LASERDISC - Cinemassacre review

James shows you outdated video formats,
Remember Laserdisc? #mikematei #retro #retrogaming #gameplay #playthrough #livestream #review #nes #snes #matei

[@Kino4]

Now I understand why they were called "Compact Disc"

[@GlamMetalOverlord]

Yea because laserdiscs are a lot bigger in person

[@BoydWillemsen]

I remember my uncle having Laserdiscs. The quality was outstanding, compared to VHS back then.

[@seamusmckeon9109]

What do you think the 4th generation of optical disc will look like?

[@wazowski6709]

Picture quality not vastly superior, but the audio was amazing!!! I think the audio on LD is better than standard DVD as the sound files are not compressed.

[@lucasnn2008]

Yeah, they were almost DVD quality

[@lucasnn2008]

@@wazowski6709 DVD can also handle uncompressed PCM audio.

[@c0l1n_m45]

Someone dumped off their entire laser disc collection at my local Goodwill including some gems such as Gremlins, Die Hard, and Predator 2. I found a player as well which was heavier than shit.

[@maxifisch3230]

did you buy some or the player?

[@BulletBoy2011]

Seeing that laserdisc slot come out feels like a scene in a sci-fi movie

[@RothmanHarv]

I despise how DVDs and BluRays lag when they fast forward.

[@RothmanHarv]

***** Ah, well, it's from Tesco's. So that explains it.

[@cjhawk67]

Harvey Rothman I just use my old ps3 for dvds and blue rays and i don't notice this.

[@spacegarnaal]

Yeah the newer ones dont. And they are not that expensive anymore these days especially the dvdr's

[@WebVManReturns]

***** I have a PS3 and it does that.

[@VideosbySteve]

***** So are you.

[@slade307]

There were a few variations on how LaserDiscs were made. The two main versions were CAV and CLV. Then you also have one with digital audio. (Originally, the audio was analog only, and the digital and analog audio co-existed to remain compatible with older players.) The video is simply a high quality analog signal. It's the best that standard video could offer. CAV (Constant Angular Velocity) discs were about 30 minutes per side and offered the still frame, slow motion. If you bring up the playback info, CAV discs will show a frame number. These discs did not play linearly - meaning it wasn't one continuous path for the laser to follow. The easiest way to describe it would be to say each frame was like a ring on the disc. That's how it does the still frame. The player just stays on that one ring, playing it over and over. If you look at the surface of the disc, you can see a different pattern for the video data. CAV discs rotate at a constant 1800 rpm. CLV (Constant Linear Velocity) discs were about 60 minutes per side and did not offer the various playback effects unless the player had some digital features to store the frame (not a common feature). In general, pausing a CLV disc will not give you a still frame. If you display the playback info, it will show a time reference instead of a frame number. CLV discs are more like audio CDs in how they play. The laser follows a spiral path as the disc rotates. This is why there's no still frame with CLV. Stopping the laser means the playback data is not always at the location the laser is reading as the disc spins. The disc is spinning at like 1800-600 rpms so it can quickly realign with the video to continue playing. With CLV, the laser starts at the center and the disc starts spinning at 1800 rpm. It gradually slows down to 600 rpm at the outer edge of the disc.

[@lilhikaru8361]

Thx bro

[@SupaCozyGaming]

So glad I decided to click on this! "THIS. IS A FUCKING LASER DISC" laughed so hard.

[@Gorkon1987]

For those that are curious, the video is analog but the audio is digital and true stereo. For the longest time Laserdisc was the best quality version of theatrical release Star Wars, followed closely by Beta.

[@pteridixon3380]

I feel somewhat ashamed that I was introduced to Laserdiscs through Regular Show

[@gemstonegynoid7475]

Trey Dixon the episode where the guys find the last laserdisc and come across this cult of obsolete formats, then fight the vhs people?

[@Antonio-he4oh]

same

[@TritnewNG]

Trey Dixon I've always known about Laserdiscs, ever since I had my computer and was HUGE into movies at the time.

[@ebinrock]

Don't feel bad, I lived through the 80's & 90's and wanted a laserdisc player so bad, but I didn't get one b/c I didn't have the money.

