LaserDisc - Why Bother?
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- čas přidán 29. 06. 2024
- Culturedog Sam Hatch is back and he’s ready to put on his philosopher’s cap for a few minutes and chat about the illogical trend of watching old standard definition discs when there are perfectly good Blu-Rays and UHDs at our fingertips that will handily outperform our beloved LaserDisc technology.
“Why bother watching LaserDisc?” is a question that gets asked so often within the LD collectors’ circle, that it demands its own response video. Is there an actual answer to this question? There are many, as we’ll find out. Do any of them make sense? Only time will tell…
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Intro music: "Anger Mgmt." by Sever the Drama.
store.cdbaby.com/Artist/Sever...
Chapters:
0:00 Opening Titles
0:15 Introduction
1:37 Why Bother With LaserDisc?
2:46 Arguments Against the Format
4:35 Comparisons To Other Hobbies
5:37 Is LaserDisc More Than The Sum Of Its Parts
7:26 Rose Tinted Glasses
9:04 The Art of Film-to-Video Transfers
10:39 Justifications For Collecting LD
16:54 Why Suffer Through Watching LDs?
18:36 Time Traveling
21:44 Does Time Retroactively Diminish Old Formats?
23:29 Is It Nostalgia?
26:38 It's Perfect For Me - Krátké a kreslené filmy
When I was younger I saw laserdisc as an impossibility. I couldn’t afford it, but I did get a copy of laser magic 1998 at Barnes and Noble. I went through that book so many times. A couple years ago I finally got my first player and it’s fun to have something i never thought I would obtain.
It still takes me back regardless. This format was always special and whenever I find laserdiscs at a used media store I get excited.
Your channel helps keep laserdisc alive. Thanks!
Oh man, Laser Magic 1998 is such an LD bible! I've gone through that thing backwards and forwards so many times now.
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed the video!
I share your sentiment and agree with all you say but, I am envious . . . I've been collecting for around 5 - 6 years now and have never found a title in a charity shop, 2nd hand store or a boot fare. Don't think LD was big enough where I am in the UK for such a mind-bending moment to occur.
Enjoy it.
@@AshGCG There are a few Ebay sellers who specialize in Laserdisc and will probably ship to the UK. You can get sets in excellent condition for as little as $5 US each. If you buy 6 or more sets at once, you may even get free shipping. With quantity discounts, you can get them well below the seller's list price as well.
I too feel the same. When I was a child, we were extremely poor like her up in the 80s with no television it wasn’t until 93 when we finally got our first TV and it was black and white or 13 inch thing. But all my friends are VHS players and one time at school the teacher brought out this huge silver masterpiece. I don’t remember the title, but I remember seeing this massive desk and how she put it into this machine. Ever since then I wanted to know more about 10 years ago. I rediscovered Laserdisk at a garage sale of all places the guy had a player. What are those fancy ones that would flip to the other side for you however, it didn’t work, but he also had 150 titles, including every episode of Star Trek, the next generation and all he wanted was $40. Without thinking without worrying about it I just tossed of the money and said thank you and I got started that way. Now my collection is slowly growing to almost 300 titles and I love it you’re right the thing that I never could afford. Yes, it might be extinct as far as the masses are concerned, but in my theater in my home, Laserdisk is top dog.
Laserdisc > sum of its parts. Well, said.
Thanks! And thanks for watching!
I love the cover art and inserts of Japanese Laserdiscs. Reminds me of collecting Vinyl records. It is also great to be able to own the real Star Wars movies not the cartoon versions.
Dang, man. You’re a really smart dude. Whenever people question my laserdisc collection, I’m just going to send them to this video. A well reasoned and nuanced perspective on media, time, nostalgia, and values. My hat is off to you, brother. Btw, I just joined that laserdisc Facebook group you mentioned. I hope to see you on there. I have about 500 laserdiscs. Nothing compared to your collection, but it’s a start.
Thanks for the kind words! Glad to hear you enjoyed the video! See you over in the facebook group!
I just started collecting LD's. I've got a player otw in the mail and a few discs ready to played. This is such a relatable video though, because it is hard to justify most things retro that I like to collect. When it comes down to it though, I really just do love retro things from a time when I wasn't around. I'm 26, about to be 27, so all this "old" stuff is new to me, cause I never grew up with it. Awesome video man and very well spoken.
Thanks man! Glad you enjoyed it! Keep flying that retro flag!
I like listening to this dude talk. Good speaker, and he makes sense.
Great discussion man, I just started collecting these back in March and I’m not looking back. I just think their so unique and nobody else I know personally has them.
Nice, welcome to the format! Yeah, it is weird how I can talk about them online all day but just get blank stares from most of the people I see in person if I mention LD.
Thanks for watching! Have fun collecting!
Sam...
I have over 1000 laserdiscs now.
It's your fault.
All your fault.
Thanks, btw.
WHAT HAVE I DONE!!?? HAHA :-)
My collection weighs in at somewhere between 100 and 200 releases. I tend to stick with releases that I was very fond of back in the day, or ones that I discovered on some "100 best movies" list or another. I'm not looking to amass a roomful, as I collect other vintage items besides Laserdiscs.
@@Culturedog Emptied my savings XD
Sam also corrupted me. He's a bad influence.
Prefer watching my Laserdisc collection than DVD or Blu-ray (already swapped out some of those for LD). The artwork, disc spin up, it's all magical
I grew up on laserdisc and spent my weekly allowance on discs..still have them and treasure them today..
Excellent!! I'm so glad I kept most of my original collection. I was able to replace the ones I'd foolishly parted with, but it's great to be able to hold and watch the actual discs I got from Suncoast or Ken Cranes back in the day!
