LaserDisc Player Collection (2022 Edition)

Culturedog Sam Hatch returns with a quick update on his LaserDisc player fleet as it stands in late 2022. Only three players carry over from the 2018 update, so there's lots of new, high quality laser action found within!
Pioneer, Panasonic, Sony, and more! These things multiply in the night like gremlins, so we'll go over each player's unique qualities that have earned them their place in active rotation.
Grab your remote, hit play and enjoy!
CHAPTERS:
0:00 Pioneer LD-S1
2:15 Quasar LD700
3:24 Pioneer CLD-950 (PAL/NTSC)
5:50 Sony MDP-333
9:13 Runco LJR II (THX)
12:20 Pioneer CLD-A100 (LaserActive)
15:00 Pioneer CLD-R7G
17:49 Sony HIL-C2EX (MUSE/NTSC)
21:54 Panasonic TU-HDC700 (MUSE-NTSC Converter)
22:04 Sony HIL-C1 (MUSE/NTSC)
23:07 Sony MSC-4000 (MUSE Decoder)
23:39 Sony HIL-C1 (Reprise)

[@baron8103]

DISCO LASER EL MEJOR FOMATO FISICO DE LA HISTORIA...Y UN AUDIO FUERA DE SERIE...! ! !

[@LDFanVa]

Your videos, especially your laserdisc audio series, deserve to be stored in the Jedi archives.

[@Culturedog]

Thank you greatly I do!

[@leapintothefuture]

Finally! Your standalone videos are the best - please do more

[@Culturedog]

Thanks! Definitely plan on it! Moving and some other life stuff threw a wrench in the works for a while, but I'm ready to rock now!

[@lightbulbfilms450]

Yeah don’t waste your time with the Wolfpack

[@Culturedog]

haha let's not go *that* far!

[@Laserdreamz]

Brill, great to see a return of the solo videos, envious of this collection!! Comparatively spazzy players in Pal land!

[@Culturedog]

Thanks mate! More stuff to come shortly - glad to be back in the saddle!

[@theshadowman1398]

Was one of my best purchases of 2022 a R7G. Love that player. Survived the trip on slowboat without a scratch ( with protective packaging obviously ).

[@Culturedog]

That's awesome that you got one! Even more awesome that it made the trip without any issue!

[@BlahBlah-em2ed]

Cool roll up of your players. Thanks for the tour.

[@Culturedog]

Thanks for watching! I need to do a quick update video too - i replaced that single-sided PAL deck with a CLD-D925 recently.

[@SFMarine0311]

Been too long Sam! Glad to see you back and definitely looking forward to more vids in the future.

[@Culturedog]

Thanks! Yeah, the past couple years kicked my butt, but it's good to be able to make some vids again. Got some more coming soon!

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Hi Sam. Wow, love this video. Amazing LaserDisc players. I gave up my LD player years ago and now regret it since I have a few LDs and would love to begin collecting those again. All the best to you!

[@Culturedog]

Thanks! Sorry for the late reply, but glad you dug the video! Great channel, btw - keep up the good work!

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

@@Culturedog Thanks very much!

[@biggestliberacefan1988]

Love the video and all of you great players I don’t know a lot about LD players but bought a Panasonic LX V880 1994 model I think it was made in Japan bought it about 5 years ago and it plays both sides . It gets used about once a week and has never missed a beat . I have it hooked up to the old 2010 50 inch LG plasma and most discs look great more so the ones manufactured in the 1990s compared to the 1980s . Seriously one of the finest looking set of Discs we have is the Japanese edition of the TV show Millennium from the mid 1990s laser discs sound and look better than the DVDs from the USA . Thank you very much for the different video’s you have made I love all formats but laser disc holds a special place in my collection and have around a 100 of them cheers Carl Australia.

[@LucasGShumway]

R7G & Muse players are awesome additions! I have 2 LD-S1s on the way from Japan thanks to your previous collection video. Now I may have to get down with a R7G next lol

[@Culturedog]

Thanks! Enjoy those LD-S1s for sure! Are you going to stack them or use them in different setups?

[@LucasGShumway]

@@Culturedog Hopefully I get both working. Gotta re-cap them and see where I stand. maybe stack LD-S1s in the bedroom, and stack the 2 1010s I have with the basement projector. keep em all in regular use :)

[@moviesbye9294]

I just got the Pioneer CLD-D925, fully refurbished 🤗

[@kenkai6133]

Thank you,

[@pioneerfan]

Hi from Pioneer CLD-D925 & Pioneer CLD-2950. Both works fine.