[@andykishore]

Regular Show often references 1980s culture, using music and electronic devices from that era because many factors from the decade left a positive influence on Quintel.

[@ChairmanMeow1]

Coolest thing about them imo was actually the packaging they came in. It was huge, and gave a lot of freedom for artwork and stuff. I miss all that with digital downloads.

[@Hermergo]

The video quality makes me think of the good old days

[@GamerGee]

0:41 THE MEGA DISC!!!! imagine if they made discs that big.. we would have Terabyte Disc movies..lol

[@quasicroissant]

Laserdisc was actually pretty successful in Japan, a lot of 80s anime were released on Laserdisc

[@pokeplayerHQ]

This video is what made me start getting a laserdisc collection of my own. Of course, I had to make sure to get a player with the RWY connection wires, which I got on eBay for the low, low price of 99 cents. (No joke here! I made the opening bid and no one else bid on it. I really wish I was making this up.) My collection of discs is small, but I plan to expand it as time goes.

[@asikkualt]

oh good luck with that :)

[@Federico84]

what's rwy?

[@hastenedfatalis]

damn, that's great. I had a similar experience picking up a laserdisc player. I found one at a local thrift store for $5 and thought "no way this will work", so I brought it home and checked eBay for some discs. I found a few for a good price, and one of them was Pulp Fiction. This one was missing the last disc, so the seller actually refunded the whole cost! So I have a few discs and a working player for $5. That's pretty much as good as my luck gets.

[@extremelyonline]

pokeplayerHQ I have about 30 laserdiscs now

[@lzm2488]

Did it go well?

[@avshomerx]

I own about 200 laserdiscs myself. As well as a player that can read both sides of the disc. Typically the laser would move along a long track go around to the top of the player. in the end it was a format that was ahead of it time. many of the innovations came to late such as Both Side Play, Multi channel audio, true widescreen. Even high defintion

[@GreenHamGaming]

More of these kind of videos! Very interesting to hear about formats like this from a filmmakers perspective rather than a technical perspective.

[@mrfourtysevenman]

cant belive ive been watching your videos for a decade. please keep em coming!

[@TheAlexagius]

lol FBI warnings

[@ErickTG]

***** imagine someone pirating a laser disc lol

[@TheAlexagius]

Erick TG I'd be quite impressed if someone managed it

[@bradnimbus4836]

***** Damn!

[@narusferree6506]

***** Well, you can skip them on VHS. In fact, I think it's only recently that you can't skip them. WHY ARE WE REGRESSING?!

[@Musicradio77Network]

***** All VHS tape opened with the FBI Warning screen where it tells you if it's going to be a piracy. I have so many VHS tapes including the Disney VHS tapes.

[@CrazyKraut20]

Every time James goes "YEAAAAAH" you know you are in for a treat :D

[@chrisd6736]

That remote control is epic.

[@thompsonpatrick79]

I've watched this video at least 10 times

[@huskerfan4life]

After wanting one for years, I'm buying a laserdisc player and have started collecting. The predecessor of DVD was ahead of its time. My big decision was being able to collect a lot of out of print movies.

[@ellement321]

Just curious, what out of print movies are looking to find?

[@monkshoodable]

I understand the best version of the unmolested Star Wars trilogy is the laserdisc version.

[@Bauglir100]

Yet people are still pissy about the 2006 DVD release.

[@animfan98]

Which is actually higher resolution than the Laserdisc master..

[@TooCooFoYou]

Jonathan Szuhai That's because the quality of the laserdisc didn't transfer well to DVD.

[@gc4397]

I found the original trilogy on laserdisc at a goodwill :D

[@grimTales1]

Surely the original trilogy could have been made anamorphic for DVD

[@McDuders]

Jame's playing records on a laserdisc! Everything's better on laserdisc! Whatever happened to the laserdisc? Laserdisc!

[@gregatkenson5382]

eyyy

[@japoople]

It's the ramblin' wreck of email check, STRONG BAD!

[@taitus7009]

When you pulled out the CD I was thinking, "Wtf Laserdiscs weren't that small" then you pull out the Laserdisc and I'm all like, "Aww yeah" XD

[@kw1ksh0t]

I was very sad to see these videos gone from the cinemassacre youtube channel and website, thank you so much for bringing them back here!

