com that the audiophile classic album, Dark Side of The Moon was originally mixed for its initial high resolution release on DVD-Audio (before its release as a hybrid SACD) and that the disc may soon resurface as a DVD-Audio title in the United States. Dark Side was supposedly mixed for DVD-Audio at Abbie Road Studios and then rejected by members of the Pink Floyd camp. The band’s long time mixing engineer, James Guthrie, has since publicly stated his preference for the SACD format yet denies the original mix was done for DVD-Audio. The album eventually was released as hybrid SACD and stands as the most successful SACD title to date in terms of overall sales.

AudioRevolution.com has learned that Sony Music among all of the other major record labels, are testing DVD/CD dual discs in Seattle and Boston during the month of February. Sources tell AR than the discs Sony Music are testing use the DVD side of the disc for a PCM stereo version of the record while the other major labels are putting MLP 5.1 surround on the DVD side of the flip disc - much like you would see on a DVD-Audio release. A manager at a major music retailer tells AudioRevolution.com that the test marketing project which stated on February 3, 2004 includes a major push from all of the major labels although he had not yet received titles from Universal Music Groups and EMI. They are expected in a day or so. The shocker is the involvement of Sony Music who’s parent company has fought a ugly format war between their powerful SACD ...

35 years after its first release, Polydor Records / Universal Music Group have announced the release of a specially re-mixed and re-mastered Deluxe SACD of The Who’s legendary album, Tommy. This new dual disc release features all 25 tracks that appeared on the original vinyl release, including classics such as I’m Free and Pinball Wizard. Also included on an additional disc are 17 previously unheard out-takes and demos which have been taken from the 1968/69 recording sessions at IBC Studios in London. Also included is a stereo CD mix, which has been down converted from the DSD (Direct Stream Digital) tracks. This third mix enables playback on any standard hi-fi, in-car or portable CD player as well as all DVD-Video players.

The Who's Live at the Royal Albert Hall will be released in Super Audio CD (SACD) format on Steamhammer Records (a division of SPV Records) on January 6, 2004. The three-CD live set features the soundtrack of the 2001 DVD with two tracks not included on the DVD. The bonus third CD features four tracks recorded live early in 2002, also at the Royal Albert Hall, representing bass guitarist/vocalist John Entwistle's last show with The Who. The Live at the Royal Albert Hall SACD is packaged in a special Digipak case. The SACD is actually mastered and manufactured as a hybrid, with one layer each of high-quality SACD playback and standard CD playback digital information. Playback on standard CD players is in regular stereo sound whereas playback on SACD players enables the 5.1 surround sound mix. The four songs on the bonus third CD were recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall on February 8, ...