My Star Wars laser disc definitive trilogy arrived today!!! (1 Viewer)

[Jose Martinez]

Sorry, never mind. Found the answer in another thread.

 

[John H Ross]

Is there any e-shops around which sell second hand or unsold laserdiscs? (pref. in the UK, or Europe, but I'll consider almost anywhere.)

There's a place in London called, I think, The Movie Store or something along those lines. I was in there last year and they had tons of laserdiscs. Not sure if they do e-orders though. Worth a try.

I wish you'd posted this 6 months ago, I just dumped a whole load of laserdiscs that I'd replaced with DVDs. I've kept hold of all the deluxe sets, nice gatefolds, etc. And I have the definitive Star Wars set - frightened to watch it thou in case I discover the discs have rotted!

John

 

[Brendon]

John,

Do you mean The Cinema Store on Monmouth St. in London ? Got a fair few lasers there myself over the years; it's been a whlie since I've been in, so I'm not sure what they do by way of LDs these days.

Scott,

Now you've discovered the joys of PCM stereo (Raiders!), may I recommend the DC of Blade Runner on LD ? Makes the 2.0 Dolby track on the DVD sound rather anaemic!

Pushing the Blade Runner angle futher, the Criterion LD of BR is *still* the only way to get hold of the internation cut of the original release (as far as I am aware).

Going to wander off to the storage rack here and pull one or two of them big old platters out....

Enjoy!

Bren

 

[Rolando]

I got the faces edition of Star Wars on LD. Holding on to them until the end of time.

Can anyone tell me the best way to back these up on DVD R and get the best pic and sound? Planning on getting a new PC and want to know what Audio/Video cards I should be getting or software to do it.

 

[Cees Alons]

I wish you'd posted this 6 months ago..

But he posted it almost three years ago already....

Cees

 

[CraigL]

Can anyone tell me the best way to back these up on DVD R and get the best pic and sound? Planning on getting a new PC and want to know what Audio/Video cards I should be getting or software to do it.

Considering there are already 16x9 anamorphic DVD's of the original versions readily available, i wouldn't bother.

 

[JeremySt]

considering there are already 16x9 anamorphic DVD's of the original versions readily available, i wouldn't bother.

The DVDs to which you refer are NOT the original theatrical versions.
Rolando... check www.originaltrilogy.com. Plenty of info there on the best way to record your own LDs to DVD.

 

[ChristopherDAC]

When looking for LDs I will use the following:
The Used Movie Finder -- although it does trap mostly US results.
Also LDDb User Shops are good for hard-to-find items.

 

[greg_t]

Considering there are already 16x9 anamorphic DVD's of the original versions readily available, i wouldn't bother.

Those versions are out there and they are junk. anamaphoric or not, they are cheap bootlegs. You'll do much better with a good LD player and the Faces discs.

 

[ChristopherDAC]

Was that the fellow who used the PAL versions to fake progressive encoding and extra resolution for anamorphic? I loved that idea. Finally a use for PAL LDs!
Now, one wonders if Ernie Fosselius is going to release the original version of Hardware Wars...

 

[CraigL]

The DVDs to which you refer are NOT the original theatrical versions.

Really? I have them and you don't. They're the original non-SE versions.

 

[AndrewR]

Now, one wonders if Ernie Fosselius is going to release the original version of Hardware Wars...

Already out as of 2002:
http://www.mwp.com/films/hardware-wars/
Andrew

 

[Dick]

I think there is a quiet laser disc renaissance happening. Movie aficionados are realizing that some of their most treasured movies are simply not going to emerge on DVD in the correct format, if at all.

Six years after selling out my laser collection and player, I have bought a new (well, used) player and am bidding on discs on eBay and buying them through used laser dealers all over again. I have given up on Universal's DVD release plan, so I purchased lasers of COLOSSUS: THE FORBIN PROJECT (2.35:1); ICEMAN (2.35:1); BALTO (1.85:1); THRILLER Box set; MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 (1.85:1); MATINEE (with the "Mant!" featurette); BRIDES OF DRACULA, CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1962), those last three pan and scan, but better than the nothing Universal is giving us on DVD.

I, too, have the unaltered THX STAR WARS set - a must - as well as ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS; LE GRANDE CHEMIN; THE EMIGRANTS/THE NEW LAND; THE INFORMER; JANE EYRE; LES MISERABLES (1935); EYES OF FIRE; JUNGLE BOOK (1942, gorgeous Embassy print that runs rings around any of the crappy public domain DVD's out there); FIORILE; GOJIRA; THE INNOCENTS; BURN WITCH BURN; MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS; MAN WHO COULD WORK MIRACLES; MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (1949); MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1962); BORTHWEST PASSAGE; QUEEN CHRISTINA; SINBAD THE SAILOR; STUDY IN TERROR; THE UNIVITED; THE GORGON; etc. etc. There are just so many catalog titles out there on laser that might simply not see a DVD release anytime soon. What with HDTV looming, many of these unreleased titles will remain so even longer as they get pushed to the back burner yet again in deference to sparkling new HD releases of everything already on standard DVD.

I don't regret my (re)investment in the laser format one bit.

 

[Mattias_ka]

CraigL, Does the DVD-R have as good picture as this:
http://www.2l8.nu/dholm/test/B4.bmp
http://www.2l8.nu/dholm/test/B5.bmp

 

[Rob Gillespie]

There are a lot of bootleg SW DVDs out there. I have a set which were alledgedly transferred from LD on professional equipment. They're anamorphic, with the permanent subtitles placed correctly in the lower part of the film frame. They're complete with menus, audio commentary and other extras from the LD Definitive set. Very nicely done. Probably as good as we're ever going to see the OT look at home. I did my own LD-DVD conversions a while back and while I was pleased with the results they're not as good as these ones.

 

[Mattias_ka]

My transfer are made with the best LD player available and will look SUPERB when they are color corrected, 16:9, 3:2, etc.

 

[Gary Seven]

I think there is a quiet laser disc renaissance happening.

Indeed... I have a rather large collection and am finding the sound to be superior to DVDs. The LD of Looney Tunes blows the recently released collections away in the sound department (video, is quite superior though). I am finding this true with other releases as well. The DD track on the LD of Generations is far superior to the DTS track onthe recent DVD release. It will be a long time before these LDs disappear from my library (if ever).

 

[TravisR]

Fortunately, I don't have many laserdiscs that I haven't replaced with a DVD of the same quality or better. Out of my LDs, the only ones left that aren't on DVD are Hearts Of Darkness (the Apocalypse Now making-of), Cemetary Man and Lost Highway. And Cemetery Man is supposed to be coming this summer.
I had about 75 LDs which isn't a huge collection but what's good is that nearly all of the supplements have been ported on to the DVD.
Still every time I see an auction on Twin Peaks: Season Two LDs, I gotta force myself to not buy it

 

[JeremySt]

Sorry Craig, I thought you were referring to the official Lucas versions. The website originaltrilogy.com has a big section were people discuss transferring their own Laserdiscs to DVD-R. I have every widescreen incarnation of the original Star Wars trilogy on Laserdisc, and DVD transfers of them all.

 

[Chris Stainton]

A friend of mine burned these for me and I agree, they look excellent. I was watching Empire on Saturday and was amazed at how good they looked.