[@RavenHouseMystery]

I remember when my dad came home with a Laser Disc player in 1987. Such an improvement over VHS at the time. The only bummer was having to flip or change discs every 45 minutes.

[@tomcat978]

James----> Laserdisc Us----------> DVD Awww...James' is bigger than ours. We have disc envy. (-_-)

[@ebinrock]

Texas-sized DVD - yee-haw!

[@MasonHadlProductions]

imagine being a kid and bringing a fucking LaserDisc to a sleepover

[@mr_selfdestrukt]

Nice collection. Most of the boxes are in beautiful condition, if not sealed.

[@franktesch1085]

i saw pink floyd the wall on laserdisk in 8th grade

[@akeyrtainment8507]

Laserdisc - The definition of "High-Definition" in the 80's

[@GovernorMegatron]

To this day, if I see a laserdisc collection at a used movie store, I STILL quote "but THIS....is a LASERDISC" as I pick up one of them.

[@erj9081]

How come I have not seen this 6 years ago? I never knew this kind of stuff existed

[@roberth1310]

I remember laser disc having a really good quality picture and sound, and it actually felt like there was more depth to the picture. Pretty cool for its time!

[@MilkerMurphy]

Damn, I find myself watching these over and over again. So interesting.

[@85pphoenix]

I LOVE MY LASERDISCS!!! Though, gun to my head obviously I'd pick my Blu-rays over my Laserdiscs but with no gun these are so fun to watch movies for the whole nostalgic before HD thing...

[@TipsterLIVE]

LaserDisc is technically digital AND analogue. The audio tracks are all digital, but the video is and analogue signal recorded on the disc that when read by the player can be converted to the images you see on the screen. Kinda weird, but very cool!

[@VieneLea]

Great video, James! :D That's what I loved your videos for, an interesting introduction to an interesting stuff!

[@BlazePiffington]

So insightful, thoroughly enjoyed the review James. Only saw one in my life, Spartacus in Mr. Sykes class...never finished the movie but it was psychedelic, the clarity and colors...groovy

[@JonnyInfinite]

Ultra HD Blu Ray just got confirmed: 4K Blu Rays are on the way by the end of the year

[@davidjames579]

We know! They've been out for like maybe 5 years.

[@potatoman7760]

David James check when the comment was posted dumbass

[@davidjames579]

@@potatoman7760 Check the amount of years in my comment dumbass

[@Surgicalsensei]

looks like the size of a fucking wall clock. the era of dvd's was roughly 00-06. and that was a dark time because of all the Full Screen versions, and crap quality compared to Laserdisc. Why couldn't they just keep laserdisc and VHS, and go right into bluray. DVD is something that should've never existed.

[@Weldedhodag]

DaZ316x DVD, or Compact disc, is more convenient because it isn't fucking massive.

[@RobotFilmProductionsTMcom]

DaZ316x I think dvds were made because they were trying to have a full movie on a smaller disc , so it was kinda like a test =)

[@StabStabStabStabby]

DaZ316x Convience man, DVDs are small. They were around in '97 and gained popularity in '99. They're better quality than VHS, roughly 720p vs 240p or something like that. Also they're ridiculously cheap. It's easy to avoid bad quality full screen DVD's if you just read the specs on the DVD cover.

[@GT6SuzukaTimeTrials]

Someday we'll be saying blu-ray should've never existed.

[@gameoverwehaveeverypixelco1258]

Most are wide screen now on DVD, and DVD still exists?!

[@ultrasuperman1001]

when james uploaded this video a few years ago it peeked my interest to the point i bought a player and a collection from a guy selling it all, its also good because the one i have was a dual laser system

[@DeathMetalThrasher]

Laserdisks were so cumbersome man lol and yes the bonus features they had were neat. I wish they did put them on DVD's too, it's also dumb how the HD remasters on blu ray doesn't have all this stuff either.

[@KronnangDunn]

Laser discs... the vinyls of optical storage media...

