Why I collect LaserDisc Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Format

[@edwardelric603]

I like this guy. I’m a blu-ray/dvd guy and Not a fan of laserdisc but I love his passion and knowledge. Very genuine.

[@tomlee80]

Loved watching this. I too am a Laserdisc collector who fell down the rabbit hole. I'm now on my third player and have 33 discs. I've never watched Brazil but have always been captivated by the cover. Will have to take a look and potentially add it to my list.

[@clyth41]

I still use laserdiscs in 2019 and I love the format...

[@StefanHomberger]

Great video! I grew up always wanting an LD player, and finally started collecting around 2 years ago. It has quickly become my preferred format for both collecting and watching movies and TV shows from the 20's-90's.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

For me "Terminator" was also one of the movies i wanted to get on Laserdisc because when it came to DVD pretty much every version had re-mixes, only 5.1, exchanged gunsounds during the police HQ shootout and the first DVD didn't even had the burned in text with the story explaination during the intro. So yeah, same reason here as well. Wanted to see movies in their original version without any revisionism and pointless changes. Original Mixes, original cuts, original colour-grading, original experience.

[@rorycobb8290]

YES!!!

[@JohnSmith-qn3ob]

I have the 2004 MGM Terminator and it has the orginal mono audio track, you just have to choose it. (I'll show you a screen shot if you want) As a matter of fact I made my own HD Terminator with orginal audio by ripping the DVD, taking the mono audio track and adding it to my HD copy. It looks and sounds great.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

@@JohnSmith-qn3ob Weird, the PAL DVD didn't have that. Just 5.1. MGM releases on DVD were always either hit or miss. We didn't even get open matte versions of films like they were released in the US where you got flipper discs. PAL releases of MGM movies were always VERY lackluster… Yeah i may do the same with my Blu-ray copy of the Terminator since i already digitized my Image Entertainment Laserdisc of The Terminator.

[@JohnSmith-qn3ob]

@@KRAFTWERK2K6 You didnt get this? dvdmoviemenus.com/dimg/1/se/0012882.jpg

[@DaisukeBeppu]

This is fantastic. You have a great demeanor and great style. I love your shirt and background details as well! And I am jealous that you have the Mono set on vinyl! Beautiful. Keep up the excellent, excellent work! Best regards from Tokyo.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Thanks! I try to setup a small display and change it out every so often. I’ve always got to work in Speed somehow. I’m quite excited I finally got the Beatles set. I never thought I could afford one but found it on a Black Friday sale once for a great price. If you haven’t gotten the mono reissues I can’t recommend them highly enough. They’re all available individually and starting to go out of print.

[@mrhyde8264]

I hope that you continue with these laserdisc videos. Nice to see someone finally discussing the great pcm/dts audio tracks on these discs. I had really never thought about how the loudness wars with all the dynamic range compression might have affected soundtracks on movies as it has cds until you mentioned it. Helps to explain the higher fidelity sound we get from certain laserdiscs. I hope to see some future videos of your audio/video equipment setup. I got a small glimpse in the reflection of the disc at 23:20. Keep up the good work my friend, I will look forward to more from your channel.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Thanks!! I just uploaded another collection video and hope to finish the video catalog of my collection. Then I'll do a setup video with all my various bits of gear. (You caught a glimpse of my xbr960 HDCRT superfine pitch Sony set.) I just started piecing this stuff together from various bits of info over time along with firsthand experiences with these magical discs. I couldn't help but start to connect the dots with what I knew about the music industry practices and audiophile pursuits-and it is something that never gets brought up. Nowadays it is very common to have overprocessed audio even on high end Criterion and other releases.

[@dremunoz2600]

Over the past few years I see LaserDics at the swap meets and they're still dirt cheap. Depending on where you live look to see if your area has weekend swap meets...you won't regret it.

[@yodapapavintageamericana]

I just started collecting last week

[@imonit1177]

People collect all kinds of things. Art, coins, toys, video games, cars, wine, bottle caps etc... The list is endless. Collecting Laser Disc is a perfectly reasonable hobby no one has a right to judge. I'm considering taking it up myself.

[@SteveOwensRoswell]

Enjoyed your video... glad to see that you have more posted already with your collection!

[@nessiesearcher]

An excellent introduction to the format. I would recommend it for anyone who wants to know what our hobby is about.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Thanks very much. I tried to make it informative for newcomers and to explain the specifics on what got me collecting. Hopefully we can finally keep LDs from getting mishandled as "movie records" in stores. ;)

[@sgtpeppers3021]

I got a retrotink 5x pro and a player with S-video output and I gotta say that’s the only way to truly enjoy LD on a 4K TV

[@Atariatari-ky9te]

Im a eventually start getting into laser discs. Preferably for watching 80's-90's movies for the great audio and good video.

