Culturedog's Laserdisc Player Collection

Culturedog Sam Hatch drops an informal rundown of the various laserdisc players he’s collected over the past 20 years or so. Also included are brief introductions to AC-3 RF demodulators and the unique video signal chain that feeds all this old technology to an HD projector for the ultimate in retro-90s viewing lunacy!
Direct Links:
Sony MDP-333 00:15
Pioneer CLD-D504 07:04
Sony MOD-RF1 11:35
Pioneer CLD-D704 12:56
Pioneer CLD-D505 21:13
P.S. For the record, the Pilates and Yoga DVDs aren’t his. :-P
Listen to "Culture Dogs" Sunday nights at 8pm EST on WWUH, 91.3 FM in CT. Also streaming live (and then archived via StreamRewind) on:
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Check out G00DwillHUNT3R's Laserdisc score:
• Pickups Episode 78 - "...
Intro music: "Anger Mgmt." by Sever the Drama.
www.severthedrama.com
This episode is brought to you by the word "Toslink" and the phrase "You’re on laserdisc - and you know it, baby!"

[@allsportnj]

Nice LD player collection. Been enjoying your videos. :) The CLD-D505 was my first player I bought back in 1995. Still have and it still works great. Picked up several others over the years. Pioneer DVL-700Pioneer DVL-919Pioneer CLD-D702Pioneer CLD-D703Pioneer CLD-V870Denon LA-2300Panasonic LX-101Also, finally just picked up a DVDO iScan Plus V2 line doubler. Works wonders for Laserdisc's. Still looking to get a CLD-D704 and a AC3 demodulator or any of the rosewood accented players which are probably the most beautiful pieces of electronic equipment ever!!! :)

[@Culturedog]

Thanks so much! Still hoping to get my rosewood accented Pioneer LD-S1 up and running, but there's something wonky in the power supply section that still needs troubleshooting. Happy hunting - hope you nab that D704 and AC-3 demodulator soon!

[@tkusterb]

As an old-school LD fan (have owned a number of players over the years and currently have a Pioneer DVL-919 in great working order in my rack, plus about 100 discs I occasionally still view), this was a treat. Thanks!

[@Culturedog]

Thomas Biddle Thank you! Glad you enjoyed! Always great to meet more of the old-school LD crew. Cheers!

[@estebanmedaglia4506]

Loved this video. My very first LD player was a Sony MDP 405. It was basically almost identical to yours. Same mechanical noises, too. I LOVED the index feature on CD's with long tracks. I remember playing Manowar's "Achilles, Ecstasy And Agony In Eight Parts" that way, and being amazed the first time I discovered that feature. Thanks for the great memories!

[@Culturedog]

+Esteban Medaglia My pleasure - so cool to hear that you're enjoying the vids! Manowar - that takes me back! They were one of my first concerts in '88.

[@Metal_Groove45]

I just bought a Pioneer CLD-D505! Sweet machine! I just bought an S-Video cable for transferring laserdiscs to my computer!

[@Culturedog]

Nice! Congrats - that player's a total workhorse!

[@SilkCityIndependent]

Thanks for making my old Pioneer CLD-D505 famous!

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

Wow. That's dedication - a DVD recorder with the comb filter in it, then a Time Base Corrector(I know a lot of later S-VHS tape decks had them built-in - but not a professional studio one like you have) and then finally into your projector. That's impressive. I bet on a good disk with no rot - it's hard to tell the difference between DVD and LD on that sort of system.

[@Culturedog]

Little did I know this would be a pretty quaint setup next to what some of the guys on the Facebook LD group are rockin'! I thought I was the only one nutty enough to devote this much energy into my LD signal, but I stand corrected! But yeah, you could definitely fool someone into thinking a better quality LD was a DVD on it.

[@mikedelgado8888]

Awesome chain of connections

[@Culturedog]

Thanks man!

[@TwOFacE226]

Im glad i found this channel. You have some bad ass videos my friend.

[@Culturedog]

Thanks a ton! Working on my LD boxed set collection videos now - hope to have them uploaded in a day or two.

[@TwOFacE226]

Culturedog ive caught the laserdisc bug myself. Got my very first player from my best friend with a copy of Starman, which is pne of my most favorite movies.

[@Culturedog]

HarveyDent Great movie! I haven't seen that in ages. Might have to get a copy myself!

[@ilcool90]

I recently had the DVL 919 and also used a recommended Panasonic DVD recorder as pass through, and S-Video delivered a much sharper image

[@MultiPedroAndrade]

still miss my first player, an european PAL/NTSC Sony MDP-850D wich i got modded with AC-3 RF output...first love things :)

[@Culturedog]

Nice! I still need to mod my MDP-333 just for fun! Haha

[@TheThingKing]

You've clearly put in a lot of effort into maximizing the best out of the players you have with all the external video equipment, really well done. I have 2 LD players: a CLD-D925, and a Elite CLD-59 which I'm pretty sure is just a clone of the CLD-504 you have because it looks exactly the same just without the karaoke functions.

[@Culturedog]

Nice players! One of these days I'm gonna have to pull the trigger and pick up an Elite model. They just look so great cosmetically. I'd love to grab a 79, which is likewise just a 704 in fancier clothing. Thanks for watching!

[@alanbauder5089]

I just wanted to give you an update on my setup to make laserdiscs look as good or better than DVD's. I finally got a DVDO iScan VP30 that works. It was my fifth one. The other came in handy for proper power supply and a remote. I seems they all come used with the wrong power supply. It's really very complicated to setup. I finally got it to the right settings. This thing has the ability do everything you would want with video or audio. I copied what you did in your setup. My Pioneer LD-S9 composite out to a Panasonic DVD recorder and then S-video out to the DVDO. The DVDO iScan VP30 component out my Loewe 38" CRT widescreen TV. Which may be starting to have problems. I need turn it back on several times before it stays on. Once on it has an absolutely great picture. I am expecting a DPS 290 in the next few days. I think that will be overkill. I put in brand new Star Wars laserdisc from 1997 trilogy box set. I was totally blow away at how great it looked and sounded. I just got that box set yesterday, still in the wrap. I was almost afraid to open it. I got it because it had Dolby Digital. I forgot about all the changes that George Lucas made to the films. I do have the definitive box set. I will watch that next. My friends think I am crazy watching laserdiscs. But they have no idea of how great they can look with the proper equipment. They ask me if I will get back into Betamax and 8 tracks. Collecting laserdiscs is a great hobby. Also I love your videos. Thanks again for all the great information.

[@Culturedog]

+Alan Bauder Very cool! Congrats on getting that all set up, and glad it's delivering a quality picture for you. Let me know how the DPS 290 works out for you - I definitely recommend messing with the Y/C horizontal delay if you have a copy of either the Video Essentials or A Video Standard calibrating LDs. Those have a yellow/red test image - I believe disclord on the LDDB forums said that the correct setting for most players is -70us. Though the noise reduction is really where that unit shines - it's amazing! I have a pdf copy of the manual if you need it. Thanks for the update! Cheers!

