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Laserdiscs

1K views 33 replies 18 participants last post by  kjfalls 
#1 ·
Does anyone else here have LDs?

Here is my collection

Ikiru
Patton
Midway
Apocalypse Now
The Wrath of Khan
Definitive Edition Star Wars Trilogy
Faces Star Wars Trilogy

Post your collections and discuss laserdiscs.
 
#3 ·
http://www.avsforum.com/forum/18-dvd-players-standard-def/

I still have a great emotional attachment to my LD collection, but I haven't tried to actually watch one in ages.
I recently watched the extended LD version of WYATT EARP. On the HLD-X9 player, the PQ holds up surprisingly well. Not Bluray quality obviously, but certainly as good as DVD. However, LD is more player-dependent than other formats so results may vary.

I would probably part with my BABYLON 5 discs, but they are hard to sell.
 
#4 ·
Still have a handful left from the glory days. Purged the majority, but kept select ones. Haven't watched an LD in years. It use to be an adventure getting them. You just couldn't go to your local Best Buy. Usually involved a bit of driving and not being shy with your wallet. Good times.
 
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#6 ·
Started pretty late with LD's.
So I didn't get a big collection until the DVD quality got better and you got 3 DVD's for 2 LD's.
Still keep my 30 or so and use them as mini-posters :)
 
#8 ·
I started collecting LaserDiscs in 1988, but stopped in 1997 when it was obvious that DVD would be of sufficient quality for Standard Definition playback. I had about 50 or more movies on LD, the prizes of which were Criterion's "Brazil" boxset, Walt Disney's "Fantasia" in CAV, and Fox's "The Abyss" boxset.

During my most recent move across the country, I did not keep the collection nor the player. Great format while it lasted...
 
#15 ·
A local fleamarket guy has a few selectavision players than need new belts or something and theyll work but I know nothing to fix them. We had a bunch of selectavsion discs when I was a kid and I managed to save a few when all the moving that was done about 10 years ago. Still have all 3 of the star wars on selecgtavision.. I had in fact went looking on CL for stuff one day and find a guy an hour driver away that literally had 2 stacks 6 feet of movies and he wanted $150 for them all. I may check for that next time Im over that way, that was just way to cheap to pass up though I have I no place to put it

We had laser discs when I was a teenager as well. Local video rental had them for rent and eventually started selling them to get rid of them. I wouldnt mind getting some and a working player just cause I like to collect. I remember when we finally bought T2 on LD, It was so amazingly sharp vs VHS on our Sony projection tv. We had a decent collection but I think they just gave it away or got left behind during the move. Anyone wanna give their player and discs a new home let me know
 
#17 ·
Interesting thread considering laser-discs are practically extinct. I actually purchased quite a few on Ebay just to be used as small poster art as Fredrik mentioned. They are cheaper than most good movie posters and make quite good framed art. I purchased several frames made for LP's (same size) and regularly change out the 'art' in those frames - usually mixed with Laser-discs and LP's. When looking for them on Ebay, I only choose 'New' ones since they are being used as posters and never pay more than $10. I find it amazing that so many are available. Here is a pic of one set up (2 LD and 1 LP).
 

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#18 ·
GreySkies said:
Too funny—I was just writing a message to you in the What Media Did You Last Purchase thread asking if you've ever looked into laserdiscs, as they seem like something you could get into easily.
 
Hmm Im more into videodisc than anything else..... I would LOVE to be able to view the movie I have! (I cant find it on VHS in 100% purity (Poltergeist (1982)))

Josh Z said:
Nah, Laserdisc is too high quality for Dude's tastes. CED Selectavision, maybe. Comparable video quality to VHS with half the user-friendly convenience and 1/5 the reliability. That's right up his alley.
 
Wow thank you for your kind words Josh!! :)
 
#19 ·
I got one of the laserdisc Pioneer Karaoke units back in the early 90s. It played the Laserdisc Movies but its forte was the Karaoke Discs. One of the cool features with karaoke was the ability to, at the touch of a button on the microphone, change the octave of the music. Old school cool. I don't know if new karaoke devices have any such flexibility.
 