[@colinmcmasters5819]

I still find it mind blowing that laserdisc was analog

[@michaelhurley6072]

My partner says to me, "Lets watch Twilight Zone The Movie! I love that movie!" I go to the pile and grab the laserdisc copy. She's like ,"NO.... On Blu Ray.... What's wrong with you?!" The struggle is real with LD. I love my 1998 Sony MDP-550. It's starting to make mechanical noises and the picture and sound are very wonky. It needs a crack open and a good servicing. I'll never give up the format. Especially that DTS 5.1 uncompressed sound. Love your passion for films! Enjoy!

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Sometimes it’s a challenge to get others to watch older formats but hopefully you can convert them! I hope you can get your player issues straightened out.

[@rhymeandreasoning]

Great video. I want a LaserDisc player so bad. I never watched Star Wars. And my first time ever watching it I would like it to be the LaserDisc version.

[@theneonchimpchannel9095]

I came here to find out about LaserDisc, but then I saw that Beatles in Mono box set and instantly pressed subscribe before the video had even started. It's like "LaserDisc, that's awesome...wait...Beatles In Mono...super ultra mega awesome!".

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

The Neon Chimp Channel haha thanks!! I still can’t believe I finally managed to snag the boxset. It’s such a shame these went out of print. Thanks for subscribing. I’m about to start a series on my record collection so I hope you’ll enjoy it.

[@theneonchimpchannel9095]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader I don't have the box set but I've managed to collect most of the albums in mono and stereo over the years. I actually have 4 versions of Rubber Soul on vinyl (plus 2 on CD) because it's my favourite Beatles album. Mono, Stereo, Mono US and Rock Band Remixes (which is a bootleg). I've only just started collecting laserdiscs (my player hasn't even arrived yet lol), but I've been collecting vinyl since I was 3 (and I'll be 37 next week).

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

The Neon Chimp Channel that’s awesome! I’ve been collecting records since my teens but music in general since about age 10. I always dreamed of having original U.K. parlophone mono Beatles albums but never thought a reissue would come so close to replicating those. I still need an original U.K. Abbey Road and hope to get the white vinyl 70’s reissue of the White Album revered by many as the best sounding version.

[@theneonchimpchannel9095]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader I have seen a white vinyl White Album but it was way out of my price range at the time. The original mono records are out there, but they usually cost about the same as the new remastered ones and aren't always in great condition.

[@PaperlessWriter]

Good stuff, thanks for the quality content:)

[@Jasonfortuna101]

Thanks for ALL your videos. I worked in a video store in Knoxville, TN from 94-96 and was obsessed with the format. It brings me back to Fridays when the box from our distributor would arrive with next Tuesday's releases. We had a man who bought EVERY SINGLE RELEASE, and while I got discs at cost, we're talking 1995 money! I was barely making $4 an hour, but "somehow" managed to accumulate a large collection. Our store also rented them, so that helped calm my need to BUY BUY BUY! Your collection videos have the same effect.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Oh man I’d be sunk if I worked in any store or shop. I have exactly the same feeling when seeing or reading anything: “I don’t have enough, I need each release!”

[@krisprojection2433]

I keep binning my collection. Stopped watching them around 1999. Wish I could give my collection to someone like you.

[@CartoonPhreak]

Nice reference to Dr. Strangelove (Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb)

[@1dbanner]

The bane of my existence is trying to explain why I collect laserdiscs.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Eric Peeper 😂😂 absolutely!!!

[@kingcrimson234]

Right? People just give me this weird look if it comes up. Don't judge me!

[@Mandibil]

Laserdiscs were never a big thing in my neck of the woods ... but I can see the attraction. While I love vinyl and its superior sound, I collect CDs also, and you can get A LOT of music very cheap these days as everyone apparently want to get rid of them.

[@sakuraglenn]

Had the same laserdisc player last 20 years.Got it out garden shed last month and still works! Survived UK winter. Played the Criterion 'Bodies Rest and Motion' via scart on my large HD TV and looks great. Went to tv options and blew up the picture to cinema and I would say the pictur quality was slightly better than DVD. Where it really blows the opposition away is sound quality. Just through the TV the sound is superior than even blu ray going through a soundbar and speaker ( not set up for home cinema). On laserdisc the sound booms and yet every individual sound is distinct. By comparison a blu ray can sound muffled. Only True HD sound on blu ray seems to come close. Got all my old LDs out again! BTW some CAV box sets absolutely blow away even blu ray for extras. The Criterion Brazil, Evita , the Signature discs. But if you see a Disney CAV just buy it - they're quite simply stunning. Bambi CAV has to be seen to be believed. The Lion King box set is overloaded with features not present on even the recent UHD / blu combo. And my favourite disc (competing with the original Star Wars trilogy CAV clamshell+ book boc) Mickey Mouse in Black an White. Disney really went to town with the laserdisc, and especially animation friendly CAV format. Also have half a dozen Japanese rental laserdiscs which are solid gold in colour! The physical discs are stunning and give the appearence of being proper solid gold slabs. Also gatefold covers...

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

sakuraglenn thanks! LD is indeed a sturdy and long lasting format if done right. The pcm soundtracks are what kept me hooked and I’m still on the hunt for the other Disney releases I don’t yet have.

[@sakuraglenn]

I deffo need The Black Cauldron on LD.

