Q&A/FAQfor the NEIL YOUNG ARCHIVES VOL. 1 Topics:
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| About the Archives | |||
| Q- | Can you give us an idea as to how the material spreads out over the 10 discs? Does each disc represent a period? If we are listening to Massey Hall, will there be other things on the disc to review while listening...or do we have to watch the video? Will we be forced to change discs often, or will each be a self-contained experience? | ||
| A- | Each disc represents a period, except the live shows which represent a particular concert. Each one is a self contained experience, but the Timeline is available on all of what we call "File Cabinet" discs. The live discs don't have the interactive Timeline. On the BD edition you can navigate around the disc and explore while listening to the music. This is one of the fun things about Blu-ray and something Neil had been waiting for years for...a format with hi res audio that allows one to listen to the music while sifting thru the archival materials. | ||
| Q- | I don't want to have to watch a TV or monitor while I listen to my Neil Young Archives DVDs. Do these discs work without a TV? | ||
| A- |
We understand the desire of some to "just listen to the music" and yes, you can accomplish that with the DVD edition. Insert a NYA DVD in your player and wait until you hear the "Shakey Pictures Fanfare" music. (note: you may need to wait 30 seconds until the disc's Opening Menu program plays)
Click PLAY on your remote (or player) and the listen to the entire main program of songs. You don't need to turn on a TV or monitor to do this. In this playback mode you will not be able to access the Archives files, film clips and other extras, but can fully listen to the main music program. | ||
| Q- | If I'm listening to one song via the folder, can I look in another folder's contents? | ||
| A- | On BD one can navigate around to different folders while listening to the music. This navigation is limited to the folders related to the song in question. Listening to a song and navigating simultaneously on DVD is not possible. | ||
| Q- | I'm assuming that when the play arrow is clicked on a given song screen, one can continue to navigate and zoom to graphic content tabs within that song. Can you also navigate away from that song chapter to the drawer and other chapters while that song is playing?? | ||
| A- |
1- On the Blu-ray discs one can navigate and listen to the music simultaneously. The DVD format does not allow that functionality.
2- When the Play arrow is activated in either format, the user is taken to the Play All program that has turntables and tape decks playing the track. While the Blu-ray offers a Pop Up Menu in that mode to navigate around the disc, the exploration of archival materials happens in the File Cabinet or Info Card mode. When one selects a song in the File Cabinet/Info Card mode (on Blu-ray), the audio track plays automatically and at that point you can navigate around the archives for that particular song. When another track is selected, it's archives folders are accessible. What is being modeled here is the experience of being in a physical file cabinet and exploring the contents of file folders. | ||
| Q- | What is the point of having Hidden Tracks and Easter Eggs? How do I find them? | ||
| A- | Part of the "vision" in creating the Archives series is to encourage interaction and exploration. Including some Hidden Track and Easter Eggs fits in with that vision and leaves some fun surprises for those who venture forth and poke around. These features aren't too hard to locate and once you find one or two, you'll have the key to discovering others. | ||
| Q- | What do the colored pins on the Timeline mean.What do the colors stand for? | ||
| A- | There are 3 colors of pins on the Timeline. White pins point to content that is already on the disc. Yellow pins indicate new BD-Live content that has not been downloaded yet. These yellow pins turn into blue pins after download is complete. | ||
| Q- | Does the music on the discs "Auto-Play" when the disc is inserted? | ||
| A- | In general each BD disc automatically goes to a Main Menu upon insertion. Selecting PLAY ALL will play all the song tracks in order with no further navigation needed. Navigation thru the Archives and access to the Video Logs, Audio Logs, Easter Eggs and Hidden Tracks requires active participation and exploration. | ||
| Q- | What does NYA PS stand for? | ||
| A- |
It stands for Neil Young Archives Performances Series. This is an ongoing series of live concert releases. NYA PS discs #01, #02, and #03 are all included in Volume 1. Discs #02 and #03 can also be purchased on CD & DVD while NYA PS #00 is only available for sale as a separate CD/DVD release. Owners of the Blu-ray editon receive NYA PS #00 as a free bonus.