[@patrickkilduff5272]

The reason it's not digital is because the signal that is picked up by the laser is not read in 1s and 0s. It is done kinda like a cassette, where the duration and spacing of the pits on the disc dictate the picture and audio. Although later laserdiscs incorporated digital audio when Dolby and DTS came along.

[@clintsavagejr]

Criterion was the bomb on Laserdisc. Bigger name movies with lots and lots of special features.

[@BKDDY]

Crazy how much LD prices have gone up. More expensive than 4k now.

[@jong4tv]

I'm guessing Laserdisc is the grandfather of DVDs.

[@ghostlyflower9354]

jonathan glass it's kind of a whole separate thing but your guess is pretty good

[@3of12]

more or less, there were some older formats, and it appears to use analog signals drived from digital data so you can rewind and fast forward just by adjusting RPM. I'm guessing but that would explain, how it works.

[@sha370z]

+jonathan glass he got 3 kids DVD ,blue ray ,HD DVD And one more 3D DVD Mite be some more out there

[@user-nt3my4mv1b]

Or grand father of iTunes

[@joseromero81]

+Radioactive Knight Yep. It's an analog format too, unlike DVD which is digital.

[@BRat-kp4si]

"Wouldn't you agree?" Charlie Sheen with Bandana: "Yeeeeah!"

[@CurtisAlfeld]

The only time I've ever watched a laser disc was about three years ago in my tenth grade biology class. When the teacher pulled it out, someone shouted "what the hell is that?", and I was the only person in the class that was aware that laser discs were a thing.

[@alecosound8902]

laser disc uses analog video but digital audio, which is why the player was able to play CDs as well. Pretty cool!

[@noizyme]

Wow, I can remember when these hit the market. I used to rent video tapes at a mom 'n' pop video store as a kid, and these huge things would sit on the shelves in a special area all to themselves, with hardly anyone going near them, right next to the Neo Geo cab. The olden days were golden.

[@JC-th5gc]

Glad to see you guys are putting out more new content. I'm going to be sad when I get all caught up again.

[@Evil_Noah]

Finally he re-uploads these videos. I saw these years before on one of James' KZbin channels, but then they disappeared after awhile. Always wondered why. Glad to see them back. And that Pioneer is the same model I have! Except I don't have a giant remote, though I wish I did.

[@titan133760]

I remember my granddad having a laser disk player and the only laser disk he had was "The Eagles: When Hell Freezes Over Concert". It was amazing to watch. Unfortunately, both got destroyed when Typhoon Haiyan struck my place.

[@garypatrick2606]

My friend and I had never heard of the Laser Disc. I think 5-10 yrs ago, my wife said she remember when she watched Star Wars on it. My friend and I looked up what it was and laughed our asses off when we saw it. I don't know how I never saw this AT ALL throughout my childhood. I remember when DVD's came out with DVD players, but I NEVER saw this anywhere in stores, nor did I see one commercial for the product growing up. That is crazy!

[@anothga]

That thing is fucking huge! That's what I said.

[@User-ge7ni]

+MonsieurLemon go away

[@HoursFreeAOLsp]

User go away

[@JDubya2k]

Yes! I need one of those beast discs!

[@nothing-2-live-4]

I remember this video going up on Cinemassacre. I love that you are uploading these old miscellaneous videos.

[@KyLesCaster]

they should have always made disks of all formats HUGE like this! it makes the whole artwork, case and everything so much better

[@_ras]

there should be a 16 mm film review

[@ebinrock]

I had a 2nd cousin who owned a 16mm projector w/sound and some movie titles. One night he showed us the Abbott & Costello film "The Naughty Nineties" in his basement. There's just something cool about seeing real projected film in the home; it just seems more tangible, something every true film buff ought to have.

[@lordcybercat4968]

Newclearfallout link

[@retcon1991]

I had no idea that these even existed - they're so cool! The packaging production value looks so high.

[@bradnichelson7966]

I was watching Back To The Future II the other day and there is a shot in it when Marty is in the alley in 2015 and behind him there is a pallet full of shrink wrapped Laserdisc's. I nearly laughed myself to the hospital.

