I'll always love laserdiscs, will you? (1 Viewer)

Laserdisc: the name that used to be associated with the highest quality of film presentation in our homes. Now, in the glory days of DVD, many have forgotten about the big plastic platters of yesteryear. The thing is, I still love laserdisc. Despite the fact that new films and old favorites are on DVD or coming soon, the format doesn't have the nostalgic, elitist essence like laserdisc. I remember the day when owning a player meant you were a serious theaterphile. I still hold this true. I mean who honestly pays $50 with a movie with no supplements? We payed it because we love movies and we love high quality. I decided to write all this because of my recent purchase of the CAV set of Jurassic Park. After watching it, I was amazed on how good the format still holds up. It felt like the old days again when Laser was king, and PCM pro-logic was state-of-the-art. It was a very nostalgic moment. Anyhow, I ramble on. What do all you guys and gals think? You still love your lasers, or are you just gonna chuck them to the side of the road like beta?
LONG LIVE LASERDISC
AJ
Favorite Laserdiscs:
Star Wars Trilogy (Original and SE)
Jurassic Park: CAV and DTS
Mission: Impossiblehttp://portfolio.iu.edu/aajgarma/laserdisc.bmp

I try not attach words such as "love" to home video formats. Laserdisc was good for it's time, but is now a dead format for the most part in today's DVD world. It is just the natural progression of things.

J

Nope. I love movies, not the devices used to present them. Heck, it's because of people who value their hardware more than the movies they watch on it that we have pan and scan DVDs!

The demise of LD production was actually beneficial to me. I'd vaguely know about these esoteric items with their stunning picture and sound quality, but could never afford them. I first had hands-on experience with them in the media reserves section of the Indiana University Library. Whoever was their purchaser had made some great choices, as this was also my intorduction to the Criterion Collection (with the Blade Runner, Akira, and The Killer CAV box sets viewable for free).

I had had a glimpse behind the curtain, and could no longer settle for P&S VHS, so I did the next best thing and started to search out letterboxed VHS tapes. They cost more for less resolution, but I had OAR on less than a beer budget.

When LD production dropped off,prices dropped with it. I could now get the discs of movies that either will never see the light of day on DVD (Star Wars original versions) or that we have no word on yet (Raiders Trilogy) very affordably. So, in effect, the onset of DVD has retroactively democratized the high end (i.e.: JAWS for $25.00 instead of $150.00 for the LD).

Thanks for letting me ramble on,

Christian

I miss the big discs, but I sure don't miss the side breaks or the big PRICES! I watch all my DVDs on a laserdisc/DVD combo-player, anyway.

i thought i could say that i miss laser rot....but recently a couple of DVD became unplayable...oh well.

I consider it like an "X".
It was a lot of fun,till it was replaced with a younger newer model.You know what I mean?

Hell yes, I still like laserdiscs! It's a much better way to view movies than VHS. And there are plenty of titles that aren't available on DVD yet, but they are on laser.

The thing that really impresses me with laserdiscs is the sound. Be it DTD, Dolby Digital 5.1 or PCM, they all sound better (for the most part) than their DVD counterparts.

The other day I was watching "The Empire Strikes Back" and I was suprised at how great the PCM track is in DPLII. It is very close, if not better than the 5.1 sound!

As long as titles like "Indiana Jones" and "Star Wars" aren't available on DVD, I will be enjoying them on laserdisc.

I still watch mine all the time. Granted I have sold or traded a bunch off and replaced them with DVD's but they were great. As Aaron said you used to be somebody if you owned laserdiscs which was pretty cool. I actually got alot of my LD's for like $8 back when. How you ask?? Columbia House Laserdisc club. I learned about it when I 1st started selling hometheater and joined. Got the Star Wars Trilogy with my signup ($210 worth of movies for like $15 with shipping,yes the original discs were $69.95 per disc) then for every person I got to sign up I got a disc for $7.95. So every laserdisc player customer got a signup form for me with my semi-free selection already marked down on it. It worked out great for everyone because there was no internet back then and everyone sold LD's at almost list price. Ah the good old days.

I am a laserdisc newbie. I just bought my first LD player, a Pioneer Elite CLD52, about a month ago. So far I love it. The lasers I have so far are the thx star wars trilogy, the 4 disc ET CAV box set (which has fantastic audio and video), pulp fiction, Close encounters of the third kind Criterion, and Terminator Thx. I have apollo 13 dts, daylight dts, and Titanic dts on the way. There is a local record store near me that has probably 100 lasersdiscs for sale and it is just more fun to browse through them than it is to go to the dvd section at best buy. Don't get me wrong, I love dvd too, but laserdisc experience just seems a little more enjoyable.

