Target General Deals Thread

[Troy1973]

Originally Posted by kevin87

Eh, better is just audio snobbery lol I'm not going to get up every 20 minutes to flip or change the disc because they can only fit 5 songs per side and you have to have 3 discs because of it. Also paying $40+ is going to make me buy one album a year, that's too expensive for me.. on top of having to spend a lot on decent equipment that won't damage it. I don't care what it looks like, it's either being played or it's in the case where I don't see it. Everybody's just always like CDs take up so much space! but then they're like hell yeah vinyl and it takes up more space, along with the equipment... and unless you're buying a variant, the artwork is just a larger version of what you get with the cd anyway.

The point was it's probably the least likely format to make a comeback, and yet people wouldn't even piss on a cd if it was on fire in favor of streaming.

Yeah, you're stating your own preferences here. You like convenience and affordability and that's perfectly fine. I own around 2500+ CDs. The CD is an amazing piece of technology and I never said it wasn't. There are many CDs that do not have a vinyl release. I prefer vinyl but I accept CD. Just like I prefer 4K but I accept Blu-ray and even DVD. Vinyl is making a comeback for more than just nostalgia. People seem to be embracing analog formats again. The opinion is that vinyl feels more alive per say. It's also not stopping at vinyl it's also starting with cassette tapes and VHS. Now personally, I don't want VHS or cassettes but the market seems to be there.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by 50strat54

I know for a fact that Universal Music Group has digitized their catalog and sent the tapes to be stored at Iron Mountain. It would take an act of god to use those tapes for a reissue. Bono, Eminem and Shania could get them. Not Mobile Fidelity.

Well, after the 2008 Universal Studios fire, countless music master tapes were lost so they are probably loathe to loan out the surviving masters they do still have.

For those who are unaware:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/11/m...ecordings.html

[Troy1973]

Originally Posted by pinballmaster

Bro, you're misinformed.
I mix and master music myself. Less compression doesn't result in a better song.

I never said anything about the master anywhere in my posts. However, once the master is transferred to the given format it will be "limited/not limited" by the format it is recorded to, which is fact.

There's a myth that all records use a different audio source for the product. If you went and bought 100 random records from the past decade and compared the waveform you'd realize at least half of those are the exact same source file. No difference what so ever. The exact same master.
Records aren't mastered differently to improve the quality. They are mastered with less compression/bass because it's a limitation of the format.
If the bass/limiting was the same you'd get distortion.
The only situation where a record is better is when the CD product was mastered improperly. In the early 90's, the loudness wars began. You went from -14 masters to something closer to -8. Much louder recordings, but due to all of the limiting, some of the dynamics are lost. So in the situation where the CD is overly compressed you might find better versions on vinyl. That's maybe 10% of recordings..... Mostly rock stuff from the 90's or early 00's. Compression is very important in music. The loudness factor is important. Even with very basic acoustic music.

Yeah, I have an entire shelf of Rock Candy remastered CDs so I am aware of what crappy remasters are like. But again, I never said anything about the master file.

You can't compare DVD to 4K Blu-ray or anything like that.... Why? Because the source files are completely different. One is a much higher resolution.

Well this statement here is wrong. The "master/source file" for the 4K-UHD is used for the Blu-ray without having the HDR pass applied and then downscaled to 1080p. However, they both come from the same 4K source file. What was that about being misinformed again?

That's not the case with vinyl. If anything 24 bit downloads these days are inferior to all.
I dare you to find me 10 records that justify paying $50 instead of $10 based on "higher quality" masters....

For the third time, I never mentioned anything about masters or implied anything other than compression used on vinyl vs CD. Compression is not used when the source/master is recorded to the vinyl. That is my statement.

[FlamedLiquid]

Just noticed the Stripes and Gahndi 4k steelbooks are up for preorder. The Gahndi price is insane though. May preorder Stripes bur would like another b2g1 or b1 g1 50% offer

[kevin87]

Originally Posted by Troy1973

Yeah, you're stating your own preferences here. You like convenience and affordability and that's perfectly fine. I own around 2500+ CDs. The CD is an amazing piece of technology and I never said it wasn't. There are many CDs that do not have a vinyl release. I prefer vinyl but I accept CD. Just like I prefer 4K but I accept Blu-ray and even DVD. Vinyl is making a comeback for more than just nostalgia. People seem to be embracing analog formats again. The opinion is that vinyl feels more alive per say. It's also not stopping at vinyl it's also starting with cassette tapes and VHS. Now personally, I don't want VHS or cassettes but the market seems to be there.

Funny you say that because there's been a good bit of indie artists now who only release things on vinyl and digital and their cds are limited or nonexistent.

