Live CDs vs. Live DVDs

[TheGreatPretender]

I am in agreement with Rob on this basic point.  Pure audio programs are far more useful to me in my day to day life than a video program.  I usually work from 8-10 hours a day and I cannot dedicate myself to a video program during that time.  Listening to podcasts, audiobooks, and music make my day go faster, teach me many things, and generally entertain me while hammering out code or chasing ghosts in the machine.  Often when I get home from work the last thing I want to do is sit on my large ass in front of a screen.  Even if I am just puttering around the house I can run my radio, watching a DVD of a concert is low on that priority list.

Well, there's a difference between using some audio to help you get through a daunting day, and video, or movie, or whatever, which, yes, is an activity in itself. But I still think people need to take the time for these things. I remember watching an interview with Jordan Rudess (and yes, I was much happier watching it than I would have been reading it) and he said something along the lines of, "I miss the times when you'd just sit down with your friends and just listen to music, for the sake of listening to music." And I think he's absolutely right. Forget the DVDs even. I will take the time to sit down and listen to an album with my friends. It's half the reason I bought a vinyl player.

Personally I voted for CD in the poll, because of value.  I will get far more entertainment value from a CD of a concert which I will listen to in both a dedicated manner multiple times and then chop the bits I like best into my music rotation.  Much better ROI, than a concert DVD that I will make sure I watch once and then most likely never return to again.  (and yes I could just buy the DVD and burn it down, but i rarely see the value in that when I just want the CD which is usually cheaper anyway).

Well, I will say this: I think.. I mean, when I buy a Dream Theater DVD, I can already hear what the concert is. If I watch it, I'm getting all the audio out of it already, PLUS the picture. So personally, I think that concert DVDs should just automatically come with the CD, or at least a digital download of the audio. Like, if I bought this DVD, that already has all the sound plus the picture on it, I think personally, that I should be entitled to own the audio version of that concert as well.

[Eldomm]

I don't have the time to sit down and watch a concert, but I enjoy being able to listen to concerts while driving

This.