# Beta and Laserdisc



## Steve Mehs

Anyone have a beta or laserdisc player? How often do you use it? These 2 formats have interestered me for sometime now. I was thinking about get a LD player but theres not much LD content anymore.


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## Chris Blount

I still have both and use them. I have about 70 laserdiscs (used to have over 200 but sold them on EBay). 

LD is all but dead but the discs can still be purchased on EBay.


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## spanishannouncetable

I still have about 200 LD's, many of them titles that are unavailable on DVD, like -

Back to the Future
Back to the Future Part II
Dick Tracy
The Lion King
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Once Upon a Time in the West
Ragtime
Star Wars (original UN-enhanced version  )
The Empire Strikes Back (ditto)
Return of the Jedi (ditto again)
Urban Cowboy
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (unedited upskirt frames intact :lol: )


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## gcutler

Except for the titles that are not on DVD, is there any benefit to the LD? I remember my friend who had one, he would have to get up and flip the LD 1/2 way thru the movie and such. 

Or is it like my VHS collection, as the important titles are available on DVD, the DVD gets bought the VHS gets given away or sold, etc and eventually the VHS collection will be gone?


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## Kevin

My school still uses laserdiscs, especially for Physics videos. The size of them is ridiculous, no wonder they went out of style so quickly. I remember back in middle school when I first saw a laserdisc in class, my teacher said, "Look kids, this is the FUTURE of video." I can't help but look back and laugh at him.


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## James_F

Most newer LD players are able to play both sides of the disc without flipping it over. The only issue is that the laser has to travel back from the outer edge with can take a few seconds. What you end up with is a blue screen and then I plays again. I enjoy my laserdisc (including the Star Wars Special Edition) collection from time to time, but I have been using the DVD player most often. Unless there is a movie that you have to get on LD only, don't bother. There isn't any picture improvement and the sounds aren't that good. My player supports Dolby AC-3, but most laserdiscs don't, so you end up with stereo sound. 

But as a conversation piece, it is great.


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## Richard King

I have what was a very nice Toshiba Cinema Series laser disc player that has been in for repair 3 times without success. I finally gave up on ever getting it fixed and it now sits boxed up in the corner in a spare room. It's really a shame, but I am glad I didn't get a few hundred discs before it died. While I only have a few discs, some of which have been replaced by DVD, there is one that I would like to get on DVD and have had no luck in finding. This is the "The Way We Walk" live album by Genesis. I haven't been able to find this on DVD yet, and I suspect it may never be available. The album and Laser Disc were produced by a friend of mine when he was the soundman for Genesis and Phil Collins and so, it would be nice to have a copy that I could watch since my Toshiba kicked the bucket.


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## Steve Mehs

Kevin, my school also has an LD player, 2 infact, both are the same model made by Sharp. Most of the LDs we have at school are interactive science discs but we do have the B&W verson of 'Les Miserables' (sp). The PQ is pretty decent using composite video.


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## Kevin

My physics room has surround sound with the Laserdiscs. It sounds decent to me.


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## gcutler

> _Originally posted by Rking401 _
> * there is one that I would like to get on DVD and have had no luck in finding. This is the "The Way We Walk" live album by Genesis. I haven't been able to find this on DVD yet, and I suspect it may never be available. The album and Laser Disc were produced by a friend of mine when he was the soundman for Genesis and Phil Collins and so, it would be nice to have a copy that I could watch since my Toshiba kicked the bucket. *


Don't give up hope. I had an old VHS copy of a Pat Benatar Concert that had been on HBO (jeeze I remember I took my SATs the same day it was on) 1982-3??? I never expected it to be on DVD, but that Concert was releases by Rhino DVD around a year ago. It may take a while, and may only be available for a few months but I'm sure just about everything will be released eventually. The only problem might be Region. I don't know if LD did Regional encoding, but someone might say Well 80% of those who bouught it before were in the UK, so lets just make a Region 2 of it


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## MarkA

"I remember back in middle school when I first saw a laserdisc in class, my teacher said, "Look kids, this is the FUTURE of video." I can't help but look back and laugh at him."

He was absolutely correct. LaserDisc is the mommy of DVD. Had it not been for LaserDisc (and the market it created), we'd all be watching pan-and-scan VHS


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## Dude111

spanishannouncetable said:


> star Wars (original UN-enhanced version )
> The Empire Strikes Back (ditto)
> Return of the Jedi (ditto again)


Ok you have peaked my interest.....

I cannot find these movies ON VHS in thier regular UN-ENHANCED FORM (Parts 2 and 3) but it looks like you have ALL 3 (Or did) .. By you saying "Un-enhanced" did you mean NOT DIGITALLY MASTERED??

I am a full blown PURIST and i dont like it when they mess with movies by DIGITALLY MASTERING them.... They look and sound like crap compared to the originals in my opinion!!

ARE THE LASERDISC COPIES OF THESE MOVIES IN ANALOGUE AND ARE THEY UNDIGITALLY ALTERED?? (I wanna make it clear what im curious about/looking for)

I have Star Wars Part 1 (ORIGINAL 1977 (20th century FOX release)) on VHS i got recently and it *IS NOT DIGITALLY MASTERED!!* (Its georgeous)

The other 2 on VHS are  (I just saw Part 2 and 3 (CBS/FOX release) today @ a thrift store.. BOTH DIGITALLY MASTERED)

Does anyone know if the BETA versions of these movies are also not digitally altered?? (Parts 2 and 3)

Thanx


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## TheRatPatrol

Another issue is finding a TV or AVR that has S-Video inputs.