[50strat54]

Originally Posted by FlamedLiquid

Just noticed the Stripes and Ghandi 4k steelbooks are up for preorder. The Ghandi price is insane though. May preorder Stripes bur would like another b2g1 or b1 g1 50% offer

Gandhi 4K was going cheap when people broke up the Columbia Classics box.

I think I paid $14 same as Mr. Smith Goes To Washington.

I have a feeling they will all be released eventually.

[Troy1973]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

And you're madly trying to justify your spending mad $$$$ on something that has no audible benefit when nearly all music is digitally recorded/mixed/mastered. Personally, I don't even buy CDs either, I purchase the high-res digital versions (typically 24-bit/96 or 192KHz) to be played back on my home theater or Sony studio headphones - hundreds or thousands of times if need be with no loss of quality and half of what you shelled out for it on a format from a century ago. The record companies are making a killing off you guys.

Peter, seriously, what is this post for?

By your own admission you have no skin in the game. You prefer to download/stream your music. That's all good but why do you care if people spend there money on CDs or vinyl? You think it's a waste, that's you. Everyone else is free to do what they want. In all my responses on this I never said anyone was wrong for having their preferences.

So, do you. Keep listening and rock on, rap on, country on, whatever. Just make sure you have all that backed up somewhere.

[pinballmaster]

Originally Posted by Troy1973

I never said anything about the master anywhere in my posts. However, once the master is transferred to the given format it will be "limited/not limited" by the format it is recorded to, which is fact.



Yeah, I have an entire shelf of Rock Candy remastered CDs so I am aware of what crappy remasters are like. But again, I never said anything about the master file.



Well this statement here is wrong. The "master/source file" for the 4K-UHD is used for the Blu-ray without having the HDR pass applied and then downscaled to 1080p. However, they both come from the same 4K source file. What was that about being misinformed again?


For the third time, I never mentioned anything about masters or implied anything other than compression used on vinyl vs CD. Compression is not used when the source/master is recorded to the vinyl. That is my statement.

"MASTERING" is done prior to printing any physical format of music. "ALL" mixing/mastering includes some sort of compression/limiting." It has zero to do with resolution/quality. Vinyl just has less limiting/compression because it causes distortion on a record player. As I said, it's usually 3-4 LUFS difference. It also has less bass and less treble. So you're not getting "more" quality. You're getting "less." In most cases the sound is mutilated. I've seen countless artists take their CD masters and simply do bass/treble cuts and place those versions on the records. Why? So they don't have to shell out thousands more on the mastering process. Rarely does an artist shell out the cash to have them properly mastered for vinyl. In those situations vinyl was the original intention. The CD version probably suffers because they just tweaked the vinyl master instead of creating a new version.

I'm not talking about the "master" source files. Anything from like 2000 and before was recorded to tape/reels. Since then, almost everything has been recorded digitally unless the artist requests tape. Even tape has to be converted over to digital at some point before mixing/mastering/printing. Finished songs/masters are digital. Look up vinyl printing/mastering. You'll see the specifications. Certain reductions in the wavefield have to be done to reduce the chances of distortion, pops, clicks.... This is why things sound warmer and less bassy. Not because an artist wants it like that, but because it has to be like that. Records are only popular for clout/attention, misinformation, and nostalgia. Record companies are pushing them because they can charge 5-10x.

I still think you're confused by the word "compression/limiting." It's not a reduction in quality. It's a mixing/mastering term for equaling volume/loudness. It's not compression like converting a WAV file to an MP3.
It's not compression like taking a 8K master down to 1080p. Compression is done literally on every line of vocals/instruments you've ever heard. It evens the volume/sound and makes it louder. As I said before, vinyl just uses a little less on the master because a record player can't handle something that loud.

[RingOfHonor]

This thread desperately needs a mod cleaning. Take your vinyl argument to a proper thread.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by Troy1973

Peter, seriously, what is this post for?

By your own admission you have no skin in the game. You prefer to download/stream your music. That's all good but why do you care if people spend there money on CDs or vinyl? You think it's a waste, that's you. Everyone else is free to do what they want. In all my responses on this I never said anyone was wrong for having their preferences.

So, do you. Keep listening and rock on, rap on, country on, whatever. Just make sure you have all that backed up somewhere.

I still buy CDs for things like greatest hits compilations and things that aren't available in HiRes streaming. I should have been more specific that I don't buy *new* music in CD format since 1: there's very little new music I like these days, and 2: what contemporary artists I do like have high-res digital releases.

My post was for clearing up the misinformation that you brought that others have also corrected in a more technical manner.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by RingOfHonor

This thread desperately needs a mod cleaning. Take your vinyl argument to a proper thread.

I think it's relevant because Target is one of those that seem to be pushing this vinyl revival and there's a lot of misinformation floating around. They cut back on "legit" top quality physical media like 4K and push the snake oil.