[@TheGollddMAN]

0:33 *"This is a Laserdisc"* Me: Yeah, okay, what can be so special that it requires a video? 0:37 Umm.. 0:42 What the fucking shitbiscuit's crust... O.O

[@pseudobleedingheart9075]

Are you ten?

[@TheGollddMAN]

Pseudo Bleeding Heart No. Are you?

[@TheGollddMAN]

Lord Kadeem Actually, I'm much older than that but let's just roll along with the joke.

[@user-ok8yq6nc6x]

***** oh sorry you're 12

[@TheGollddMAN]

Lord Kadeem Keep going..

[@LittleIowaHomestead]

More of these kinds of videos would be great, James. Just talking to us and showing us something that you own that you could share some information and experience on.

[@RetroGaming-gp2ef]

Laserdisc offered more bonus features than DVDs. Most because DVDs never had everything from the laserdisc put in it.

[@ofearghailthefearless6481]

When I saw the CD disc tray come out I was like "oh okay what a cute little tray" then when I saw the LaserDisc tray pop out... "WHAT THE FUCK FUCK?!?!"

[@Fortuna1]

Remember watch Gremlins 2 in Laserdisc years ago, was the most incredible in my childhood

[@mik3y80]

Just bought a Pioneer LD + Predator + Terminator 2 love your video's mate! Keep them coming.

[@johnnypierce1526]

Laserdiscs are awesome! I remember in the late 90's Laserdisc were on clearance at Camelot Music, Now there aren't any music stores left. I so glad i was teenager in the 90's!

[@carcillian]

The only way to see a quality version of Star Wars before Lucas completely ruined them. Bless you Laser Disc!

[@benmalsky9834]

Don't say ruined, it's too unfair to say "ruined". Regardless of cosmetic differences too the original versions, the movies are still great!

[@ebinrock]

That would be fine, except that laserdisc never left the 4:3 realm, so the movies on LD are letterboxed in a 4:3 (1.33:1) frame. So when you inevitably have to scale it up to fit a 16:9 screen, you lose quality, and some of the aliens' subtitles (e.g., Greedo, Jabba) get cut off. Just get the Despecialized Editions, they look awesome.

[@ebinrock]

BTW, unfortunately LDDB lists the Star Wars Trilogy: The Definitive Collection as one of the most reported titles for disc rot. When it's gone, it's gone...

[@benmalsky9834]

@@ebinrock No matter what version of any of the Star Wars movies I see, I don't mind because i'm very invested in the stories and the characters. Anything that's different across different versions doesn't affect the fact that the movies themselves are great!

[@Ratchet2431]

@@benmalsky9834 It's true, the movies are still great, but after watching the despecialized edition, I realize that I had never really seen the movies until now. It is a completely different experience.

[@Bush_Dog777]

I am blown away WHY WAS THAT SO GODDAMN HUGE

[@mitchawesomefoot6139]

I never knew anyone personally that had a laserdisc player. Our school district, however, bought a handful of them. My friend had a copy of Empire Strikes Back from a flea market so we got to watch it junior year.

[@RetroRanger88]

My LD player has one of those laser heads that automatically turns to the other side. If there's more than 1 disc, I see it as a good opportunity to take a pee break and make more pizza rolls.

[@Tiber234]

Damnnn I actually remember the adverts for these things when I was a kid!!

[@NickBartolo]

I had a primo Pioneer LD player that could read both sides and a shit ton of Criterion discs. There was a store in Oak Brook IL called QED Laser that sold and rented LDs. It was one of the biggest stores of its type in America. DVD came along and killed it unfortunately. Sadly, my player and disc collection were stolen in a burglary many years ago. Good trip down memory lane.

[@Culturedog]

Got excited for a second and thought this was a new laserdisc video. Still worth watching again though. Love that old Pioneer player - what a beast!

[@jroc00725]

Cinemassacre you have EVERYTHING bro👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 #KeepUpTheGreatWork Been a fan for years😆 I support you 100%

[@Jex2112]

HOLY SHIT!, Look at the fucking remote! LOL

[@guitarcleveland]

I still watch my laserdiscs all the time.

[@InsaneWayne355]

Laserdiscs were the shit! My brother had a player that had a 5 cd carousel recessed into the tray. He had all 3 Back to the Future movies and we'd watch them over and over, amazed at the quality.