I have close to 400 now, and got into LD well after I started collecting DVDs! But I get the time travel thing. The format has its own unique character & charm - it feels like a special event when I pick one out. And there is a kind of counter-culture vibe - we're constantly bombarded with buy more! upgrade more! the latest and greatest! commercialism!! I can say 'Oh yeah, well I'm going to play a giant, shiny, archaic disc that you said was state-of-the-art a quarter century ago!'. Something uniquely satisfying about that. . . .
Good point - there is a certain delight in kicking trends to the curb and watching a movie on your own terms! Cheers!!
With the right equipment ( scaler, comb filter ) picture quality holds up very well. Sound is always great. And then adding up the presence of the format ( massive sleeve, 12 inch disc ) and there is the reason to hold on to it. And now also the retro value. I never sold an LD with a loss.
That's my thing as a young person. It sucks to spend so much on "digital liscense," I feel like a young person.
@@claudeyaz
Laserdisc is analog
Love your enthusiasm and what amounts to a great justification for watching and enjoying laserdisc, some lessons in there that I think most of us can learn from.
Thanks for watching!! I appreciate the awesome feedback!
Just bought my first Laserdisc player absolutely love it every thing about it is just plain fun . The size the Art work the large sliding tray love retro electronics great video.
Congrats on diving into the LD rabbit hole! It's a fun time for sure!
21:16 - sums it up perfectly!
There's no taking away the fact that it was the best, and everything that's "the best" today is going to suck in future.
💿 Laserdisc < the sum of it's parts 💿 👍😎
Thanks so much! I'm glad to hear I'm not totally crazy about how I view these things. Haha
Great video. Every format has their bad and good quality, I like seeing movies on Film and LDs,VHS,and some older dvds make that possible.
Thanks! Yeah, I love movies, so I'll grab them on whatever format I can!
Totally with you on the time travel aspect .... I think I have the exact same 'switch' and LD takes me right back to the early 90s.
Nice! Time-traveller high-five!!
Two words Criterion Collection.
I wish they would push blurays and 4k bluray formats to their limits the way they did with laserdisc.
Blade runner, Robocop and Silence of the Lambs are all great examples of what could be done on LD.
Yeah, those releases are all stunners!!
I’m more of a music guy than a movie/TV guy myself, so I’ve never quite felt like I could justify LaserDisc (based on cost and bulk) even though it has fascinated me for years. When it comes to DVD or even CDs, though, my interest has mostly been in having a hard copy of content that either won’t be on streaming services or is liable to be removed. Or just in having a hard copy of the stuff I really couldn’t live without. Vinyl was a thing that my parents had older albums on when I was growing up, but never something I actively got into. I was all cassette mix tapes and the occasional CD-R from a friend. I did buy an automatic turntable a few years ago but never really got into it.
But just the other day, I bought one of the new Sound Burgers, and I’ve really come around on vinyl as a result. Part of it is how convenient the Sound Burger is vs my other turntable, but part of it is just how fun and tactile the format is (and an automatic turntable robs a bit of it from you). I gotta think that LaserDisc has a pretty similar appeal, even if you’re not dropping a needle on the disc.
Since I am more of a music guy, my holy grail is a reel-to-reel audio player. But, if I do ever get into collecting videos, it would probably be on LaserDisc. VHS was the format I grew up with (we were too poor for LaserDisc, that’s for sure), but VHS isn’t particularly fun. My only real interest in it would be off air recordings or exclusive content. I have a similar feeling about cassette. While there’s something really fun about recording (which is probably my favorite thing about MiniDisc), cassette just feels like a hassle instead of a fun experience. So oddities are the only thing that catch my interest, much like VHS. And DVD and Blu-Ray are probably just going to remain archival formats for me, something I buy hard copy media in just to have a copy. I could see, though, LaserDisc having a very similar sort of fun as records. If I could justify the size of a player in my apartment and the cost of the player and some favorite discs, I’d probably jump on in. Vinyl records just seem like more of an experience than cassettes or CDs do (let alone digital), and I feel like LaserDisc is probably the closest there is to a video equivalent.
Like my dad says "Why buy a movie you already have?"
It's living History and Iam glad that you and I love looking back
I don’t collect but I enjoy watching you talk about it!
Awesome video Sam! I collect for LD due to the nostalgia I have for the format. Plus my grandfather owned a LD collection and now I have inherited it.
Thanks!! Keep enjoying those LDs!
For me, I collect Laserdiscs because they look so damn cool in my movie room. Anytime someone see them for the first time it sparks up a 20 minute conversation on what they are. I picked up almost all 400 or so of my collection and a working player from one guy a few years ago for about $150 total. I have an extra Laserdisc player as well that I found for about $25 at a flea market. I’d much rather have my laserdiscs than a huge dvd or Blu-ray collection.
This scene from SLC Punk always comes to mind when someone isn't familiar with what laserdiscs are:
czcams.com/video/j5MjyUCnJD0/video.html
You're very articulate and have a great explanation of things.
Thanks! Sorry for the late reply, but glad you enjoyed the video!
You said it perfectly for me Sam. Laserdiscs are the quality they are be that good or bad no matter what more modern cousin we may compare them to.
Thanks so much! Glad to see that others are of a similar mindset and can appreciate these shiny wonders for what they are!
Wonderful video man.
As for the comment about the past, I completely agree with you. I was born in 1998 but I love experiencing technology from before my time. Whenever I pop in a movie on laserdisc and play it on my CRT, it's almost like i was there.
If something was good back then it's still good now. Honestly as a 22 year old there is something magical about "traveling through time" watching a laserdisc, listening to a vinyl, playing a snes or even watching a beta tape is the closest thing we can come to time traveling.
i really loved the extended scenes in blues bros signature,,, great video as always...
