I've digested it, finally. Thoughts:
1) The mix. I can get the complaints of the mix, the drums sound very thin and tiny compared to some of the MP-era live recordings (I instantly compared TROAE from Score and TROAE from Luna Park and the difference in sheer power was enormous). The guitars are super loud and the vocals are compressed to hell (hence the loud breathing sounds and loud vocals overall even in quiet songs like The Silent Man or Beneath the Surface), but I don't think it's terrible. It's quite a step up from CIM in every sense of the word, but the sound production could have been better (I'm shielding myself from "IF IT CAN BE BETTER THEN DO IT YOURSELF NEVER ENOUGH" comments). I'm really beginning to have my doubts about Rich Chycki; I don't doubt the guy's talent but his work with Dream Theater, so far, has not been as *amazing* as JP insists it is. That being said, it's OK. I can still enjoy the concert (and it was one hell of a show).
2) The image is wonderful, OTE did a fantastic job with the video editing. I missed some highlights throughout (like Mangini's crazy drum part at the end of Bridges in the Sky), but overall it was great.
3) James LaBrie. This was even better than Score, because it sounded more natural. In Score, his vocals sounded perfect to the point that they felt super polished...I mean, he didn't miss a note. I'm sure he sounded fantastic that night and that there was some standard pitch correction applied (it's no myth that pitch correction is used in 85% of today's recordings), but it was way too perfect. This time around, I can hear the sheer power coming out from his voice. He was the reason this wasn't a let down from me, and that this DVD is getting repeated listens by me. Bravo, James.
4) Extras. Before receiving some "OMG 3 HOURS OF CONSERT AND YOU COMPLAIN? EVERTING IS NEVER ENOUGH LIKE THE SONG DT PLS INDONESIA SOON MP DURM GOD", I do agree that their "the reason why this delayed will be quite clear for everyone" feels a little short. Score was released 4 months after the actual concert and packed far more extras. The documentary is cool and everything, but it did leave me with a feeling of..."is this everything?".
5) The performance. Amazing. I can't say enough good things about the band right now and their power live, it's a shame the DVD's mix didn't do it justice.
...All in all, an enjoyable DVD. Not the best by Dream Theater's high live standards, but a proud addition to my concert collection.