OT: Does anyone else own a LaserDisc player?

[ifkz]

I am a big fan of older technology and I was always on the lookout for a laserdisc player when I had enough time to go to thrift stores and Goodwills (largely a thing of the past).  I never found a unit among all of the VCRs, DVD players, CD players and everything else.  Luckily a co-worker gave me this unit along with a great collection of discs to play.  I like the picture quality, which is somewhere between DVD and VCR tapes.  I also think it is a marvel of engineering to be able to spin up a half pound of plastic from 600-1800 RPM (depending on the format), not to mention the later models with auto-flip.  Like a record player, the discs had to be flipped over once every 30 minutes or so.

Here is mine:


Does anyone else care to step forward with their unit?  If anyone has a copy of 'The Matrix' on LaserDisc, how is it?  I would love to add it to my collection, but it seems hard to find.  I think as time goes on, much like consoles, the movies released on the format will be a cultural time capsule of sorts.  Let's hope laserdisc rot doesn't get too bad.

While related, does anyone have anything to add about the CED format?  Any owners?  I have only ever found loose discs (laserdiscs are a lot easier to find), never a player.

[hoobs88]

I have the NEC Laseractive System that plays laserdiscs as well as TurboGrafx games. I only have the Star Wars Trilogy and Back to the Future Trilogy on Laserdisc.

[ifkz]

Nice series!  I still have not found any of the three BTF's, maybe someday?

[DragonmasterDan]

Yep, quite a few. Including a LaserActive that plays PC Engine games :-D

[TheClash603]

What is this thing called Laserdizc?

[synbiosfan]

I used to have 2 until earlier this year.

I still have 50 or so LDs.

[BigusSchmuck]

The only player I need is my Laseractive and it plays sega genesis games. I got a few of the good classics like the Terminator 1-2 and the Aliens movies but not a whole lot.

[BlueBMW]

I too have a Laseractive (CLD-A100)  and another late model Pioneer with auto flip.  Ive got about 100 pounds of Laserdiscs.  I force my younger friends to watch them...

[Miracle_Warrior]

Oh, the memories.  Still have my dad's laserdisc  player..no auto flip like Beamer though.  I was always the flipper .

We only have 2 movies left, Unforgiven and Malcom X.  We used to rent Laserdics all the time, but buying them was quite expensive if I recall.

[TR0N]

What is this thing called Laserdizc?

Got me but i know in the 80's it played this 
Dragon's Lair (1983 Cinematronics) Start to Finish On Daphne Emulator

[McKie1]

LaserActive and HLD-X0 work for us. Not sure if we have the matrix but will have a look

[JoshTurboTrollX]

I believe we've added a couple movies since this video was made 2 years ago.

[majors]

Pioneer LD-V4200 here...free from a school that was tossing out "old" junk. Also got a 120 LD's, mostly got from another school binning them as well...nothing rare or in good condition since they were basically rental discs and my friends have already cherry picked through them. Robocop on LD is the only one I really care about.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

I've got an LA (from synbiosfan) and three movies - Pinocchio, Independence Day, and Love Affair.  I'm not terribly interested in LDs for movies, but I would like to some day get the Star Wars trilogy, Army of Darkness, and Dune.

[PunkCryborg]

I have an old junky pioneer ld that was formerly used by a school. It sucks but I havent found a better one to replace it with yet. I'd love to get a Laseractive eventually.
I have a decent collection of movies. I look for horror and cult classics and also any kaiju and tokusatsu films like Godzilla. I'm always looking for anime LDs so if anyone has any and wants to trade lmk!

[SuperDeadite]

Another LA owner here.  This forum probably has the largest amount of people who own LAs and actually use them as opposed to the ''glass case gamers''

[ifkz]

Do any LaserActive owners want to share the story about the purchase of their unit?  I would really like to hear these stories if anyone wants to share.

There is still a supply of laserdiscs in my area, but never players of any type.  My own thread is making me want to add to my collection this weekend

I would not mind owning a LaserActive, broken or working, but that's likely to remain a dream.

Also, does the LaserActive auto flip?

[PunkCryborg]

gotta flip your disc in a LA. I love flipping laserdiscs though, that's like the best part of LDs. Half the time it's like in the middle of a scene and that LD logo comes flying in. I love it. It's also a good reason to get another beer.

[McKie1]

Ifkz - drop me a line as I have the matrix on ld u can have. Postage will be the only cost as i don't need the disc anymore. Also check out the laseractive thread for heaps more info on LA

[ifkz]

Way cool, PM sent!  (sorry, watching Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure tonight).

[SuperDeadite]

I think 2/3 of the owners here got their LAs through BlueBMW lol.

[esteban]

I think 2/3 of the owners here got their LAs through BlueBMW lol.

Ha! Truth.

The only folks I know who have owned LD players had them for karaoke! And they had them for 20+ years.

And...my sample size is n=2. Still, I suspect that many sad little LD players in North America during mid-/late-90's were used for karaoke.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

Do any LaserActive owners want to share the story about the purchase of their unit?  I would really like to hear these stories if anyone wants to share.