At this writing, the Performance Series contains: PS Disc 00 Canterbury House-Live On Sugar Mountain PS Disc 01 Live At The Riverboat PS Disc 02 Live At The Fillmore East PS Disc 03 Live At Massey Hall | ||
| Q- | Are the complete contents of Neil's four solo albums of this era are included in this Archives set? | ||
| A- | No, they are not. Please refer to the track listing to see what is included. | ||
| BLU-RAY vs DVD | |||
| Q- | Are the track lists for the Blu-ray and DVD editions the same (minus future BD-Live materials)? | ||
| A- | Yes, the track lists are the same on DVD and Blu-ray sets. | ||
| Q- | Can you play a Blu-ray disc on a regular DVD player? | ||
| A- | No, but Blu-ray players are backward compatible to play DVDs. | ||
| Q- | Will the Blu-ray downloads (BD-Live) be available to those that purchase the DVD version as a separate download? | ||
| A- |
No, the BD-Live downloads will only be available to those who have purchased the Blu-ray edition and have a BD-Live compatible player...connected to the Internet.
Having a BD (Blu-ray) player with Internet connectivity is the only way to get the BD-Live updates and added content. When one downloads BD-Live content to the drive on a BD player, that content is encrypted and can only be accessed with an official NYA BD disc. For owners of the DVD set, downloads would have to happen from the Web-> computer hard drive. They then become files that can be copied or altered in some way...which is not acceptable. We have no reasonable way or desire at this point to encrypt such files for purchases of the DVD set. The BD-Live application lives only in the BD domain and brings ongoing added value to that set. If your BD player dies, those files pass on to the graveyard of decreased data...however simply purchase a replacement player and download all those files again, thus maintaining your entire collection. | ||
| Q- | What is the basic difference between the DVD and Blu-ray beside sound? | ||
| A- |
Here are the major differences between DVD and BD editions:
You can navigate thru the archives while listening to the music on the Blu-ray version. This is a more interactive experience than on DVD. Audio in the Blu-ray edition is presented in ultra-high resolution 24-bit / 192 kHz stereo PCM state-of-the-art master quality sound, while audio in the DVD edition is presented in high resolution 24-bit / 96 kHz stereo PCM audiophile quality sound. Each of the 10 Blu-ray discs feature 1920x1080 high definition picture quality while the 10 DVD discs have 720x480 standard definition picture quality. The Timeline on the Blu-ray edition is enhanced with BD Live(TM) capability, which enables users to download additional content to their players or to external drives. | ||
| BD-Live | |||
| Q- | What is BD-Live? | ||
| A- |
One of the great, added features of the Blu-ray edition of the Archives set is BD-Live functionality.
With BD-Live, one can download for FREE new archives materials as Neil releases them. Some of these downloads will be rare and unreleased tracks, film or video clips, recently unearthed documents, photos, manuscripts, special offers and more. These materials will only be made available to Blu-ray owners of the Archives and are stored on the hard drive of your Blu-ray player after they download. The only way these files can be accessed is when an authorized Archives disc is inserted in the player. These files remain in your system forever or until you decide to delete them thru the NYA Download Manager. With BD-Live your Archives set becomes a constantly evolving and interactive collection that grows over time. In order to realize this added benefit, choose a Blu-ray player with an ethernet jack...or better yet a PS3 that can connect wirelessly to your WiFi. Keep in mind also that an Internet connection with your player will also allow you to update your player's firmware, as improvements are made and bugs are fixed. | ||
| Q- | How will I know if there is new BD-Live downloads available? | ||
| A- | If there are new BD-Live files available for download, a window will appear after inserting the disc. Here you are given the option of downloading, going to the Main Menu or visiting the Timeline. | ||
| Q- | Do you have many of these BD-Live downloads lined up for the release date, or are you going to hold them back and release them gradually? | ||
| A- | There is an ever expanding list of downloads. Some are ready and some not created yet. They will be released over time in an unannounced manner. Not everything will be a song. There will be film clips and various archival materials that weren't included in the set...some recently discovered. | ||
| Q- | Do I need to have cable TV or a satellite dish to use BD-Live? | ||
| A- |
No, one doesn't need cable TV or a satellite subscription to use BD-Live...just an internet connection...the same one that you with your computer. BD-Live has nothing to do with television transmissions.
