The Official LaserDisc Thread

[J. J. Hunsecker]

Originally Posted by thedvdcollector

Thanks svenge and DGTWoodward for your replies to my posting.

I am leaning towards the CLD-99. I have only 1 PAL laserdisc, all the rest are NTSC. So PAL playback is not really required.

With regard to cost, although I am quite up to speed with DVD and Bluray players, not really sure about old laserdisc players. Is £400 over the top for a CLD-99?

BTW I have done a little research, and apparently the CLD-99 has a slower change for turning discs, than some other players including the CLD-97? Do you know if this is indeed correct, and if so is it really slow? or nothing to be bothered about.

Thanks again for your help, much appreciated.

£400 equals $635 U.S. dollars. I've seen the Elite CLD-99 go for that much on ebay, so that price is probably right. I got my 99 for $400 from Craigslist, so maybe you could get yours cheaper too.

The CLD-97 has a slower side change than the CLD-99. (I have both.) The 99 is pretty quick.

[thedvdcollector]

Thanks JJ for that info.

That is good to hear about the side change with the 99 as that is not what I understood, so cool.

I have pretty much made up my mind to go for the 99, also the 925 is not in the condition I was told...

[The Lizard King]

Originally Posted by thedvdcollector

Thanks JJ for that info.

That is good to hear about the side change with the 99 as that is not what I understood, so cool.

I have pretty much made up my mind to go for the 99, also the 925 is not in the condition I was told...

You're much better off getting a CLD-D704, which has the same electronics as the Elite CLD-99 minus the 1st generation, outdated comb filter. If you need a good comb filter, then connect it to a DVD/VCR recording deck via composite before outputting it into your display via s-video.

I have a MIB Elite CLD-79, which is the middle player of the D704/79/99 series, but you're too far away to make shipping it to you worth the cost.

TLK

[thedvdcollector]

Originally Posted by The Lizard King

You're much better off getting a CLD-D704, which has the same electronics as the Elite CLD-99 minus the 1st generation, outdated comb filter. If you need a good comb filter, then connect it to a DVD/VCR recording deck via composite before outputting it into your display via s-video.

I have a MIB Elite CLD-79, which is the middle player of the D704/79/99 series, but you're too far away to make shipping it to you worth the cost.

TLK

Well I was considering running the laser disc with composite out to the new Yamaha Aventage that I recently got, which has the HQV scaler... I assume that would help, but I have not tried it yet.

[J. J. Hunsecker]

Originally Posted by The Lizard King

You're much better off getting a CLD-D704, which has the same electronics as the Elite CLD-99 minus the 1st generation, outdated comb filter. If you need a good comb filter, then connect it to a DVD/VCR recording deck via composite before outputting it into your display via s-video.

I have a MIB Elite CLD-79, which is the middle player of the D704/79/99 series, but you're too far away to make shipping it to you worth the cost.

TLK

I have a CLD-D704, too (I plan on selling it). I've noticed a slight difference in video image quality between it and the Elite CLD-99. The 704 has 51db video signal-to-noise ratio while the 99 had 52db, which means the picture is a little less noisy for the latter. The CLV smear on a 704 looks worse to me than it does on the 99 (and I don't notice it at all on the 97). I have the LaserDisc players hooked up directly to a Denon A/V receiver through composite cables, then out to a CRT HDTV via HDMI cable.

I give an edge to the 99 over the 704. The 704 is lighter, so it would save one on shipping costs. The 99 might not be worth the cost to some for the slightly better picture.

[thedvdcollector]

Originally Posted by J. J. Hunsecker

I have a CLD-D704, too (I plan on selling it). I've noticed a slight difference in video image quality between it and the Elite CLD-99. The 704 has 51db video signal-to-noise ratio while the 99 had 52db, which means the picture is a little less noisy for the latter. The CLV smear on a 704 looks worse to me than it does on the 99 (and I don't notice it at all on the 97). I have the LaserDisc players hooked up directly to a Denon A/V receiver through composite cables, then out to a CRT HDTV via HDMI cable.

