8bitplus

Background

The LaserDisc format is much older than people generally realize. It was developed in the late 70′s as a high quality and reliable image and video storage method. It didn’t find its way into people’s living room until the early 80′s, and even then didn’t take off until companies like Pioneer got behind the hardware in a big way. By the end of the 80′s LaserDisc was well established as the most advanced format for film lovers who wanted the best picture and sound experience possible. LaserDisc’s stayed at the top of the home format throne until DVD became more affordable format around 2000.

Technology

What makes LaserDisc special and unique? How does it work and what does it do?

A LaserDisc is a large 12″ (LP sized) optical disc. Its read by reflecting light from a laser. The first players in the early 80 used a Helium-Neon gas laser, this was before the laser diode was invented and refined. LD’d almost always have content on both sides of the disc and in older players require ejecting and turning over. Newer models have a complicated mechanism to rotate the laser from below the disc to about it.

A standard (CAV) play disc has a run time of only 30 minutes a side, TV shows and Anime are often recorded in this format. Long play (CLV) has a play time of just over 55 minutes each side, this is used for most films.

Video

The video data is actually analogue and not digital as you’d expect. When the pits and grooves are read they form an analogue signal containing the video stored in composite which can be PAL or NTSC. The video can look very good when displayed on a CRT tv as they handle composite much better than LCD.

The video quality varies massively between film’s and sometimes even different released versions of the same film. Early releases were criticised for not being much better than recorded VHS or Bata, but as the technology improved so did the methods used to transfer film onto the disc. Another reason is that there was not the same quality control and standardisation as we are now used to on DVD and HD formats. On average the quality can be said to be between Batamax and DVD, some films in my collection like Terminator 2 look fantastic and almost DVD like, while others like the original Alien film look quite shabby.

Audio

LD’s have long been praised by film lovers for its high quality. One of the main points to mention is that all LD have access to uncompressed audio. The players make use of a variety of audio outputs for connection to external amplifiers such as stereo, AC-RF, coax and optical.

LD’s can contain a number of different audio systems on the same disc with selectable tracks. Early release’s mainly just contained analogue audio formats but the later ones made use of an extra digital track for formats like Dolby Digital 5.1 AC3 and DTS. Surround sound can also be stored in analogue or digital formats on the same disc. Some films even made use of selectable audio tracks by using one of the analogue tracks for editors commentary or other languages, something we take for granted now no DVD.

My Collection and Setup

I started collecting LaserDisc’s about a year ago, and managed to get a bargain collection of about 50 and a Sony LaserDisc player to get me started. Soon after I won and auction of another 50 and another budget Pioneer player. Within the year I have managed to collect about 260 LaserDisc’s, including plenty of collector edition box sets, TV series and anime sets.

I started of using an old Bush 24″ widescreen TV I had as a spare in the roof, but soon upgraded to 28″ Panasonic I found on eBay locally, and then to a Toshiba 32″ later.

My main player is the Pioneer DVL-909, which can play all LaserDisc formats, DVD’s and even VCD’s. It can also play both sides of the disc, restore playback features to old released and can output Dolby Digital 5.1 to the amplifier. This is a very late player (1998) and has many of the features than made older Elite models so desirable. There are only a couple of players that were better than this one, first being the CLD-925 one of the finest none elite dedicated LD player (no DVD). Secondly the DVL-919, a more refined version of the 909. To my knowledge all the Elite models are NTSC only making PAL films unplayable, no good in a mixed collection like mine.

My other LD player is the Sony MDP-630D. It can play both PAL and NTSC and has a helpful led indicator on the front to remind you what format is playing. The playback quality is not quite as good as the Pioneer 909 but is a lot better than many models like the Pioneer 1850.

Final notes

LaserDisc is not everybody’s cup of tea, for a start you wont be able to find your favourite post Y2K films. Then there is the matter of changing disc’s or even turning the disc over to continue playback (unless you have a short film + both side player). The disc’s are large, heavy and do tend to take up space. The players in operation (particularly when playing CAV) do make a bit more noise than most DVD players and use more power to spin the disc up to a max of 1800 rpm.

If you are able to look past the short comings of the format you might see the overall charm it offers. Its reliable, cheep and a good talking point to people who wave never seen it. With the right selection of player, TV and audio equipment you can be set for some good evenings of film watching. There is plenty of films out there, almost 49,000 titles are listed at LDDB.com, there’s something for everyone. films can be found on eBay for only a few £ each, and even box sets and special editions are well within collectors reach.

This revolutionary format is a dream for collectors and movie buffs, and holds a well deserved place in media and film history.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to post any comments or ask questions. Neil  – 8bitplus 2010.

Links and further reading:

Wikipedia – LaserDisc article on wikipedia. More info than you can shake a stick at.

Laserdisc Database – The LDDB contains information on every title ever listed.

Laserdisc Archive – Info on every LD player model and manuals.

Retroflix – Forum dedicated to the mighty LaserDisc