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elahrairrah
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Post subject: Re: Denon LA-3500 Posted: 24 Sep 2013, 15:28 |
Young Padawan |
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Joined: 30 Aug 2005, 15:38 Posts: 3419 Location: New Jersey Has thanked: 79 times Been thanked: 143 times
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It was a primitive means of encoding subtitle-like capabilities that is standard on DVD players into the Laserdisc format back in the day. A better explanation is here: Quote: Q: What is LD+G? I have seen this logo on some import laserdiscs and I was wondering what it refers to. A: LD+G (sometimes LD-G) stands for LaserDisc + Graphics. This is a feature found on some Japanese laserdiscs as a form of optional subtitling that can be overlayed onto the video image. The end result is similar to the American Closed Captioning system, but LD+G offers the potential for many more subtitle or caption options. It also allows the viewer to move the captions upward or downward on the screen to their liking. To access the LD+G tracks, you must have an LD+G decoder. These were available in Japan either as stand-alone units, or sometimes built into a laserdisc player (such as the LD-S9. See below).
LD+G was never available on American laserdisc releases, and the decoder was not built into many American laserdisc players (I only know of one Denon model that has it).
It has been a common misconception that LD+G will enable a user to remove the Japanese subtitles from import laserdisc releases. This is, unfortunately, a myth. The subtitles found on Japanese laserdiscs are burned into the video image, much as English subtitles are typically a permanent part of foreign-language film releases in the U.S. They cannot be removed. The most one can hope to do is cover them up. LD+G can indeed do this, but only by laying a new set of subtitles on top. In theory, it would be possible for one of the LD+G tracks to be encoded with an empty black bar that could cover up the subtitled part of the picture (useful only if the subs appear entirely in the black letterbox bar), but this is not a function for which LD+G was designed, and to my knowledge no discs are encoded that way.
The most concise and informative explanation of the workings of LD+G that I have received is this one from Blaine Young:
On the LD+G discs that I have checked, there are 16 tracks possible. The decoder lists the tracks as 00 through 15, with 00 and 01 on by default. I've only ever found data on 01. It does seem a waste of potential - you could effectively have the same subtitle capabilities as DVD with LaserDisc. The one exception is that LD+G puts everything in a box [ed.: like Closed Captioning] where DVD actually lays the text over the screen without a blocking background.
As for CC and LD+G, there are several discs I've come across that are Closed Captioned in English, but do not have LD+G. I've also found some that are LD+G, but not CC. There are others that have both (like the yellow band 007 titles). A good example of CC but no LD+G would be "M:I-2". Some have neither CC nor LD+G, like "The 6th Day" and "X-Men".
CC and LD+G differ in how they are stored. LD+G is actually a subcarrier embedded in the PCM audio data - exactly the same process as CD+G. For LD, the data is extracted from the PCM track and laid overtop of the video (all done within players equipped in Japan or through an external decoder). CC is strictly in the video signal and is text that is stored on line 21 of vertical blanking area - the blank video portion between frames which is above the viewable picture area.
In either case with CC or LD+G, the program can be whatever the content provider elects, but I've yet to see anything other than English on any of the titles I've got.
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xtempo
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Post subject: Re: Denon LA-3500 Posted: 24 Sep 2013, 19:47 |
Jedi Candidate |
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Joined: 02 Apr 2006, 21:20 Posts: 2125 Location: United States Has thanked: 75 times Been thanked: 132 times
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elahrairrah wrote: You can see the titles in the pictures. Nothing special really. The player is though. Supposed to be the ONLY player released in the US market that decodes LD-G. I only looked at the pictures in the body of the listing and also he didn't mention the titles so its my mistake for not looking at the main area for pictures but I thought that and the ones in the body would be the same ones.
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Guest
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Post subject: Re: Denon LA-3500 Posted: 25 Sep 2013, 02:38 |
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It is still a bit odd that he mentions cosmetic damage and there seems to be masking tape remnants on the serial number. Dealer demo maybe?
After learning more here, that's an interesting looking player and I would like to hear one. Even though it lacks that Super M.A.S.H., I wonder if it falls in the era of crushing all over Panny with Denon's general upgrades to analog sound output in their versions.
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Guest
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Post subject: Re: Denon LA-3500 Posted: 25 Sep 2013, 04:12 |
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I haven't heard a 900 yet. I have an lx-k700 and I assume it is standard M.A.S.H. so I am eager to find a 900. Do you know what CD models had the super M.A.S.H. -- and also if they are expensive collectibles, or affordable sleepers?
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elahrairrah
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Post subject: Re: Denon LA-3500 Posted: 25 Sep 2013, 16:50 |
Young Padawan |
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Joined: 30 Aug 2005, 15:38 Posts: 3419 Location: New Jersey Has thanked: 79 times Been thanked: 143 times
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The 3500 is supposedly good as a CD transport if this review on the Laserdisc Archive is to be believed: Quote: However, it is the audio performance that I find most impressive about the LA-3500. With my Fosgate Model 3a processor switched from Dolby Pro Logic to Stereo Bypass, the Denon proved to be a superbly musical CD player, shedding new light on disc after disc. For example, one of my all-time favorite CDs; the John Eliot Gardiner performance of Monteverdi's Vespro Della Beata Vergine (Archiv 429 56S2J; was recorded in the Basilica di San Marco in Venice using audiophile-approved minimalist Viking techniques. The LA-3500's rendition of this recording is stunning. The positioning of the multiple choirs, the power of the brass section, and the remarkable ambience of St. Mark's are tangible in a way that I have only experienced previously with a high-end, two-piece CD player that costs in excess of $6,000.
In fact, the Denon works so well as a CD player, it has taken over as the primary CD spinner in my system. No other laserdisc player; including one with a separate little drawer for CDs; has even tempted me to do that Also, I do remember disclord praising the D/A in the 900. It might not be the MASH system, but it's still pretty good. I have no complaints with my 900, audiowise, but I also normally just have it plugged into my receiver via TOSLink so the 24-bit Burr-Brown DAC in my VSX-27TX receiver does all the processing.
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Guest
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Post subject: Re: Denon LA-3500 Posted: 27 Sep 2013, 02:16 |
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If I have my info correct, the Panny definitely does have the Super M.A.S.H. I'm just learning towards an upgrade though, there is lots of information to sift through.
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