Tag Archives: 24-bit 96kHz

Pink Floyd at Pompeii comes to Blu-ray in May

Commissions Earned

The 1972 documentary/concert film Pink Floyd at Pompeii comes to Blu-ray Disc on May 2nd via Columbia Records. The film, a.k.a. “Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii,” has now been digitally remastered in 4K from the original 35mm footage. Additionally, it comes with enhanced audio. The line-up for Pink Floyd during this show included David Gilmour who played guitar and sang. Roger Waters played bass and sang. Richard Wright handled keyboards and sang backup vocals. Nick Mason played the drums.

It’s certainly worth noting that the film will be getting a theatrical and IMAX release, starting on April 24th. You can get tickets on Pink Floyd’s official website. The tech specs for the Blu-ray include a 1080p HD video presentation, very likely in the original 1.37:1 aspect ratio. It will feature new sound mixes, including a Dolby Atmos mix: only available in the feature film. It also includes Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless surround and Uncompressed Linear PCM 2.0 Stereo (at 96kHz/24-bit) sound mixes, on both feature film and concert. Steven Wilson is responsible for the new enhanced audio. The concert part is only presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 Stereo.

The Blu-ray is now available for preorder at Amazon and directly via Pink Floyd’s online store. The concert is also getting a new vinyl release, available for preorder at Amazon. The feature film has a runtime of 1 hour, 24 minutes, 58 seconds. The concert runtime is 1 hour, 2 minutes, 45 seconds. No bonus materials are listed as included with this release. Further information about the restoration and new sound mixes can be found below.

“Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII, the groundbreaking 1972 film directed by Adrian Maben, returns to theaters, now digitally re-mastered in 4K from the original 35mm footage with enhanced audio.

Set in the hauntingly beautiful ruins of the ancient Roman Amphitheater in Pompeii, Italy, the film captures Pink Floyd performing an intimate concert without an audience. Filmed in October 1971, the performance features unforgettable tracks such as “Echoes,” “A Saucerful of Secrets,” and “One of These Days.” The breathtaking visuals of the amphitheater, captured both day and night, amplify the magic of the performance, creating a unique and immersive experience. Additionally, the film includes rare behind-the-scenes glimpses of the band working on The Dark Side of the Moon at Abbey Road Studios.

This meticulous restoration delivers stunning image and sound quality, featuring a theatrical and home entertainment mix from Steven Wilson in 5.1 and Dolby Atmos. These upgrades enhance the film’s depth and clarity while preserving the authenticity and spirit of the original 1972 release. Inspired by the golden warmth of Pompeii’s iconic setting, the remaster transforms this timeless piece into a masterpiece of sight and sound. Experience Pink Floyd like never before through this pioneering audio-visual remaster!”

– Pink Floyd’s website

The music set lists for the feature film and concert (from 1971) are detailed below.

Feature Film:

  1. Pompeii Intro
  2. Echoes Part 1
  3. On The Run
  4. Careful With That Axe Eugene
  5. A Saucerful Of Secrets
  6. Us and Them
  7. One Of These Days
  8. Mademoiselle Nobs
  9. Brain Damage
  10. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun
  11. Echoes Part 2

Concert:

  1. Pompeii Intro
  2. Echoes Part 1
  3. Careful With That Axe, Eugene
  4. A Saucerful of Secrets
  5. One of These Days
  6. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
  7. Echoes Part 2

Prince’s Purple Rain album on Audiophile Blu-ray

Commissions Earned

The 1984 album Purple Rain by Prince and the Revolution will get an “Audiophile” Blu-ray on April 25th. Essentially, this is a Blu-ray Audio release. It comes from Warner Records, in partnership with NPG Records and Paisley Park Enterprises. This Blu-ray will include the 2024 Dolby Atmos mix and the original 1984 HD Stereo 2.0 mix at 24-bit in 96kHz. The details about what went into this Dolby Atmos mix are below, taken from a press release.

“The 2024 Atmos presentation of Purple Rain was meticulously mixed from the original multi-track master tapes by Prince’s protege and Best Engineered Grammy nominee Chris James. It was released via all participating Digital Service Providers on June 21, 2024.

“In 2024 we started our year-long celebration of the 40th anniversary of Purple Rain, we are thrilled to present Prince’s masterpiece in ATMOS, providing an immersive, surround auditory experience of Prince’s legendary album. This highly crafted release will present Prince’s iconic work with more space and depth while preserving the beautiful songs that have shaped music and popular culture, and touched the lives of countless fans around the world.” – Paisley Park Enterprises”

Some of you have heard this already streaming via Apple Music in (spatial audio) Dolby Atmos. Yet, this release will go one step beyond that, running at a much higher audio bitrate. As mentioned, it will also include HD Stereo in a 24-bit / 96kHz mix. You can now find this “Audiophile” Purple Rain Blu-ray available for preorder at Amazon. You can also preorder directly via the Rhino Records store.

And one last interesting note about the release date. The release on April 25th comes very close to the date that Prince passed away (April 21st). Fans can now enjoy the classic album in their home theater or home. It will be available in the very highest digital audio quality.

The track list for the album is as follows:

  1. Let’s Go Crazy
  2. Take Me With U
  3. The Beautiful Ones
  4. Computer Blue
  5. Darling Nikki
  6. When Doves Cry
  7. I Would Die 4 U
  8. Baby I’m A Star
  9. Purple Rain