[@alanbauder5089]

I made a copy of the pfd manual online. I still have not yet set it up. I have been having a lot of health problem since November of 2014. Lower back discs have had me out of work since April. I had a second steroid shot on September 1st. Also had an MRI of my heart on the 3rd. They gave me a contrast during the test. I had allergic reactions twice before with the contrast. I took a prep kit before the MRI. I guess it work a little bit. It's not as bad as the last two times. I will eventually put the DPS in the system. Thanks again for all the info. I am looking into get a projector toward the end of the year. Right now I am leaning toward a Sony VPL-HW55ES or HW40ES. So making the laserdiscs look as good as they can will be very important. I will keep you updated on how things turn out. Thanks - Alan

[@bufo333]

Great video, I just started picking up LD's for the first time. I picked up a cld-d504 on eBay. I was wondering do you have any suggestions for where to pick up cheap LD's besides eBay? It gets a little expensive on eBay as they try and sell everything as "RARE".

[@NickMichalak]

The CLD-D505 is the player I just won on eBay this week. It is officially my first Laserdisc player. Sadly, no remote, but I can grab one on eBay, if I so choose. I already have three VCRs, so, I might as well embrace LD for all those special titles that never made it to the digital age.

[@Culturedog]

+Nick Michalak Sweet! Welcome to the laserdisc family! That's a solid player - should keep you entertained for a while.

[@NickMichalak]

Long overdue follow-up here. The players I grabbed from eBay didn't work out as they both arrived damaged. Thankfully, I got full refunds with no issues beyond that. However, I just obtained a CLD-D502 off of CraigsList, and just a little adjustment and it works beautifully. Got it from the original owner, and it had plenty of grease inside, no player issues that weren't a simple fix. It has only a composite A/V output, but it's a good start after looking in every Goodwill store I could find coming up with nothing.

[@Deadite8593]

Just picked up the Star Wars trilogy on LD for a song and a dance, this video was pretty informative for me to learn a little bit about what I need to look into for buying a player and hooking it up to my home theater rig so that both my projector and my 7.1 receiver are happy. Sounds like I need (at bare minimum) an RF-demodulator and an old dvd recorder for a nice comb filter. Also probably going to look at line-doublers just for the heck of it.

[@Culturedog]

+shredguitarkev Cool - congrats on snagging the Star Wars trilogy. Always a great to have those on LD! If you're looking to make the most of the format's surround sound options, I'd definitely recommend finding a mid-90s player with both AC-3 RF and Digital Audio outs. I still see RF demodulators on the market on a regular basis, so they're out there. They never seem to drop below $75, but at least they're available. It sucks that DVDO seems to be moving away from its traditional fleet of upscalers, but their older models are showing up on ebay and such for decent prices now.

[@Deadite8593]

+Culturedog I found a pioneer elite cld-53 at a flea market this morning for $50! it lacks an ac-3 output, but I couldn't pass up that price. Looking forward to my first real laserdisc experience. My grandpa had one back in the day, but I was too young to remember much more than that the movie we watched was Army of Darkness haha

[@Culturedog]

shredguitarkev Nice! That's a good player for sure. Good score!

[@Earthtime3978]

Great videos. You didn't have any videos up when I had my "Laserdisc Where Are You?" Series on KZbin, which I have since removed. Allot of what you have done with connectivity, I never got to do. I did use a DVDO unit but didn't think it added much improvement. I ended up plugging the single RCA video cable directly into an LCD (circa 2007) tv. It really looked good. The problem with LCD tv's , at least when they were new is their inability to properly display black levels. I always wanted to hook an LD up to a Pioneer Kuro Plasma but price wise it was too much. The best picture I ever got from an LD was on a Panasonic Tau CRT widescreen tv. LD was made for CRT and a a state of the art CRT really helped. I have had many players and which I still had them like you but life happened (it's called an x wife and job problems). I still have a Mitsubishi M-V7057, which is a clone of a Pioneer 704, minus the face of the unit which is actually much nicer than Pioneer's face. Always hated the yellow panel lights on the Pioneers'.Also, I have a Pioneer R7g, never sold in the U.S.. It is currently in my friends crummy mold infested basement. It would require a good cleaning but I'm sure it would work. I never need the RF modulator because I had a Pioneer receiver with one built in. Awesome sound! I still have some late LD releases such as Payback and Double Jeopardy. At one point I had Sleepy Hollow.One of my favorites on LD is The Taking Of Beverly Hills. Fun stuff. As well, the old 50s giant monster flicks like Tarantula and It Came From Outer Space look great on LD because of their natural film like look.Big mono sound. Another favorite is Night Gallery, only released in Japan. Most of my collection ended up in a dumpster, aghhhh! Anyway, glad to see you out there doing your thing. I can only live vicariously through you. Good job brother.

[@Culturedog]

AJ Steele Thanks man! Too bad your laserdisc vids aren't up anymore. I'm pretty addicted to searching out different LD videos on a regular basis, and could always use more! Very cool that you have a Mitsubishi M-V7057 - I know a guy from nearby who has one of those and loves it. I have a soft spot for rebadged units too. Will have to keep my eyes open for one of those on the market. Congrats on the R7G too, I see those on ebay occasionally and have heard some very nice things about them. Even if it is covered in a layer of mold right now! Sounds like you had some killer titles - that was one lucky dumpster! In any case, thanks for the kind words and glad to hear you enjoy the videos. Cheers!

[@Culturedog]

@Eileen Novack - Thanks! That's super cool that you picked up two players! I'm always fascinated by the non-Pioneer units, since you don't hear about them as much. I think that LV-520 is based on one of the Pioneer Elite models, maybe the CLD-59. Nice score!

[@Culturedog]

Eileen Novack Nice! Good disc to test things out with too.

[@Culturedog]

Eileen Novack No problem! Glad to help! You are correct, Aliens is 1.85:1 and in this case the difference is that the DVD has the wide image squeezed onto it so that widescreen TVs like yours can take that squeezed 4:3 signal and stretch it out from side to side, filling the 16:9 frame. It's what they call "anamorphically enhanced" in fancy speak. Unfortunately, only a handful of laserdiscs were anamorphically enhanced, so what your TV is doing is taking the letterboxed 4:3 signal and stretching it across the screen, making it look closer to a 2:35:1 flick. In order to fill the screen like with the DVD, you need to actually zoom in on the image. It depends on the TV, but I think Samsung has at least a Zoom 1 and Zoom 2 set of options. Also unfortunately, a lot of TVs have some weird zoom settings that may add strange distortions to the image (i.e. stretching just the edges or tops while leaving the middle part of the image untouched), but the best option is just to zoom with no added "effects". Some people opt to get an external scaling device and let that do all the image resizing before sending an upscaled 16:9 signal to the TV. I'd see if your set has a Zoom 1 option and give that a shot. That should set you up for both 1.85:1 and 2.35:1 LDs. Happy viewing!

