Blu-ray is not going away, Focusrite Scarlett Solo Studio and Scarlett 2i2 Studio (Week 48, 2021)

Sound Advice
By Don Lindich

Week 48, 2021

Q. I need a new Blu-ray player and am looking at a Panasonic 4K model, either the UB820 or the UB9000. However, I have heard that all movie DVD media will be discontinued. What have you been hearing?

-J.G., East Hampstead, NH

A. I have not heard anything like that and consider it fake news (I hate that term but it fits here!) and rumor-mongering.

It sounds like you are referring to all disc media, given you are looking for a 4K Blu-ray player. DVD media may in fact be discontinued at some point, because DVDs are standard definition media in a high definition and Ultra HD world. A DVD has about 20% of the resolution of a Blu-ray Disc and 3.5% of the resolution of an UltraHD 4K Blu-ray Disc. The difference in resolution is only the beginning as DVD also lacks the color gamut and dynamic range of Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray, and the sound quality is much inferior as well. Simply put, compared to Blu-ray Discs and 4K Blu-ray Discs, DVDs are garbage and should no longer be purchased if Blu-ray or 4K Blu-ray versions are available. Of course, you will want to play the DVDs you already own and nothing will make them look better than the Panasonic players, with their class-leading video processing.

I expect Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray to exist far into the foreseeable future, and even with the prevalence of streaming the studios still make tons of money selling physical media. They are not going to kill their golden goose. Besides that, an all-streaming world would be much bleaker than you might imagine. More on that in an upcoming column.

Focusrite Scarlett Solo Studio and Scarlett 2i2 Studio: This product is a real find that I have been anxious to tell readers about. If you have any musicians or vocalists on your gift list this year, please pay close attention.

Focusrite Scarlett Solo Studio is a complete home recording studio in a box, suitable for recording vocals, instruments (especially guitar) and instruments and vocals together. The Scarlett Solo Studio is only $229.99 and includes a high quality microphone, monitoring headphones, the Scarlett recording interface with inputs for a voice microphone and an instrument, and all the required cables. Scarlett works with PCs, Macs, and iPad Pro tablets and includes a robust assortment of software for fine-tuning and tweaking recordings. Other Scarlett kits are available for not much more, with the Scarlett 2i2 Studio striking me as an especially good value at $279.99. The Scarlett 2i2 has an additional input for a second instrument, for even more recording flexibility than the Scarlett Solo.

What makes Scarlett so exceptional is not just what it does, but how well and how easily it makes recordings and the creative possibilities it opens up to the artist. Scarlett sound quality ranks as pro-level and many artists are making records with the system. You can find many examples of recordings made with Scarlett on the Focusrite site. I especially recommend the recording made by Gabrielle Grau, which can be found at https://youtu.be/kGb7C9g-85E on the Focusrite TV YouTube channel.

If this piques your interest at all I suggest you visit the Focusrite website and check out the Scarlett Studio kits yourself. After you watch some of the accompanying videos and listen to some of the fine recordings made with Scarlett, you will learn all you need to know about this truly exceptional product, and what a wonderful gift it is for any musician.