How To Get Into Laserdisc?

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Cowboy Kim, May 26, 2015.

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  1. Rachael Bee

    Rachael Bee Miembra muy loca

    Does it have an audio switch? Try that. I've only ever had the consumer models where isn't an issue unless you have a very, very old player.

    It Came From Hollywood is an LD title to get. Apparently, it's got too many rights issues to ever get issued again. The DVD was cancelled over a decade ago. You won't have to worry about AC-3. It's CX analog.
     
  2. Cowboy Kim

    Cowboy Kim Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I can switch it over to only the left channel
    I'm using a Mission Impossible laserdisc
    http://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/21870/LV31899-2WS/Mission:-Impossible-(1996)
    There's static in the right channel, left sounds fine. It says that's normal on the back of the jacket. Am I only hearing a Mono version this way?
    Also, if I wanted to get this Star Wars one
    http://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/21870/LV31899-2WS/Mission:-Impossible-(1996)
    All the tracks are in Dolby, so would would it play like in my LD player?
     
    Last edited: May 26, 2015
  3. ZAck Scott

    ZAck Scott Senior Member

    Your model doesn't support digital sound. It is a straight analog sound only and the AC-3 dolby digital track will not compute with your player. You are not hearing a mono track as the analog tracks are stereo, they are just not digital sound. Most laserdiscs have a digital track and two analog tracks so that older models can still play newer laserdiscs.
     
  4. Cowboy Kim

    Cowboy Kim Forum Resident Thread Starter

    So, what would happen if I put the Dolby Analog LD into my player?
     
  5. ZAck Scott

    ZAck Scott Senior Member

    It should be fine as most Laserdiscs have the analog stem on them for compatibility.
     
  6. Cowboy Kim

    Cowboy Kim Forum Resident Thread Starter

    So, there shouldn't be any static? I thought the Dolby was causing the static in the right channel of MI?
     
  7. Arnold_Layne

    Arnold_Layne Forum Resident

    Location:
    Waldorf, MD USA
    The AC-3 encoding is on one of the analog tracks. If your player can play the digital stereo tracks, then choose those instead. If it only does analog, then AC-3 discs are going to be mono only for you. You'd really be screwed also with laserdiscs that have director's commentary as they are usually on the analog tracks as well.
     
  8. Cowboy Kim

    Cowboy Kim Forum Resident Thread Starter

    It'll play Mono even if it doesn't have a mono track?
     
  9. Arnold_Layne

    Arnold_Layne Forum Resident

    Location:
    Waldorf, MD USA
    If your player only plays analog, then most discs will play analog stereo unless it's AC-3 encoded. Then you can only play the one channel without static which will be mono. Also some discs may have director's commentary on one of the analog channels, so again, you'll only be able to listen to the movie sound track in mono. Now, if you the disc has AC-3 and director's commentary you're pretty much screwed as both neither analog tracks will have the movie soundtrack.
     
  10. Cowboy Kim

    Cowboy Kim Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Will I be missing parts of the soundtrack, ie sound effects only on one channel?
     
  11. Arnold_Layne

    Arnold_Layne Forum Resident

    Location:
    Waldorf, MD USA
    If you have only mono analog, no you won't be missing sounds, just the audio would be to mono by the studio. If there's AC-3 on one channel and commentary on the other, then you'd only be able to listen to the commentary and not the movie's audio.
     
  12. Rachael Bee

    Rachael Bee Miembra muy loca

    I'm not sure. I looked at your player on LD Archives. It had some pictures but little else. It should play AC-3 on one of the audio settings. How, for sure, that it won't play AC-3 LD's is via the RF output. It should play AC-3 LD's on one of the audio settings. There's no mono soundtrack. It's either AC-3, PCM, or analog stereo. The PCM tracks are superior to the AC-3 tracks in every way but directionality of some sound effects.

    Maybe the player has a channel out? It's 25 years old. It should play 2-channel sound in one of the audio modes.
     