I give an edge to the 99 over the 704. The 704 is lighter, so it would save one on shipping costs. The 99 might not be worth the cost to some for the slightly better picture.

Looks like your setup for the LD will be similar to mine, with regard to how you are routing the cable.

Interesting to read your observations on picture between 704 and 99. I was just reading up a bit about laserdisc smearing, seems quite a few of the pioneer models experienced it.

[esquire]

Hi all,

I'm fairly new to the Laserdisc scene. Last year, I picked up an Elite CLD-92 with some movies off Craigslist. That thing is a tank. I recently picked up a CLD-D504 for $40. It has the AC-3 output on the back. I know the Elites are supposed to be better, but D504 was released 3 years later, and the picture looks pretty good. Any thoughts on the two as to which one should be my main player? Eventually I'd like to pick up a 97 or 99, or the 704.

[The Lizard King]

Originally Posted by esquire

Hi all,

I'm fairly new to the Laserdisc scene. Last year, I picked up an Elite CLD-92 with some movies off Craigslist. That thing is a tank. I recently picked up a CLD-D504 for $40. It has the AC-3 output on the back. I know the Elites are supposed to be better, but D504 was released 3 years later, and the picture looks pretty good. Any thoughts on the two as to which one should be my main player? Eventually I'd like to pick up a 97 or 99, or the 704.

The CLD-92 is a CLD-3070 with rosewood side panels. As such, it is a much better player than the CLD-D504 IMO.

If you're looking for a player with the least video noise, I would look for either a CLD-97 or the vaunted LD-S2.

TLK

[J. J. Hunsecker]

Originally Posted by thedvdcollector

Looks like your setup for the LD will be similar to mine, with regard to how you are routing the cable.

Interesting to read your observations on picture between 704 and 99. I was just reading up a bit about laserdisc smearing, seems quite a few of the pioneer models experienced it.

The Panasonic LX-900U, from what I've heard, is also free of the CLV smear problem. (But some state it has more chroma noise.) I hear it's a good player, the only problem is that Panasonic no longer supplies parts for their old LD players like Pioneer still does.

Originally Posted by esquire

Hi all,

I'm fairly new to the Laserdisc scene. Last year, I picked up an Elite CLD-92 with some movies off Craigslist. That thing is a tank. I recently picked up a CLD-D504 for $40. It has the AC-3 output on the back. I know the Elites are supposed to be better, but D504 was released 3 years later, and the picture looks pretty good. Any thoughts on the two as to which one should be my main player? Eventually I'd like to pick up a 97 or 99, or the 704.

Do you need AC-3? If not, you can get the CLD-D703 for less money, and it's the same player as the 704, just minus the AC-3 output. Also, the Elite CLD-95 is similar to the 97, and usually sells for far less on ebay.

[bullruckle]

Picked up these at auction this week:


Evil Dead Special and Halloween are both sealed, but I will probably crack them open to watch the goodies. Got the second Evil Dead cause the same seller had it listed at $4, so might as well i thought.


Also found this lot in a bunch of 20 odd Disney titles at my local junk store:


105yen each. Not bad going. The man said that the Disney LDs had just been put out that day, so a bit of good luck.

[Pondosinatra]

Originally Posted by bullruckle

Picked up these at auction this week:

[Show spoiler]

Evil Dead Special and Halloween are both sealed, but I will probably crack them open to watch the goodies. Got the second Evil Dead cause the same seller had it listed at $4, so might as well i thought.


Also found this lot in a bunch of 20 odd Disney titles at my local junk store:

[Show spoiler]

105yen each. Not bad going. The man said that the Disney LDs had just been put out that day, so a bit of good luck.

Bambi! The film that traumatized me as a little kid....

[DGTWoodward]

So glad to finally be picking these up. I have wanted them for a while, especially after the cluster botch-job that was the DVD release!!

