Laserdisc: please advise

Compared to early generations of DVD players the latest LD units from Pioneer were very good and in many cases offered better picture with the right discs. These days, even basic DVDs look better. Unless you can find specific LDs which were never rereleased on DVD, personally I don't see the point - even the better special editions of the day such as Seven and Toy Story are available for peanuts on DVD. The players are big, very noisy, and uneconomical to repair. The discs are equally space consuming.

Soundwise, if you can find a disc with Dolby Digital (AC3) you would need a processor with a RF input or an external RF demodulator such as one of the Meridian ones (519?) which are even more difficult to find than the players.

Hmmm, but the original Star Wars trilogy is still not available. And I much prefer the original movies to the "director's mess" versions.

My sister has copied the LDs to DVD but I ahven't seent he results yet.

I've seen some discs on offer that seem hard to get on DVD. Cinemadisk, Criterion, that sort of material.

quote:

Originally posted by Frank Abela:
Hmmm, but the original Star Wars trilogy is still not available. And I much prefer the original movies to the "director's mess" versions.

Agreed!!

That said I wouldn't invest in a whole defunct technology for a few films.

Martin

Yes, I own one of the last Pioneer laserdisc players, which spends most of it's time under the Xmas decorations in the loft. I get it out to play the occasional movie, but it's more for novelty value. Even though it plays both sides of the disc (early machines required them to be flipped over part way through) it is very cumbersome/slow in use and remember long films can go over 3 or more sides. PQ OK on my 50" plama. Sound variable.

Really annoyed with George Lucas for not letting us have the original movies which I far prefer to the crap he's added to them 20 years later.

He should have left a good thing alone, or at least give us the choice of having the originals. I'm sure they'll do it at some stage, but it still annoys me.

Frank,

On the whole I don't object to GL milking the films, and trying to get ther series to look like a seemless whole......BUT:

1. Why not let use buy the originals as well; and
2. I DO object to the change in the bar scene, where Han Solo now doesn't shoot first. The original take was honest, refreshing and brave.

You know, I'm almost coming round to the idea of buying......no!

M

quote:

Originally posted by Frank Abela:
Really annoyed with George Lucas for not letting us have the original movies which I far prefer to the crap he's added to them 20 years later.

Knowing GL he has probably mapped out his next series of DVD releases which will no doubt include the classic trilogy box set, SE version, THX version, THX SE version, complete 6 film box set, 6 film SE, 6 film THX SE...

He screwed everbody with the VHS releases, no reason not to do it again. It's a license to print money!!!

My old trusty Pioneer laser disc player still sits in my rack, connected up to my Tag processor via an RF input.

I agree the discs are cumbersome, and although the player's got an "S" video output the discs themselves are composite video, so there's no point.

The PAL discs, because of the increased space needed to encode the video over NTSC, can't also carry a Dolby Digital soundtrack, and as has been pointed out, many movies are on more than one disc.

Pretty obsolete then. However, a few things that make me leave it connected. Don't know if it's just the way they've been recorded, but the D.D. soundtracks on the NTSC discs I've got all sound extremely good, better than their DVD equivalents. I've got some special limited pressing Criterion discs which through my Sim2 300HT projector look pretty acceptable, and aren't available on DVD.

Finally, and amazingly given that we're talking here about an inferior video source and NTSC signal, I'd swear the picture on my old laserdisc copy of the film "True Lies" is about the highest quality video I've seen from either laserdisc or DVD. Again, is this to do with the way the disc has been mastered?

Don't forget that while the picture is analog, Laserdisc is also TOTALLY free from digital MPEG nasties...

I have Laserdisc movies that look better than DVDs for this reason - a good example is Titanic on R2 (non-anamorphic) - the Laserdisc has more depth of field. And this running through a 1992 Pioneer 1750 (iirc), going THROUGH a Philips VHS (so that's 2 SCART leads) versus my Pioneer 656A DVD connected via single RGB SCART into my Sony telly.

Jackie Brown also looks excellent on LD.

My large stockpile of 1982 originals (given to me by a certain hifi shop in Ringwood) on the other hand are fairly patchy - some rotted, some clean.

If you want a silver disc with analog audio - some of the Jap/US laserdisc videos are interesting to say the least. Playing DuranDuran's "Decade" (particularly "Planet earth") on the laserdisc's analog soundtracks sounds much more punchy than CD, and different, but not worse than the original vinyl pressing.

It's all good fun! Plus laserdisc is a man's format - none of those puny 5 inch lightweight beermats here!

quote:

I have Laserdisc movies that look better than DVDs for this reason - a good example is Titanic on R2 (non-anamorphic) - the Laserdisc has more depth of field.

Yes, you're right. Laserdiscs do appear to have greater depth of field. Very interesting stuff!

My old PAL copy of Pink Floyd's "Pulse" concert is also pretty wonderful. The DVD version's due out on 5th December. I've got high hopes for this!