Yeah, they were awesome! Too bad they aren't able to recreate the full roadshow version, but it was great being able to see those extra bits and extended music numbers. I'd never seen the documentary on Side 4 either, so that was fun.
Thanks mate!
So many great live concert LD's in full uncompressed sound! Its the vinyl of movies, once I learned they made them until 2000, I was in! If only I could find a dual tray LD player..... sigh...
I've really been focusing on collecting concert LDs over the past year myself - still a decent amount of titles I'd love to chase down. So much stuff got reissued on DVD in lame 2.0 Dolby Digital. Love those PCM tracks on LD!
I like what you said at the end of the video. It's like you went to Suncoast video and bought a brand-new LaserDisc, watched it and enjoyed it as if time allows you to get that same feeling. Many other LaserDisc I bought I had never seen, so seeing it for the first time was very special. Thanks for making this excellent video. Sam.
Thanks my friend! Glad you enjoyed the video! I was hoping some of these random thoughts about the format would connect with at least some viewers!
I am having a lot of fun with laser discs at the moment just played the 5th element on my best friends 4K TV and the picture quality was very good Just picked up my 1st projector . Having a lot of fun with the format ☺ thank you for your videos They have been very inspiring that is what got me into laser discs thank you.
extreme 90's nostalgia, very cool movies were made then
Yeah, it was a nice mix of post-80s special effects fare and 70s-style indie features. Cheese and gravitas in equal portions!
I am a new LaserDisc collector. I bought a player at the local Thrift like store, a Pioneer CLD-1091 for $12.95 (works like a new unit) and The Richard Wagner "Die Walkure" James Levine conductor for $19.95. All I need to do to make my new hobby grow is to roam the net for good deals on those discs.
Thanks for the great video and take care.
Another reason, I love my box sets that are numbered limited edition collectbles: Star Wars Trilogy (untinkered with), Godfather Trilogy Saga - 1908 - 1980 (one long edit), Blade Runner (Criterion), Alien, Aliens and T2.
Great releases for sure! I've been meaning to spin up that Godfather box, since the last time I watched it was just the standard film edits. The chronological version sounds like a cool experience!
@@Culturedog it really is! There was a also a VHS version called the Godfather Saga but only with I and II as one long edit. That one actually has a scene missing in the 3-film edit - when Kay visits the family compound and talks with Mama about Michael.
Yeah same here! I watched the Abyss uncut version last night which I picked up for $6!
I always get a kick when someone stops by my house, see’s my wall to wall bookcases of laserdiscs and says wow that’s a big vinyl collection. When I tell them it’s laserdiscs, I always get a blank stare followed by what’s that. :)
My postman asked one day, "You must have a pretty big vinyl collection?" I said that they were Laserdiscs. His expression was blank so I went on to explain that they were an obsolete video format that looks like an oversized CD. The face remained blank so I opened the package he was delivering. His face lit up. Not out of recognition but appreciation and surprise.
Too cool! It's funny how vinyl is totally acceptable again but LDs still generate those blank stares! Keep on collecting!
@@AshGCG Back in the Eighties, I stopped a friend from playing a laser disc of Thriller on his record player. He thought that it was a 33 rpm LP record.
I am still collecting laserdisc in 2021 looks great on my pioneer dvl 909 love your videos
Thanks! Keep on spinning those awesome LDs!!
I have been collecting Laserdisc since about 1997 I have two players and about 125 movies. I have one of my players connected to a 2007 projector on a 5.1 surround sound system from 2003. I just joined the Facebook group you mentioned. Thanks
Wish I had scream on laser disc it's the only format it's ever been released on directors cut even to this day. I saw it on paper view once when it first came out.
That's a good one for sure. At some point I'd like to scare up a DTS copy, but I'm happy with the standard AC-3 edition for now!
I have gotten Laserdisc movies 30 from a friend and I love them .
There's a lot of old stuff that I love (e.g., old rotary phones, old cars, CRT displays, old video game consoles, old video arcade machines), but old home video formats aren't among them, at least not for watching movies. There's something that's way older than any video format that I do love though: film. So I see all the old video formats as a string of failures to match the quality of 35mm movie film. The first home video format that could more or less match the quality of a 35mm theatrical film print was Blu-ray, so I like that, but I don't care about the physical disc itself; I'd rather have a 1:1 BD rip stored on a hard drive.
I was perfectly happy with VHS when I was a kid in the '80s, but that's only because I'd never seen anything better (to this day I've never watched a LaserDisc, and I never even saw a movie in a theater until I was 12). I also thought my eyesight was fine until I got glasses when I was 10.
My preference for my favorite TV shows is to watch them on a standard-resolution CRT TV, since that's the type of display they were originally intended to be seen on (the newest show that I care about is Seinfeld, and that was still in the CRT era), and for that, DVD is fine, since it can max out the quality of an SD CRT TV, especially if you have one with component (YPbPr) inputs and if the show was shot on 35mm film rather than video (most of my favorite shows were). I wouldn't want LD for that even if my favorite shows were available on it because it's natively composite video, which has bad color separation and relatively low color resolution. Yes, LD would look as good as the original NTSC broadcasts with perfect reception, but I like that DVD can make them look even better than the original broadcasts while still using the same type of display that was used back then. DVDs are more like the Betacam broadcast masters that TV stations started using in the early '80s, which were also component (YPbPr) video.