Like I said, mine came from synbiosfan earlier this year; it came with the FEKA pac (which has since been recapped by chops), a pair of nice 6-button pads, and Pinocchio.  Around the same time, BMW hooked me up with a PCE pac and xele sent me some Virtual Cameraman boobehs, and I've since picked up a few other LA games from eBay.

[ifkz]

I went LaserDisc hunting in my local area and added four movies that I did not have in any format:  Fargo, Judge Dredd, Speed, and the awful 0% RT scored Jury Duty.  Yes, I spent money on a Pauly Shore movie    It was a lot more terrible that I remembered...
I found I really liked Judge Dredd, however.

[TheClash603]

I went LaserDisc hunting in my local area and added four movies that I did not have in any format:  Fargo, Judge Dredd, Speed, and the awful 0% RT scored Jury Duty.  Yes, I spent money on a Pauly Shore movie    It was a lot more terrible that I remembered...
I found I really liked Judge Dredd, however.

I saw Jury Duty in the theater...  my only question for you is, "What kind of envy?"

I have picked up a handful of Laseractive's over the years.  My units were all found on ebay, so nothing exciting as far as stories go.  I think I got a unit for $50 once because it was just listed as "Laserdisc player," and I saw in the picture it was a CLD A-100.  The laser was broken on this unit, so I guess the joke ended up being on me.

However, when it comes to games, I have a better story.  One time I posted on some forums I was looking for LA games and somehow someone emailed me out of the blue, it wasn't a forum response or anything of that sort.  The random guy said, "I evicted a guy a few years ago and there is a bunch of LA stuff in the shed he left behind, you interested?"  I think I ended up getting about 10 games at a decent price...  but the lot included Blue Chicago Blues and Road Prosecutor, so it was worth it.  Moral of the story, trust all of the spam emails you get, you really do have $10000000 waiting for you in Africa if you send $200 first.

[johnnymad]

Saw a laserdisc in a thrift store today. Rarely see them and have never seen a player. Was some awful Christmas movie.

Do laserdiscs have good quality picture? Seem to be all the rage today in some places.

[VenomMacbeth]

I'd like to have one, if only so I can watch Twice Upon A Time...or I could just shark eBay for a VHS copy...

[tsuran]

I love watching movies on LD, i think the quality is pretty good. Whenever I go looking it's not that easy to find any around here though. I did find Raiders and Home Alone two about 3 months ago though!

[xcrement5x]

I've got 4 LD players and a lot of friggin' LD movies, most of which are questionably good. 

Three of the units are LaserActives and I have bought them all locally normally because the price was good.  My first I got from a guy that was willing to drive down near my house with Sega PAC, the second was a loose player only in minty shape for $30, and the most recent one (which will be for sale soon once I get the PAC recapped) was up in Denver but still close enough for a meetup. 

I've also got a Pioneer LD-717 player which is from the 80s I think and is so damn heavy.  It is a bit wonky but still seems to play discs okay if I mess with it a bit.  Thankfully it is old enough that it will still play LaserActive discs too so I can watch the boobeh discs without playing the hard games.

I love the flipping of discs with LDs too.  I've mainly got some 80s/90s movies with a bit of anime mixed in, plus the LaserActive games themselves.  I do have almost all the James Bond movies released on LD though! 

[slinkyturd]

I've thought about getting a laser disc player. There is a used movie chain here in northern California that sells laser discs for like a dollar each and they have TONS.

[NightWolve]

Do laserdiscs have good quality picture? Seem to be all the rage today in some places.

Even though it's a CD and you might think the video signal is stored digitally, it's not. The video is actually encoded on there in analog Composite format. It's better than VHS certainly and doesn't degrade per playback as magnetic tape does obviously, but it's inferior to DVD.

I spent $200 on a Pioneer LD player and $40 bucks for Total Recall in the 90's, and it was a big mistake as far as I am concerned. I didn't know the format was going obsolete, that DVDs were on their way, and I wouldn't have done it if I had known. I gotta check the player one day, see if it still works, and put up an ad on Craigslist in the Chicago section, see if someone in my city wants to take it off my hands finally.

[McKie1]

Some DVD transfers are about the same picture quality as some of the Laserdiscs (using only your eyes as a guide) due to compression on the part of the DVD video but many LD's have as good as if not better sound. If you add a video processor to the LD, then the quality is nearly on par (again not using scientific means - just eyes) with DVD. Food for thought in any case. Also some LD players are better than others with their output.

[VenomMacbeth]

What's a good price to pay for an LD player?  There's only one on my local craigslist, $125.  I'll probably start scouting thrift stores more frequently...

[MrFulci]

Venom;

Much like any other home entertainment electronics. it depends on the manufacturer, model, and condition.

Can't be of much help, other than, with the information you have provided

[ifkz]

I spent $200 on a Pioneer LD player and $40 bucks for Total Recall in the 90's, and it was a big mistake as far as I am concerned. I didn't know the format was going obsolete, that DVDs were on their way, and I wouldn't have done it if I had known. I gotta check the player one day, see if it still works, and put up an ad on Craigslist in the Chicago section, see if someone in my city wants to take it off my hands finally.

