Most LD players are enormous beasts... Which got me wondering, what is the smallest player ever made? My V2800 isn't so huge. But are there even smaller models out there?

There is a 90s industrial model that as far as I know is significantly smaller than any other. I can't remember the model number though.

It would be the 2800, not much bigger than the disc...

So maybe there is no other player smaller than my V2800? Interesting.... Seems like they would've gotten thinner maybe..

nah, the V2800 is just about the most compact LDP ever made... and one of the all-round ugliest as well, YMMV as always;

I was at first thinking of the 2800, but would one of those CD/CDV/VSD players count?

What do you do with a barcode reader with a ld player?

The V2400/2600/2800 and CLD-DV5000 were sold in educational packages. Things like science LDs and a guide book. You played the LD, followed along in the guide book and when you got to the Q&A you scan the answer in the guide book and "tell" the player. Then you find out if you're wrong (review a chapter) or you're a science whiz

I dont find it that ugly.. it reminds me of a 90's VCR!

This subject reminds me of a thought I've occasionally had: imagine a portable LD player like those portable DVD player in a laptop layout. Hardware hackers (like Ben Heck) squeeze game consoles into portables, and this would be a similar theme. A small player like the aforementioned in this thread might have a small enough PCB to squeeze into such a case, but miniaturizing the mechanics would be nontrivial. Top loading, like the DVD portables, and you would need a flat spindle motor: I'd bet some serious work would be needed to get everything mechanical into a thin enough profile. For rigidity, I would take the Nagra approach and machine the whole thing out of a solid billet of metal .

Think this kind of design:



And this kind of build quality (the legendary Nagra VPR-5 portable broadcast VTR, cost $50k in the 80's):



One can dream...

My Pioneer cld-3030 measures 16.5" by 16.5" square and only 4 1/4 inches high. It's the lowest height of all my players.

I know Pioneer made a few LD players in jambox/shelf-stereo configurations, & there was at least one model which would only play the 20 cm discs. Looking through the LaserDisc Archive late at night you see some weird things…

I have one of these (LD-V3000): http://www.laserdiscarchive.co.uk/laser ... -v3000.htm

Analog audio only and only plays 8" discs. Mine came with a medical disc. Player is in a leatherette case with carry strap. Appears to have been made for portable training seminars. Kind of a cool little bugger

Had to look these up, but is it cheating to say that these are the most compact LD players ever made?

http://audio-database.com/PIONEER-EXCLU ... 07v-e.html
http://audio-heritage.jp/SONY-ESPRIT/pl ... -301v.html



I mean because, CDVs are technically LDs, right?

this is really weird I suppose its compact Pioneer CL-J75LD Laserdisc System

Wow, now I definitely want that and the LD V3000.

A friend of mine in the Navy actually had a shelf system with an LD player built in. Might have been this model. We were in HK and saw me buying some LDs and said "Well, my stereo has an LD player in it. I might as well buy some LDs too!"

I saw one of these CL-J75LD things on the bay here in the UK a couple of months ago and very nearly bought it out of pure curiosity. The seller wasn't asking much but annoyed me by not answering any of my very basic questions about it like what i/o there was and whether it was even working. Anyone have any experience of them?

From the US parts database, the CL-J35LD is likely a low to mid-end late 90's player, sharing various mech parts with the 2800 etc. It has the 2800's spindle and the 5xx/DVL's loading motor.

my own copy of the same model dares to break the mold a little. it's still very sleek and low in profile, especially compared to most,
but now looks meaner and more substantial IMO, and is less noisy in operation (LOAD/UNLOAD/DISC SET)
thanks to the improved mechanical damping/decoupling to the shelf it rests upon;