Think of your BD player as a computer (because really it is in some ways). Connect it to the internet exactly how you currently connect your computer...either via an ethernet cable or WiFi. The only thing extra here that you "may"" need to buy would be an extra ethernet cable that gets connected to your DSL or cable modem. If you purchase a PS3 player it connects to the Web via either ethernet or WiFi...and you won't need to buy anything else. | ||
| Q- | Do I need to be connected to the Internet to access BD-Live content that I've already downloaded? | ||
| A- | Yes, you do need to have a working Internet connection to see your downloaded files. Please see the next question for more details. | ||
| Q- | On my PS3 when I unplug the ethernet cable, I can no longer access my BD Live download. It appears again after I re-connect the internet. Why does this happen? | ||
| A- |
You need to keep connected to the internet. This can be accomplished either via the Ethernet cable or in the case of the PS3 player, via wifi.
Our tech team relates the following: The application isn't designed to cache information about BD-Live content locally, so if the player is disconnected the content will still be on the player, but it won't know what the current pin configuration is, and won't show the content in the User Interface. Once the player is connected again, the viewer will be able to see the content without needing to re-download it." | ||
| Q- | With respect to BD-Live, will I need to connect my Blu-ray player to an ethernet plug every time an update is needed as there is no direct connection? Is there a wifi solution? | ||
| A- |
Some players such as the Sony PS3 have WiFi connectivity to the Web.
If the player doesn't, yes, you will need a hard wire ethernet connection to receive notifications and downloads. | ||
| Q- | I had been operating under the impression that BD-Live downloads could be obtained for any portion of the timeline by inserting any disc. However, based on how the Timeline works and the manner in which the files are encrypted, I'm assuming the material requires one to insert the disc for that particular portion of the timeline. Am I correct? If so, what happens if, say, Disc 6 has a new download but I don't play it for a while? Will I be notified if I play any of the other discs first? | ||
| A- |
The BD-Live files show up on the Timeline regardless of the disc inserted.
In a similar manner, when a new download is available (for any disc time period) a message appears when any disc is inserted. The only exceptions here are the 3 live performance discs and the Journey Through The Past disc, They do not have the active Timeline or BD-Live functionality. | ||
| Q- | If I do purchase Blu-ray and take to a buddy's house to see it (I don't yet have player), if we download added content would I still be able to download again when I do get my own player? What about years down the road if I were to get yet another player? | ||
| A- |
Yes, you could download BD-Live at a friend's house and then later download at your place again.
The limiting factor here is that your friend won't be able to see any of the BD-Live on his player until you come back over and play one of your disc's. The files are heavily encrypted and can only be accessed when an authorized disc is used. If you change player's later or your current player takes a dump, simply download all the available content again. | ||
| Q- | Will all BD-Live downloads be free of charge? I just read a review of the set in a magazine which stated that there will be an additional charge. | ||
| A- | We have absolutely no plans at this time to charge for BD-Live downloads. It is a bonus that one gets for purchasing BD and part of the Archives Blu-ray experience. | ||
| Future Releases | |||
| Q- | Will Volume 1 of the archives be released as a digital download? | ||
| A- |
Yes, purchasers of the Blu-ray and DVD editions receive a download card with an access code on it. The track list will be the same as the CD version and the downloaded tracks will be 320 kbps MP3 files.