[@kingcrimson234]

Let's be realistic. We all love LD, but there's no way it looks slightly better than DVD unless you are comparing it to a very early DVD with poor mastering/encoding versus a very well mastered LD.

[@deckofcards87]

Reasonable rant! I love LD for all of the reasons you stated. Super coveting that Spy Who Loved Me frame behind you.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Thanks. I try to stay reasonable in my ramblings! I still can’t believe I stumbled across this TSWLM USA halfsheet. It really turned me onto the world of variant halfsheet posters which really died off after the 70’s but are now extremely rare as if they were smaller versions of subway or special venue posters which usually they are.

[@deckofcards87]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader It's really neat. I have one half-sheet and it's hanging in my home theatre of the 1953 'Invaders From Mars' and I have no idea where it came from originally. I believe the larger print versions were only made for film premieres..

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

@@deckofcards87 wow that’s great! I’ll bet original posters for Invaders must be incredibly valuable due to age, rarity and iconic status. I’ve never seen one for sale or in person before.

[@marklechman2225]

For me watching a flick on laserdisc forces me to slow down and enjoy it and helps me appreciate it much more by demanding my attention. When I watch a movie on Netflix I end up doing other things, going to the bathroom, taking out the trash, etc. Laserdiscs bring movie-watching back to being an event.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

It certainly makes you more of an active viewer. I feel it’s much the same as a projectionist changing reels.

[@shaunmills4611]

Greetings from Canada! Love your videos. I have learned a lot about specific releases in your collection that I already own and many more. There was a lot or titles you talked highly about that I will need to check out. Some I have been meaning to watch(there is so many) I am more versed from the late 60's and 70's to present. I am also very much into learning about film(would love to be an editor or sound designer/foley person. I collect waaay too many movies,games,music on many formats Fiancee bugs me all the time but in a good natured way. It is very hard to get discs in Canada, especially Winnipeg, Manitoba where I am from. I got lucky with the few lots I have obtained and getting my hands on a good player.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Thanks! I’m glad you learned something from my rambling on. ;) It’s really interesting that everyone seems to gain so much knowledge just by simply getting into a dead format. I’m a complete film geek myself and usually wind up having way too many copies of the same title so don’t feel bad at all. Everyone else usually has no idea that there is a method to this madness.🤪 With LD you start small and usually find very little...and then bit by bit you start uncovering upgrades and disc lots or local stores. You should check out the Facebook group LD forever if you haven’t. I think there might be some people on there in your neck of the woods.

[@shaunmills4611]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader Yup! I am on both the American and Canadian version which has also been a big help. Also stay in contact with the guy who sold me my first player. He told me to make a Wanted Kijiji ad and that he sometimes gets 3-4 lots a year. Mostly Japanese people or film students. He acquired a few silent and foreign films..

[@melindamcclure5278]

Nice video.......can't wait to see your collection video(s)

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Thanks! I’ve been wanting to put some together for ages.

[@nicholasnicou2598]

Hey man, you were awesome in 'The Batman' as The Riddler and also in 'Swiss Army Man' with Daniel Radcliffe.

[@howellwong11]

I got about 200 to 300 laser discs and cost about $25 each at the military base exchange. That is like 5000 to 9000 dollars. That is a lot of money 30 years ago. Now I know where all my money went.

[@OldmovieMike]

awesome man I'm launching a you tube series soon myself...great info for beginners!

[@strictlysega]

Great video very cool

[@peachjackson3856]

I just inherited a large laserdisc collection. Do you have any advice about what to look for in terms of rarity? They’re all in plastic sleeves and pretty mint. Some obscure stuff as well as mainstream

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

@@peachjackson3856 lddb is always a good reference for average going prices.

[@peachjackson3856]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader thanks very much! It never occurred to me that such a thing existed. Gonna check it out immediately. Thanks again!

[@SlashManEXE]

Haven't quite dove into Laserdisc collecting, but it is notable that studios weren't yet tampering with films before home release at this point in time, and you can view those theatrical versions in almost DVD quality. The most interesting one for me is Toy Story, which was taken from the theatrical film negative and had a much different look. Being a CGI film, only the digital version is available from DVD onwards.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Absolutely. I’m still on the hunt for the Toy Story CAV boxset specifically because it’s the only film element transfer.

[@RetroreviewsPlus]

I have experienced a hi-fi stereo vhs sounded better than some dvd's, I never had a laserdisc but I am wanting to experience it

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

It’s certainly an eye opener. Basically for an equivalent release imagine the hifi stereo vhs experience you had but in CD quality 16/44.1 pcm.

[@RetroreviewsPlus]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader Yea I excited about experiencing laserdisc, I have a huge vhs collection and I am not 1 to have multiple copies of 1 movie so my plan is for the vhs copies that jump or dont play well replace them with a laserdisc copy lol

[@bingcherry1122]

Was the movie Island of Terror (Staring Peter Cushing) ever put on Laserdisc? If so did it show the FIRST autopsy of Ian Bellos performed by Dr. Landers and Constable Harris unedited? It was the scariest part of the entire movie and it is not shown on the VHS, DVD or Blu-ray versions!!!!! We can clearly see that it was edited out. You can hear very scary music playing for no apparent reason at the end of the autopsy!!! In the scene in the theater version you get to see up close the aftermath of a Silicate attack!!!!!