My preference for movies is to watch them on a 1080p projector from a Blu-ray, since they were originally intended to be seen on a projector screen, i.e., reflected light rather than a light source like a direct-view display is. Reflected light has its own unique look that can't be replicated with a direct-view display, regardless of how big it is. Most, if not all, of my favorite movies were shot on film, and with a good BD transfer that preserves the film grain and has good color timing, contrast, and brightness, it looks like a projected film print like you always used to see in theaters. That's the pinnacle for me. UHD doesn't interest me in the slightest, nor does whatever will come after that, because the goal for me has always been to be able to have the look of a 35mm theatrical film print at home, and BD can do that, or at least, it can do it close enough to satisfy me. A 35mm projector, a ton of gray-market 35mm film prints, and an on-call projectionist would be even better, but that's not even remotely feasible unless you're filthy rich.
Just bought my first Pioneer laserdisc player. I watched a few movies that I never actually seen and had an awesome experience.
Sorry for the late reply! Congrats on the new player - hope it works well. Happy spinning!
First got into laserdisc in 1988. My first purchases were the Criterion CAV versions of The Beatles "AHDN" and "Help!". Had an early Sony LD player and eventually ended up with a Pioneer Elite 79, which I still own and use on a regular basis. I mainly bought music titles and horror/sci fi back in the day. I probably still own about 400-500 discs. Would've had more in my collection, but I sold several when I bought the DVD/Blu-ray versions. Probably was a mistake at the time and I wish I kept some of those titles. Although I don't really purchase many laserdiscs these days, it's still fun playing them once in a while. Especially like AC-3 and DTS titles that sound killer played through my Meridian 519 AC-3 demodulator. That said.....your channel and videos might inspire me to start purchasing laserdiscs again. Especially if I can get them at a good price!
@Culturedog Well to be perfectly honest, I am not that big of a Laserdisc collector, but the things i like about the format are the obvious things. Nice big artwork, beautiful gatefolds and trifolds, the best original audio mixes for many mainstream films and sometimes original color timing. And The Keep. The usual nerdy stuff haha!
Gotta love The Keep for sure! Glad you enjoyed the vid my friend!
At present, my primary hobby is collecting VHS movies with the occasional DVD and Blu Ray on top of that. I certainly think it would be interesting to get into laserdiscs but I feel like I can't really justify adding another format to the mix, especially since I live in an area where they simply don't exist in the wild and I'd have to order all my discs off of ebay.
Akira on Laserdisc in 1990 brainwashed me. I think that ending was illegal in the US. But that could just be one of those myths from back then. Either way, Akira on laserdisc is a gem.
criterion?
Laserdisc, Cassette, Rare early Japanese HD formats, to me it's all answering the questions about what was possible at point in history. It's effectively seeing all different paths to the same solution and seeing the difference first hand. Anyone can think to themselves" I wonder why it would have been like if I'd been born 20 years earlier and try to imagine. If someone else doesn't like it, why should I listen to them, what authority do they have over me?
I picked up a old LD-W1 player and a good amount of discs about a year ago. I'm hooked now. Picked up a newer player from 1995 and an AC3 decoder recently. To my surprise the picture is actually really good on my 1080P TV (LD-W1 is on a CRT). And of course the sound is quite good. I have zero problem watching LDs same as I have no problem with DVDs. This surprises me. The new player seems to make a pretty big difference because the LD-W1 didn't look good on an HDTV so I had to put it on the CRT. I'm hooked now and am picking up more videos, being careful to avoid laser-rot. I only have two discs with laser rot though. Watching a lot of your videos which are excellent.
I don't own a single LaserDisc, but I enjoy watching your videos about the format. They certainly influenced my decision to begin collecting DVDs which are plentiful and cheap right now. While DVD artwork is clearly inferior to LDs, I'm able to digitally archive my collection and view them through a media player service like Plex.
Thanks man! Yeah, DVDs are a ridiculous value right now. You can build a beast of a collection for next to nothing! Happy hunting!
I think the cover sleeves just put the tiny blu ray case to shame. I wish studios would have kept at the Big Sleeve edition instead of steelbooks.
Yeah, how many of those Big Sleeves did they end up putting out before giving up on the whole affair? It wasn't too many if I recall correctly.
Best LASERDISC commentary on CZcams bar none.
Thanks so much! Cheers!
I laugh when family members think I'm a nerd cause I collect Laserdisc! That's just one of the few things I collect and could careless what people think! There Badass, and I have some of the Best Films Ever in my stacks....I go for films back when I was a kid that made me happy, that memory, that moment in time! From KARATE KID to ALIENS, I got them all on LD! I have learned many things collecting over the years, many players, high & low end. I just hope the kids can get some cash out of them one day when I'm gone. Love your video Man!
Thanks man!! Keep spinning those giant discs!
I bought my buddy Passenger 57 and Broken Arrow (both sealed) on laserdisc. He loves the idea and even framed them and hung them since they are sealed. He wants to collect more laserdisc. I do too. I just need to get myself a player so he and I can watch them! I can also collect Hong Kong discs too which are cool!
A friend who gifts laserdiscs is a good friend indeed!
Also: any mention of Media Play makes me have instantaneous nostalgia overload.
Heck yeah! I spent so many hours digging through that place. Books, CDs, LDs (and eventually DVDs) all in one spot? Yes, please!
LDs were either on the top special shelf or behind glass cases. And the whole store was a hive of activity and sale signs and kiosks....
Today Best Buy has a tiny shelf in the back corner of the store....I feel like times have changed
The size of the display art is what does it for me. I have all of my favorite movies of the 80s and 90s on Blu Ray but if I see one on LDDB or out in the wild that are reasonably priced I will probably pick it up even though I don't regularly watch them. Up to almost 30 discs, haha. Been a sub since 2015 and love watching your collection videos!
Thanks man - glad you enjoy the vids! Yeah, there is some fantastic artwork on these jackets. It's a fun format to collect for sure!