Volume 1 is also available for sale as 256kbps AAC files at iTunes. | ||
| Q- | Will Volume 1 of the archives be released on vinyl? | ||
| A- | This is under consideration | ||
| Q- | Will Neil's 1968-1972 LPs be released on Blu-ray following NYA1's release? | ||
| A- | Yes and also as CD and vinyl. In addition they are now available at iTunes in the MP3 format. In each case, these are remastered from the original master tapes. | ||
| Q- | When the second edition of the archives is released, will it add to the timeline that is apparently evident on the first archives? In other words, I gather the Archives will be (or at least try to) the most comprehensive collection of Neil's career, so if I'm navigating the second archives (many years later) and I get an update that, say, Neil wants to send out a Mynah Birds track. Would I need to reinsert an Archives 1 disc or would this "timeline" be continued with further archive releases? | ||
| A- | The timeline has been constructed and programmed to be accessible from current and future discs (which by the way was a major technological breakthru thanks to some brainiacs working with us). In a futuristic scenario where you were the owner of Volume 2 and we decided to make a Mynah Birds track available, your Volume 2 disc would alert you that the download is available.....you would accept the download and then travel down the timeline to the Mynah Birds era.....where the track would be waiting. | ||
| Purchasing Options | |||
| Q- | Are there any plans to release these discs individually? | ||
| A- | Yes, all NYA Vol. 1 discs are available for individual sale in the Blu-ray, DVD and CD formats, exclusively thru www.neilyoung.com | ||
| Q- | With discs are sold individually, will we be able to also buy the empty box and book later? | ||
| A- | At this time the book and poster are available exclusively thru www.neilyoung.com | ||
| Q- | Are there plans to have outlets such as amazon.com or stores sell the discs and book individually for those of us who already have the performance series discs in the set? | ||
| A- | NYA Vol 1 discs will be available individually in all 3 formats, BD, DVD, CD exclusively on neilyoung.com and not from any other online vendor or record store. | ||
| Q- | If we've previously purchased Fillmore East and Massey Hall, do we have to purchase them again, if we buy Archives Vol. 1? | ||
| A- |
Fillmore East and Massey Hall are part of the Volume 1 set. When you buy the set, you get everything...as a complete. Owners of the Blu-ray edition will gain the advantage of 24/192 audio and HD picture, which were not available in the earlier DVD releases of these discs.
If you prefer not to purchase these two discs again, build your own set by buying individual discs from www.neilyoung.com | ||
| Q- | Will there be a Live At The Riverboat CD sold separately, outside the Volume 1 box set? | ||
| A- | Yes, you can purchase this in CD, DVD and Blu-ray formats exclusively thru www.neilyoung.com | ||
| Q- | If we want the 7" Squires single, we can only obtain this by ordering directly from NeilYoung.com? | ||
| A- | The 7" single comes with neilyoung.com orders only. | ||
| Q- | Will BD-Live songs also come with an mp3 version, or will they play on a computer or anything, so I can listen to them when I'm not near my player? | ||
| A- | There will not be mp3 files of BD-Live audio tracks. These files can only be accessed on your BD player. They live on the Timeline can need to be played from there. | ||
| Q- | Is the mp3 download exclusive to neilyoung.com orders? | ||
| A- | No. | ||
| Q- | Will the JTTP soundtrack cuts be included on the MP3 download card? | ||
| A- | No, the set of mp3 files mirror the tracklist on the CD set. You can view that list on the neilyoung.com preorder page. | ||
| Q- | I have questions about my Archives order. Is there anyone that I can contact? Customer Service? | ||
| A- |
You can reach customer service by e-mail, telephone or regular mail. Representatives are available to answer your phone calls between the hours of 8:00 AM and Midnight Monday through Friday and Saturday from 8:30am to 7:00pm, Eastern Standard Time (except holidays).
E-mail address: wbr@b3custserv.com Phone Number: (866) 759-4843 | ||
| Q- | I have purchased the Archives and have a disc missing. What can I do? | ||
| A- |
An Archives Hot Line has been set up to aid customers with matters such as a missing disc or a package that has been damaged. Calling this number will connect you with a recorded message that will ask for your contact information. You will then receive a return call to help with your questions and get you a replacement.
Call 866-430-6230 toll free | ||
| Tech Stuff | |||
| Q- | What is the red spinning thing that I see when a NYA disc is first inserted in my player? | ||
| A- | That is a 45 RPM record adapter spinning around. It serves as our loading icon. The disc that you have inserted is loading some of it's data onto the player. Blu-ray discs access some of their information directly from the disc and some from the player's hard drive while being used. | ||
| Q- | The red 45 adapter on my NYA Blu-ray disc keeps spinning and spinning. Nothing else ever happens. What's wrong? | ||
| A- | Most likely your player needs to have it's firmware upgraded. Consult your owners manual or visit the manufacturer's website for details. | ||
| Q- | I have a Panasonic BD 35 Blu Ray Player, and I am having problem with the preview disc. The problem is that when I am exploring the photos and the memorabilia with music playing at the same time, the sound clicks and jump for 2 seconds every time I press the enter button on the remote control of the player while looking at the memorabilia, or at the photos. Anyone having the same problem with Panasonic BD35 or other stand alone players? | ||
| A- |
There have been some reports about audio stuttering while watching the Archives during Info Card mode with a Panasonic BD35 player.
