LaserDisc Database
https://forum.lddb.com/

Greetings from a total laserdisc noobie
https://forum.lddb.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=7914		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  pizmo [ 12 Jul 2018, 23:21 ]
Post subject:  Greetings from a total laserdisc noobie
I am totally new to all of this. I am not much of a movie collector. I have a decent amount of movies on Bluray and DVD, but nothing too crazy. However I am looking for a new hobby and collecting movies on LD seems like it might be fun. My only experience with laserdisc is from Jr. High and the few movies they showed us at school. I remember the teacher showing us the box art and those giant discs and thinking that it was really cool. But truth be told I never have the format a second thought until I stumbled across Pioneer CLD-M90 and a milk crate full of movies at a yard sell for $20 last weekend.

I have a theatre room setup in my home complete with LCD projector and surround sound home theatre system. It appears that I have a lot to learn about this format as when I got home and got everything hooked up I noticed that some discs like forest gump, the rock, and armageddon (pretty much all the 90s movies) looked pretty good. A little below dvd standards but not by much imo. However other LDs like Spartacus, American Graffiti, Tora Tora Tora (pretty much all the older movies) look absolutely horrible and are pretty much unwatchable.

I am here mostly to figure out why some discs look good and other discs look terrible (it seems the older the movie the worse they look) and if there is anything that can be done about it? I am also hoping that you guys will have some good tips for me on getting started in this hobby.

Thanks
Author:  rein-o [ 12 Jul 2018, 23:37 ]
Post subject:  Re: Greetings from a total laserdisc noobie
Some of the older titles you mention, are they the letterboxed or widescreen or are they first issue P/S
That could be an issue. Also it may be your eyes are used to the EE and can't take the look of older films.

I went to someones house for a film night, he invited a neighbor and the neighbor couldn't watch the Bluray of Blazing Saddles, couldn't understand why it looked horrible :?
Author:  pizmo [ 12 Jul 2018, 23:49 ]
Post subject:  Re: Greetings from a total laserdisc noobie
rein-o wrote:
Some of the older titles you mention, are they the letterboxed or widescreen or are they first issue P/S
That could be an issue. Also it may be your eyes are used to the EE and can't take the look of older films.

I went to someones house for a film night, he invited a neighbor and the neighbor couldn't watch the Bluray of Blazing Saddles, couldn't understand why it looked horrible :?


Spartacus was letterbox the rest weren't.

I'm not sure what "EE" means (forgive me if this is something I should know.. like I said I'm new too all of this). However I don't think it was my eyes. The old movies looked really blotchy and the screen was filled with wavy vertical lines. The new movies were pretty clear and didn't have the same wavy lines.

My guess is that I just have a crappy player. From the little bit of research I've done it seems that the CLD-M90 is a pretty low end player and from what I gather the quality of the player matters a great deal
Author:  rein-o [ 13 Jul 2018, 00:07 ]
Post subject:  Re: Greetings from a total laserdisc noobie
Sorry. EE Edge Enhancement.
Misread your first post "I am not much of a movie collector." LOL

Wavy is something else, age of film shouldn't matter if its a good transfer, but they will all look like you mentioned, sort of like DVD a little worse a little better
depending on your setup, disc etc.

Good luck with the new hobby.
Author:  signofzeta [ 13 Jul 2018, 00:20 ]
Post subject:  Re: Greetings from a total laserdisc noobie
I think you should just get another hobby. LD is expensive and filled with technical trouble and you don’t seem to care about movies very much, not so much that you’d want to pay 8x price for a inferior (“unwatchable”) version of something anyway. Surely there must be some other fire to throw your money onto that makes more sense?

Btw, please show this post to your wife.
Author:  pizmo [ 13 Jul 2018, 00:22 ]
Post subject:  Re: Greetings from a total laserdisc noobie
rein-o wrote:
Sorry. EE Edge Enhancement.
Misread your first post "I am not much of a movie collector." LOL

Wavy is something else, age of film shouldn't matter if its a good transfer, but they will all look like you mentioned, sort of like DVD a little worse a little better
depending on your setup, disc etc.

Good luck with the new hobby.

Thank you.

Where would you start in trying to figure out the wavy line issue with older movies?
Author:  pizmo [ 13 Jul 2018, 00:35 ]
Post subject:  Re: Greetings from a total laserdisc noobie
signofzeta wrote:
I think you should just get another hobby. LD is expensive and filled with technical trouble and you don’t seem to care about movies very much, not so much that you’d want to pay 8x price for a inferior (“unwatchable”) version of something anyway. Surely there must be some other fire to throw your money onto that makes more sense?

Btw, please show this post to your wife.

Thanks for the advise.

All hobbies cost money

I am certainly not ready to rush out and spend thousands of dollars on a new LD player and discs.

Right now I am just testing the water to see if LD is for me or not.

ATM LD is pretty intriguing to me (I think it is appealing to the vinyl record lover in me)

I also understand that this is obsolete dead tech and I'm never going to get HD quality out of there old discs.
Author:  rein-o [ 13 Jul 2018, 01:18 ]
Post subject:  Re: Greetings from a total laserdisc noobie
pizmo wrote:
rein-o wrote:
Sorry. EE Edge Enhancement.
Misread your first post "I am not much of a movie collector." LOL

Wavy is something else, age of film shouldn't matter if its a good transfer, but they will all look like you mentioned, sort of like DVD a little worse a little better
depending on your setup, disc etc.

Good luck with the new hobby.

Thank you.

Where would you start in trying to figure out the wavy line issue with older movies?

Google and the search here on the forum.

You will spend many, many days finding and reading all about it and then you may actually give up.
As much as I love LD and always will, I've had the format since I was a kid when my father bought it and knew it was better than VHS or equal to DVD at the time.

Now its completely different, unless you are getting into anime, obscure films pre 2001 that have not been released on DVD or Bluray or the 6th day then LD may not be for you.
Author:  pizmo [ 13 Jul 2018, 03:09 ]
Post subject:  Re: Greetings from a total laserdisc noobie
rein-o wrote:
pizmo wrote:
rein-o wrote:
Sorry. EE Edge Enhancement.
Misread your first post "I am not much of a movie collector." LOL

Wavy is something else, age of film shouldn't matter if its a good transfer, but they will all look like you mentioned, sort of like DVD a little worse a little better
depending on your setup, disc etc.

Good luck with the new hobby.

Thank you.

Where would you start in trying to figure out the wavy line issue with older movies?

Google and the search here on the forum.

You will spend many, many days finding and reading all about it and then you may actually give up.
As much as I love LD and always will, I've had the format since I was a kid when my father bought it and knew it was better than VHS or equal to DVD at the time.

Now its completely different, unless you are getting into anime, obscure films pre 2001 that have not been released on DVD or Bluray or the 6th day then LD may not be for you.


Like I said I'm a huge vinyl record fan. I started off with a cheap technics auto turntable and a couple records then spent years (and I don't even know how much money) building my record collection and improving my equipment. Now I have my collection and setup pretty much where I want it and now I find myself buying albums I don't really want just for the sake of supplying my hobby. So I think it is time to move on to something new.

Just buying a good bluray/dvd player and buying movies at WalMart and Amazon is too easy. I would lose interest fast (which is the main reason why I don't have a giant movie collection already).

I need something challenging.. something to tinker with and perfect.. something to hunt for at garage sales and thrift stores.

I think LD and I will be a good fit for eachother.. but only time will tell I suppose
Page 1 of 1 All times are UTC [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/