Great channel! Just subscribed! LOOOOOOOOVE Laser Disc, been ebaying it up getting some great movies like Waterworld, Communion, Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. It's something about having a GIANT DISC, and of course the cover art. I love it. I don't even have a LD player, ..... YET... but I will. Same with records, finally got a great record player, now it's LASER DISC TIIIIIIME!!! THE COVER ART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks!! Allow me to be a bad influence and say... get that LD player! It'll make you feel great! Love records too - about to go shopping for more in a hot minute. Cheers!!
great episode! so much truth...I have the switch and I placed a big ass flag so I never forget where I never forget how much love I have for movies...period in general! I "collect" alot more blu Ray's and DVD's these days, but 1992 will always be mine lol cheers!
Awesome! Glad someone else can get my thought process wavelength! Cheers!
Well said Sam, pretty much how I feel about them except for the nostalgia part. Laserdisc was way too expensive for me here in the UK during it's original time. Then a few years ago I watched a video on CZcams by this "Culturedog" bloke and now I have over 600 of the bloody things! 😂😂👍
Haha this "Culturedog" bloke sounds like trouble!
Thanks, mate! Glad you enjoyed the vid!
Back in the early to mid 90's I always wanted a laser disc player but we never got one, so there is that aspect to it today, though I usually don't pick up titles that cost all that much. I think for me part of the appeal is the experience of putting that big disc in the player and watching a movie, it really feels like an event compared to CD sized media and especially streaming. It's not better but that doesn't matter!
Definitely - even just watching that Blues Brothers release the other night, it did feel like an event viewing!
I can totally tap into that "I couldn't get it at the time" vibe, even though I was actively collecting in the 90s. But there's no way I could have afforded the collection I have now, thanks to some crazy deals and the occasional lot deal. Sometimes I look at my box set selection and can't believe the stuff I've been able to pick up for next to nothing!
Collect what you want. It’s no body’s business!
I wondered why I started collecting Laserdisc myself (I have about 100 discs now). I'm gonna do a panel about early MMA in Japan that requires the use of LDs from fighting organizations like the UWF, UWF-i, Pancrase, and RINGS. Later, I intend to make it a centerpiece of my dream '90s room, filled with tech that was bleeding edge in 1995-96.
Not only that, LD kinda has the rule of cool attached to it.
I had no idea about as a kid yeah I saw the Sears wish book catalog in 1991 me and brother thought was a karaoke machine a couple years later I heard it mentioned in the animaniacs episode with Slappy squirrel i discovered the format on the internet I noticed it also on my old Disney vhs to not make copies of VHS or LaserDisc from the FBI warning on VHS tape it's just excited me I don't know why I just like old video formats I love all of them LaserDisc beta VHS and I also collect DVD and my brother collect dvd Blu-ray and CED VHS I'll tell you a little funny story culture dog about my mother her name was Jeanna she actually wanted a LaserDisc player back in the 80s but she didn't know it played movies she just wanted get a LaserDisc player put on her coffee table as a conversation piece so people look at it I start getting interested about laserdisc then my mom told me that funny story this year I finally got my first two LaserDisc players pioneer vp-1000 pioneer cld-1010 my mom was all so excited about LaserDisc same as I was she passed away of cervical cancer April of 2018 so she never got to see me get the players this year or ever get to watch a movie on LaserDisc but I know she was somewhere in heaven excited for me when I got them and she was a big fan of your LaserDisc videos same as I am😍
So sorry to hear about your mom passing, but that story about her wanting a player for a conversation piece is awesome!
Oh man, those Sears wish books were epic - I loved poring over those things for hours.
Thanks so much for watching the video and sharing your story! Cheers!
Your videos started me collecting LaserDiscs in 2015. I have absolutely zero nostalgia for the format, so it started out as "original Star Wars, original THX-1138, different versions of films, etc". Then it expanded to "holy cow, I can get many discs for $1 or $2 each." Now, I can take a chance on a film I may not normally watch. Recently watched the 1946 "The Picture Of Dorian Gray" on LaserDisc. Never saw it, only heard rumblings of how good it is. Its only $5, lets give it a shot. Turned out I liked it, but not enough to get it on Blu-ray. Very happy to have watched it, and saved a lot of money getting the LaserDisc over the Blu-ray.
That is now my main reason to buy LaserDsics. A very cheap, and fun way to expand my film taste. And if I really love the film, i'll get in on Blu-ray then! Just need a real player. Using a V2400 I found in a dumpster since my CLD-D502 cant even open the tray anymore.
Thank you for sharing!
Badass! Glad to hear I was a bad influence haha
Yeah, I love that I now have a library of older films that I know little about, but I was able to snag for next to nothing. Makes for some fun random shelf grabs late at night.
Oh snap, a dumpster player! That's unexpected and awesome! Hopefully the D502 can come back from near death. Do you think it's a belt issue or did the tray get actually broken?
@@Culturedog It is probably the belt or the gears. I've cleaned it thoroughly, applied grease to the tracks and rails, etc Once the tray opens, it will function just fine until it sits idle for 24 hours, then the tray gets stuck closed again.
This is also with laser assembly A->B side change being broken, and the digital display on the front not working either. Clearly the player had a traumatic life.(It even has a sticker of when it was sent back to Pioneer for refurbishing). I should probably jump back on the LaserDisc Forever page and ask for advice. But I am on the lookout for a better player that actually has digital audio outputs anyway.
I just recently got back into laserdisc have about 50 now love the format get ask the same about 8tracks which I collect I tell them I love collecting Love all the formats from LD dvd video cassette Lps to 8tracks love it all. To me its what you enjoy collecting, Love the Video's
Thanks mate! I have fond memories of our home 8-track stereo console growing up. Always wished we had a car player too, but we had to settle for AM/FM radio. Haha
Keep on collecting! Cheers!
