Laserdisc - The Format No One Respects (HD Version)

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NOTE: Originally posted March 24, 2008. I am re-uploading the older episodes of the Multimedia Chronicles to give them all proper HD upgrades in quality.

A lot of what we now appreciate (and often take for granted) on DVD is actually thanks to the Laserdisc format of a few years ago.

Yet, the history books and home video discussions of the past few years seem curiously silent on this point...

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• laserdisc
• ld
• rant
• history
• special
• features
• directors
• cut
• extras
• commentary
• commentaries
• format
• zaranyzerak

[Xenomorph52]

I am watching this years from now on an HDTV and there are no black bars.

[Zaranyzerak]

@Xenomorph52 That's because this is the 16x9 re-posted version. I originally shot this in anamorphic 16x9, but when it was originally posted it was when YouTube still had the 4x3 player. So the original post was re-formatted for 4x3 letterbox. This version was re-encoded straight from the original 16x9 master, so no black bars.

[Zaranyzerak]

@bheemabachus In terms of potential fidelity, correct. But no matter how well you take care of those records you'll still get pops and crackles throughout. Not so with CD. And now, with even higher bitrate audio formats available the difference is negligible between digital and analog when done properly. You can easily create a digital recording of an analog source now that sounds identical. Not on CD, but in the purely digital realm of computer-based recording.

[unclefister77]

i still watch laserdisc. i'm a dead format junkie.......

[bumblefritz]

Goddamn I love widescreen. I know it's nothing new (I guess we know why). Widescreen is the shit.

[heythanksbutnothanks]

What you said about digital sound I love Metropolis the Moroder version I reckon you probably don;t but for a long time the Laserdisc version was the only digital version available, it sounds amazing, but now it has been released on blu ray, but I was so happy to have that on Laserdisc for a long time...hope you don't mind 3 comments. But yes sound formats have come a long way since pro logic, now e got 7.1 HD master audio.

[heythanksbutnothanks]

Good review though!

[heythanksbutnothanks]

I still have my 919 Elite to this day, it is set up but I rarely ever have it on, I think I kept it because it looks nice, but it is big and bulky. But I kept it too because there still are a few things you cannot get on DVD that were available on laserdiscs, like some music videos and concerts.

Also remember I had a damaged DVD audio disc and my 919 laserdisc player is the only machine I had that would play it perfectly, you probably know the Elite 91i9 can play both DVDs and laserdiscs.

[710blodgett74]

Laserdisc was awesome back in the day. I still have my criterion Laserdisc of the Game, Seven, Taxi Driver, Breaking the Waves

[darthbriboy]

this my argument for blu-rays don't have an hd tv don't get them. have an hd tv get a ps3 that thing will play video games and blu rays. ps3 makes all other blu ray players look weak

[rothsothy]

ZARANT~!

[apeman1980]

good point on the Widescreen videos man, the first movie i saw in Widescreen which i still own today is Ghostbusters 2 on VHS!! I Like the info ur giving us about Lasrdisc History, up here in Eastern Canada where i live, i never saw any Laserdisc Players or movies in the stores when i grew up, we only had VHS at the time!! but i have heard of Laserdisc from Satellite tv on an american channel in the 80s