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Sadly there was no LD release. My guess is the Universal master on dvd and Blu-ray is from the same source as their 90’s vhs release. If it’s a cut print that’s why the edits carried over to all three. It’s definitely possible that Universal had a cut US or UK print but the full fire of the hand scene is there on the BD which wasn’t in some prints.

[@bingcherry1122]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader The severing of Peter Cushing is visible on Blu Ray. However, it is no match for the complete first autopsy of Ian Bellos!!! Also they cut out when they run over a Silicate with a car, they also cut out when a Silicate corners Carol Gray and mysteriously spares her life!!!!! The picture of the encounter is shown in a picture on the internet. The incident when they run over the silicate is referred to by Dr. West at the Town Hall meeting. I was lucky I saw this movie when it was first release in the movie theaters and it was GREAT!!!!!

[@koneking2569]

How are you watching LD? I've only started getting into it and it's a bit of a minefield when it comes to best TV setups, descalers and getting surround sound to work especially with some of these older redundant audio formats.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

It’s definitely a learning process and trying to get the best out of what equipment you have. I run my Panasonic player composite out direct into my XBR 960 HDRCRT. It has a ridiculously good comb filter on board and does a fantastic job with all standard definition video. I run the audio out to my receiver which can do DTS and 2.0 matrix decoding. For ac3 I use an old Sony unit with built-in decoding.

[@Knightmessenger]

I have a very basic Pioneer player (s201) and I can tell you the CAV discs look noticeably better. They especially have less chroma noise in reds or dark scenes and look as good as dvd quality. CLV discs on my player look closer to how I assume super betamax or svhs did, better than regular vhs but analog artifacts still present.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

You really can see a difference in smoothness and stability in addition to other areas once you’ve seen enough LDs. That being said once the pressings got better in the 90’s the difference became less noticeable and thus late releases can look amazing and not be CAV-though even then if looking carefully on one that has a CAV side you can still see the slight uptick in quality.

[@Riddler95]

Damn Fool Idealistic Crusade, do you by any chance have plans to make a video showing your Audio/Video Equipment that you use in your Home Theater system? It would be neat to see what you use to watch movies and to listen to music at home.

[@david.schoonover]

Have you had a chance to a/b The Shadow DTS release to the Shout Factory Blu-Ray? They tend to source their soundtracks from the original print-masters when possible, and I thought it sounded terrific. Curious if it’s still worth seeking out the DTS LD.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

David Schoonover I really need to do that. As early dts LDs were reputed to have overcooked their surround levels a bit I’m pretty sure the Shadow dts disc does that at least somewhat. Comparing it loosely to other releases shows it’s far more aggressive and punchy in terms of levels. I need to get the dts dvd as well which should have ported over the mix from LD with the open matted dvd master. Shout does do a pretty good job on trying to include original audio which I very much appreciate. I just wish their pricing wasn’t so high as it keeps me from buying more of their releases.

[@david.schoonover]

Agreed. Although knowing they have to pay for licensing, I’m just thankful that Shout, Criterion, etc aren’t charging LD prices... yet.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

David Schoonover 😂😂 Indeed!!!

[@russellthompson8186]

Damn goood thanks.

[@Nick-xk4tm]

I've had no luck finding players that aren't exorbitantly priced and would love to play the handful of titles that I have (The Terminator, T2 SE CLV, T2 SE CAV, Jurassic Park CAV, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Goldeneye DD, Tomorrow Never Dies DD, and randomly the Chicago 17 album)... Did you purchase your player(s) online or did you find luck in local shops? Also... thanks for your videos! I've watched a couple and have really enjoyed them!

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Thanks! I started with local finds and craigslist but the overall best places are from fellow collectors. Try the lddb forums where they occasionally have players or the Laserdisc forever Facebook group where many people have players for sale on a regular basis.

[@kingcrimson234]

I just got a CLD-D406, which is a very solid late 90's entry level player, for $150 on eBay. It replaced my old LD-V2200, which you can usually find around $50 on eBay. I wouldn't recommend the 2200 though. It's a reliable tank, but it lacks so many features. It's a simple single-sided, analog audio only player. And the remote is literally the size of a VHS tape. But point being, you can get reasonably priced working players. ProTip: Don't worry about finding something fancy with S-Video output. The quality will be worse on any remotely modern TV than regular composite is.

[@Pete-eb3vo]

@duckyousuckr I found your video to be very interesting and informative, may be one of my favorite Laserdisc videos alongside Culturedog's videos. When you talk about remixes on DVD and Blu Ray, i think of ones like Jaws, The Terminator, Scarface, The Good The Bad and the Ugly and others which almost completely change the sound effects, ruining its accuracy to the theatrical version and they just don't have anywhere near as much as impacr or visceralness as the original Mono or Stereo mixes. Another thing i wanted to say is that what were the other two DTS Laserdiscs that you have? And why do they sound better than the DTS HD counterpart? Do you have a receiver that decodes the full DTS-HD Master Audio?