I'm a huge history buff/nerd to. I like Laser Disc simply because I like them. I also think it's a reasonably affordable way to watch films in a way that is very similar there theatrical day view.
Yeah, there was one time I lucked into a lot that had probably 40 or so Criterion titles. That night as I was bagging the discs, it struck me how I had basically just acquired the rough equivalent of a repertory cinema's seasonal film screening schedule for pennies on the dollar. I watched The Third Man shortly thereafter and thought "how fantastic is it that I have this on my shelf now!"
I love my LDs ! Problem is Impossible to get a LD player! Mine died 20yrs ago. And cud not get another player!
Yeah, they seem to be easier to find in some regions, but even in my area I've noticed the supply of good players has been dwindling compared to 5 years ago.
The three reasons for me
1. Music/Disney LD's sound better
2. I like to face out and rotate art, especially Horror/Science Fiction titles
3. Horror films just look and feel better when they have that scratchy low quality to them
Subbed on this video alone. Great points. Time travel +1.
Most excellent! Thanks for subbing!!
I don't even seriously collect LD's but I enjoyed the entire video. I do have a player that still works and 6 LD's though. The main reason is I was an extra in the 1995 film Powder and you can see half my face in a pic on the back of the LD sleeve lol
I feel like I have to give my usual spiel all the time especially in any store or forum. You amass a lot of discs because of the low price but what got me hooked was the sound quality. Then it was compounded by the fact that most classic titles are LD ports on dvd anyway so why not just get the LD for less money.
But there’s also the aspect: because I can actually afford these things I remember being unobtainable growing up and enjoy the best of the best circa many many years ago with lovely hands off best we could do back then transfers. I’ve always done things like this. I usually get old game consoles way past their lifespan and enjoy learning their quirks as well.
LD jumped on digital sound as a selling point . I would have preferred it if analog sound was chosen to compliment the picture. Anyway, watching LDs just gives you a unique feeling in your gut . Those still loving the format are often time junkies and LD is the ultimate time capsule that keeps on giving.
Life is just silly sometimes and we have to role with that fact
I was only yong when i went to the consumer electronics shows and was in love with the Pioneer rear Projector TVs here in Britain we got the 50" and the 40" and the demo was always Terminator 2
The big screen was incredible back then and the suround sound incredible also with the big Sub woofer
I longed 4 one so much
Now i cant believe i have a pioneer Kuro on the wall its so small at 50" 😅
I feel like a relic as it is collecting dvds and bluerays
Its the collecting bit i like its the hunting down the thrill of the hunt 😅
I like putting the dvd in the player and setting the equipment up
I like hunting 4 bargains
Lets be clear in my mind i have a 5000£ pioneer kuro on the wall playing 22£ dvds on a 800£ pioneer bdp lx71 blue ray player
The fact the dvd was 10p the tv was 260. And the player was 100 is of no importance..
No actually its making the whole thing more exciting
Last month i got a Yamaha dsp1 for 50£
And that was 2700 new 😅
I will probably get a bose Customas 15 tgis weekend for 50£
😮
Its possibly the last time anyone will be able to do this sort of thing
As the stuff made now is way to flimsy and wont last 5 years
And lets be clear no 1 will sell there used amazon subscription for 10c on the $
10 years from now 😅😅
I am buying a turntable next and i am getting every CD i can find
Blue rays are now 20£ for 15
Happy days
I would love a cinema room
And if i did have 1 i would try and find a lazerdisk player and a few films
T2 😊 for sure
However at the moment its a step 2 far
Love the channel
Keep it up
I recently did a bit of editing for fun comparing a laserdisc release to a DVD (Pink Floyd at Pompeii)...I run my LD through a DVDO VP50, but it can't do miracles...I captured the output of the VP50 for the laserdisc and did a direct rip from the DVD...I had to zoom in on the DVD capture (I did it twice, thinking I made a mistake in the rip) the zoomed in DVD (using Premier Pro) was no where near as good of quality as the LD through the VP50... Either the VP50 truly creates miracles...or DVDs (depending on the pressing I assume) aren't any better.
youbecha64
DVDs as a technology allow for a better picture, but DVDs had A LOT of very poor transfers. Very annoying.
And of course this reminds me that I still don't have the Pompeii LD yet. There's always something else to add to the wishlist! :-D
I cam across the Hall and Oates Liberty Island concert from 1985 on CZcams. I want a physical copy so bad and found a copy for sale. Dying to purchase a laserdisc player now.
I just played a laserdisc on my 1991
Pioneer player for first time in 15 yrs.
And it still works.
Very cool!
Reasons I'm into it now: It's relatively cheap to collect, unlike old video games. It's a format I didn't have, but am fascinated by. There are some movies, anime, TV programs, that weren't released on DVD or Blu-Ray. There are certain extras on the format that aren't on newer formats, for instance a deleted Harrison Ford cameo in E.T. the Extraterrestrial.
It's been threatening to heat up a bit lately, now that retro gamers have started flocking to the format, but all those killer commons are still going to be nice and cheap. That E.T. box rocks and is usually dirt cheap too! Great stuff!
@@Culturedog Yeah, for most popular films it's only about 7 bucks each. More for box sets.
Bottom line…Laserdisc’s are just cool as fu$#! Thanks for the great informative video’s i’m hooking up ac-3 rt now!
Thanks! Enjoy that AC-3 action!
Time travel. That’s a great thing and having these discs is a great way to get there.