As with all players, one needs to set audio to PCM, but in depth testing on this player now shows that the Panasonic's Secondary Audio needs to be set to the OFF setting to prevent stuttering. Consult your player's owner's manual to find this setting. | ||
| Q- | Is the Blu-ray edition Region-free? | ||
| A- | Yes | ||
| Q- | How much information is on the Blu-ray discs? Are they 25 GB or 50 GB discs? | ||
| A- | Most of the Blu-ray discs in Volume 1 are dual layer/50 GB discs. A couple of discs are 25 GB. | ||
| Q- | I'm going Blu-ray but not the PS3 route. Will my 8GB USB flash stick be sufficient for the first BD downloads or will I need to buy a bigger stick? | ||
| A- | You should be good with the 8GB for a while. Keep in mind that due to bandwidth and such we aren't going to be asking folks to download huge multi-Gig files. | ||
| Q- | Does it matter what kind of connections my stereo receiver has? Do I need HDMI or a digital connection or can I use an analog connection? | ||
| A- | Yes, you can use an analog connection. Both 24/96 and 24/192 audio can be output via the analog outputs on most players. Above all, know your system and how to set it up. Read your owners manuals and understand what options and preferences your components have. | ||
| Q- | Can I transfer any content from the Blu-ray discs to the Sony Playstation 3, or onto a media player?" | ||
| A- | No, the content on these Blu-ray discs remain on the disc and are not transferable. | ||
| Q- | Will I still be able to take advantage of the 24bit/192kHz soundtrack if I output the audio on the PS3 through the AV Multi? I am concerned that the PS3 may down sample the audio if I do output the audio via the AV Multi. | ||
| A- | Yes, you can listen to the 192 audio via the PS3 AV Multi (analog outputs). The Digital to Analog conversion happens in the PS3. | ||
| Q- | What happens when my Blu-ray player gets filled up with downloads? Can I add another hard drive or something? | ||
| A- |
Profile 2.0 players with USB can support additional storage via flash drives or USB hard drives. Of course the latter can provide much more storage. This goes for the PS3 as well as other players.
We have programmed into BD-Live a function that alerts the user when their player's drive is getting full. At that point one can either add additional storage or delete files. This allows the user to clear room on the player that they may have filled up with Kung Fu Panda trailers and High School Musical alternate endings. If you choose to delete a NYA file, you can always go back and download it at a later date. Keep in mind that all NYA files on your player or add-on storage devices are encrypted and are only accessible when you have inserted a valid NYA BD disc into your player. | ||
| Q- | Will the audio files that I get through BD-Live be 24 bit/192 kHz? It seems like they would end up being huge files that take a long time to download. | ||
| A- | As of this writing the BD-Live audio files are all DTS HD Master Audio files. This is lossless 24/192 stereo audio and, in our opinion, the best way for us to download hi res audio in a reasonable time, with hi fidelity. | ||
| Q- | My friend told me in order to hear the high resolution on audio, one needs a digital stereo amp with digital speakers. He says with a normal analog stereo and analog speakers, one would only hear the dvd audio at 44 khz. Is this true? Because if it is, I will be sad. | ||
| A- | That is just not true. | ||
| Blu-ray Setup Tips | |||
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The NYA Vol. 1 Blu-ray edition offers a 24bit 192 kHz PCM audio track which, in our opinion, is the finest listening experience available in the digital sound domain.
