I've never been a major fan of Mariah Carey, although I do enjoy some of her songs that are more "dance" than the emotional ballads that she had produced on earlier albums. I can certainly appreciate her talent though, and the range of her singing voice, which is certainly showcased on this new DVD. This edition takes a look at the videos for Carey's #1 hits: Heartbreaker (Featuring Jay-Z), May All, Honey, Always Be My Baby, One Sweet Day (Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men), Fantasy (Featuring O.D.B.), Hero (From NBC TV Special), Dreamlover, I'll Be There (From MTV Unplugged, Featuring Trey Lorenz), Emotions, I Don't Wanna Cry, Someday (From MTV Unplugged), Love Takes Time, Vision Of Love (From Fantasy: Mariah Carey At Madison Square Garden). "Heartbreaker", which is one of the latest videos, was directed by "Rush Hour" director Brett Ratner. After each of the songs, there is a short scene of Mariah talking about her career. If you're a fan, you'll probably find this information of interest. If not, well, if you're not a fan of Mariah Carey, I don't think you're going to be buying this DVD anyways.
Onwards to the disc itself: the video quality of most of the videos are excellent, with crisp images that have good detail. Some of the older videos aren't quite as sharp, but still look very good. The format of the presentation changes from video to video, as well. Some of the videos are letterboxed to about 1.85:1, while other videos are presented full-frame.
Before I get to the audio, I want to note that some viewers have been reporting audio dropouts with this disc. So far, reports of problems seem to be isolated to early model Toshiba players, but when I learn more details, I will update this review. If you have problems with this DVD, return it to your retailer. Personally, I did not find any instances of this problem while viewing the DVD, and actually was very pleased with the audio as I listened. The videos are offered in Dolby Digital 5.1 or PCM 2.0. They sound wonderful in Dolby Digital 5.1, presenting every detail of Mariah's voice impressively, even the highest highs. Some of the newer, more "dance" oriented songs like "Heartbreaker" sound very dynamic, providing some solid bass.
Also included is a DVD exlusive video for the remix of "Heartbreaker" (in 2.0 only) and a biogrpahy for Mariah.
