What's the most you ever spent on a laserdisc?

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Atari265278, Mar 6, 2010.

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  1. Sully

    Sully Forum Resident

    Location:
    Verona, NJ USA
    Similar situation here.

    I could not for the life of me comprehend how a tiny DVD could produce a better picture than a LD.

    I deserve an eyeroll for that....
    :rolleyes:
    There we go.
     
  2. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    I can't even remember why I opposed DVD. It must've been emotional. That said, I still have very fond memories of collecting LDs, while DVD collecting has never been as fun because it's not as "special". Obviously, I don't miss the insane prices, but there was more excitement about them because they weren't such a mass-marketed commodity...
     
  3. yesstiles

    yesstiles Senior Member

    So did DVD's have better picture and sound than Laser Discs? I assume that Laser Discs are like LP's and have better sound, but DVD's are more economical and efficient.
     
  4. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Yes, DVDs generally have better picture than LDs. Sound is more up for debate, though - a lot of people prefer the audio of LDs...
     
  5. moople72

    moople72 Forum Resident

    Location:
    KC
    Also DVD is nowhere near as smooth as the CAV LD when it comes to fast forward or rewind----it's a minor thing. But unlike LP vs. CD, DVD is the clear winner, IMO.
     
  6. JonUrban

    JonUrban SHF Member #497

    Location:
    Connecticut
    I spent TONS on LDs. I bought most Criterions that interested me, most were $100-125 list. I also bought all of the high-profile box sets, some upwards of $200. They are all worthless now (well, almost).

    It was fun while it was happening, but now it turned out to be a total waste. I have so many box sets sitting rotting that I should have sold it makes me sick.

    I also spent $400 on eBay for a mint, perfect "Let it Be" LD, which I quickly transfered to DVD and re-ebay'ed for $450 (Whew!) Today it sells for around $70 on eBay and most are probably rotted.

    Not to mention all of the LDs I upgraded along the way. First getting the LD, then the widescreen Dolby LD, then the Dolby Digital LD, and then the DTS LD, and maybe a deluxe edition of something I already had.

    UGH!

    UGH!

    UGH!


    :(
     
  7. JoelDF

    JoelDF Senior Member

    Location:
    Prairieville, LA
    That DE Star Wars CAV Box was my biggest purchase too. I can't remember what the most expensive single movie purchase was. Probably The Abyss box or either of the two Alien boxes.

    Actually, the early to mid 90s was the real heyday for LD. That's when everything was being released in their original aspect ratios - a trend that started in the late 80s, Dolby Digital got added in '95, then DTS.
     
  8. Sully

    Sully Forum Resident

    Location:
    Verona, NJ USA
    Widescreen presentation was hands down the reason LD were so special for me at the time.
     
  9. minerwerks

    minerwerks Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA, USA
    I remember all that anti-DVD sentiment, pretty much just as a remote observer via the internet. Die-hards were NOT convinced the picture quality was a huge improvement. Cheap, low-quality releases at the format's launch and the whole concept of compression artifacts were the primary reasons. Looking back, I am highly irritated at laser's analog artifact problems now that I'm used to really strong DVD transfers.

    The switch was a no-brainer for me when I saw that studios were adding exclusive bonus content to DVDs. The day I walked in to my local shop to see that Warner had issued "Little Shop of Horrors" with my holy grail of bonus features - the original ending - it was inevitable. That (like my purchase of "The Frighteners" box set) was in November 1998 and I scored my first DVD player with Christmas funds that year.
     
  10. Derek Gee

    Derek Gee Senior Member

    Location:
    Detroit
    The compression artifacts weren't "concepts" - they were there on the early releases. I remember laughing out loud at the artifacts on the "Twister" DVD. It all seemed like it was "not ready for prime time".

    What analog artifact problems are you referring to? I've never heard of any laser artifacts. There are problems with analog video though...

    Derek
     
  11. ferdinandhudson

    ferdinandhudson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Skåne
    I wasn't too extatic about DVD initially. Having seen countless demo titles of Philips' CDi Video which left me shaking my head I was very hesitant with another CD-sized video disc. Now, some 13 years and 1000+ DVD titles later I think the format did alright. :)

    Still have my stash of LDs and occasionally add a title now and again that have yet to see a DVD release.
     
  12. Damian72

    Damian72 Formerly Suede Pickle

    Location:
    TX
    In comparison to other formats...yes it was pretty fast but most people I've spoken with on the subject seem to think it was an overnight thing. I was more pointing out that it wasn't and stores including major chains enticed customers with the ability to rent players (players being fairly pricey at the time) in order to check out the new format.
    I was very keen on the shift in formats and luckily bailed on laserdiscs at an opportune time but the wait for DVD to catch up to what was available on laserdisc seemed to take a long time (but a blip in the grand scheme). Of course the onslaught of DVD titles and bonus features was beyond my wildest film-loving dreams. I still feel overwhelmed.

