Indiana Jones Trilogy on Laserdisc questions.. (1 Viewer)

[Tony_I]

I was wondering how many different versions there are of these movies on LD. I've noticed there is a Japanese box set, but it has subtitles that can't be removed..
I also noticed some of the domestic LD releases are widescreen, some are not.
Has there been more then 1 release where audio/video quality was increased? ( Like how the Star Wars Trilogy has the THX/ earlier non-THX versions )
Is the Japanese box set different in video/audio quality then the domestic widescreen?

 

[Michael Reuben]

I can't comment on the Japanese discs, but here's a partial answer:
The Indiana Jones films were released on LD in the U.S. only once in widescreen. There were earlier versions of the first two films that were P&S; I'm not sure about the third one. Sound on all three is 2-channel PCM, which decodes nicely to ProLogic. The widescreen versions were done in the 90s, so the image on all three is quite good (for LD).
M.

 

[Mike_S]

Michael is right about those '90's Widescreen pressings. The image is indeed good and I happen to think that the sound is quite outstanding on all 3.

 

[Jonathan Burk]

The '92 widescreen releases of Raiders and Temple of Doom are rumored to have been "test runs" of the THX laserdisc program (as well as the Apocolypse Now that came out at the same time), so the sound and video quality is excellent.

 

[GerardoHP]

Any idea what a fair price for these is today?
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Gerardo

 

[alan halvorson]

The "fair" price can vary quite a bit. Ebay is the place. If you shop diligently, you should be able to pick up the WS trilogy for around $75, more or less. There was a time not long ago when you would have had to shell out $100-$125 and sometimes more. Temple of Doom, for some reason, seems to have the most demand, followed by Raiders. Last Crusade can often be gotten pretty cheap. Lately, however, prices have been rising. Excellent and mint condition samples are in high demand. That said, I got my current mint condition WS trilogy for $10 each, all on "Buy It Now". So, it can pay to be patient (but don't expect that kind of deal).
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They're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!!
They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa To the funny farm. Where life is beautiful all the time and I'll be happy to see those nice young men in their clean white coats and they're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!!!!!
- Napoleon XIV

 

[Iain Lambert]

Its worth noting that the other widescreen release is the PAL box set. Its not as nice as the US NTSC versions even if you can play PAL, but it sure beats VHS. The box they come in looks cool on the shelf as well; and its got an extra in a 60min making of Raiders doc.

 

[Bruce_S]

I have all three for my LD collection and I must admit, "Temple of Doom" have the sharpest picture I have ever seen for a LD. It's a great example of how good LD can be when it is done correctly. Now, I only wish the soundtrack was in DD or DTS... I would like to test it out on a Pro-Logic II system.
cheers,
bruce

 

[Dan Brecher]

I would like to test it out on a Pro-Logic II system.

It's good, so very VERY good.
Dan (UK)

 

[Iain Lambert]

Oh yes, as someone who has heard some of Raiders on Dan's DPLII setup I'll vouch for that one. The NTSC discs sound wonderful.

 

[Tony_I]

Thanks... Lots of good info ..

 

[Tony_I]

Ok, I've seen some people talking about 90's releases.
Are there different releases of these films where the difference is something other then if it's widescreen or pan&scan?
I'm guessing so, since I just came across a CLV format Letterbox version of The Last Crusade that dates to 1989 for sale on E-Bay...

 

[alan halvorson]

Tony; There was only one widescreen domestic release of each of the Indy films ever. There is also a Japanese widescreen box set of the trilogy with some extras - this is nearly always quite expensive and hard to find. Forget all other releases.
------------------
They're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!!
They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa To the funny farm. Where life is beautiful all the time and I'll be happy to see those nice young men in their clean white coats and they're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!!!!!
- Napoleon XIV

 

[Gareth Flynn]

Its worth noting that the other widescreen release is the PAL box set. Its not as nice as the US NTSC versions even if you can play PAL, but it sure beats VHS. The box they come in looks cool on the shelf as well; and its got an extra in a 60min making of Raiders doc.

Anybody know how much this is worth?