Can Anyone Give Me Any Info On My Old LD Player? (1 Viewer)

[Dave Simpson]

Hey guys,
I was fooling around with some old gear in The Electronics Graveyard, Where Old Components Go To Die! (my basement ) earlier tonight for the hell of it, and for once I actually took a look at my old LD player (was a format I never got into much). Here are my questions: the unit I have is the Kenwood LVD-320, circa 1992. Is anyone familiar with this model? I don't imagine Kenwood ever led the pack in laser players, but I'm just curious, you understand. More importantly, the back panel has an optical output. For 5.1 sound, can I simply add an AC-3 encoded disc, or do I need an outboard RF-demodulator? The manual isn't too much help in this regard. Unfortunately, the few discs I have (Abyss and Aliens boxes, ST:TWOK and ST:TVH, Back To The Future-widescreen , and Beauty and The Beast CAV) are all simple Dolby Surround, but I'd love to give the much-vaunted laser 5.1 a try, if it's simply a matter of finding the appropriate disc. Any info is much-appreciated! Cheers.
DS.

 

[Corey Hancock]

Dave,
I was looking at Kenwoods website, and I found a page that will let you download the product manual, http://www.kenwoodusa.com/support/ma...productId=2282
Just by looking at the information you gave, you can not play DD(AC-3) LD's on your player unless you get it modded. There used to be AC-3 RF upgrade kits you could buy, but they were hard to find, you might still be able to find one either on ebay or doing a search on yahoo or other search engine. Usually the upgrade kits are simple, hardest thing they require is soldering. After that you will need an RF Demodulator, I don't believe you can still buy those in the store, looking on Ebay would be your best bet. One thing it looks like though on your LD player is that since it has an optical output you can more than likely play DTS LD's, as long as you have a DTS reciever. Hope that helps you some.
Corey

 

[Dave Simpson]

Thanks a lot for your reply, Corey! WRT the link you considerately supplied, I don't really need it, as I have the original manual, in addition to the packaging, etc. But the manual is simply not informative regarding the decoding of AC-3 discs. Either that, or I'm a moron. No matter, at any rate. I'm just a little curious, no more than that. I currently have the LD player connected to my old Pioneer SX-650 receiver in my basement for CD playback, so it's not as though it's going to waste. Thanks again, sir! Cheers.

DS.

 

[Grant B]

On a scale of 1 -10 they list it as a 7 to install n ac3 kit
Link Removed
7 Kenwood LVD-320 Difficult to locate tap points
$75 for the kit or $175 for them to do it
Now you know!
have fun
Grant
BTW they manual doesn't say anything about ac3 discs because they were not invented yet...

 

[Ergin Guney]

Dave,
Quick note: Dolby Digital wasn't introduced to laserdiscs before 1995. So it would have been true clairvoyance if the manual of your 1992 laserdisc player mentioned anything about Dolby Digital at all...

 

[Dave Simpson]

Well, duh...!! :b Thanks for all the info, and for pointing out my lunk-headed oversight, fellas. Cheers!

DS.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

Dave, Precision Laser even has a Link Removed of your player after it was modified.
Neil

 

[Philip Hamm]

If you play back those "Digital Sound" LDs on your main system with a digital cable for the PCM you will get breathtaking stereo audio. The Prologic will sound better than any other prologic source you've ever heard, guaranteed. Particularly that "Beauty and the Beast" disc sounds incredible.

 

[Grant B]

After getting use to dts LDs, I was pretty disappointed with the wimpy DVD DTS. guess they compress the hell out of it and use about half of the sampling rate as LDs

I put on the DTS LD of daylight and my mom thought we were having an earthquake (bass shakers helped)

 

[NathanP]

Hi guys,

I just bought an older Pioneer LDV-2200 in pristine condition...

What are your thoughts on it?

I think I'l do the 5.1 modifaction just for the heck of it..

Tell me what you think,

Nathan

 

[Dave Simpson]

Quick update for y'all...man, Phil Hamm was right on the money! Using the optical output on the LD player connected to my receiver, I fired up my Beauty and the Beast platter and was knocked out by the sound! Beats the pants off DD 2.0 on a DVD, methinks. BTTF was no slouch, either. Sure wish I'd known about this 10 years ago; my monstrous Technics receiver of the day has an optical input that went unused the entire time I had the player in my main room. D'ohh! As for a mod kit, I think I'll pass, given the hassle involved and my meager collection of a half-dozen discs (all have been replaced on DVD, excepting BATB and BTTF, and those are on their way). But it's been something of a pleasant eye-opener, to be sure. Thanks for all your help, gang. Cheers!

DS.

 

[NathanP]

PCM Pro-logic is kick-ass.