[@sasamichan]

I had one or more of these. I remember p,saying games, movies and having an encyclopedia on it too. And the laser disc is a back ground prop in Back to the Future II. It sits in a large pile ready for recycling.

[@DougMcDave]

CAV=constant angular velocity, CLV=constant linear velocity.

[@TotinosOtherBoy]

I busted a lung laughing during 0:39

[@Laserchicken88]

ah thanks for upload, forgot about this fragment

[@grkpektis]

I always wanted one, my science teacher used to use it all the time in class

[@BiancaGreysin]

My parents had a laserdisc growing up, the picture quality on those were so good! Especially watching anime on it 😊

[@evandowning5626]

Looks kinda cool. I wouldn't mind starting a collection of my own.

[@tiaxanderson9725]

tl;dr on the technical specs of a LD; Imagine converting a sine wave to a bar graph (or I guess just multi-bit digital), what LD does is give a positive pulse of power when the 'wave' has to step up one step, and a negative pulse' when the wave has to step up one step. AKA pulse-width modulation (PWM or pulse-duration modulation / PDM). For LD the duty cycle is 50% which essentially means that for half the time the signal is off. Edit: Also find Slade Simon's comment on the other side of the technical specs in a compact form. tl;dr of it is; LD came in 2 forms CAV and CLV. In CAV a single frame was a single complete ring on the disc, so if you paused the video the player could continue to read that exact frame and continue to display it. CLV meant it was more like an audio disc so when you pause the video the laser wouldn't necessarily be at the correct data so (without digital components in the player) it wouldn't be able to continue to display the still frame you stopped on. Edit 2: According to wikipedia LD came in 3 forms, Simon calls the above the "main two".

[@ebinrock]

My only regret is that my LD player didn't come with a jog/shuttle wheel. I MISS those from my early video editing days!

[@jasondavis2804]

I love sitting down and listening to James just calmly talk about stuff. I love the AVGN series, it's fucking hilarious. but I also love hearing him talk about like movies and stuff.

[@dillonwright13]

Frame by Frame mode happens to be on most DVD/Blu-ray players, and it's a very useful feature for people who want to learn animation and happen to own discs of animated movies and shows.

[@moviesbye9294]

It's only used for nudity 😅

[@Powerhouse1]

Apparently, almost every movie came out on laser-disk. I'm not entirely sure if that's true, but I wouldn't mind having a laser-disk player. The video seems to be much richer in quality than DVD.

[@ozmondjohn2216]

I feel like just going with Blue Ray would be the better option

[@ozmondjohn2216]

*BluRay

[@Powerhouse1]

Ozzy Boigenzahn Hmm...I could do that lol.

[@xaq7745]

*****, Laserdiscs have approx. 60% superior image quality to VHS. Of course, the image quality depends on your player.

[@dereksbooks]

Ozzy Boigenzahn 4K digital download :)

[@BaronJinn]

Holy Shit... I Want This .... NOW!!!! This is Awesome ))))

[@roboguy75]

I used to own one myself and a lot of movies on laserdisc. Oh what memories

[@joeanthro6972]

At a pawn store I used to work at, they got some laserdiscs from someone and they had Scarface and The Land Before Time. I was tempted to buy them even if I couldn't play them!

[@chuckdawg1999]

It's funny you mention Laser Discs having special features that weren't carried over. I've heard that on the Laserdisc version of Highlander there's a scene where they're in a club called Sanctuary that's the equivalent of Holy Ground. The footage has apparently been lost

[@junglsolja]

A few of us have kept our Laserdisc players to watch the Original versions of Star Wars and some other titles that HAVE NOT seen the light of day on Blu-ray like True Lies and The Abyss.

[@YPAReviews]

Star Wars is the reason I'm watching this. Just bought it and now must find a functional laserdisc to go along with it.

[@junglsolja]

YPA Reviews Second hand stores, ebay, pawn shops are good places to look.

[@Cliff_Dixon_42]

The Big 'n Shiny! Got into them near the end of LD's -- just about the same time DVD's started their launch. Still have them, although I haven't played any of them in years.