[@subhumantype]

Nice laserdisc player collection! I just started collecting laserdiscs and picked up the Pioneer CLD-M301 with a remote. Love your videos!

[@Culturedog]

Thanks! The M301 is a super interesting player, with it's robot CD-changer assembly. Pioneer's overengineering with a lot of these players is fascinating.

[@SteveOwensRoswell]

Laser-FLEX! Great collection of players.

[@Culturedog]

Thanks Steve! Still need an HLD-X0 for the power flex, but one step at a time! haha

[@SteveOwensRoswell]

@@Culturedog Sending X0 vibes your way.... you deserve it!

[@targetrender9529]

Hey, Sam! I have an LD-S2. The remote for that thing is HUGE!

[@Culturedog]

Nice! I almost bought one a few years ago but the deal fell through, sadly. I'll definitely snag one if he opportunity arises though. Such a cool player!

[@Riddler95]

This video introduced me to a few LaserDisc players that I never knew existed. That Pioneer CLD-R7G is beautiful and I remember reading about it's phenomenal S-Video output years ago. One of my LaserDisc players is a Pioneer CLD-3030 from 1988 which has Digital Memory and I agree that the video quality is better when Digital Memory is turned off.

[@Culturedog]

Thanks! Yeah, the CLD-R7G is a great, lightweight overperformer. Plus it's a super stylish player like you said. I was just using it yesterday, actually!

[@Riddler95]

I love how Pioneer went all out on the look for some of those high-end Japanese LaserDisc players and the champagne colour is such a nice touch too! Last month I acquired a bunch of new LaserDiscs! Some of them were still sealed and the rest were used but in mint condition. I am looking forward to spinning them up soon!

[@markss9202]

Years ago I decided to get into collecting Criterion Laserdiscs after really getting into the collection in the mid 2000's and having more disposable income than sense at the time I decided to go big and bought a HLD-X9. I would have liked a black player but have come around to the champagne because it stands out in my home entertainment center. Its size also helps with that. Also, the gentleman I bought if off of packed it in I believe at least 5 full layers of cardboard and styrofoam to protect in in shipping. The package was a beast and thankfully I had a large hatchback at the time. It has hiccuped a few times here and there after some prolonged non-use but overall has been a great player since I got it.

[@Culturedog]

Excellent! Nice that you were able to transport the X9 yourself and not worry about international shipping damage etc. "More disposable income than sense" - love it! That seems to be the motto for any good hobby!

[@deckofcards87]

Been 5 months, Sam. Hope you're doing alright, guy.

[@draketafoya3343]

Love your videos... Do you know why when I skip chapters or pause,the video image shakes? 🤔 Thank you

[@martinmcfly4658]

Rocking a R7G down here in New Zealand. Great Video. Still have planned a 'THX on Laserdisc Explained" Video/Series, Mr. Dog?

[@Culturedog]

Hey there! Thanks for dropping by as always! R7Gs make the world go 'round! I indeed do still have that on the drawing board. Just need to finish getting my act together. This video was a first step on that path though! :-D

[@laserramon9926]

Cool players. I used to have a HLD-X9 that was nothing but trouble. Ended up selling iit for over $1K to someone that was willing to repair it. But I regret selling it honestly. It was a great player when it was working.

[@Culturedog]

Thanks! Bummer that you weren't able to get much use out the HLD-X9. It sucks that finding qualified techs with the available time to work on them is such an uphill battle too. I'll tinker with a bunch of my players, but a lot of stuff is still beyond my amateur abilities. I have seller's regret for a few players too, so I know how that feels!

[@1dbanner]

Very cool additions. I'd love a second player if I could find one at a decent price. Btw, my Pioneer CLD-1030 also has two sets of RCA jacks, must've been something standard on late 80s players

[@Culturedog]

Thanks! Someday I'll find a use for connecting multiple RCA jacks at once - maybe I can run a separate set of cables into my neighbor's place so they can check out whatever I'm watching! :-D

[@RetroSteamTech]

Hi Sam, hope you and yours are well. Awesome collection of players, thanks for sharing them with us. I too have a CLD-R7G which is my main player, amazing bit of kit. For PAL discs I have a CLD-D925, another great player. I still have my very first player, the industrial LD-V4300D, god knows how old that is but it still works! Just out of interest, how many laserdiscs in your collection now? Cheers, Alan.

