Hello all I have a SE13HD pj, and was thinking of getting a LD player, for the same reason as everyone else SW. Now I have read through the search function and everyone says how the pq on tv's is pretty good(Depending on the player). I want to know if anyone is using a LD with a pj? If so do you have to use a scaler? Let's just assume that price isn't a factor ie high end Pioneers. Thanks Shaun
Hello Shaun and welcome to the Home Theater Forum. I've used LD with a projector for 6 years and it's great. Of course, I have a cheap rear projector that was designed and built back when LD was the best video you could get, and I have a hunch that this is not what you have in mind. I have seen LD through a nice high quality front projector in a very extreme environment. The event was Scooterfest 2001. In case you're not aware, Scooter is a HTF member who host a big New Jersey Home Theater Forum meet at his house. When the sun goes down it's drive-in movie time at Scooter's place, as we all sit on lawn furniture and enjoy some movies from his projector presented on a 20 foot screen. This is pretty serious projection IMO. Last year he used his DVL-909, a distinctly middle of the road LaserDisc machine, to project DVD and LD. He projected the opening scene of The Lion King, a classic Home Theater demo scene from back in the day. Well, I was astounded at how good the scene looked. Chroma noise was almost negligible, and I can only suspect that the video circuits on his Sony projector are the reason. Everyone was impressed and enjoyed the great scene. I can only imagine what my CLD-99 would have looked like on that day. Bottom line - get yourself some LD action while you can if you want to enjoy the ORIGINAL Star Wars trilogy on that projector.
ShaunB, Hi and welcome! Well, I use the best LD player around, Japanese Pioneer HLD-X9 on my Barco Data 801 CRT PJ without any scaler just now and the picture I get is SUPERB. Many LD's are as good or better than the DVD version. I prefer Star wars EP1 on LD over the DVD. But if you ONLY will use it for Star wars you should buy and cheap player and then you will not get as good picture. -Mattias-
LD uses the same scaler (or no scaler) as DVD connected via S-video, or VHS. But don't use composite to S-video converters costing less than USD 200., they will compromise the picture quality. If the projector gives a good S-video picture but not a good composite video picture of TV broadcasts, a mid to upper level S-VHS VCR contains a good composite to S-video converter. Sometimes the composite input to the TV, or composite to S-video conversion in an S-VHS VCR, works better than the S-video output some LD players have. Try it both ways and see. For projectors with VGA input or 480p Y/Pb/Pr component input, an iScan, even the first version, is an excellent NTSC to VGA (and interlaced to progressive) converter for LD and you don't need an S-VHS VCR in between. An iScan will also outdo the internals of any data projector with convenience video inputs but not specifically designed for video. Video hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/video.htm