I remember watching Flight of the Navigator for the first time on Laserdisc, and the joy of hearing the alien voice talking to the boy in his sleep...i never EVER understood that he was actually making words before. The sound was clear, and on VHS it was muffled. That joy is why I love LDs
Oooh, I should spin up the Flight of the Navigator disc I picked up in a recent lot - thanks for the reminder!!
I have some movies on both laserdisc and bluray/4k bluray including Jurassic Park, Apocalypse Now, Alien, Aliens, Interview With A Vampire, Die Hard, Aladdin. The sound on all these movies is incredibly more theater-like and more "open" on the LASERDISC despite the new sound technologies of DTS-X and Dolby Atmos on 4k. I love my 4k bluray collection for sure, but if I have it on both formats, I watch the laserdisc.
I was in 5th grade and my science teacher had a laserdisc player in her classroom. Everyday i wondered what it was cause she never used it. One day she actually turned it on and ejected the disc and turned it over and we watched a few mins and she turned it off. The size of the disc blew my mind and i was hooked but never seen movies or anything outside of that one time. Now i have a player and several movies and still love it as much i did when i first seen it.
This video is excellent, it's astounding to me, why would anybody care about what film formats people collect, I totally agree about watching films on older formats is like time travel, I have a 4:3 VHS version of Carpenter's Halloween and the transfer is almost black and white and I love it, the ironic thing is people who watch Laserdisc/VHS also watch Blu Ray 4K but not the other way around.
While we are on the subject laserdisc is still the best way I've seen some films regardless of the format especially sound wise From Dusk till Dawn on LD is probably one of the best films I've ever heard full stop. I'm just happy to see films fans of regardless of what they watch, and I hate this way of thinking but if you don't like people that watch Laserdisc/VHS or something I don't now if you can really call yourself a film fan because like I said earlier why would anybody care.
Awesome video.
I had a feeling you'd get it! Cheers!
I've got some old tapes like that - I used to abuse a dub of a dub of a dub of Mad Max with the original dialogue back in the day. Same thing, it basically looked black and white from replicative fade. Still loved it though!
I had so much fun with my From Dusk Till Dawn LD! I ponied up for the pricier collector's edition with the commentary and extras. That audio track is still ridiculous - when the bats start invading the surround channels it's amazing!
I get it, i've been collecting Blu Rays for a few years. I like the fact that I can buy an ancient movie and watch it in HD, which truly is close to the original format the movie was meant to be seen as. But i'm also fascinated by Laserdiscs and always try to find CZcams clips of how the picture quality looks for the different movies releases. I would rather collect Laserdiscs than DVD.
I could say that I collect LDs because of the sound, the analogue video, the commentary tracks that have since been altered or completely changed, or for those titles that aren't available on DVD or BR. I could also say I do it for aesthetic and tactile reasons (gate and trifold covers . . .hmmmm). But it'd be a lie (mostly). I collect them now because when I was a kid, and collected VHS, I looked at these weird record cover things in wonder and wished I could afford to buy one, let alone a player to watch it on.
Back then I never knew anyone who knew anyone that owned an LD player. Even today I only "know" people who own LDs because they're the people I buy and sell to. Outside of that circle the story hasn't changed.
I now have a collection of around 1300 and every time a reason to reduce or dispose of that collection arises I think back to the boy with the Lethal Weapon 3 VHS in his hands looking up at the display of LD covers he thought he'd never get the chance to own.
Sometimes we collect what we want to collect because we like what we're collecting. It is really that simple.
Some people collect bodily clippings (I'll go no further in that description). As pointless collections go, Laserdiscs are far, far away from the top of that list.
1300 - respect!! Love the tale of young you and the Lethal Weapon 3 tape - that's something I can 100% relate to. Sometimes I'll pick up a lot for cheap and have to take a minute to pinch myself when I realize what 90s Me would think if he could see all this great stuff!
I definitely don't plan on joining Clippings Forever anytime soon, but more power to them I guess? Haha
@@Culturedog It's usually during one of your "Show n Tell" vids that I'll spot something I hadn't thought of in decades that then sends me scurrying to LDDb and/or eBay.
Started collecting all the old Analogue BBC titles but there's some there that I could never see my self being happy paying for (the Doctor Who titles go for around £50 a piece. I sold a rotter with a true and detailed description that ended up going for £70+ without complaint. The Domsday discs recently sold for over £500) so that's one collection fated to never be complete.
A few years back I headed into the Criterion titles. I'm 90 in and still nowhere near the finish line.
My VHS collection was a good 75% horror but, as you said, horror on LD is also a strangely expensive route.
So, when you do your slow-boat and bundle vids it's just feeding my envy!! :)
Thanks for the shows. Always entertaining and informative.
Laserdisc was The Dream of all Dreams from the time my family didn't even had a VHS, but rented a movie box from time to time. We eventually got a VHS-player and when I bought a DVD-player in early 2001 that was a major moment. Then in 2003 I got my first LD-player. After collecting loads of VHS and DVD at that point it wasn't until I got the LD that I felt I had accomplished what I dreamt about as a kid. Something about old fashion high-tech that doesn't loose its appeal. And LD was and is for the enthusiasts, it's just special and cool.
Absolutely! Awesome story - keep on spinning those giant discs!
I have 8mm, 9.5mm 16mm and 35mm film, I have DVD, Bluray, Digital, VHS, and Laser Disc.
Respect!
I like analog LDs . Just love plugging those composite jacks into the amp .
It’s all better on a projection tv . Film is projected. Can never give up my LD copy of White Sands (although it’s not analog sound)
Why analog?
Spooky Lemon Better for the ears. Electronic bits (digitized sound) doesnt have as warm and natural a sound as analog. Similar to a persons desire to listen to LPs over CDs .