Greg

PS I am looking for a Casper dts if anyone wants to part with one.

Hey, I was also a member of the Columbia House LD club. I also got the original Star Wars Trilogy when I joined. Funny thing is, I payed $1 for each of them to join. Now THAT'S a bargain! I hope no one thinks I hate DVD in any way, because I love it too. Like someone said, its more enjoyable watching film on laserdisc sometimes as opposed to DVD. DVD is more mainstream, LD is elitist and retro, kinda like vinyl. I mean lets face it, I'd rather listen to Sgt. Pepper on vinyl than CD any day, despite all those crackles and pops.
AJ

The only time that anyone will be able to pry my laserdisc player away from me is if a fully restored, widescreen version of "1776" comes out on DVD. Until then, my Pioneer widescreen "1776" laserdisc is safely stored away and my gun is loaded with hollow-point ammo to welcome anyone who dost try to take it.

I never really think of any format as a 'dead' format. It always has possibility for the true film enthusiast. Think 'thriving' and 'wounded'...but not for a format, but for your theater itself.
In fact, I think a wounded home theater is one that cannot show Song of the South, or The Best of Roger Rabbit, or all the old Criteron commentaries and supplements that are in legal limbo, or

I'm new to LD. During their heyday I was unable to afford to collect them and CD's so I never bought a player.

No I do have one and am able to get titles that I wanted that aren't avaiable on DVD but were on crappy VHS.

Amazing Stories, Star Wars, Poltergeist II, Tobor the GReat, etc to name a few.

A few days ago we had one of our neices (7 yrs/old) over and I was getting Star Wars ready for her. She obviously had never seen and asked "what is that?".

I told her that it an earlier version of DVD. There was no point in explaining to her what it was and the history of.

I'm still collecting lasers. I need these titles to finish my collection: Tom and Jerry Box Vol.1 and Vol.2; Compleat Tex Avery Box; Song of the South; Looney Tunes Vol.5; UA Sci Fi Matinee II and UA Horror Classics I. I have over 250 lasers(mostly box sets-sci and horror) and 175 DVD's(sci fi and horror)...40 DVD's I haven't gotten to watchin' yet and about 55 lasers. I just bought another last night, Judy Garland, the Golden Years Box Set. Waiting in the mail for Tarzan(Johnny W.-1931), Mae West Box Set and Jean Harlow Box Set.
So many movies, so little time

Suprised Rachael hasn't shown up here yet
I'm in the process of looking for an LD player, watching Ebay carefully for a good deal
Jeff Kleist

Hey Jeff I was too busy watching the Muse LD of BACK TO THE FUTURE with my brother to find this thread earlier. LD is hardly a "dead" format for me since I literally have hundred and hundreds of titles unavailable on DVD. If you ask me, VHS is a dead format despite the fact it stille has releases. I considered VHS a dead format in 1988.
Yea, I love my LD's :b! My DVD's are jealous as hell, but they'll just have to live with it. LD was my first love in HT....

I understand your feelings very well. I switched from LD to DVD 2 years ago and enjoyed superior picture quality at smaller prices. But somehow the adrenalin rise was missing when I bought a DVD. I did not have the feeling any more that I just became owner of something special. 2 months ago I stumbled on a Criterion LD copy of The Game in a bargain bin and bought it on impulse. There it was again, this euphory I had missed. I can´t explain it, it must be something psychological...

Anyway, I am happy that I bought the LD since the Movie is excellent and the extras are very interesting. But I think this was the last LD I bought, simply because you do not get them anymore here in Germany (it was always difficult).

Yes, Aaron, I still have strong feelings for my laserdisc collection, although I'm not sure it's "love." I don't consider it a "dead" format or have any intention to "switch" to DVD. I think of DVD as an extension of my film collection, most of which is still on LD. Those great old BW films from the 20s, 30s, 40s, etc. Few of them are available on DVD and those LD transfers still look pretty damn good. So I'm not about to chuck them and buy those titles over again.

And, yes, I do miss the "elitist" feeling of being an LD enthusiast. You knew immediately if you met another LD owner that you had something in common. Everybody has DVD. Even my sister, and she has no real interest in movies other than to pass the time.