A lot of forum members would, likely, love to buy it from you.  Shipping would be terrible though.  Mine is as heavy as a small car.

I have a copy of The Matrix on the way, I'll certainly post an update once it gets here.  Next up:  find a copy of Transformers: The Movie (1986)!

To prepare for the arrival of The Matrix, I am searching around for a TV that accepts s-video, the best quality picture that my player can output.  I have read it doesn't help much if the composite connected TV has a "digital comb filter."

[NightWolve]

I have to test it to see if it still works some day, and since there are retro fans that would love to have it (I honestly don't get the craze/love for the system, stopping to flip a disc in the middle of a movie even, but whatever floats your boat), it should get a better home as opposed to sitting away to rot in my hands. I think the Chicago section in Craigslist is best unless I can find someone near Chicago around here that'd want it (there are a few people here in Illinois).

[MrFulci]

................

 I am searching around for a TV that accepts s-video, the best quality picture that my player can output.  I have read it doesn't help much if the composite connected TV has a "digital comb filter."

If you don't have a receiver with S-video-in and HDMI out, there are S-Video-to-HDMI adapters out there (Monoprice). That is, unless you really want another TV.

[MrFulci]

I have to test it to see if it still works some day, and since there are retro fans that would love to have it (I honestly don't get the craze/love for the system, stopping to flip a disc in the middle of a movie even, but whatever floats your boat), it should get a better home as opposed to sitting away to rot in my hands. I think the Chicago section in Craigslist is best unless I can find someone near Chicago around here that'd want it (there are a few people here in Illinois).

The way things are nowadays, I'd rather have an LD-Rip than an actual LD. Flipping, rot, weight, etc, etc.

[ifkz]

Well, two weeks ago the LD copy of the Matrix arrived, and my story does not have a happy ending. Both discs where cracked all the way through, both sides.  I did not want a refund, but got one anyhow, so McKie1 is a total stand up seller.  Anyhow, sadness.  I have the original cover as a keepsake.  One day I'll find another copy..I hope!

Locally I found two more discs that I did not have in any other format:  Slackers and Dances with Wolves.  They are on my to-be-watched list.

I think owning a Laser Active would be a good idea, simply as a backup player if none of the PACs are available.  I'll keep my ear to the ground in the FS section since a lot of members here own them.

[esteban]

Well, two weeks ago the LD copy of the Matrix arrived, and my story does not have a happy ending. Both discs where cracked all the way through, both sides.  I did not want a refund, but got one anyhow, so McKie1 is a total stand up seller.  Anyhow, sadness.  I have the original cover as a keepsake.  One day I'll find another copy..I hope!

Locally I found two more discs that I did not have in any other format:  Slackers and Dances with Wolves.  They are on my to-be-watched list.

I think owning a Laser Active would be a good idea, simply as a backup player if none of the PACs are available.  I'll keep my ear to the ground in the FS section since a lot of members here own them.

McKie is in AUSTRALIA, correct? Damn.

[McKie1]

Yep. Someone here or there must have thought it was a nice looking cushion padded envelope did not do its job. Sorry again bud

[xcrement5x]

I only ship LDs in those Vinyl LP packaging boxes anymore.  They're pretty dang solid and I've yet to have an issue with something shipped in one.  My copy of Vajra was shipped in a bubble mailer and the corner of the sleeve got pretty bent in transit

[ifkz]

Yep. Someone here or there must have thought it was a nice looking cushion padded envelope did not do its job. Sorry again bud

Not your fault, standard packaging was not meant to withstand Fat Bastard's arse (^tm from the Austin Powers series) in shipping.

[McKie1]

Is he moonlighting as a postie whilst waiting for a fourth movie? plastic LP box would be good idea but we have very limited packaging options down at Australia post!

[TheClash603]

Well, two weeks ago the LD copy of the Matrix arrived, and my story does not have a happy ending. Both discs where cracked all the way through, both sides.  I did not want a refund, but got one anyhow, so McKie1 is a total stand up seller.  Anyhow, sadness.  I have the original cover as a keepsake.  One day I'll find another copy..I hope!

Locally I found two more discs that I did not have in any other format:  Slackers and Dances with Wolves.  They are on my to-be-watched list.

I think owning a Laser Active would be a good idea, simply as a backup player if none of the PACs are available.  I'll keep my ear to the ground in the FS section since a lot of members here own them.

I have had two Laserdiscs come this way.  One was I believe Namco video game LD, which had presumably gameplay and tips on it.  The other was LA Demon's Judgement.  Fortunately I have sent and received many LDs and it has only happened twice.

For anyone that has ever bought a LD from me, I ALWAYS ship in a box and have the LD well padded inside the box so it can't move around.  Sleeves are bad news when shipping LDs, I do not recommend it.

[ChuChu Flamingo]

Someday I want to get a laseractive just for playing all the fmv games.