[@Culturedog]

Hey, Alan! How goes it? Sorry for the late reply! I'm sitting at just over 2100 discs last I checked. Storage is definitely an issue, so I have to get creative if I'm going to keep expanding the collection. That's awesome that your first player is still going. The R7G is a great daily driver as well. I'd have one in every room if I had my way! Haha! Cheers, Sam

[@RetroSteamTech]

@@Culturedog Hi Sam. I'm good thanks. 2100!!! Where the hell do you put all of those? My collection stands at just over 670 now and I'm definitely running out of room! Apart from a few rarities I have most of the discs I want so I don't tend to purchase many these days. Although I did pick up a minty copy of The Wraith (G98F5045) a few weeks back. What a classic, one of Charlie Sheen's finest performances 🤣 Cheers, Alan.

[@UltraDTA]

Welcome back!

[@Culturedog]

Thanks! This one's been long overdue!

[@lightbulbfilms450]

He does a 4 hour podcast like every other week!

[@Culturedog]

Got another episode dropping shortly too! Plus a pre-New Year's livestream episode!

[@joseluisherreralepron9987]

I had no idea what MUSE technology was...I had to look it up. I didn't realize these players would output a 1080i signal...that would be cool.

[@Culturedog]

I'll have to do some videos on MUSE - it was definitely cool technology!

[@juliansampere9310]

Dear Sam: Greetings from Buenos Aires. I have watched the videos on your channel with great interest and I would like to ask if you own Sleepy Hollow or Matrix or any of the latter titles. How do they look? Do you notice any overall improvement over a 1995 movie? Finally ask yourself how the NTSC LDs look on your MUSE player, compared to your regular player. Any noticeable difference? I am a humble collector who one day would like to buy a Pioneer X0. Thank you so much!

[@canaridissident7309]

Hello, what receiver do you use to watch your collection ? Does a 1080 p plasma screen works well with LD ? I thank you.

[@Culturedog]

I've got a Rotel setup in my main room - a RSP-1069 with an RMB-1077 amp. I'll have to do a video on my signal chain LDs usually look great on plasma sets!

[@wright96d]

Has Spencer pestered you yet for captures from that MUSE player? I've certainly been curious how the 4.0 tracks compare to some LD 2.0 mixes.

[@angrybravo]

Which laserdisc sound is better ac-3 or DTS? Is there a big difference?

[@deadmanjones9077]

Hello! I've been intrigued by your videos for a bit, and it's been getting me interested into laserdiscs. However, I've been having a bit of a snag when coming to finding players, let alone for a decent price/IWC. Where would I start to find a cheap player? I've tried so many online stores and auction sites, but I've come up fruitless.

[@Culturedog]

Yeah, it's tough - the market really shot up since 2020. You used to be able to get solid double-sided mid-90s Pioneers for $80 on eBay but now those same players are $200+. Plus shipping can be a nightmare. I haven't had much luck finding them in shops, though occasionally one will show up in a record store or a thrift store. Most of the ones I've gotten were from local finds on Craigslist or FB Marketplace or from other LD collectors in my area. There's a lot of players available from members in the LaserDisc Forever group on facebook too, but oddly they don't sell very well in there. Probably shipping concerns. Hope you can find one though!

[@The_Badcompany]

Where do you reccomend getting bookshelves/shelving unit to hold laserdiscs? I recently moved and the bookshelves I had bought and the bottom was falling apart due to weight (I even added thick wooden blocks I had cut for shelf support) Any help is greatly appreciated.

[@Culturedog]

Most of mine are IKEA Kallax shelves, though the most popular sizes/colors are out of stock a lot. I have a few of the Better Homes & Gardens ones from Wal-Mart, but I noticed a drastic dip in build quality over the past few years even though they still cost about as much as the IKEA ones. Somebody was just recommending some similar cube shelves in an LD group I'm in - I think it was the Costco ones.

[@The_Badcompany]

@@Culturedog Would you mind posting the link for the Kallax ones from Ikea that you reccomend? There's quite a few of them? Or would mind texting me on IG or twitt?

[@ParanormalExplorer]

Hello, I have a Pioneer V2200 in need of repair. When I first got it, I wanted to test it. The tray ejected and I put a movie in but as it was going back into the player the tray stopped just as it was nearly in all the way. It was also making a grinding, clicking noise. I was able to retrieve the movie but now the tray doesn't eject, and I hear a whir sound coming from the left of the player. The sound is similar to the sound when you're fast forwarding or rewinding a tape at high speed. I've taken the top off and can get the tray to eject if I manually move the sliding mechanism. Anyway, I'm not sure where to look but would like to repair this if possible. It's my first LD player. Edit: Upon closer inspection I see a White gear that spins on the front left corner when I press eject. I guess that problem has something to do with this gear.

[@angrybravo]

i cant find laserdisc box set part 1-3 can you send me a link?