Think of it as a customer service.

[50strat54]

Originally Posted by RingOfHonor

This thread desperately needs a mod cleaning. Take your vinyl argument to a proper thread.

Why? These Target sales are some of the worst I’ve ever seen. It’s almost hopeless at this point. That B1G1 50% off prices is close to Best Buy regular prices after a title has been out for four months.

Posting about Target Circle deals, most are average at best in my opinion.

The Criterion No Country For Old Men and Amazon 3 for 33 4K deals at least gave me a little solace. I continue to scan this thread in hoping to find rare gold, same for digital.

This vinyl CD debate is at least fun reading vs these lousy sales.

Like a broken “record” (pun intended ) it’s been down hill since Best Buy left the market. 2024 Black Friday was confirmation. I was hoping against hope that Best Buy would still bring in movies but nope.

It seems the Studios are pulling back on aggressive pricing, they no longer see the benefit. The studios would like to do what Disney did with Barbarian also reducing combo packs and limiting which titles get a 4K release.

All my opinion folks, but sales wise, it’s been very sad.

So give me that vinyl CD debate, it’s a nice relief from reading spend $1000 dollars on Target Circle get $25 gift card (my exaggeration).

[50strat54]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

I think it's relevant because Target is one of those that seem to be pushing this vinyl revival and there's a lot of misinformation floating around. They cut back on "legit" top quality physical media like 4K and push the snake oil.

Think of it as a customer service.

Target, Walmart and I think even Best Buy, also Guitar Center sell vinyl because they see it is selling and bring customers into the store. They are only concerned with product that SELLS.

Target and Walmart have found they do well with their exclusive vinyl releases (color, poster, alt cover)

What has happened to movies at Target and Walmart? Rows and rows have been eliminated. Their search engines for movies suck, Target’s truly horrible and you need google to help find the item.

For sales, hot titles sell out fast. They probably make some agreement with the distributor to share the loss on a few titles and make it up on the higher priced title discounted on B1G1.

It took a while for hot titles to sell out at Best Buy.

All evidence is pointing to Target desperately wanting to follow Best Buy, for some reason they are hesitant to pull the trigger. I think they’d just like to bring in shippers for hot titles like Wicked.

[VictoryAtNight]

I got a 5% off coupon……….because I am a Target Circle Card holder. Lovely……

[Member-922335]

I enjoy the conversation on any physical media at this point because while all of us here are obviously all in on physical media the reality is that the glory days are behind us.

I have well over 1,400 Blu-ray/4K in my collection but when I go the homes of others it's exceedingly rare to see a movie on their shelves, most have gone to streaming. What do I see though? Vinyl.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by 50strat54

Their search engines for movies suck, Target’s truly horrible and you need google to help find the item.

It's annoying on the B2B1 sales to search for a title, it doesn't come up, find another title and then the title you were looking for earlier is in the alternate selections.

[FlamedLiquid]

Just got a $5 off $40 deal.

[Jennifer Lawrence Fan]

Originally Posted by FlamedLiquid

Just got a $5 off $40 deal.

I had that last week. Today I got a get an extra 5% off for being a target circle member. So basically 10% off my next order.

[RingOfHonor]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

I think it's relevant because Target is one of those that seem to be pushing this vinyl revival and there's a lot of misinformation floating around. They cut back on "legit" top quality physical media like 4K and push the snake oil.

Think of it as a customer service.

Originally Posted by 50strat54

Why? These Target sales are some of the worst I’ve ever seen. It’s almost hopeless at this point. That B1G1 50% off prices is close to Best Buy regular prices after a title has been out for four months.

Posting about Target Circle deals, most are average at best in my opinion.

The Criterion No Country For Old Men and Amazon 3 for 33 4K deals at least gave me a little solace. I continue to scan this thread in hoping to find rare gold, same for digital.

This vinyl CD debate is at least fun reading vs these lousy sales.

Like a broken “record” (pun intended ) it’s been down hill since Best Buy left the market. 2024 Black Friday was confirmation. I was hoping against hope that Best Buy would still bring in movies but nope.

It seems the Studios are pulling back on aggressive pricing, they no longer see the benefit. The studios would like to do what Disney did with Barbarian also reducing combo packs and limiting which titles get a 4K release.

All my opinion folks, but sales wise, it’s been very sad.

So give me that vinyl CD debate, it’s a nice relief from reading spend $1000 dollars on Target Circle get $25 gift card (my exaggeration).

Because there are threads dedicated to discussing this, either on this forum or Reddit. Some of us like to read relevant deals and discussion about Movie and TV Deals - hence the name of the sub-forum.

[erixon20]

Originally Posted by VictoryAtNight

I got a 5% off coupon……….because I am a Target Circle Card holder. Lovely……

Me too...PAR-TY! LOL