[@GKar2257]

Hi Sam, I just watched this video and the latest Wolfpack podcast the other night. I still have my CLD-79 Pioneer that I bought new back in the 90's, along with 300 + laserdiscs. I have my player hooked via composite and inexpensive RCA to HDMI Converter to my TCL 43. The picture looks bad in comparison to a DVD. What suggestions do you have to improve the picture quality. PANASONIC DMR-E20D to start? Thanks Lou

[@StefanHomberger]

Not sure if you'd be able to help me out, or point in the right direction where I can figure this out: I have the same Sony MDP-333 and it has two issues (it constantly switches between the LD & CD indicator lights, and refuses to read anything when this happens) (and it seems to have a worn belt that allows the motor to drive the advance mechanism that operates the clamper and disc drawer).

[@Culturedog]

+Stefan Homberger My belts tend to wear out pretty quickly on that unit - not sure if constantly pushing the drawer open tires them out quicker than in Pioneers or what, but it would probably do well to replace the loading belt. I'll see if I can find where I put the info for the replacement size. The first issue could be from a few different things - was it working well before and then suddenly changed behavior, or was it like that since you got it?

[@segasonic9117]

Damn, those bright reds and and blues on that oh-so-daggy test disc look amazing! The D704 is a pretty noisy player (I don't have one, but I do have a CLD-D99 which was based on the D704), and yet, I see none of that flickery, blotchy colour on that red dress or other bright elements. I wish I could try out one of those fabled Panasonic DVD recorders with my newly aquired HLD-X9 or one of my CLD-R7Gs to do my anime captures. Too bad Panasonic had the BRILLIANT idea to make Australian, U.K and Euro players PAL only! I would love to see if it helps that craptastic VHD picture, too. I love getting a mega rare LD such as COOL COOL BYE, Angel Circuit, Take The X Train and Download (all of which I recently aquired. CCB was even near rot free!) and cleaning them up and making them into DVDs or SD BDs. So many anime LDs look as good as DVD once they are cleaned up. If they were not mastered with one of those horrible mid-late 90s techniques that made the colour look nasty, bright and unnatural (something like 8 Man After comes to mind) or worse, a horrible ghosted VHS master! It sucks when a OVA or TV series received a shit master and was then never released on DVD, or had a LD source DVD release. Hi-Speed Jecy, Armour Hunter Mellowlink (DVDs are even worse than the LDs they sporned from, I wish Toshiba EMI had released the LDs as they did with Votoms TV and OVAs, I don't own a bad anime LD from ToEMI) and Campus Detective Hikaruon are just a few examples. Nice tour!

[@Culturedog]

Thanks man! Hot damn, congrats on nabbing an HLD-X9. I've only heard about the X9 and X0 as legendary mythical beasts. Never actually seen one in person yet. Yeah, just about every time I spin up an anime disc I'm impressed at just how good it looks on LD. Your captures must look badass!

[@temporaryscars]

What settings do you use on your vp30? How do you switch between 4:3 and 16:9 with the vp30, similar to what can be done with a tv (zoom mode)? I'm having a hard time with mine.

[@Culturedog]

+temporaryscars I've actually got an Edge Green, which is crazy user friendly for that sort of stuff - it's got hot buttons right at the top of the remote with individual buttons for 16:9, 4:3, LBX (which is a perfect zoom mode for letterboxed LDs) and Panoramic (which stretches the left and right edges of 4:3 material, so I never use it). I think some of the other DVDO models like the vp30 and vp50 got a lot more intricate with their aspect ratio settings though. The manual should hopefully dig into some of that. For some reason, DVDO doesn't like to give full user manuals to you when you buy their stuff - only Quick Start guides, which is goofy. If you don't have the manual, you can snag a copy here: www.simplaylabs.com/support/DVDO_documentation.aspx

[@musicman257]

Nice set up.I know what you mean I'm the same way with vintage stereo equipment and vinyl records.Just recently got back into laser disc. What speakers are you using!!!!!

[@Culturedog]

Thanks! I was using old Advents, but I recently nabbed a pair of Definitive Technology BP10s. I've got a SVS cylinder subwoofer and still have some small Advents as rears. Now that I've gone DefTech, I'm looking to snag some BP2Xs the next time some crop up locally.

[@Culturedog]

Thanks Watcher3223! Didn't you supply cessnaace with one of his players? I remember your name from one of his videos I think. I'd be game for a trade for sure!

[@Culturedog]

+GRiZLOC Thanks man! Sounds like you've got some great gear there! I'd love to listen to SACD through my system someday, but same here - I don't own any discs that I know of. I have been listening to some more 5.1 albums lately though, which can sound pretty impressive depending on who mixed them.Cheers!

[@madslapper7776]

you know your famous when your on laserdisc

[@Watcher3223]

Wish I had that Sony MOD-RF1. I have a Yamaha APD-1, which is also a Dolby Digital RF demodulator. I want a Sony one because it matches my audio equipment. Would you want to trade?

[@Jordan-zk2wd]

Hey Culturedog, I just recently subscribed and got into Laserdisc, love you videos! Just had a quick question I thought you might have some insight into. I have a Sony PVM-14M2U which I got for retro gaming, and it has a lot of adjustable settings because it's a broadcast monitor (I'll link a quick few pages that talk a bit about the specs and features: lvr.vaesite.net/__data/920e93c8982ffc833f07ee9bfa5b228b.pdf ). It seems to have a comb filter and a lot of color correction settings, do you think it'd make a difference getting any external devices to try and clean up the signal more or can I just use the monitor's features to take care of that well enough?

[@HMods1991]

I have my DVL-909 plugged into my HTPC through S-Video going into a tuner card. Then my HTPC sends it to my TV through HDMI 2.0... laserdisc in 4K is pretty impressive... should I just scrap the S-video cable and do composite? My HTPC seems to do pretty well de-interlacing and all that stuff with S-video, but would I get even more clarity with composite?

[@segasonic9117]

argorider2 Depends on the player. Some of the higher end models have sharper S-video output than composhite. If it is something like a CLD-D99, be sure to turn off all the comb filter settings.

[@Culturedog]

Yeah, it depends on the quality of the comb filter in the tuner card. It's probably better than the one in the DVL-909, but no guarantees. Composite is usually the way to go with outputting LD video, but results may vary depending on the gear.

[@ilcool90]

Sam can the video processor adjust the aspect ratio ( for example fill the zoom the image to fill the screen ?

[@Culturedog]

+ilcool90 Yeah, the DVDO can. My projector can too, but I just use the DVDO to adjust it now. Some of the different models have more complicated options (and some have matting features that can cover over Japanese subtitles etc.), but the Edge Green that I have is pretty plug and play, with a 16:9 button, a 4:3 button and a 4:3 letterboxed zoom button. There's also a panorama setting, but I rarely touch that. You can also raise and lower the image vertically for movies like Heat where the LD's letterboxed image has been shifted up on the screen.

