The Strat Pack: Live in Concert Blu-ray

The Strat Pack: Live in Concert

 (2004)

Music



Masters of rock guitar celebrate the 50th anniversary of Leo Fender's Stratocaster at the Strat Pack concert. This set filmed in 2004 features classic performances by some of the world's best rock guitarists, including David Gilmour, Brian May, Ron Wood, Mike Rutherford, Hank Marvin, Gary Moore, Paul Carrack, The Crickets, Joe Walsh, Theresa Anderson and many others. Also included are interviews with many of the performers.

For more details about The Strat Pack: Live in Concert on Blu-ray, see The Strat Pack: Live in Concert Blu-ray Review

The Strat Pack: Live in Concert Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC, and granted a 1080i “live” transfer The Strat Pack: Live in Concert arrives on Blu-ray via Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Recorded in 2004, this impressive celebration certainly looks very strong. Detail and clarity are excellent, contrast solid, and the color-scheme intact. The blacks, in particular, are very deep, and even the far corners of the stage, where light isn’t in abundance, look solid. Edge-enhancement and macroblocking are not an issue of concern either. Aside from a few selected close-ups, revealing a thicker than usual definition bordering edge-enhancement, the transfer is consistently strong. In fact, a lot of the facial close-ups are remarkably detailed and clear. Finally, I don’t believe that you will be disturbed by motion blurring either (judder). The little that is obvious is actually quite well handled, and I personally wasn’t bothered by it.

I specifically would like to comment on the multiple cameras used for this recording as there seems to be a slight difference in the manner they capture lighting. There is a "floating" camera that typically zooms towards the audience after each performance, and with the footage from it you will notice a bit of noise. The rest of the cameras, positioned strategically on or around the stage, avoid the issue completely. This being said, the overall quality of the presentation is very strong and in my opinion up to the high standards set by Eagle Rock Entertainment with their Montreux-series. (Note: This is a Region-Free disc which you will be able to play on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

The Strat Pack: Live in Concert Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


Three audio tracks are included on this Blu-ray disc: DTS-HD MA 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, and LPCM. Before I get into commenting on the audio quality I would like to point your attention to the fact that this is an extremely long show with an abundance of popular musicians showing on stage. Every one of them appears to be testing and adjusting their instruments and therefore balance tends to slightly vary from one performance to another. With this short disclaimer out of the way the DTS-HD MA track, the mix I opted for, is undoubtedly very pleasing. There is a strong punch (Gary Moore's solos are a great example) and clarity (Hank Williams) to the music that I heard coming off of my speakers. More importantly there are also plenty of "colors" to hear (those of you with more than a basic knowledge in guitar playing know exactly what I am talking about).

As mentioned earlier balance varies slightly. It ranges from very impressive (Paul Rogers and Brian May) to questionable (Gary Moore). There is a lot here, however, that isn’t related to the manner in which the show is mixed. Rather, it has to do with how some of the musicians play with the equipment. The most notable example is Gary Moore’s performance where he intentionally tweaks the guitar amplifier to a level I thought was rather over the top. The actual quality of sound, however, is very good and I did not hear any troubling distortions, etc. Overall, The Strat Pack: Live in Concert is a terrific show with plenty of memorable performances highlighting the flexibility and sonorous diversity of an iconic instrument.

The Strat Pack: Live in Concert Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Eagle Rock Announces Tori, Ray, and Strat Pack Blu-rays - November 5, 2008

The Strat Pack: Live in Concert Blu-ray, Forum Discussions

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