Patrick McCart

Need LD player optimal for transfering to DVD-R

Having skipped directly from VHS to DVD, I never got into laserdisc. As a result, I'm pretty much dumb on the quality of players. I've found some rare films on LD that I'd like to transfer for personal DVD-Rs, but I'm not sure which models would be good.

I know there's "professional" quality ones that run four or five figures, but what would be the best to allow a clean image that can be converted to progressive (480i to 480p) on DVD without spending a fortune? The only inputs I can work with are S-video and composite, anyways. I've had no problems with converting VHS tapes to fully progressive (no ghosting at all), so I'd hope I can do the same with laserdisc.

Tell The Weinstein Company to release Richard Williams' animated masterpiece The Thief and the Cobbler on DVD in Panavision widescreen and uncut! See and hear what you're missing from their Bitsy Award winner of Worst Standard Edition DVD of 2006 on YouTube!

Keith Paynter

Re: Need LD player optimal for transfering to DVD-R

Patrick - I'd recommend any late model Pioneer Elites, especially the DVL-90 which was one of their LD/DVD hybrids. It had both composite and S-Video outputs, plus analog and coax PCM digital outputs (plus an RF AC-3 output, but you'd need a converter for it). Oddly enough, the sound is better from the PCM digital outputs if you have a digital to analog converter (like Technics SH-AC500D), and the PCM DTS tracks (on appropriate discs) are amazing - full bit resolution. The DVL-90 reportedly had a variable digital noise reduction adjustment for Y & C output.

I have converted several OOP disc sets and singles, and occasionally come across several others that were worth owning. My favorites are the complete Golden Age Of Looney Tunes, Cabin Fever Little Rascals and Kevin brownlow/David Gill's Hollywood sets.

Making anamorphic letterboxed discs can sometimes be a drag, because you're zooming in in order to fit the 4x3 into the 16x9 window, and the image gets a bit soft. I've done this for Paul McCartney's Rockshow, One Million Years BC, and others.

Get your hands on a good authoring program that allows you to make discs with multiple audio tracks so you can get rare commentaries added as well (Glengarry Glen Ross, The Wall, and several Criterions come to mind). My personal favorite is Adobe Encore but, damn, it's expen$ive!

Good luck.

WB: Please free Tin Pan Alley Cats and Coal Black an' De Sebben Dwarfs from The Censored Eleven