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## machavez00

As Danny Vermin would say "I hooked my Laser Disc player up to my HDTV once, ONCE!"


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## MysteryMan

Reading this thread is like reading a script from Antiques Roadshow.


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## Church AV Guy

Kevin said:


> My school still uses laserdiscs, especially for Physics videos. The size of them is ridiculous, *no wonder they went out of style so quickly*. I remember back in middle school when I first saw a laserdisc in class, my teacher said, "Look kids, this is the FUTURE of video." I can't help but look back and laugh at him.


Actually, LaserVision had a lifespan of over 20 years. You could hardly say that they went out of style quickly.


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## Dude111

Im just curious if movies on Laserdisc and BETA were compromised digitally or if they just did a standard transfer using the analogue masters...... (Especially BETA seeing that is not digital at all)


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## spartanstew

MysteryMan said:


> Reading this thread is like reading a script from Antiques Roadshow.


Especially when it's an 11 year old thread.


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## sigma1914

Dude111 said:


> Im just curious if movies on Laserdisc and BETA were compromised digitally or if they just did a standard transfer using the analogue masters...... (Especially BETA seeing that is not digital at all)


Are you going to really buy 20+ year old technology that's way inferior?


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## spanishannouncetable

Dude111 said:


> Ok you have peaked my interest.....
> 
> I cannot find these movies ON VHS in thier regular UN-ENHANCED FORM (Parts 2 and 3) but it looks like you have ALL 3 (Or did) .. By you saying "Un-enhanced" did you mean NOT DIGITALLY MASTERED??
> 
> I am a full blown PURIST and i dont like it when they mess with movies by DIGITALLY MASTERING them.... They look and sound like crap compared to the originals in my opinion!!
> 
> ARE THE LASERDISC COPIES OF THESE MOVIES IN ANALOGUE AND ARE THEY UNDIGITALLY ALTERED?? (I wanna make it clear what im curious about/looking for)
> 
> I have Star Wars Part 1 (ORIGINAL 1977 (20th century FOX release)) on VHS i got recently and it *IS NOT DIGITALLY MASTERED!!* (Its georgeous)
> 
> The other 2 on VHS are  (I just saw Part 2 and 3 (CBS/FOX release) today @ a thrift store.. BOTH DIGITALLY MASTERED)
> 
> Does anyone know if the BETA versions of these movies are also not digitally altered?? (Parts 2 and 3)
> 
> Thanx


The Laserdiscs I have are the original CLV LD releases before any redone or "enhanced" special effects were added.

Laserdiscs are, by their very nature, digital - _UNCOMPRESSED_ digital. In 1992 these were state-of-the-art for picture and sound quality for home theatre, which means -

> 4x3 letterbox, 525 lines of resolution, 2.35:1 AR
> original Dolby Pro-Logic surround
> Nice, big gatefold double LD jackets with lots of stills and text

And yes, I still have them 

Links to cover art for the LD's I have -

http://www.gngltd.com/Gallery/Auctions/StarwarsLDfront.jpg

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/414FSBYW98L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31jnZJIgrmL.jpg


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## Dude111

Im glad ya still have them my friend!!!

Thank you for explaining the 3 copies to me 


I HOPE YOU DONT EVER PART WITH THEM!


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## Dude111

I found a guy who has TONS OF LASER DISC movies!! (Or he did in 2004,i wonder if he still has them!)

http://web.archive.org/web/20041031162457/http://www.cs.tut.fi/~leopold/Ld/LdList.html

Its interesting that he lists what each movie uses for audio and format!!


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## Laxguy

Kevin said:


> My school still uses laserdiscs, especially for Physics videos. The size of them is ridiculous, no wonder they went out of style so quickly. I remember back in middle school when I first saw a laserdisc in class, my teacher said, "Look kids, this is the FUTURE of video." I can't help but look back and laugh at him.


Your teacher was right. It was the future of video. Not a long future, not an illustrious one, but at some point it was the future.


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## djlong

Digitized video on discs was very much the future. It just got miniaturized (like everything else) into the DVD and Blu-Ray. Digitizing in general still is the future - only the medium changes.


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## Dude111

I found a bunch of LD movies @ salvation army the other day!! (They had them in the record bin (I guess they didnt know what they are))

I saw these movies

The black stallion Returns
Coma
Gunfight @ the OK carrol (A western I assume??)
Something with Humphrey Boughart in it (Cant remember the name)


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## B Newt

A little off subject if you like " Regular Show " cartoon, they just had an episode about laser disk. It was funny. Its on the cartoon network.


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## Dude111

I seem to have been mistaken.... THE MOVIES I SAW WERE VIDEODISCS not LASERDISCS!


Those things look fascinating! (They are played like a regular record! (Needle,etc))


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## djlong

Ah, yes.. RCA's old system which was dubbed "needlevision" by enthusiasts of the day...


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## Church AV Guy

Dude111 said:


> I seem to have been mistaken.... THE MOVIES I SAW WERE VIDEODISCS not LASERDISCS!
> 
> Those things look fascinating! (They are played like a regular record! (Needle,etc))





djlong said:


> Ah, yes.. RCA's old system which was dubbed "needlevision" by enthusiasts of the day...


Ah yes, I had a huge collection of CED disks in the day. I still have some 30 to 40 of them stored away somewhere. I fired up the CED player not too long ago and it still worked fine.


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## Dude111

I found a site recrntly with people who love this device!!

http://www.cedmagic.com/forum


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