  13. Cowboy Kim

    Cowboy Kim Forum Resident Thread Starter

    So I'd be good to go on Star Wars? It'll sound like the original theatrical mono this was?
     
  14. Cowboy Kim

    Cowboy Kim Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Using standard RCA cables
     
  15. Arnold_Layne

    Arnold_Layne Forum Resident

    Location:
    Waldorf, MD USA
    Here's some examples:

    Pink Floyd The Wall (Widescreen Collector's Edition) has digital stereo audio; AC-3 audio encoded on one of the analog tracks, and commentary on the other analog track. So if your player only plays analog audio, you'd only be able to listen to the commentary.

    Independence Day has Digital stereo, and AC-3. So this you can listen to the movie in mono on one of the analog tracks.
     
    Cowboy Kim likes this.
  16. Cowboy Kim

    Cowboy Kim Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Okay, I think I got it, but just making sure, a LD with Dolby as its ONLY analog track will still play okay?
     
  17. Arnold_Layne

    Arnold_Layne Forum Resident

    Location:
    Waldorf, MD USA
    The AC-3 track takes up one of the two stereo analog tracks that would normally be used. So yes, you can still play them, but only mono analog on the track track without the static.
     
  18. Rachael Bee

    Rachael Bee Miembra muy loca

    Does the player say "Digital Sound" on it? Digital Sound is PCM on LD's. If it doesn't process Digital Sound, you should get another player. You should probably just get another player, period. A consumer model that's newer and features an optical and/or co-axe digital output.
     
    DreadPikathulhu likes this.
  19. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    Get a time machine and go back in time about 20-25 years. That would be laserdisc's peak. But it makes zero sense to me to cling to laserdisc today.

    I think it's a very bad idea to use standard-def for anything these days. Any motion picture released on laserdisc is going to look better on Blu-ray, all things being equal. This is not an "LP vs. CD" comparison. The only thing laserdiscs have in common with LPs is that they're both old and both represent technology that's fading away.
     
    sunspot42, Derek Gee, rod and 4 others like this.
  20. Cowboy Kim

    Cowboy Kim Forum Resident Thread Starter

    No fun allowed :cool:
     
    paulisdead and Vidiot like this.
  21. Mirrorblade.1

    Mirrorblade.1 Forum Resident

    Shame on you Vidiot, I know you still over thousand betamax
    you have hoarded and sell on ebay.:laugh:
    Mostly because of concerts is why people want them.
    I don't need laserdic but, I won't hold against anybody.
     
  22. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    A prime concert that will never be on DVD according to Amy Grant's management and Capitol Christian/Universal is the Age To Age Concert video on LaserDisc and VHS
     
    Jrr likes this.
  23. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    I think I had more than 6000 tapes in the 1980s and 1990s. We eventually sold all the tapes as blanks on eBay about five years ago, replaced the movies with Blu-rays and DVDs, and then took everything that was left -- commercials, live broadcasts, interviews, documentaries, and other segments that would probably never be reissued -- and digitized them all to hard drive. That took about three years, on and off. Now, those are all backed up on multiple drives as QuickTime files. Unlike laserdiscs, these files will play pretty much forever, or at least until the EMP hits after the bomb goes off.

    Very true. There are all kinds of weird indie movies, foreign films, music videos, concerts, and documentaries that came out once on laserdisc and then just disappeared. Let It Be is another good example. The trick is: get the Laserdisc digitized, because the time is coming when the discs will no longer play and it won't be possible to repair any Laserdisc players due to lack of parts.
     
    sunspot42 likes this.
  24. jeatleboe

    jeatleboe Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    I agree with you about LD, but never Vinyl. Records have always been around and they always WILL be around, as well as old vinyl remaining infinitely playable. Vinyl will outlive the cockroach.
     
    jriems and Jrr like this.
  25. mBen989

    mBen989 Senior Member

    Location:
    Scranton, PA
    Don't buy Let It Be on laser. They took a hard matted 35mm print and cropped the sides off, so you lose a good chuck of the picture.
     
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