Hi Sam, greetings from the UK. Just recently discovered your channel.
Great video, you win this debate well.🙂 (or should I say LD wins lol)
Similar to others I could not afford the Pioneer cld2950 player I always wanted back in 95, so had to be complacent with Vhs widescreen editions with hi fi stereo sound lol
Finally started my collection around 7 years ago, agree the artwork can be very impressive, for me just perusing before making the final selection of what to watch is very satisfying.
Thanks for the great work.
Thanks for checking out the video! Glad you enjoyed it!
There's something great about finally grabbing that piece of gear you used to dream about. If I could go back in time and show my 21-year-old self the players I own now, the younger me would freak out for sure.
Keep on collecting those giant discs! Cheers!
You know, I don't have a laserdisc player or any disc but I love this technology because my dad used to have a player and movies. I feel regret in not keeping the player. I really enjoy watching videos about laserdisc. I would like to start a collection but I live in a country where is not easy to get all of that. So, for classic movies I prefer to get them on the standard Blu ray disc format (1080p), because I think that the remastered is very good and recent movies get them in UHD Blu ray. I've never liked DVD.
Good video, Sam.
Thanks man! Glad you enjoyed it!
I like LaserDiscs because its an analog format I can enjoy on my analog devices (CRT, etc) and get the most out of them. LaserDiscs look really good on a CRT.
I oddly prefer pan and scan (aka 4:3, not letterbox or widescreen) LDs when possible. Fills up the whole screen, if I wanted to watch closer to a 'reference' format I can load up the 4ks on my modern setup.
I''m not sure DVD will see a similar resurgence like LD though, aside from exclusives and such.
Hell the huge unique record size cases alone are worth collecting. Should be a no brainer. I only have one laser disc. T2. Wish I had a player
Can't go wrong with T2! Hope you find a player!
Man I love your shirts lol you're like the Laserdisc cults version of Don Cherry. Different whacky shirt every video! This was a great video with lots of valid points.
Haha I think Don Cherry's got me beat, but I'll try to keep up! Thanks man!
@@Culturedog now that I've had some time to decompress my thoughts on the video and the question laid at hand, I think I can confidently answer as to why I bother with Laserdisc. Pride. I am the only one i know, who even knows what laserdisc is in my area and within my group if peers. At work too. Everywhere i go, I'm constantly explaining about it to the point of frustration. I haven't nearly as many discs as you. But I have around 250. And for them being so rare in my area and only collecting for about 2 years, I still think it's pretty impressive. I love my LD collection. I get a lot of joy when I watch movies, get new equipment, or even pick up a cheap discs. I got the criterion collection of Akira last week. My friend picked it up for me, and I was pretty stoked. I also tend to find a lot of movies that I was unaware of, and I watch them. Countless times. I never watched the 1931 Universal Dracula. I knew who Bela Lugosi was, but I never watched the film. I got it in a lot i picked up, and I was absolutley captivated. And when the movie was over, there was literal scores of these still frames, and some of them were pictures of the man himself, and some of them were just world wide released theatrical posters. I still think it's a great affordable way to watch movies. I'm totally that idiot who would pay the absurd amounts of money for the higher end sought after disc. So far I think my most expensive disc is C.H.U.D. and I love it. However I totally get your points in this video. It's like someone giving you shit for having an older car when they have a brand new one. Like yes, its nicer, and yes it probably is more efficient. But am I still getting around in my old car? Is it that unreliable to the point of it needing to go to the scrap yard? It's a silly argument.
As someone with a less-than-amazing LD player who got into LDs more as a side-hobby (originally for the "Star Wars" trilogy and TV Cut of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture"), I wish some 3rd party tech company would develop a modernized LD player for those who do still collect. Over the past 10+ years, we've seen all manner of recreated video game hardware, often with a hefty price tag. It would be amazing if a company (such as Analogue) would deliver an LD deck for today's enthusiasts.
Yeah . . . one can dream.
Yeah, we're at least crawling our way into making 3D-printed replacement parts - so that'll breathe some extra life into a lot of the surviving players. But a brand new boutique player would be way cool!
Amen
Few things make my head explode faster than hearing anyone say, "Laserdisc? Didn't that fail???"
Ugh, that's the worst! Yeah, it "failed" but somehow lasted decades. Go figure!
Yeah it's funny how it's considered to be a failure yet Pioneer themselves kept on fixing the units up until like 2009. Even had HD in 1993, I would personally love to compare them to modern releases.
Was the movie Island of Terror (Staring Peter Cushing) ever put on Laserdisc? If so did it show the FIRST autopsy of Ian Bellos performed by Dr. Landers and Constable Harris unedited? It was the scariest part of the entire movie and it is not shown on the VHS, DVD or Blu-ray versions!!!!! We can clearly see that it was edited out. You can hear very scary music playing for no apparent reason at the end of the autopsy!!! In the scene in the theater version you get to see up close the aftermath of a Silicate attack!!!!!
Sadly, I don't think it was ever released on Laserdisc. Shame, as that would have been a great candidate for the double-feature discs I like to collect.
Nice opening with Anger Mgmt
Gotta represent! ;-)
I personally never watched a laserdisc but You shouldn't have to justify what you like or collect. It's your personal time and/or money. Some people are totally into vinyl. To each their own.
I've had laserdisc since 1989...havs over 1000 discs... I still buy discs and machines... Watch every night... Long live laserdisc... Rot isn't a problem maybe 10 discs that have rot.... Love the format... Always will... No I don't own a dvd player or vhs....and as the song goes its hip to be square...
Respect!
All it's gonna take is one episode of Stranger Things to feature a laserdisc cameo and BAM...