[D-EJ915]

I want a LD player, and I was wondering on any good models that can be found for fairly cheap?? I think Pioneer still makes one, but it's like 1000 bucks, so it's out of the picture.

 

[Pappucho]

I have gotten a few players on Ebay rather cheaply. Expect to pay around 50 to 150 depending on the model. Pioneer was considered to be one of the better makers of LD player's IIRC. Look for an elite model. There are also LD/DVD players that I've seen run for around 400 or so on ebay which seems a bit high to me considering you can get two separate players alot cheaper. Were you looking at used as well as new players? I don't really know of any new players still being made aside from the expensive pioneer model you mention.

 

[D-EJ915]

I don't mind if it's used...I just love LDs and have never got around to buying a player.

 

[Hiker]

Quote:

Originally posted by D-EJ915 I don't mind if it's used...I just love LDs and have never got around to buying a player.

What is there to love about LDs? Seriously, I do not know anything about laser discs except that they are big silver discs. Please educate me!

 

[soundboy]

Quote:

What is there to love about LDs?

The original Star Wars Trilogy (not the Special Edition crap). THX-remastered. Enuff said.

Pioneer ended production of LaserDisc earlier this year. However, new players are still available. As I remember, Pioneer was one of the few LD player manufacturers, with its LD transport mechanisms found in multi-thousand dollar units from the likes of Theta. While companies like Panasonic, Sony, Denon, Yamaha, Radio Shack, etc....all marketed LD players, few of them actually build them.

Many of the later units are also Dolby Digital capable. I just found out my mom's Pioneer LD karaoke machine is DD-capable.

 

[D-EJ915]

Companies use crap compression and production techniques on DVDs and LDs had much higher standards, and thus, they have better picture quality

, behold, behemoth discs are behemoth for a reason!! (lol)...They're basically big CDs, they use the same optics, but on a larger scale (that's why they can natively run CDs). LDs do not have crap advertising of protection techniques that screw us all over (ever heard of region codes on DVDs??-not on LDs), and lots of things are only avaliable on LD, not just science movies, Original Star Wars (already said), original Akira in full blown glory (new version is nice, but I like the old one)...etc. LD can't be beat, considering how cheaply discs run these days, since nobody knows about it.

DVD is newer, so it's automatically "better" than LD.

Theta's Voyager is a $5500 LD Transport, it rocks your world, but I don't know anybody personally that has that kind of money...SO, I'm going to go used

.

 

[Sol_Zhen]

No, no, no.

Laserdisc does not and can not have better video quality compared to DVD. It’s better than VHS, but does not compare with DVD at all.

I own a Pioneer Elite CLD-31 LD player. It’s a solid single-side player.

I love my LDs because of their content and not the video quality. The LD library is huge and you can get versions and box sets of films on LD that are not and will not be available on DVD. That’s the reason to own a LD player.

Some uncompressed audio DTS tracks, like on the Twister LD, are awesome. But the video doesn’t compare to DVD at all.

Buy a used player and get some hard to find discs.

It’s rewarding, but don’t get into it for the wrong reasons.

FYI – if you buy a player that plays both sides, make sure the seller will ship WITH THE SHIPPING SCREW. Otherwise the mechanism WILL BREAK in transit. The side changing mechanism is VERY delicate.

Good luck.

 

[Sol_Zhen]

Go here: http://www.cs.tut.fi/~leopold/Ld/ResolutionComparison/

 

[jefemeister]

I have a Pioneer CLD-3080 that can be found for dirt cheap these days. It is a great unit.

 

[D-EJ915]

I guess I remember wrongly, I last saw a laserdisc about 5 years ago, ...haha, thanks for the info Sol!!

 

[Sol_Zhen]

Yea. I just want to make sure you're getting into it for the right reasons.

The best reason is for the rare stuff and the special editions with extras or versions of the films that are not/will not be on DVD. Do some research before buying any LD to insure that you’re getting an edition that you’ll enjoy owning. You don’t want to buy a used LD edition for $6 when there’s a better used DVD version for just $3 or $4 more.

Do some searching and ask questions.

[edit]

And about Akira... ??? I guess you watch the dub and not the original language? The original dub is painfully bad.

I much prefer the Japanese with english subs.

 

[elrod-tom]

I had a Pioneer CLD-1070 for 10+ years, and it showed no sign of slowing down. Much of that time, it was also my CD player, so it was definately NOT hurting for playing time.

If you're thinking that you want to capitalize on the selection of Laser Discs still out there, by all means dive on in. I would have to agree with the consensus that says that picture quality does not approach DVD. It doesn't...

 

[soundboy]

Wasn't Van Halen's "Live Without A Net" available on LD??

 

[Hiker]

Very insightful, I must say. I know a lot more than before about LD. Now that I think of it, I have an aquaintance that used to be into LDs. I might try and contact him to see if he still has a player so I can look first hand.

 

[fractus2]

We've got a Pioneer CLD-2730K LD player (also playes CDs). It's been years since we've played it though. Think the last use was for a Karaoke session.


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