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Pete 1972, thanks! My three DTS titles are The Shadow, Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies. I do have a modern onkyo with full HD decoding and I only make the argument on these three that the LD DTS is perhaps slightly less messed with in terms of EQ and the like since most tracks are at least rebalanced later on for other devices by studios.

[@Pete-eb3vo]

duckyousuckr Wow, im actually kind of surprised that those DTS discs would beat their DTS HD counterparts, that clearly means those HD tracks are not that good because they should crush the Laserdisc tracks, but they dont, its probably because of like you said they used better mixes for a handful of the Laserdiscs. I just wanted to ask a couple more questions, which Blu Ray of The Shadow do you have? Do you have the early Universal Blu Ray or the Scream Factory? How much do you think Laserdisc audio rivals Blu Ray audio outside of those 3 DTS discs? And what do you think of those remixes that i mentioned before?

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Pete 1972 Admittedly those dts tracks sound nearly identical to their Blu-ray counterparts but on my system after much comparison the laserdiscs sound slightly warmer and more dynamic. I have the first universal Shadow BD and have been meaning to pick up the Shout reissue. LD is technically not as good as later audio on successor formats but because so many audio tracks are remixed or reconfigured for near field listening and/or lack original audio mixes-LD becomes important again because the audio is usually untouched. For older films the pcm is fantastic on mono and matrixed stereo titles and then on later films even though it is tiny the 384kbps Dolby 5.1 can be fantastic if the later releases are remixed such as Mission Impossible which has nice bass rumble on on original prints and the LD. I totally agree with you on those specific remixes being horrendous. Jaws has one of the great mono mixes and the dvd 5.1 was awful, the bd 7.1 is unnecessary and the best sounding mono release is the Signature LD. Terminator is a great mono track and the THX reissue LD is perfect. GBU is IMO the worst remix of all time and interferes with Leone’s sound design. That film is messed with on every release and they’re all deficient in various ways. The LD mono is great and untouched. The first letterboxed release is the only release of the original 1966 release version and then the 1998 LD/dvd master has some different edits. I can’t stand the 5.1 remixes of the Bond films.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Pete 1972 I forgot to mention another example. The Phantom is a rare OOP BD with a 7.1 remix that sounds flat whereas the LD 5.1 and the dvd port have a fantastic track with loads of old fashioned sound effects and Foley work.

[@Pete-eb3vo]

duckyousuckr Im not sure if you know about this but do you know the original Mono track of The Good The Bad and the Ugly got a DTS HD Master Audio treatment when the Kino Blu Ray came out?

[@SuperAgentman007]

Well there is one downside of a laser disc collector and I am one I have an elite pioneer laser disk player when I got it it wasn’t working I had to hunt high and low for parts then when I did get it fixed I don’t use it that much I use it sparingly due to the fact that parts are scarce for them they’re not highly abundant I had to get my parts from Japan directly they do not sell any replacement parts in the United States the hardest part to get is the laser Assembly. The one I have plays both DVD and Laser disk and it plays both sides auto reverse.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Parts and maintenance are definitely the hardest aspects of the format today. Thankfully with forums and fan groups its a bit easier to track down bits and bobs you might need or ask for advice from more tech minded LD fans.

[@chuckgoodwin87]

"The Spy Who Loved Me" best James Bond Film ever.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

Well… Laserdisc is still not really cheap here in Germany. So many used titles are still way too expensive when you buy them second hand. It really always depends on where you live. If something was bigger and more popular elsewhere, chances are you can get it much cheaper many years later. There's still some titles i am missing in my collection but many folks really just don't get the fact that it's obsolete and movies are NOT worth 20, 30, 40 or 50 bucks. And the there's of course Star Wars…

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

That’s what I’ve gathered from others overseas in the Facebook groups. You’re pretty much stuck with what you can find and there always seems to be those lovely folks convinced virtually everything is “rare”. Good luck with those you still need. If you’re not in the Laserdisc forever group there are some members in Europe.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

​@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader nah, i don't do facebook. However i am on LDDB. But yeah, resellers here really think everything is rare and can be flipped for insane prices. Even if things are not rare / precious at all. Being a moviebuff in Germany is horrible. Everything bleeds you dry like crazy. Ah well… sometimes patience is rewarded and you find some actual good offers.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

KRAFTWERK2K6 Got you. Definitely give LDF a shot if you do try Facebook though. There seems to be a decent amount of European LD fans. Don’t feel so bad-At least you guys get all those wonderful Blu-ray catalog releases of Hollywood classics we don’t.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader Weird, i always thought that was different.That the US gets all these releases and maybe the UK as well but everyone else has to import. UK has all the good stuff. Germany only gets something if a good label like Koch Media, Capelight, Turbine or Nameless Media releases something together with Al!ve.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

KRAFTWERK2K6 you guys seem to get innumerable classic Hollywood films and especially Westerns that either never get released over here or come out on a specialty label years later with the same master at a much higher price.