[@ilcool90]

+Culturedog Do you mean your DVDO hub can do it, or do you have the DVDO video processor ?

[@Culturedog]

+ilcool90 The DVDO Edge Green - it's a processor/upscaler and also works as an A/V hub.

[@JamesTaylorMain]

How do you route the Panasonic DVD recorder to the time base corrector? First, it's a really complex thing for me to know.

[@Culturedog]

No problem! With an s-video cable. And then another s-video cable out from the TBC to the DVDO upscaler/processor. So the full video signal chain is RCA/composite out from the LD player to the DVD recorder -> s-video out to the TBC -> s-video out to the DVDO processor -> HDMI out to the display.

[@JamesTaylorMain]

But the Time Base Corrector uses BNC connectors. Which output port? I know it has S-Video output, but where is the audio output?

[@Culturedog]

James Taylor It's video only, so for audio I bypass it all by going directly into the DVDO for the most part. I do run a pair of composite L/R jacks to the DVD recorder in case I feel like recording DVD-R backups, but the TBC only accepts video signals.

[@MrRyan0214]

Does LD look good on a modern tv plugged straight from the rca jacks?

[@Culturedog]

It can, depending on the player and TV. LD tends to play nice with plasma, and I really like the way it looks on LCoS, but results will vary on LCD monitors. The built-in upscalers in most sets are pretty decent, as long as they give you a heritage composite/RCA video input.

[@SteveOwensRoswell]

I see you are using a DMR-E20 DVD recorder for the comb filter. I recall a list or thread that talked about the Panasonic recorders model numbers with the best comb filters. Do you know which ones are better than others?

[@Culturedog]

Steve Owens For some reason the older models seem to be recommended more. I see a lot of people using the ES series too - like the DMR-ES10 through to the DMR-ES25. They all use the same good Panasonic-designed 3D comb filter. I believe the DMR-E20 may be a little different because it allows you to do adjustments, like turn off the 3D filter and use 2D instead. I know a lot of people dig the DMR-ES25 because it has an HDMI out, but I only needed s-video out to run to my TBC unit.

[@SteveOwensRoswell]

Culturedog Appreciate the information as always. I was fortune to find a DMR-ES25 at Goodwill for $20 so I picked it up. Running the composite out of a CLD-59 into the ES25 then HDMI out into DVDO Edge Green then HDMI to Optoma 1080p projector. Any opinion on the video output settings for the ES25 TV settings? I can choose TV Type 16:9 480i or 16:9 480p AND there is a HDMI Resolution option of 480p, 720p or 1080i. I have it on 16:9 480p and HDMI 1080i. The DVDO show incoming 1080i signal and is then scaling it to 1080p.

[@Culturedog]

Steve Owens No problem! Good score there from Goodwill! Sounds like your signal chain is hooked up right and everything is good to go. The only one maybe worth experimenting with is the HDMI resolution option. I'm not sure if it's better to keep the resolution low all the the way to the DVDO and let that do the bulk of the upscaling work, or have the DVD Recorder beef it up most of the way to 1080i. I'll see if I can find any recommendations from other some other people who use that Panasonic.

[@SteveOwensRoswell]

Culturedog Good point on the scaling. Thinking the DVDO *should* have a better scaler than the ES25. Will experiment with the ES25 sending out 480p and 1080i and see what I can see. Watched the Gary Oldman flick Immortal Beloved on LD last night on this setup and it was looking pretty sweet.

[@Culturedog]

Steve Owens Been meaning to watch that flick again - probably been over 10 years since the last time I saw it. Let me know how the upscaling experimentation goes!

[@thatguyontheright1]

You want to hear a laserdisc player *CLUNK*, well track down an industrial grade Pioneer player. I had one for quite a long time before a power surge took it out. Everything clunked, when you opened the tray, it clunked...when it loaded the disc on the spindle...it clunked, and the spin up was loud. Wish it lasted longer as now I have a computer that can use the LD-ROM connector on the back Also, the processing daisy chain madness you have there...damn. I would just get a framemeister, which out puts it into HDMI.

[@Culturedog]

+TGOTR Yeah, I never did pick up one of those industrial players, but they look like severe beasts indeed. If the movie doesn't wake the neighbors, the mechanics of the player itself will! :-D

[@corder1991]

Hey man i have a question about my player. Its sony laservision videodisc player lpd - 750. I cant find anything online, is it a good player? Also I have no clue what model remote control to buy.

[@Culturedog]

I haven't seen that player in action personally, but I know the older Lasermax players are pretty well regarded as decent performers and general all-around workhorses. I'll see if I can figure out what remote goes with that player.

[@corder1991]

Culturedog thanks alot man! I just picked up another player. Its a pioneer cld 909. Looks like it plays cd’s and the other format thats a Lilttle smaller than a laser disc and it plays laser disc also. Its pretty sweet but the remote is missing too. Its pretty much useless with out it. I wonder if other remotes like universal ones will work.

[@deckofcards87]

Hey Sam what's the size of your projector screen in this video?

[@Culturedog]

It's 100 inches. I keep thinking about getting one of those 2-ratio electric drop down screens with the special 2.35:1 masking on the 2nd one. Someday...

[@JoelCrager]

Hey dog I bought one of those dps 290 units. I havent found too much on instructions on using the device, but have managed to make some adjustments and improve the picture quality. I have a favor to ask of you if you would be so kind to do a video on operating and adjusting the unit for best picture. I had it look better but you could see like ghosted lines in the picture using it. Even with the hazy lines was a better picture than without. I am sure it didnt help that I was playing the video back on a 86 inch 4k tv. A video would help out :-)

[@Culturedog]

Good idea - I can make that happen. I probably still have a PDF copy of the operators' manual kicking around on a drive too. I'll look for it.

[@JoelCrager]

@@Culturedog Thanks man I would greatly appreciate that.

[@boratliff]

Hmm, after watching this vid, I'm thinking I should use my composite video out into my lcd tv instead of the S-video out. I've got one of the industrial players (Pioneer CLD-V2600) going into a Samsung 720p from a few years ago. But if it has S-video inputs already...guess I'll get off my arse and research it.