#20 ·
I still have about 20 LD's.

The James Cameron "Titanic" DTS version I have to vote has having the best sound track. I don't think a DVD or Blu-Ray was ever released using DTS.

The eBay item count on the search word "laserdisc" shows over 58,000 matches. The highest prices are on cover signed LD's. Some of the Disney LD's come in next. I want to say some of those were never released on DVD or Blu-Ray. Disney's "Song of the South" used to be a rare one to find.

I still have a Marantz LD player that will play both sides without me flipping. I can remember the first LD player I had, a Magnavox. The problem back then was finding someone selling them.

I don't even know if a person can still find the decoder that you need too.
 
#21 · (Edited)
Here is what I still have.

The Fall of the House of Usher/Pit and Pendulum
Sorrowful Jones
Fancy Pants
First Men in the Moon
Harold and Maude
Raiders of the Lost Ark and Last Crusade
Tootsie
Ordinary People
Ruthless People
Stargate
Dangerous Liaisons
House of the Spirits
Soylent Green
Titanic DTS version and 3 sealed unopened copies. I see one listed on eBay for $76
Video Essentials
Jurassic Park
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (3 discs and way better than the DVD version)
Schindler's List
The English Patient
Rob Roy
 
#23 ·
I still have about 200 LD's and do play one here and there. I also sold about 300 discs in the past. I have the Pioneer CLD-D604 hooked up in my theater along with the Lexicon LDD-1 AC3-RF demodulator. I used to work at Pioneer in those days as a supervisor/editor and got a lot of free discs as well as attending the warehouse sales where I could get discs for $2 - $3 each when you buy more than 10, box sets like The Doors (with the lenticular cover) for only $10, Family Dog box set for $5 but the coolest was when I was in sales and managed the MGM and Warner accounts, they gave me free discs all the time (like the Durty Harry box set) and when I would visit them, they always opened the "closet" and let me pick anything I wanted. Ah the glory days of LD!

I like cav's idea of using them for art work, I haven't thought of that! Guess I'll have to pick up some frames but at least I have a lot of covers to choose from!!! :D
 
#24 ·
AVReader said:
The James Cameron "Titanic" DTS version I have to vote has having the best sound track.
 
I have 'Titanic' taped off DIRECTV and the sound is OK.... (I forgot what channel I got it from)
 
#28 ·
Hehehe... I have a few VHS tapes. Mostly only the Olympic's and the Academy Awards that I recorded. I'd like to transfer them to DVD but sure enough if I ask some business that does that transfer to do it they won't because of copyright.

Now my list of 8mm film, black and white
Cowboy Justice (1910)
Donald and Pluto (Disney 1936)
Texas Trail Treachery (Castle Films)
Laurel and Hardy Hog Wild (1930)
Red Noses (1932 Thelma Todd, Hal Roach Studios)
California Picture Book (Castle Films)
 
#30 ·
I still have about 60 Laserdiscs titles including the Star Wars box set which has never been watched. I used to go to a CBS tape/disc sale at the plant in Terre Haute IN. I happened across the Star Wars set there and purchased it for $7. It's six discs most CAV. The booklet hadn't been opened. I just bought it to collect. I later noticed one of the discs was a duplicate, so the set was ruined. I happened to find another set later that year and replaced the duplicate disc with the missing one.

One of the best movies I saw on Laserdisc was "The Hunt For Red October". Very good video and sound quality. When the DVD version came out I bought it and was disappointed in the picture quality. It was very grainy and the sound quality was just so so. The later BD version was good, but I still enjoy the LD version the best.
 
#31 ·
I still have about 60 Laserdiscs titles including the Star Wars box set which has never been watched.
Assuming you mean the Definitive Collection box set (not the Special Edition box set), sadly those discs are prone to laser rot. They may not be very watchable right now.
 
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