    And for those that weren't around for the shift I can tell you Blu-ray reeks of LD. I'm not dissing the format I'm just saying don't spend too much on 'em. :D
     
  13. LaserKen

    LaserKen Senior Member

    Location:
    Avon, Indiana
    You guys will dig this -- I had Jason Reitman speak at my place tonight (http://www.depauw.edu/news/?id=25005); during the news conference we had this afternoon he told of how he grew up watching his dad (Ivan Reitman's) LD collection and went into a riff on the old front-loading players. I told him later that I have 3 LD players, which probably scared the hell out of him. He's a terrific guy.
     
  14. yesstiles

    yesstiles Senior Member

    How is a CD-Video different than a DVD? How come you couldn't fast forward through a CD-Video?
     
  15. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Dunno the latter, but CD-Video is roughly VHS resolution, I think...
     
  16. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Oh, you're right about that. It was quick, but it was a few years before it really penetrated the mass consciousness.

    For me, the "evidence" that it was fast came from the fact a friend of mine who's far from an early adopter got into DVD in the fall of 1999 - that's 2.5 years after the launch. He was never into LD or any other specialty formats, so I guess DVD really had a good foothold by the end of 1999.

    Then there's another friend who didn't get into DVD until stupid late, like 2006 or something. She's pretty out of touch about such things, though. Until I told her otherwise, she thought they stopped making 45s sometime around 1972, and she thought CDs didn't exist until the early 90s.

    She also got really excited about the "cassettes making a comeback" thread here, as she'd love for that to happen! :laugh:

    I disagree for the most part. I do think BD will remain much more of a niche format than DVD. As I've said in the past, VHS to DVD was revolutionary, while DVD to BD is evolutionary - not enough people will feel the need to upgrade.

    However, BDs are much more of a mass-market format than LDs. LDs were MUCH more expensive, and they never got close to the same marketing support...
     
  17. seed_drill

    seed_drill Senior Member

    Location:
    Tryon, NC, USA
    I was never able to find that elusive Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Volume 5.
     
  18. Derek Gee

    Derek Gee Senior Member

    Location:
    Detroit
    The thing I fear is that the movie companies will drop support for DVD's quite quickly in favor of BR. Look how fast DVD inventory has been cut at the mass marketers in favor of Blu-Ray. It reminds me of how VHS was abruptly pushed out of stores well ahead of where the consumer market actually was at that point.

    Derek
     
  19. Rachael Bee

    Rachael Bee Miembra muy loca

    :agree: Some sure signs are the big selection of DVD's for $5 or less....and maybe even MGM packing DVD's in with some Blu titles such as Misery.

    With so much market power in so few hands...??? Well, I think the result will be predictable. DVD minimized, Blu cheese maximized...
     
  20. gd0

    gd0 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies

    Location:
    Golden Gate
    Yeah, that's an odd one. The few that show up on ebay go for big bucks, generally twice as much as the other four.

    Maybe it was a short production run compared to the others. It was all '30s pre-Bugs titles, except for a handful of interesting '40s rarities. The rarities made their way to DVD, but those '30s shorts aren't likely to see home video release anytime soon.
     
  21. Rachael Bee

    Rachael Bee Miembra muy loca

    That's extremely likely. I was collecting Trek NG and they rushed the last couple of seasons out and surely produced them in way smaller quantity than the previous seasons... :agree:
     
  22. None of my hundred or so laserdiscs have rotted. Are you sure that was a real problem?

    Most I ever spent on a disc was under thirty.
     
  23. JonUrban

    JonUrban SHF Member #497

    Location:
    Connecticut
    No. I really haven't checked them in a while. I think it really bums me out when I look at all of those box sets. :cry:
     
  24. Rachael Bee

    Rachael Bee Miembra muy loca

    If your box sets are manufactured by Pioneer, like so many were, you're probably gonna have minimal losses, if any. I have beaucoups of box sets and I don't have a spoil't one yet. I had a scant few bad Pioneer discs that Pioneer replaced many years ago. All of my know rotters are made by Sony or Lumivision, that's post 1984 LD's. All LD's from before '84 are defective and few play well on players that lack a red laser or gas diode pick-up.
     
  25. Michelle66

    Michelle66 Senior Member

    I have a copy, but sans its insert... (I bought it new, but the insert wasn't included. I only discovered years later it should have had one. :realmad: )

    About a month ago, someone was auctioning off all five sets at Yahoo Auctions here in Japan - and Vol. 5 had its insert.

    The sets were being listed for about $15 each, and with no bidders, I thought I had a chance to upgrade.

    But, I fell asleep at the switch that night and lost out... Vol. 5 sold for $21...! (Again, :realmad:!)
     
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