[@DarkStar3147]

Hahaaaa! Clever title 👏👏👏

[@mikekaye3874]

LaserDisc didn't suffer the compression issues that DVD's did. Take a look at the beginning of The Excorcist. The Sun Light. The beams of light look exactly like they should. On DVD the same shot you can see layered steps in the Gradient of the light rays. I called sony to find out back in the late 90's. Truth is they said, the image is better at this point on laser disc. But the extra's, languages, no flipping over the disc. Is why people are claiming DVD is better. The image is infact better on lazer disc cause there is no compression like there is on DVD. That's what they said. That's what I noticed.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Yes especially in the early era of dvd the laserdisc image was usually better due to the new format having kinks to work out. However the dramatic jump to component digital 480p quickly won most consumers over and after a few years dvd really had taken off.

[@mikekaye3874]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader Yes. After I purchased my first DVD Machine, and running many tests. It was certain. DVD was going to win. And I knew It was going to kill VHS. I'm surprised it took so long for Video Rental Stores. Like the Big Boys, Blockbuster so long to start renting DVD's. I had a local store jump right in. Low-cost DVD purhases, and quick turn around from rentals. $$$. I was two years later the big boys caught on. I still love my laserdisc. I wish the picture could be displayed on the newed TV's well.

[@jvas33]

In your opinion what is the best laser disc player?

[@GambleRogersYesJustinBieberNo]

I love LaserDisc better than VHS and DVD!

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

It definitely has a charm all of it's own. On one hand there is some bit of analog quality that provides a sense of nostalgia-and the PCM sound is better than DVD with many early DVDs being inferior ports of the same master.

[@GambleRogersYesJustinBieberNo]

It would be nice if Wall-E was on LaserDisc would that be awesome?

[@Pete-eb3vo]

The 8 Track Master Why don't you just get Wall-E on Blu Ray? The picture and sound is some of the best ever.

[@kingcrimson234]

LD is fantastic. I have the complete Star Trek TNG remaster Blu Ray box set, but most of the time I find myself just grabbing the LD version instead if I want to watch an episode. I just throw it in and press play. I don't have to spend 2+ minutes waiting for unskippable sections, menu transition animations, and having to change audio settings every time. The Blu Ray remasters look incredible (though a little heavy on the color saturation), but most of the time the LD convenience wins out for me lol. Besides, I just feel so cool plopping that big 12" disc in the player.

[@mrhyde8264]

duckyousuckr, Which aspect ratio CRT television do you think makes more sense with laserdisc, 4:3 or 16:9? Specifically with the Sony Wega series. By the way, am looking forward to a future video of your audio/video gear setup.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Well it's interesting you should ask that. I've done a lot of work between models and currently have the 4:3 hd variant set as a backup so I can make in person comparisons between a 36" 4:3 set and the 27" or so 4:3 window inside the 34" 16:9 screen. Ideally you'd just have the biggest 4:3 set possible but the bigger you go the resolution limits sharpness etc and smaller CRTs can be sharper than their larger counterparts. Since the hardware in both sets is the same and I'm already well used to pillarboxed 4:3 inside of 16:9 it doesn't bother me a whole lot to watch 4:3 LD on a 16:9 HDCRT. That being said the zoom mode built into the Sony is spot on and all letterboxed titles look fantastic scaled out on the 16:9 screen properly-but it is usually best on scope titles and can be dodgy on 1.85 flat titles dependent on framing-and 1.66 doesn't work without major cropping. So in short, 4:3 is what was intended and what the format is. However, high end 16:9 models still are perfectly well done and can have impressive results in scaling out letterboxed titles. I think it also helps if you're sitting relatively close to the screen on 16:9 models.

[@mrhyde8264]

I do like the idea of not having to ever zoom on the 4:3 set. That's more than likely what I'll go with. In the dark there's not much difference visually from sitting far away from a larger set and sitting close to a smaller set. Even on my 19" CRT up close in the dark is enjoyable. The weight and size of the larger CRTs is the only turn off. 238 lbs is the weight of the model I'm interested in.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

They can indeed be backbreakers and I had to call in every favor to get my dad to help with the ones I've accumulated. The only reason I have the 16:9 version is that it was the Sony pinnacle of HDCRTs and has a few extra controls not on the 4:3 variant.

[@Pasi123]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader Do you have a XBR960 or some similar one?

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

@@Pasi123 Yep I have an xbr960 and adore it.

[@christopheri79]

Thank you :-)

[@generalgrevious2005]

i just got my first 4 ld. have not had a laser disc in some years. just bought the dvl-919 european version. i got the star wars making of series japanese version`s dont know if these were released in america except for the one version i know of that has both on one disc two sides.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Sounds like you’re off to a great start! The Japanese discs are cool because I believe they have digital sound while the US discs do not. Either edition is expensive and tough to find.