[@Culturedog]

karkas1 It does seem counter-intuitive to use the composite out, since S-video is the more advanced option, but... It's only advanced if you have a time machine. All the S-video does is send a split color (chrominance) and b&w (luminance) video signal out of the player. This separation seems like a quality option, except for what's doing the separating. If you use the S-video out, you're using the comb filter in the player to split the signal, which is natively a combined, composite source on the disc itself. The irony is that comb filters are so much more advanced now, that any given TV, receiver, upscaler etc. will have a better comb filter in it than the one that's in the player. Even the high-end, late model Japan-only players with ultra fancy 3D motion adaptive filters are outdated. So the only way to really make proper use of player's S-video out is to go back in time, or watch your discs on a vintage TV set. And even then, that TV might still have a better comb filter than the one in the player. Think of the video in terms of water, and think of the filter in terms of... a water filter. The water filter in the laserdisc player is old, grimy, caked-on with dirt and debris, and probably has some holes in it. The one in your TV is a newer filter, recently torn out of its packaging, smells good and is ready to go. To confuse things, there's a lot of talk about later model mid- to high-end players using a "recombined" composite output - basically splitting and processing the signal as if for S-Video, and then remixing the video signal into one and sending that to the RCA out video jack. In that case, the S-video would theoretically be as good if not better, but.. I still hear people recommending the composite out even in those cases. I still need to do a lot more research in that neck of the woods, and I don't even know if there's an available list of players that use "recombined" composite vs. players that use "pure" composite. In any case, I believe it was laserdisc internet guru Rachael Bellomy who said that all S-video outputs on LD players should be taped over! :-D

[@ronwess]

I understand completely what your talking about. I have a pioneer LV 2400 works fine but just wanted to upgrade to one that has auto flip. Much like yourself I'm into new and old audio/video equipment and i have a lot of equipment. My little studio has taken over part of the masterbedroom. The Wifey doesn't understand the passion I have for electronics why upgrade don't be lazy get up and keep turning over that disc....lol I'm gonna upgrade eventually...just trying to decide which autoflip player to get and one that I can afford. I'm appreciative that somebody out there is into technology as much as I am ("

[@Culturedog]

I've been lucky so far - my fiancée thinks my laserdisc obsession is cute. But there was one time I saw an HD-DVD player for $10 after the format died and I was all "Oooh, I should get that!" and she gave me the bulging eyeball stare of doom. :-D

[@ronwess]

Lol I totally understand hey check my video (" Keep sharing I enjoy your enthusiasm and love for electronics ("

[@ronwess]

Yeah that bulging eye look is no joke ("

[@Culturedog]

Ron Wess MusaQ Checking out some of your vids now - cool to see someone else playing lefty! I play guitar and bass, and it's always tough finding lefty models.

[@ronwess]

Yes it is. I bought a right handed just to learn but decided to play the way felt comfortable to me (" Thanks for checkin me out much appreciated. ..Please subscribe ("

[@BannHammer]

Hey! Great video, I haven't been in the laserdisc game for too long but I really, really enjoy the format. I'm not terribly fond of the sterile clean picture of dvd and bluray. The format reminds me of movies I would see as a kid. Anyway I have a question and that is why run RCA into the DVD player then S-Video out to the DPS-290? Why not either go S-Video all the way or S-Video to DPS to receiver? Are you trying to avoid whatever processing the CLD-704 S-Video has on the signal? Pardon my ignorance but I thought that was kinda funny is all! One last thing, I have a CLD-604. Could I get a similar picture to you if I had the same post LD processing chain? People rave about the 704/79/79/99 but does that have something to do with the internal signal processing or is it something else? Great video, thanks! Oh, one last question, is there anything I can use to convert S-Video to component? I have component on the back of my receiver but no S-video and I've been having some issues finding a converter box. They're both analog so I would assume there would be something out there but I haven't had much luck. Thanks again!

[@Culturedog]

+BannHammer Thanks for watching and commenting - glad you enjoyed the video! The S-video/RCA thing is pretty much unique to LD - most other times you'd want to opt for S-video, but in the case of LaserDisc, the video on the disc is naturally composite with the color and b&w signals combined. If you use the S-video out on the player, you use the mid-90s (or earlier) comb filter inside of it to split the signals. The cosmic joke of it all is that the comb filter in just about anything else you'd be hooking the player up to will be far more advanced, save for some vintage CRT TVs. That's why a lot of peeps go for older DVD-Recorders - the models from the early 2000s had great 3D comb filters in them and can be had for a song. So the goal is to keep the composite signal pure until something good can split it (in my case, the Panny DVD recorder) and then send the split chroma/b&w signals through S-video from there. The CLD-D604's a nice player. Still has a lot of the perks of the D704 like digital memory and separate outputs for AC-3 RF and digital PCM/DTS. A lot of the benefits from getting the Elite players were in the build quality, video signal-to-noise ratio, digital noise reduction and comb filters. If you're using an external comb filter and something for noise reduction like I do, then all that leaves you with is build quality/fit and finish and video signal-to-noise ratio. In composite video quality, the D704 is pretty much identical to the Elites while costing far less. Which is why it's a "go to" player. The D604 has a slightly poorer signal-to-noise rating (50db vs. 51db), but is going to perform better than most of the more common mid-grade Pioneer players. There should be a few convertor boxes available out there for adapting the video to component, or you could also use a DVD recorder like I do, since most will also has component outputs. If I didn't need an S-video signal to connect to the DPS-290, I'd just use component out into the DVDO. Thanks again for watching! Cheers!

[@BannHammer]

+Culturedog Oh very interesting! So I get bypassing the built in comb filter (Kind of but not really, because why would you want to split the signal up if you're just feeding it strait through an RCA?), but what is the DPS 290 used for in this case? Sorry if I'm being annoyingly ignorant, here if you have site for me to read up on the finer details I would love it. Thanks again!

[@Culturedog]

+BannHammer No problem - you're not annoying at all! TVs need a split signal of color and brightness, so even if you go straight RCA from a VCR or a LD player into a TV, there'll be a comb filter in the set to separate the Y and C (or Luma and Chroma) parts of the video. LD players went the extra step by including comb filters in a lot of models and offering S-video out, assuming that they would do a better job than most TVs. But even back in the CRT heyday, results varied and it was hit or miss as to which device would be better. But comb filter technology advanced pretty quickly, so even the later high-end LD models with 3D comb filters would be outperformed by a stock comb filter in any modern TV with a legacy composite input. So as time goes on, there's less and less reason to consider using an S-video jack on an LD player. But for composite video, something has to split it along the way for a TV to display it properly. Assuming the filter in the player is outmoded, you can either rely on one in a TV or some sort of external device along the signal chain pathway. The downside is that while most upscalers (like the DVDO unit I use) will do a better job than the LD player, they still don't have stellar comb filters. Likewise with the DPS-290 - it'll do a decent job, but the comb filter in the Panasonic DMR-E20 is much better. So I just use DVD recorder to split the signal into color and brightness, and then use the DPS-290 for its time base corrector and noise reduction. The video noise reduction is probably the most noticeable upgrade in my whole crazy signal chain. It cleans up all of the super noisy reds and purples that you get with analog video. Some of the nicer players have built-in video noise reduction, but the results are far less dramatic. It'd be awesome if there was one piece of gear that did everything perfectly. I do know some people are happy just using a newer DVD-recorder with HDMI outs as a one-stop answer for splitting the video signal and upscaling to HD.

[@BannHammer]

+Culturedog very good info. I've got one last question, maybe I jump in on these things a little faster than I should but I snagged a 290 on eBay for $50 shipped. Was wondering if the chain needs to be in that order? would it be possible to go 604 -> 290 (via rca-coaxial) to svideo comb filter device (read Panasonic's es10 is really good or would coaxial-rca into the DVD be better?) to component out to receiver and good to go? I'm not sure if it matters so much when everything is processed (seems like it could) but this would solve my receiver input issue.