My Almost Complete BABYLON 5 Laserdisc Collection

My seller had collected them, but things got in the way and he ended up storing them for all these years....with only four of them having been opened!!!

As there seems to be no realistic outlook when it comes to a proper remaster even for new DVDs let alone any Blurays (due to Warner being too tight fisted) This still remains, believe it or not, here in an overcast UK in the spring of 2012, THE definitive way to watch B5 at home!

[LaserD]

Originally Posted by DGTWoodward

So glad to finally be picking these up. I have wanted them for a while, especially after the cluster botch-job that was the DVD release!!

My Almost Complete BABYLON 5 Laserdisc Collection

My seller had collected them, but things got in the way and he ended up storing them for all these years....with only four of them having been opened!!!

As there seems to be no realistic outlook when it comes to a proper remaster even for new DVDs let alone any Blurays (due to Warner being too tight fisted) This still remains, believe it or not, here in an overcast UK in the spring of 2012, THE definitive way to watch B5 at home!

Great collection! I'm a big B5 fan, but have only seen the DVD box sets. I'd buy those LDs just for the cover art. I didn't know that there was a picture quality difference between the LD and DVD editions. I agree that we are unlikely to see another remaster of B5 on DVD. It's just not that big a show, and very unlikely to receive the treatment that Star Trek TNG is getting for Blu-ray.

[DGTWoodward]

Whilst the live-action sections of B5 were shot with a 16:9 ratio in mind from the start, sadly when it came to the CG FX work (specially the composited live-action+CG shots), not quite as many well laid plans were put in place.

It's a real shame, I think that BABYLON 5's innovative visuals, specially the mind-blowing and eye melting seasons three and four, would look just incredible in HD.

[Pondosinatra]

Originally Posted by DGTWoodward

Whilst the live-action sections of B5 were shot with a 16:9 ratio in mind from the start, sadly when it came to the CG FX work (specially the composited live-action+CG shots), not quite as many well laid plans were put in place.

It's a real shame, I think that BABYLON 5's innovative visuals, specially the mind-blowing and eye melting seasons three and four, would look just incredible in HD.

Babylon 5 was rendered on Amiga computers

[thedvdcollector]

Originally Posted by Pondosinatra

Babylon 5 was rendered on Amiga computers

Yes it was, I remember an article in an Amiga magazine all about this, being done with Amiga computers and I think the Newtek video toaster software / hardware if my recollection is correct.

The CGI was very good in its day, but I suspect it would look awful in high def, unless they re-do some of the cgi again, and they probably wouldnt put the K into it required.

Then again you never know, didnt the other studio paramount re-do some of the effects shots in cgi for the old star trek episodes for DVD?

[DGTWoodward]

Originally Posted by thedvdcollector

Then again you never know, didnt the other studio paramount re-do some of the effects shots in cgi for the old star trek episodes for DVD?

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.ph...postcount=2514

Sadly, nothing is going to change for BABYLON 5, unless Warner Brothers has some sort of epiphany on the road to DOMESTOS (my one religious joke for the Eater weekend!)

[thedvdcollector]

I understand that the cult UFO film Hangar 18 was released on laserdisc. I have never ever seen this on LD, I do have it on VHS. It is available on DVD, but poorly mastered.

Anyone seen this on LD? and if so is the quality any good?

[Jason One]

Originally Posted by DGTWoodward

So glad to finally be picking these up. I have wanted them for a while, especially after the cluster botch-job that was the DVD release!!

My Almost Complete BABYLON 5 Laserdisc Collection

I'm jealous! I find the DVDs to be nearly unwatchable due to the cropping and terrible-quality anamorphic upscaling they did to all the VFX shots (of which there are many). It would have been so much better if WB had just kept the DVDs at 4:3.

I would love to get the LDs, but I'm overwhelmed at the idea of hunting them all down. It's also unfortunate that they never released the entire series on LD, so there will always be certain missing episodes.

[cinema sickness]

54 LaserDiscs + Player!

54 LaserDiscs + Player!