For users with Blu-ray players that cannot deliver 24/192 audio, we have provided an alternate audio track. This 24bit 96kHz option has 256 times the resolution of a Compact Disc and an improved dynamic range of 48dB. In contrast, a track on a Compact Disc contains 90% more information than a standard 128kbps MP3 track, which discards the majority of the sound information through lossy audio compression. To optimize audio playback of these discs, double check your Blu-ray player audio settings menu: * Disable down sampling (if the player offers the option) * Choose 24/192 * If a 24/192 option is not available, choose 24/96 To optimize audio playback, it is important that your player is properly configured. Player manufacturers differ in their default output, so for optimal playback of this high resolution track, double check your Blu-ray player setup menus and refer to your equipment's owners manual. In many cases, player setup menus can only be accessed by first removing the Blu-ray disc from the player. Please note that 24/192 audio can be output via HDMI (if the receiver/TV supports 24/192 via HDMI) and that 24/192 can be output via the analog outputs on most players. You may find that using the digital S/PDIF output on your player may automatically down sample the audio signal. As a general rule, if you do not hear any audio after selecting 24/192, change the player's audio output to 24/96. | |||
| If your Blu-ray players offers Still Mode or Pause Mode, set it to "Frame". This will greatly improve the image quality of stills as it will tell the player to display all lines of the image rather than try to deinterlace them. | |||
| DVD Setup Tips | |||
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The 24bit 96kHz audio track on this DVD has 256 times the resolution of a Compact Disc and an improved dynamic range of 48dB. In contrast, a track on a Compact Disc contains 90% more information than a standard 128kbps MP3 track, which discards the majority of the sound information through lossy audio compression.
To optimize audio playback of this disc, double check your DVD player audio settings menu: * Digital output is set to PCM * Choose 24/96 versus 16/48 | |||
| BD-Live Tips | |||
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SET UP
The Timeline feature on the NYA Vol. 1 Blu-ray edition contains BD-Live capabilities, which allow you to access new content as it is made available by Neil Young. This exclusive content is only available thru BD-Live. In order to take advantage of the BD-Live aspect of this disc you will need: * a BD-Live Blu-ray player with an active internet connection Please note that some players may require you to add additional storage. DOWNLOAD New BD-Live content and downloads can be found on a disc's Timeline feature. The speed of download is dependent on the player you are using, the speed of your internet connection and the size of download file. You have the option to download files one at a time or all at once. You can cancel individual or all downloads that are in progress. Downloads are stored in your player and can only be accessed when a NYA BD-Live enabled disc is inserted in your player. VIEW Downloaded content appears on the Timeline as a blue push pin. Click on this blue pin to get information and to access your new content. There are several types of downloads that you may receive * Gallery files = photos, documents, press articles or memorabilia * Audio files = single or multiple song downloads * Video files = archival clips or brand new clips. * Streaming Audio = a series of streaming audio files MANAGE The Download Log Menu displays the NYA files that you have downloaded. Here you can view, manage, and delete files as desired. | |||
| Choosing a Blu-ray Player | |||
| Q- | I am thinking about buying a PS3 for the archives but I am wondering: if the player breaks for whatever reason, will I be able to re-download all the BD-live stuff? | ||
| A- | Yes, you can re-download everything if your player breaks or you upgrade equipment later on. | ||
| Q- | Are there any other Blu-ray players that have wifi capability other than the Sony PS3? | ||
| A- | Yes, at least Sony and Samsung offer Profile 2.0 players that can see wifi. Check with your local retailer or conduct an internet search for details. | ||
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Blu-ray on PCs:
Please be advised that the Archives set works in a very limited manner on PCs and that no successful tests have occurred with Macs.
The list of software players that work well is very limited due to the advanced nature of the set's programming and slow response by software player manufacturers to keep up with the format. In general Blu-ray software players are still in their early stages. Also keep in mind that if your computer does not have a soundcard that supports 24/192 audio, you won't hear the archives as intended on Blu-ray. The fact that software manufacturers have not kept up the demands of the Blu-ray technology is a shame and we will continue to work with them to help improve their players. In the meantime, Arcsoft's TotalMedia Theatre has proven to be a software player that works well with this Archives set. Considerable effort has gone into working with manufacturers to update their players to meet the demands of the Archives use of Blu-ray technology. While the format's technical spec supported some of the features integrated in this set, the code had not ever been written until our project came along. For this reason, we ask that users keep their BD players firmware updated for best results. This information is well spelled out on each of the Archives discs. | |||