[@Culturedog]

+BannHammer Wow - nice score on the 290! I haven't tried messing with the composite ins and outs of the unit yet, but it is more than likely that it will add filters to the composite signal and then recombine it on the way out. There's a Comb Filter on and off setting, but even set to 'off' I think it applies a lower grade band-pass filter. As far as I know, the only way to bypass the 290's comb filter altogether is to use the S-video input. I've also heard good things about the Panny es10 - pretty much all of the earlier DMR model players have nice 3D comb filters. You could always try the comb filter in the DPS-290 and just use the DVD-Recorder to convert the signal to component for your receiver. The DPS-290 does have a component output, but it's a multi-pin array much different than the regular 3-cable consumer grade ones. And I've heard it's a noisier output than the S-video anyways, so your best bet is to let something else convert the signal to component (like a DVD recorder or an upscaler). So basically try to stay composite/RCA until you split the signal with a comb filter, and then jump to S-video or better. The optimal path would be to go 604 (outputting composite via rca-coaxial) -> DMR-ES10 (outputting S-video) -> DPS-290 (outputting S-video) -> something to convert the signal to component or HDMI. But... it might be worth trying out 604 (outputting composite via rca-coaxial) -> DPS-290 (Comb Filter set to On - outputting S-video) -> DMR-ES10 (outputting component to A/V Receiver). If you're feeling experimental, you can try to run composite rca/coax all the way to the es10 just to see how it looks, but I don't think the DPS-290 will pass through a pure composite signal without applying its own comb filters first and then recombining the Y and C signals. If you do connect any rca cables to the DPS-290, I'm pretty sure it uses BNC connectors (at least the DPS-220 I also have does), so you can't just plug in an ordinary rca cable. You can get BNC adaptors cheap though - I got a bag of 20 for a few bucks on Amazon. Also, the fan on the DPS-290 is a loud beast, since it had to keep the unit cool in giant TV stations filled with racks of hot gear. I wound up replacing it with a quiet 40mm fan and haven't had any problems with it overheating. Hope some of this made sense - the 1st coffee of the day hasn't fully kicked in and I've still got one eye open! :-D

[@dylbob9000]

ive been trying to get together a shopping list to attempt a similar set up. Im in Australia so on the LD side of things its slim pickings so im relegated to using ebay, shipping from the US is pricey and one probably wouldn't survive the trip anyway. got my eye on a Pioneer CLD D390 going cheap, cant find much info but it does have A3 so thats a plus. I all ready own a XRGB mini framemeister for my gaming set up so i wont need to get a DVDO. The tricky part it seems is the DVD recorder and the DPS, is there a way to tell if a recorder has a good comb filter? Is there a cut off year to note? I have been picking the commonly recommended models and feeding them into ebay.au but no hits so far, It looks like importing the DPS and DVD recorder is my only choice. Its too bad the DPS 290 only does s-video in/out. I have been looking to see if there is a scart or ypbpr version since DVD recorders have ypbpr output but it appears similar devices only have the BNC version of component that has the separate synch for BVM/PVM CRTs. i cant find a way to convert it to ypbpr so that's out. if you know any alternatives or general advice id really appreciate it

[@Culturedog]

+dylbob9000 Awesome! Good luck on the player hunt. I know another viewer from Australia who wound up with a Sony MDP-333 - he also mentioned how tough it was to find good players there. And yeah, LD players don't seem to travel well - even here in the States they regularly get wrecked going relatively small distances. Shipping costs are a beast too. I heard someone talking about trying to rig a component output cable set to use with the DPS-290, but then someone else mentioned that the component video output on that is noisy and not as good as the s-vid out, so I just went the easy route and stuck with the s-video. Not sure what they have on some of the newer models, but the DPS-295 and beyond should also do the trick and may have some more output options. The only thing that sucks is that eventually they started locking the noise reduction features - around the time Leitch bought out the company I think it was. You actually need a passcode to activate the NR, which is lame. I'll see if I can find the list of DVD-Recorders I ran across - it had a pretty comprehensive breakdown of which models had which chipsets and what kind of comb filter options. Seems to be that right around 2005-2006 the quality started dropping.

[@dylbob9000]

thanks! that list would be real helpful! im finding the manuals for a lot of recorders dont specify if it had a 3d or 2d comb filter, they just refer to a NR function. Also is there a list of LD showing what pressings have the better quality or definitive cut? I started looking for movies i want and when looking for a individual movies like Big Trouble in Little China, Evil Dead and Star Wars there are several versions. Id rather not start doubling up until i get the better cuts of the core movies im looking for, getting a LD for a extra scene can come later ;)

[@ozzman8]

Hey... Nice setup. I'm like you when it comes to LD. I love it and collect it. Don't have as many LD players as you though. I have 2 LD players. A pioneer CLD-99, and a pioneer DVL-V888. I need some equipment like yours to enhance the picture a bit. I have it connected straight to my Onkyo 4k upscaling receiver but I think I need some more kick. I was thinking about getting one of those DPS-290 digital processors and maybe a DVD recorder for 3d comb filter and then to the receiver. What do you think? Do you use the DVDO only for a switcher? Because I saw that the DVDO also offers an upscaler. My main system that I use is my CLD-99. What do you think I should use to get my image better? And as far as audio, what do you think I should do as well? Thanks. I am now subscribing..

[@Culturedog]

+ozzman8 Thanks man!! A CLD-99 - very nice indeed! Yeah, out of all the add-ons I've thrown into the signal chain, I think I love the noise reduction on the DPS-290 the most. That combined with a good comb filter in an older DVD recorder makes for a significant difference in the picture quality. I do use the DVDO for upscaling as well - my projector has a built-in upscaler that does nice work with LDs on its own, but I like the versatility of the DVDO and the extra bells and whistles it has. Especially the way it works automatically - it turns on by itself when it detects an incoming signal. And if you have a lot of different gear, you can customize the hierarchy of the video inputs so it knows what to prioritize if multiple devices are on at the same time. Definitely made my whole rig more user friendly, which my wife certainly appreciates. Audio with LD gets a little tricky because of the numerous formats being output, but unless you can find an older receiver that can internally decode an LD's AC3 RF signal, I'd suggest just using something modern like your Onkyo and trying to pick up an AC-3 RF demodulator on ebay. I'd say multiple digital inputs would be necessary, but if you get a DVDO you can always run the audio to that and let it send everything to the receiver or pre/pro over HDMI. With a great player like the CLD-99, it'd be optimal to get the best out of its audio outputs so you can blast PCM tracks, Dolby Digital tracks, and DTS tracks and still have a legacy analog output in case you find some older discs or want to listen to commentary tracks etc.

[@ozzman8]

+Culturedog Thanks man... That makes sense. You were a big help, and thanks for answering my questions..