[@AllboroLCD]

Damn..... You literally own every single well sought after LD player minus the Mc'Intosh! Would be awesome to get an update vid on how to best view these things on modern TV's. I'm torn between using a 1080 DLP TV, aV input from a DVD/VCR combo w/hdmi out, or a composite to USB converter using VLC player.

[@Culturedog]

Thanks! I can definitely do a video or two on my signal chain and what I do now vs. years prior. The toughest part is usually finding the right combination of gear - something with a great comb filter might have poor deinterlacing and scaling etc. And with so many models of TVs and DVD recorders etc out there, it can be a bit of a crap shoot.

[@AllboroLCD]

@@Culturedog Right, I totally hear ya there which is why im tending to lean more towards the USB adapter. At least via PC I can custom crop the image to properly fit the screen. Anyways much thanks! Ever been to "The Archive" in bridgeport? Usually a nice selection of LD's at that spot if youve never been ; )

[@AllboroLCD]

@Sir Watchalot With apps like VLC, MPCHC, Daum PotPlayer, you can "live view" the signal from the composite to USB adapter when watching LD. One could use software filters on the picture as well as custom cropping of the image.

[@AllboroLCD]

Just food for thought, but with some initiative in the homebrew PCB community I believe its well within possibility to develop one of those low cost amazon RCA to HDMI units to cleanly/properly upscale widescreen LD's on modern flat panels.

[@mikeg2491]

@@AllboroLCDlook into the retrotink 4k coming out, it’s designed for games but the developer is putting in features for handling & upscaling older video content.

[@wright96d]

Would you happen to have a first player recommendation with optical and AC3 RF?

[@Culturedog]

A lot of the mid-90s Pioneers will do the job well. For starter players, the CLD-D604 (or D605, D606), CLD-D406 or CLD-59 will do the trick. Even the later DVL models if they're priced well. Above that, the CLD-D704, CLD-79, and CLD-99 have all the bells and whistles and a bump in picture quality. Beyond that you start getting into Japan-only players. But I know a lot of people who start off with either a D406 or a D604.

[@wright96d]

@@Culturedog Thank you! This is a big help!

[@plexnbrown760]

Oh man c-dog solo. What will Ryan do without you

[@Culturedog]

He's got a secret solo channel too! Check out Midwest Media Madness for some pure uncut Broterion action! www.youtube.com/@midwestmediamadness680/featured

[@sjb007brown1]

@ Sam what projector do you use

[@Culturedog]

Just an older Sony 1080p SXRD model - think it's the VPL-HW10 if I recall correctly. I was waiting for the 4K laser projectors to hit the market and get a little cheaper before getting a newer model, so I'm still in a holding pattern. That said, I'm still digging 1080p on the big screen and it plays nice with my LDs for sure!

[@akirekoko7415]

why you stopped uploading video !!!

[@kilroyishere6190]

My collection…in no particular order.. Pioneer Elite79..gave it to my friend CLD M90…my first ..bought in 92 Cld-A100 Elite 99 Elite 97 Elite 95 XP CLD 704 S2 Pioneer based MLD7020 EAD TheaterVision Theta Data III And the Runco LJR II..Panasonic based a Panie LX900U for parts(runco) All 9++ You couldnt give me a Sony…nothing more than a doorstop,.lmao.. Then theres the bone yard MLD7020..new..in unopened factory sealed box Cld503 Ead T7000 2 of em Theta Data III

[@Culturedog]

Nice! If you find any more doorstops, send 'em my way! ;-)

[@LeeDarkParadox]

What’s this? A new video ! ++++

[@Culturedog]

You know it!!

[@kilroyishere6190]

THX ..the only way to get the logo was to PAY them for every player…many as good as the Runco,..they just didnt want to pay for the logo…😊a bit of trivia,…MSB..the makers of most of the “boutique” players ..EAD…Runco…Faroudja ..their chief engineer thinks the Runco is the finest CD transport ever made,..he still uses it to this day…

[@Culturedog]

Maybe it wasn't really named after Tomlinson Holman, but rather "THX for the licensing payments!"

[@lsg303]

Which one is the best? H9 OR R7G?

[@Culturedog]

They're fairly similar in terms of comb filter etc., but the H9 is a much beefier player in terms of build quality. The R7G is super lightweight. I haven't done any side by side comparisons, but the H9 is supposed to have a less noisy picture as well.

[@lsg303]

@@Culturedog Thank you for the information, in your views, which model have the clearest picture? But you know some times the details also within the noisy pictures, we want both clear and full details in picture, even may feel like noisy.

