Laserdisc...Yeah, I said, Laserdisc.

[shanewalker]

So I had an old friend of my wife's dump some tasty 'only on LaserDisc' titles in my lap recently. I don't/never have owned a LaserDisc player, but being a movie hound it seemed an interesting proposition.

Well, that started a whole insane process of my getting obsessed with getting some other 'only on LaserDisc' movie cuts, etc. I ended up wrangling a player from a storage room at work (a high-end pro Pioneer reference deck with SDI). I had the intention of dumping the titles to DVD for more convenient viewing...but found the PQ sorely lacking to my spoiled progressive DVD/HD eyes, even on this supposedly top end player.

So, here's my conundrum. Is Laserdisc worth it? I'm quickly getting addicted to eBay, folks. Looking for deals on a player and/or more rare discs. So, should I just cut my losses and abandone hope of getting a better player for my needs (i.e. w/ S-Video and noise reduction circuitry, like a good Pioneer consumer model). Do the Sony's suck? Any models to avoid like the plague. Don't need an Elite, but good connections will make a difference, right? Or am I kidding myself. Just can't fathom why it wouldn't look much better than a good VHS, which is what I was seeing on my set. Also, one more crazy question--are all widescreen Laserdiscs simple letterbox 4:3 or do they do anamorphic?

Thanks.

 

[bbqman]

The format is dead. RIP Laserdisc.

Something to keep in mind:

Many discs are 16:9 but not *enhacned* for widescreen. One has to flip discs, they're about the size of phonograph albums (but thicker and heavier) but you already know that. Most players have S-Video output at best. Some don't have digital output. Discs are not made anymore.

One the other hand:

There are some unique titles to Laserdiscs, the picture can be quite good, and many discs can be had for a relatively low price.

 

[mike123abc]

The full screen picture on laserdiscs can be quite good. But they do not have anamorphic widescreen, so you really notice the loss of resolution. One advantage of laserdisc is the complete set of original starwars movies is available (well was available) as originally released.

 

[shanewalker]

Yeah, I have a set of the original Star Wars cuts on LD. That and a Brothers Quay disc that has some of their work you can't get on DVD are what started this whole obsession. There are a couple of other main titles I'd like to get my hands on specifically because they're only available on LD as well.

So what is the consensus on 16:9 anamorphic...no go on laserdisc? That really stinks, as it does cut he resolution down by a large amount.

 

[rad]

I keep mine around just the the memories. I have some oldies including an import from Japan of "The Return of the Jedi" in CAV and letterboxed with Japanese subtitles on the bottom bar. Also have some old concerts that I've yet to see on DVD like Pink Floyd Delicate Sound of Thunder which I still dig out every now and then.

 

[hometheaterman]

I have a Laserdisc Player or actually 2 or 3 but only 1 laser disk. I bought 3 or 4 laserdisk players at a school auction thingy Pioneers sound similar to what your describing. I know one didn't work but the rest did fine. I don't know how many otheres I have that do I know I have 1 in my HT. I bought one laserdisk off eBay just to test it but never bought another one.

 

[Kaluyen]

I have both a Sony and a Pioneer Elite LD player. Since about early to mid-90s, pretty much only Pioneer was making players, so I would stick with Pioneer. My Sony loves to eject the tray...over and over...I always know when the power went out at home, the tray is sticking out

I have some movies on LD so I keep it, plus I plan on doing rips of my Star Wars Definitive Collection LD's to DVD at some point...assuming I can find the time! I got a lot of anime on LD when AnimEigo was blowing out their LD stock, I just can't give them up yet

 

[shanewalker]

I just landed a Marantz LD on eBay (that's a redressed Pioneer 504 I believe). Hope to have it by first of next week, as well as a Blade Runner original cut LD to 'put it through it's paces' as well as my SW original versions. I'm hoping the comb filter and S-video out put a little polish on the ole analog imagery and curious what the AC-3 will sound like, but mainly hoping to do some dubbing very soon of these "lost cuts" for archival sake.

 

[Foxbat]

I have the DVL-909 combo Laserdisc and DVD player that Pioneer released years ago. Since I got into DVDs, I rarely play LDs, but when I do, I notice that the picture is still better that Dish's SD content. I may need to tweak the controls on my Mits WS-55603 to see if I can improve the picture quality a bit more, but I find myself looking at the picture and going, "I can't believe that I thought Laserdiscs were video perfection!" HD will do that to you...

I think my LD collection is somewhere in the low 100 range: Original Star Wars 4-6, Star Trek Movie collection, Crosby & Hope Road Pictures, many Star Trek TV episodes, Babylon 5, Blade Runner Director's Cut, lots of Computer Animation shorts from the 80s, 80s music videos. Almost every Disney animated classic released on LD (including three different versions of "Beauty and the Beast"). Even some that I bought and never watched ("Schindler's List" comes to mind as I never know the right mood to be in to watch such a movie.)

I suppose that I could get some extra spending money by eBaying, but that isn't the Pack Rat way!

 

[ingramba]

I still have a Pioneer CLD-504, CLD-704 (still considered one of the best top of the line players ever made), and a Sony LD player and hundreds of LD'd that I still love to this day! But my favs are of course every Star Wars edition ever made on LD I have! I even have the JPN import of the Phantom Menance. Great stuff to dig out once in awhile. Like other poster said I can't wait to find time to transfer original SW trilogy (with DD) to dvd.