[@generalgrevious2005]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader yeah it`s cool to own that`s for sure. now i`m on the hunt for the original trilogy. i found star wars in the title it says 1130-85 would that be the one you got that has two disc`s .

[@Knightmessenger]

Making of Star Wars and SP:FX Empire were released on laserdisc in the US. Classic Creatures and Star Wars to Jedi were on LD in Japan only with burned in subtitles. All 4 were released on vhs and 3 of them were among the special features on the bluray sets.

[@jhberg17]

I’m from your future. Are you collecting 4K now? My Sony 4k player upscales. I put a couple of dvds in recently and they looked pretty good, blu ray good anyhow. Any opinion on upscaling?

[@SHANECatLovinActivistHistorian]

i am hoping they bring back CEDs

[@ZenithClarity]

Been wanting a laserdisc player forever. I remember my girlfriends dad having one back in the 80s. He had money of course. Finally making the jump. They are still expensive for their age. What budget minded player would you recommend? Something that will play it all? Any advice on what to stay away from? Thank You in advance!

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Welcome to the club! LD is a format that requires patience, research and quite a bit of trial and error. If you can get a working unit that has good video output consider yourself lucky starting out. Picture quality varies greatly from model to model. What you really want is a player that doesn’t digitize the signal all that much and has digital sound output to allow you to enjoy pcm audio. Pioneer is the most well known Brand and made many great well built players. There are other brands that may good units but you’ll quickly find that each one has its own individual quirks even within the same model line, and sometimes certain players were simply re-badged as other units. It’s also incredibly difficult and expensive to ship players which also adds to the expense. They have so many internal parts that can easily get damaged in shipping so it’s always a risky venture. Your best bet is to start locally and hopefully stumble onto a nice player that won’t break the bank and you can actually pick up yourself. The pioneer 700 series is a good starting point of reference. If you’re trying to research any player that you turn up there’s great information out there for most models on the laser disc Archive website and of course the laser disc database forum is full of user reports and repair how to’s.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Basically I would advise on a good solid play in the air or Panasonic player to start out with. If you do some research you can make sure the model has good composite output so you can get a nice pure video signal without a lot of processing of the image. Be sure to get a player that has digital sound output because digital sound on laser disk is one of the most if not the single most important benefit of the format. This will allow you to enjoy DTS discs as well. Ac3 output on a player is harder to come by but that can be added as a mod later on most players.

[@ZenithClarity]

Thanks for the quick replies! I recently purchased a very old Pioneer, probably one of the first. LD-1100. Top Loader! which i thought was cool. Got it from a goodwill auction. Was stated as working. As soon as i picked up the package i heard a loud clunk! Knew they screwed up again. They didnt pack it properly and worst of all didnt lock down the laser. Thats what the clunking was is the laser assembly sliding and slamming back and forth during the entire shipment! Anyway, it powers up. But no spin up, nothing. I work on old electronics and usually am able to fix things. But no luck with this unit so far. Any ideas??? I know a much newer unit is what is needed for quality, but this is too cool a player to not fix if i can.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

@@ZenithClarity I’m not very skilled in the tech repair area but I do know some people have managed to fix early units if they’re not too far gone. Your best bet is to take some photos and post on the laserdisc forever Facebook group.

[@marcellachine5718]

I have a problem. An addiction really. I have 6 laser disc players in a closet and 2 in my entertainment center. There, I admit I'm an addict. Every time I find one in the wild, aka a thrift store or yard sale, I just cant leave it there for the peanuts they usually want for it. Now the movies though, they are more difficult to find unfortunately. Luckily I amassed 70 percent of my laserdisc movies from a single source. I lost exact count after 300 and something. I would estimate about 350.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

That’s how it begins!!! Working players of any kind are harder to come by these days so it make sense to have a backup or several... Discs always come out of the woodwork when least expected. If you’re looking for more titles perhaps try the Facebook LD groups where there are constant sale posts.

[@johnj28]

I have a very large LaserDisc collection that I am wanting to sell to a collector. I can send an excel file with info. I have a nice Pioneer Player DVL 919 as well. I am located near Louisville, Kentucky and would prefer to sell locally but I do travel for my job throughout Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee... Please comment if you have any interest.

[@dw_2005]

I'm sure if Cinephiles/Videophiles could mix the Surround sound of Laserdisc with the Picture of Blu-Ray or UHD They would have the best Movie format in world (minus 8k resolution)

[@Rye_Caster]

found a yojimbo lazerdisc at a thrift

[@johannadam8134]

this guy gets all the ladies

[@kryptonicification]

Great video, but just because a laserdisc transfer differs from the DVD or Blu-ray does not mean that it's the "original" and better version. Laserdisc was limited by the color range of the format, being an analog format, and couldn't come close to mimicking the look of a 35mm film print, especially considering how poor the restoration process was back then. I would like original audio on all movies made in the pre-5.1 digital age though, but most are done tastefully, so it's not a huge deal.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

This was merely an off the cuff overview so I would agree for the most part that you are absolutely correct in terms of technical specs-but you’d be surprised how close a number of transfers are. It’s especially true of a number of earlier Pan n scan LDs which look extremely close to 35mm prints. And a lot of 5.1 upmixes do not do the original track justice even if it’s a matrixed audio mix. If done right it’s no problem and there are good examples out there. But mostly they seem to apply EQ curves and make tweaks in areas that make it a less pleasurable experience. This is why I think the loudness war type issues are very prevalent in movie releases as well.