[@cgambarrotti]

Culturedog

[@LegoWaffles11]

I just got my first player recently. Nothing special, apparently an extremely basic model. Pioneer LD-V2200. I got it because I'm a Star Wars collector, and I initially only planned on getting all the different releases of the Star Wars films, but I've moved onto other movies too. I have only nine LD movies so far, but I am really looking forward to building a collection. Taking it to college with me too. Thanks for making these videos, they're very informative!

[@Culturedog]

Thanks man, glad you're enjoying the vids! Yeah, Star Wars and its sequels are definitely the prime LD gateway films. I still need to pick up a few Japanese releases to complete my journey to the silver side. It's definitely a fun format to collect, and the price is right on most titles nowadays. Those industrial Pioneer players are no-frills but are sturdy and reliable - should be a good player especially to bring to college. Makes me flash back to when I'd bring my Sony around with me to UCONN and crank up Star Wars LDs in the dorms there. Cheers!

[@starwarsandtrumpets]

+Culturedog Same person, different account. I have an update. I took it to college and it played fine the first week. Now, it'll play the disc, but the video will cut to black approximately every four seconds, and the audio will cut out approximately every six seconds. Is this a common problem and when that I can get fixed easily? Really bummed out.

[@Culturedog]

That's a really strange problem indeed - how's the picture look when it's going in and out? Lots of distortion and wiggly lines or anything, or does it just smash to a black screen? I'll see if I've got any write-ups on similar symptoms.

[@LegoWaffles11]

Yeah, just black screen in and out and audio cutting in and out.

[@thelocustemperor]

For a second I thought that girl in the video was really in your room there with you!!!

[@Culturedog]

Don't tell my wife! haha

[@abcdefg-ud3cu]

Hi Sam, I know this video is 5 years old and I have no idea if you are still responding to questions but I do have a question for you if you are responding to this video. You mentioned that some pioneers still spin once you hit stop and there is an easy fix for it, what is it?? My DVL-90 does that once and a while. How do I fix it? Thanks

[@Culturedog]

No problem! Yeah, the DVL-90 suffers from the occasional slip just like the later CLD players. It's a combination of the clamping area being smaller to accommodate LDs and CDs and the rubber ring on top of the spindle motor wearing down over time. The short-term solution is to take the top clamp assembly off and use a chamois stick on the rubber spindle motor grip ring to resurface it with scrubbing (I use a professional video head cleaning solution that was recommended - on the tip of the stick). It's not perfect, but it can give it some more life. There were a number of enthusiasts trying new methods with spray-on plastics like Plasti-Dip, but the best solution is just to pull off the old ring (it's super easy - it's basically a circular sticker), clean off the spindle motor top surface, and stick a new one on. Pioneer used to stock the replacement grip rings (Part no. VEB1272, "Rubber Sheet") but then they started farming out their stock to Pac Parts. Last I knew, the OEM rings were getting tough to find, but... There's a guy in Massachusetts named Ethan Gallo who started up a small operation of manufacturing his own replacement rings. I'm pretty sure he has some that could work for the DVL-90. He's on facebook and is part of the Laserdisc Forever group, but I probably still have his email kicking around if you need it. On the plus side, it's one of the easiest repairs to do once you get a hold of a new replacement ring. Hope this helped! Cheers!

[@abcdefg-ud3cu]

@@Culturedog Are you kidding? Of course you helped! You're a huge help! I've said it before, you know things about laserdisc players and are able to put it in a way I understand. I haven't found anyone else who can do that like you. If you do have his email I would love to have it. I don't have facebook. Too old and never found interest in it. You're the best!

[@abcdefg-ud3cu]

There is also a person on ebay selling new replacement rings out of Massachusetts for $20.00 free shipping. Might be the same person?

[@Culturedog]

@@abcdefg-ud3cu That's him! Those rings are matches for the CLD-D704, etc., so the size is a little different, but I know some people who have used those on their DVL-90s with no issue.

[@Culturedog]

I've still got one of my DVL-90s too, so if you need pictures or a quick video to help out, give a shout!

[@Edubarca46]

All things considered, in your opinion and knowing that you don't work for Pioneer, which is the best laserdisc player around?

[@Culturedog]

Tough call - even at the so-called "God Tier", there are a few contenders for top spot. Though for players marketed in the U.S. I'd give it a 3-way tie between the Pioneer CLD-97 (and its McIntosh clone), Pioneer LD-S2 and the Runco LJR-II. In Japan, the Pioneer HLD-X0 (followed by the HLD-X9) are generally considered untouchable, though I have heard some people say they'd actually prefer a CLD-97 over an X9. So I suppose there's a bit of personal preference at play. From my current collection, my favorite players are the Quasar LD-700 and Pioneer LD-S1, followed by the Pioneer CLD-99.

[@Edubarca46]

@@Culturedog Thanks for your reply. My current one is the Pioneer CLD-1750K which has given me reliable and excellent results. Have you heard anything on this player? I purchased it in 1999 and it is going strong. I would like to purchase a second player just in case the1750 breaks down. And which player you consider bad? Apart from the original Magnavox/Philips one. Thanks!!!!

[@Culturedog]

bufo333, sorry couldn't reply directly to your comment for some reason. Some people have good luck finding cheap LDs at thrift shops like Goodwill, Savers or Salvation Army, but I've never found any there and I look on a fairly regular basis. In some parts of the US, Half-Price Books is a popular chain with some decent prices on used discs. Craigslist takes some patience and regular checking, but it's a good source for tripping across big lots of discs at low prices. Also, I've met some other collectors on Laserdisc Forever over on Facebook who know how common their "commons" are and will sell them to other collectors for $1 a pop. I've had some luck at flea markets and yard sales, but that takes even more of an effort than browsing Craigslist. I hear you on the "RARE" problem - there are a handful of legitimately rare titles, but online sellers (and even some brick and mortar collectibles stores like record shops) like to overprice and shout about how rare and out of print their regular, commonly found LDs are.

[@thelocustemperor]

so just to be clear the best TV's to go with for laserdisc is the smaller CRT's anything 36" or smaller (the traditional CRT vs the Rear Projection - the bigger one's) any other wisdom you wish to share I am all ears...

[@Culturedog]

Yeah, that's a good rule of thumb. They also look incredible on professional CRT broadcast monitors, but it's tough to find those in larger sizes. Sony PVMs are always in demand for gaming and vintage video. But overall, the powerful contrast on direct view CRTs helps make LDs look really punchy and vibrant without a lot of tweaking. They're heavy as hell, but the consumer units are usually super cheap if not outright free. On the flip side, most of the plasma owners I know say LD looks great on them. And I've noticed that they also look nice on newer 4K TVs. I got a cheap Sharp Aquos recently and it's awesome for LD - even has a legacy composite video in. I had to do a bit of adjusting with the Video Essentials test disc, but I don't miss the CRT it replaced at all.

[@chrisleibowitz9063]

I can't find one these I'm way into alternative media

[@robertfontenotmorris733]

I am not trying be crossed with anyone, but movies are stories at any format. Have you ever came across Video Disc, I had an RCA Video Disc player and movies ( Flash Dance, Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark,James Bond Octopussy, Black Beauty).

