Rating: 
Summary: Monumental performance by The Dead
Review: Wow, this is amazing. At last there's a chance for an amateur-deadhead like me (just too young) to witness an incredible live performance by a great live band. I already cherished the 1977 new year's eve Winterland performance as captured on Dick's Picks 10, but this one from just a year later is definitely in a league of its own. The slow 'Friend of the Devil' is truly haunting, 'Terrapin' is really beautiful and flows into a swinging 'Playing in the Band'. In total it's a chain of highlights, start to finish. The sound quality is perfect (turn up that volume!) and the video quality is really good when the age of the recordings is taken into account. I can't say anything else to conclude this review than: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
Rating:
Summary: View from one who was there
Review: Yes, the sound is MUCH better than any of the other Dead DVDs. Comes closer to capturing a live concert than any other Dead DVD (or any other music DVD I've seen, for that matter). I'd forgotten how much better the singing was back then. For a band that frequently got lost in the woods, its amazing how focused (no meandering here) they stay through all three sets. Jerry is obiviously enjoying himself while getting off some of his better concert licks. Pianist Keith Godcheaux seems buried a bit in the mix, but his playing during this period did often suffer from his indulgences. I failed to note the video flaws mentioned in some other reviews but hey, visuals are not what they are about anyway (most fans provide their own). Set it to DTS and of course crank it up to just below onset of distortion in your system.
PS: My heartfelt condolences to those reviewers who were not moved by this DVD: seek spiritual help. "Undiscriminating Dead fans" = oxymoron.
Rating: 
Summary: WAKE UP!!!
Review: I have listened to the Dead for years and this is just terrible. It echos through the entire concert. I will be selling this DVD if anyone is interested. The packaging is the only redeeming quality of this poor product.
Rating:
Summary: Please release more old live dead on DVD!!
Review: Let's see Grateful Dead Movie, Dead Ahead, etc. all released soon on DVD please!!
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Believe The Hype
Review: Deadheads are not known for their discretion, and the overwhelming praise for this DVD is a good case for that. First the good news. The sound remastering on this is excellent. Crisp. But it isn't the best show ever, even though Dick says so. And why were the Blues Brothers there? Please.
Now, the worst part here is the video quality. The compression is terrible, and most of the video is blocky and pixelated. By far it is the worst video quality on a store bought DVD ever. It looks like a VCD in fact. Granted, there is a lot of black in the video, but this unacceptable.
Given all that, it's still worthy of ownership.
Rating:
Summary: Best Show Ever!
Review: Just a real quick note to all you DeadHeads or OtherOnes this is the best Show I have ever seen. Lots of guests including the Blues Bros.,John Cipollina, Matt Kelly, Lee Oskar, and Greg Errico, the 5.1 sounds awesome, Set 3 starts with a long awaited Dark Star,Interviews with Bob, Mickey, Ken Kesey, and Bill Graham. Four and a half hours (or so) of a musical trip that lasts 'til 6:30 AM. Easily one of the best shows I've ever seen, and all from my living room. You've gotta 'drop in' and see this one.
Rating:
Summary: If you only buy 1 Dead DVD, make it this one!
Review: I've bought all of the View From the Vault series and while they're good for what they are (usually just the video feed that was piped to the screens in large venues in the late '80's and 90's) this production stands head and shoulders above any of them. The Dolby 5.1 sound is superb, the deep Phill bass blasts that would occasionaly loosen chunks of plaster from the Winterland ballroom's ceiling sent my dogs into hiding. While low-quality copies of some of the video has been available for years, this DVD mates the original image with the 24 track recordings for the first time. Apparently there was no time stamp on the original recordings since they were never intended to be synched. This production had to stay on the shelf until digital technology allowed the Dead archivists to perform that task. The content and quality of the show is well known to Deadheads, but this production is so much more than a mere document of a single performance of the Dead in thier prime... The real magic of this DVD revolves around the event, the band and the "friends and family". Through extensive current and vintage interviews with Dead staff, friends and fans, the viewer gets the oportunity to see what the Dead "meant", not just what they sounded like in 1978. The DVD also touches on many of the Dead's relationships at time that proved to be one of the major crossroads for the band.. Like what the Winterland Ballroom meant to the Dead and rock in general... And the relationship between Bill Graham and the Dead, as well as Bill Graham and the fans.. When it comes to defining the Dead, it's a great companion for the Grateful Dead movie, which was also shot at Winterland.. This DVD obviously required a lot more time and effort to produce than the View from the Vault series, and the fact that it sells for $22 is a credit to the Dead organization. In this era of $130 concert tickets to see has-beens like the Eagles, it's nice to see the Dead still believe in giving thier fans premium entertainment for a fair price.. Any other band would have sold it for $50!
Rating:
Summary: Must-Own Music DVD of the Year
Review: Recorded (and first broadcast) almost 25 years ago to the day, "Grateful Dead: The Closing of Winterland" (2 DVDs) is THE music DVD release of the year, in my humble opinion. Not only is the music here nothing short of top notch, but the extras on the DVD (not to mention the packaging of the DVD) make this a no-miss musical and visual bonanza. The actual concert is 3 sets (which the Dead kicks off exactly as the midnight hour strikes!), with many highlights, including "Scarlet Begonias" on Set 1, and "Not Fade Away" on Set 2. But Set 3 is almost flawless throughout, including "Dark Star->The Other One->Dark Star", and in the encore "Casey Jones". (The 28 page booklet that comes with the DVD, has an all-telling picture showing a fan's banner from the show that says "1535 days since last SF Dark Star"...) The DVD bonus materials are just awesome. "Winterland: A Million Memories" is an in-depth documentary of Winterland as a concert venue, and the Dead's 60 or so shows at Winterland. The interviews with the fans are hilarious. The bonus concert tracks of the opening acts (the Blues Brothers and the New Riders of the Purple Sage) are somewhat out of place. Then there is the 2 AM interviews of Bob Weir and Mickey Hart. In all, this is a most welcome release.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth owning
Review: The Deads best years for live performances were 72-74 and 1977. This DVD (and all the extra's) highlights one of the best (if not the best) concerts from 1978 with a very diverse and lengthy setlist. Many Deadheads consider this an all-time top 10 concert (I'm not one of them). There are many 'top ten' versions of songs on here. With that said - the DVD (and CDs) are worth owning if you enjoy the Dead and you enjoy them live. The DVDs are packed with many extras and Easter Eggs (look for them). Worth spending the money on.
Rating:
Summary: The Dead in the 70's=Pure Gold
Review: Finally a DVD release from the Dead's best sounding era. All the DVD releases from the 90's fail to show the Grateful Dead at their musical best and now you can see it at one of the most legendary venues. The sound is the true beauty of this DVD. You can turn the tv off and just listen after you have watched it a couple times. The Scarlet>Fire is phenom. I guess if you have to be told to buy this DVD, you just don't get it. Be sure and look for the easter eggs hidden throughout the disc. There is a great hidden interview with Weir. Just play with your remote when the blue roses come up and you'll find them.
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