[@hd-studio]

pls video Yamaha 1200K Laser Disc

[@theworldaccordingtofloyd1035]

Who made players for Radio Shack ?

[@Culturedog]

There was a lot of back and forth on who made the Realistic players - some suspected they were Pioneer rebrands but others agreed they were Funai decks. I remember later on, the Shack was selling entry level Pioneer single-sided players too - it was probably the CLD-S104 or a similar model.

[@garrycarter8485]

SAM. I HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME. I BOUGHT A CLD-99 ELITE PLAYER AND GOT IT IN TODAY. THE POWER BUTTON COMES ON BUT THE TRAY WILL NOT OPEN. IT HAD A3 SHOWED UP ON THE SCREEN. DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. PLEASE LET ME HEAR FROM YOU

[@Culturedog]

Hey Garry! The A3 code usually means either the laser carriage isn't parked properly up by the spindle motor or the turn mechanism is jostled out of whack - it's usually the turn mechanism, since it's easy to jostle during shipping. There's a blue side change switch that sometimes gets stuck on top of the metal tab it touches, when it should be under the tab. If it's not in the right position, it'll stop operations like the tray opening etc.

[@garrycarter8485]

@@Culturedog SAM. IS THIS EASY TO FIX. I HATE TO HAVE TO SEND IT BACK. THEY HAD IT PACKED REALLY GOOD. EVEN HAD A Shock Watch impact indicator ATTACHED TO THE BOX. IS THE SWITCH ON THE VERY BACK. I HAVE TAKEN A PICTURE BUT DON'T KNOW HOW I CAN SEND IT TO YOU. IT IS BLUE

[@Culturedog]

@@garrycarter8485 sorry to leave you hanging! It shouldn't be too difficult to maneuver the switch. I'd email Kurtis Bahr with some pics - he's an LD tech who's super helpful with repair walkthroughs. He's helped me out a number of times. I think his email is still [e-mail].

[@garrycarter8485]

@@Culturedog SAM. THE BLUE PIECE WAS UNDER THE BAR. AT FIRST WHERE IT SLIDES IN THAT SLOT ON THE BACK WAS HUNG UP THEN IT MOVED EASILY WHEN I PULLED ON IT. SHOULD THIS PLAYER MAKE SOME KING OF SOUND WHEN YOU CUT THE POWER BUTTON ON. IT MAKES NO SOUND AT ALL.

[@garrycarter8485]

@@Culturedog HELLO SAM. I FORGOT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I ENDED UP SENDING IT BACK TO THE EBAY SELLER. IT IS PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA THAT I DID. THE SELLER SENT ME A RETURN ADDRESS LABEL AND I RETURNED IT. UP ON HIS RECEIVING IT I WAS SUPPOSE TO GET MY MONEY BACK. I RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM EBAY THAT IS THE FOLLOWING. Outcome This case was found in your favor. More info We changed the outcome because the seller agreed to send you a refund but then never issued it. I THINK HE KNEW IT WAS DEFECTIVE BEFORE HE SENT IT.

[@J.A.1969]

The Runco LJR II is lovely looking. I like the detail of the laser disc player printed in script. A nice touch. Don't own laserdiscs but I enjoy these videos when you post them. Design wise, Pioneer makes some seriously ugly players. What's with all the sloping edges everywhere? All their machines I've ever seen like VHS/CD players have those edges and surfaces. Never understood that.

[@Culturedog]

Thanks! Yeah, a lot of Pioneer decks just look like dark blobs on a shelf. Haha

[@RonD84]

Would you say laserdiscs sound and picture quality are better than Dvds, I know the packaging is on another level and from my perspective it seems the Dvds look cheap and nasty compared to the premium look of laserdiscs and just feel more collectable it's a real shame they didn't take off as much as they should

[@rkashby78]

I agree you should stick to standalone videos, no offense to the Wolfpack but these videos are way better, I’ve been enjoying your videos for a few years now but I don’t watch the Wolfpack ones I’m afraid

[@laserdischometheater1508]

Lot of Peter Biancardi drops in this video, dude seems like a bad influence.

[@Culturedog]

Oh yeah, he's like that neighbor kid that convinces you to lift magazines from the local drug store. Totally gonna get me locked up someday!

[@kilroyishere6190]

Sonys are CRAP!…

[@Culturedog]

That's the standard hyperbole at least!

[@walrusking148]

I'm poor and new to the hobby so all I have right now is a Pioneer CLD-V2600....🥲

[@Culturedog]

That's a solid workhorse player though! Plus it has digital audio unlike a lot of other industrial models. Good stuff!