[@Culturedog]

Yeah, also known as CED and SelectaVision. I never got into collecting them myself, but I see them quite often on the used market (they're listed as laserdiscs a lot) and I know some people who are still into them pretty heavily.

[@robertfontenotmorris733]

What other formats do you have? I heard that you blu-ray and of course Laser Disc. I had CED player. I have Xbox 360 Kinect Star Wars/HD DVD player, Sony blu-ray player (only for the SA-CD) I like music 78 rpm to CD's not mp3's, JVC DVHS (no movies yet it seems a lot of money) The connection we all have movies or audio is the tangible of the media.

[@Culturedog]

Robert Fontenot Morris Yup, plenty of Blu-rays, a decent stash of DVDs (and I've got a few multi-region players to play PAL and region-locked import discs), still have a small pile of VHS, for music it's mostly CDs and vinyl with a handful of tapes, and I've got a couple of random game consoles (PS3, PS2, Atari 2600). Laserdisc's probably the only semi-obscure format I collect.

[@jamesmiller4184]

Sam, honestly, you did MORE than just yeoman's work here, technically. For any paying close attention, I think we now know the score. It has been a whole long three years now, since this terrific and most revealing Equipment Showcase. Might anything else have been added equipment-wise since? Is a "Culturdog's Laserdisc Player Collection" update in-the-works? (On further consideration, I think bronzing is just not good enough for you; let's make that 'mercury gilded'!) Also, last but not least, I have still that original factory sealed Stargate DTS (PIONEER pressing!) for you. Interested?

[@Culturedog]

Hi James! Funny you should mention that - I've shot some footage already for a Player Collection update video. Just need to get some more shots of the players in action.Thanks for the kind words, and I am definitely interested in that Stargate DTS disc! I'll send you a message!

[@dvdmike007]

That 504 is a dead ringer for my 515

[@pancakesauce6297]

Do you think there will be any modern day laserdisc players made? Or are they already out there. Kind of like how it has been done with record players. thanks

[@Culturedog]

Cool question! Usually when people talk about an LD resurgence a la vinyl they only talk about the software side of things - and then someone eventually rains on the parade and says how astronomically expensive it would be to get an LD pressing plant up and running. But I would think it would be feasible to get the hardware going again - even if it were just some expensive boutique custom job. But Pioneer only finally stopped making LD players about 6 years ago. If the collector's market really heated up, it would be wicked cool to get some new players cranked out to support the trend.

[@Culturedog]

Riddler95 That'd be cool for sure - just a nice entry-level model. Maybe a nicer version of the old CLD-S201. One interesting thing about AC-3 that I just heard recently (from LD guru Rachael Bellomy), is that the signal couldn't be demodulated within the player itself because the radio frequencies would mess with the inner workings of the player and cause all sorts of interference. I always wondered why the option of in-player demodulation was never really mentioned, but supposedly it's impossible. Not sure why they can't just install a lead-shielded demodulating super-bunker in a corner of the deck, but I guess I'll trust the experts... this time. :-D

[@Culturedog]

Riddler95 Yeah, I'm constantly looking for a stock remote for my CLD-D704, and every time there's one on ebay I lose the bid or it costs $50 for a half-broken one. Luckily I can run the basic functions with one of my other Pioneer remotes in the meantime.

[@Riddler95]

Culturedog, this is random but would $10.00 have been a good deal for a Yamaha APD-1 AC-3 Demodulator?

[@Culturedog]

Smokin' hot! RF demodulators have been shooting up in price lately. Normally I'd expect to see $80-100 for a unit like that or my similar Sony model, but they've been creeping closer to the $200 mark lately.

[@Riddler95]

Yesterday morning I decided to create a Wanted Ad on Craigslist for a Yamaha APD-1. A few hours later I received a response from a guy saying that he had four Yamaha APD-1 units that were brand new in the box and he would sell one or all four of them to me. He said that he had no clue what they were so out of curiosity he opened one of them. I immediately replied to him saying that I would buy one of the boxed units. He responds to me by saying he wound up throwing them in the trash. He ends off the message by saying he would have sold me one of the boxed units for $10.00.

[@Culturedog]

Holy cow! That would have been an amazing deal! Tell him to go digging through the trash! :-D

[@Riddler95]

It is ironic you say that because I mentioned to him if they're wrapped in a bag then maybe you could just pull them out and I'll buy all four of them. But the seller never wrote me back. I was disappointed when he told me what he had done with them. It sucks knowing that four brand new AC-3 Demodulators were thrown in the trash. It goes to show that there are people out there who own rare products like AC-3 Demodulators and don't care about the value of them. So they'll sell them for peanuts. Culturedog, if you don't mind me asking, when you bought you Sony MOD-RF1 was it brand new or used?

[@Culturedog]

Yeah, that stinks that great units like that just get tossed. I hope somebody digs 'em out at the waste station and puts them back on the market. I bought my Sony MOD-RF1 new from an A/V store in New London, CT - probably in 1999. The funny thing is the price was $99, which would be a reasonable price for one now. It's interesting how they never depreciated. I did have another Sony unit that I'd been planning on integrating into a secondary A/V system that never happened, so I gave in and sold it off a few months ago.

[@MaisonOtaku]

(sings) Maybe she's born with it Maybe it's laserdisc

[@paulmuaddib451]

Maison Otaku Best comment, EVAR.

[@85pphoenix]

My Mrs. kicked me in the balls when I bought a second Laserdisc player last week, now I'm having to choose which one I want to keep and which one gets chucked at a homeless guy... :/ I wanted to see what Laserdisc looked like like on my HD projector over about 100 inches but again my Mrs. wouldn't let me... just Blu-ray or HD Digital Movies... Yeah she don't like Laserdisc XD Though I did try out the late release of Blair Witch on Laserdisc about 7 years ago... And remember it looking pretty bitching, Laserdisc gave it a film look.

[@Culturedog]

Paul Phoenix Luckily I just get some raised eyebrows and some mild ball busting, but I'm pushing my luck for sure! That homeless guy is gonna get crushed if I get forced to ditch my other players! I keep forgetting that Blair Witch hit LD - I should find a copy of that. Black and white stuff ends up looking pretty damned good on laserdisc.

[@85pphoenix]

Culturedog I had a bidding war on ebay for Blair Witch on LD a couple of weeks back but got a little rich for my blood. BAck when I had my old big collection 7 years ago I had 4 players and about 500 movies then sold the lot, it was only about a year ago I started collecting again. I still have to trim the fat now and again, like this evening selling Texas Chainsaw 2 Elite Letterbox Version and tomorrow the bidding ends for my Friday The 13th Part 2 PAL.

[@VIVGCiconia]

Sam where you lying on the floor doing this video? XD

[@Culturedog]

Pretty close to it! You can probably hear my knees cracking when I try to get back up! :-D