[@braedonsrantsmore2482]

I would collect laserdisc but people talk about rot and how much of chance of being rot where can I get leserdisc where I know I wont get disc that doesn't work or has rot

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Most people make far too much noise about laser rot. It’s actually quite easy to avoid nowadays with most fans knowing about common rotters or signs to look for. Plus the laserdisc database has an excellent user submitted rot report on every disc listed so you can easily check for rot issues. Generally if you avoid the very early discs from the 70’s and early 80’s then the main culprits will be: early 3M pressings but most of all Sony DADC USA pressings which are the biggest culprits as they made most of the big rotter titles. For these if you really want them you’ll have to find dadc Austria pressings or Japanese copies which are rot free.

[@braedonsrantsmore2482]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader I am talking about like some of discs being made by like companies like big ones that have rot and will be damaged easier it this seems like lot of work look for printing dates and try to find ones that have low level of rot and our safe

[@braedonsrantsmore2482]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader like I am looking at back to the future for leserdisc using the database and one of America verisons says it has 3 reports of rot and then another has only one person which is better I seen Japan one that had one report it was in low area but American one was 1 report in light and 2 in medium

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

@@braedonsrantsmore2482 some discs can have some reports of light rot which is typically just a tiny bit of speckling. The standard letterbox USA BTTF releases are great titles but unfortunately most charge a premium for them like Star Wars even though they are standard releases only.

[@braedonsrantsmore2482]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader so what should I look for in leserdisc to know if it's messed up won't work I try to look on eBay for listings that have photo of said movie playing on screen so I know it works this fine but can't find anything like that not even this fully tested

[@zxzsczbg]

do you have the goonies on laserdisc and is it true there is a laserdisc with all the deleted scenes in it as the goonies oath etc..?

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

DutchEurovision unfortunately I do not have a copy as it usually is very desirable. There was just the standard pan n scan early disc and a letterbox copy in 1992. No extended or special edition version that I’m aware of.

[@zxzsczbg]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader thank you

[@XenomorphLV426]

You look like Paul Dano

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

I’ll take it. People tell me that a lot these days.😂

[@matthewgaudet4064]

i think i'm nuts for the format. I've dropped like 3 grand on them since 2005. i have like 4 bins and 3 closets full of them. I just dropped another hundred on 007 laserdiscs from Japan. And i recently spent twice that collecting rare Star Wars sets and singles. I just need the 86 Empire and Star Wars and i'm good to go.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Matthew Gaudet it happens to us all!😆 I have no idea how much I’ve spent since about 2008 but certainly glad that discs are so much cheaper than original list price!!!!!!

[@matthewgaudet4064]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader , laserrot is pissing me off though. I just got tomorrow never dies and lo and behold rot. That is like 3 out of every ten Bond title i've gotten this month. LOL I've had to keep a managed rot list on LDDB. Even Phantom Menace which i had recently pulled from a bin it was in storage since 2005 had succumbed to laser rot. And Return of the Jedi, which i had to replace.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Matthew Gaudet whoa you shouldn’t have rot on those as they’re all late release pressings and super clean. Most rot is confined to early pressings, 3M disc and most especially dadc USA pressings who primarily did Sony releases. What are you seeing on these discs when you play them?

[@matthewgaudet4064]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader , its only like 3 Bond pressings out of a dozen or so. But they are all from Japan. None of my US discs have rot. I'm not saying its common its just bad luck i suppose. Living Daylights is first issue pan and scan, the same for man with the golden gun. The one i was floored about having rot was Tomorrow Never Dies that is from the later 1990s. and my US copy is totally clean and has no rot. as for laservision titles i haven't gotten into those yet. I was going to dip into maybe getting Buck Rogers, Battlestar Galactica or American Graffiti but i've been put off by rot reports.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Matthew Gaudet I’ve wanted to go discovision for four titles but always hold off because of extreme rot probability. That’s weird about the Japanese tnd. I’ll have to check mine.

[@stephenbecker-atlanta7639]

they ruled word..Japan, 20 yrs. anybody has..the dvd. TOO COMMON. it began the VHS degrade..was $$$ expensive. long ago. no previews.i fix units, drawers. jammed. paid $ 1.00 for unit.pioneer

[@discostew9220]

Saving Private Ryan sounds better on laserdisc

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

I’ve heard people say that before and I did do some comparisons of the LD ac3 to the Blu-ray hdma. There is some difference in levels but I couldn’t pick out a clear winner. Others swear by the dvd audio so there’s no clear winner still.

[@andysummersthxcinemaandmyc7748]

I throw laserdisc in the cat litter now along with dvd hd-dvd bluray and yes even crappy shit 4k gets thrown into the cat litter.