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Posted: 24 Jun 2012, 19:14 

North by Northwest #45A (1959) [CC1226L]

I just watched this Criterion CLV edition which adds a digital version of the mono soundtrack not featured on the CAV release.

Image is very good for the age, but obviously Criterion used a show print of some kind as there is damage inherent throughout the film. Color timing is very pleasing to the eye and unlike other editions I've seen. Think of the look of the new Blu-ray/DVD edition but lighter and you have an idea of what it looks like. Framed at about 1.75:1, and as this is a VistaVision film there are many ways to go about this. 1.66, 1.7, 1.75, 1.78, 1.85 are all acceptable choices and each will give a slightly different amount of information in the frame. Criterion's image gives more on top and bottom but does lose a bit on the sides. Just look at the opening titles, as the bottom credit text and logo is cut off completely on the right side. But this is a great disc for it's age. Funny to think it's as old as I am. ;)
Image: 6 or 7/10

The mono soundtrack is the original version and not a remix. Once you've heard this track there's no going back to the fake modern 5.1 which has the music overpowering the still mono dialogue. It's perfectly balanced and for all the talk about Bernard Herrmann's score being recorded in stereo and pitifully put into the mono mix it sounds wonderful. Natural soundfield with a nice bit of bass too-this especially comes across when score cues. Here on the Criterion disc, the mono sounds well preserved on the digital track but has some occasional issues. In the first scene with VanDamm, the audio becomes extremely hissy and every line of dialogue is engulfed in a hiss. It's still audible but slightly distracting. The beginning of Side 3 has a big volume spike which gently lowers after about a minute or so. Finally, I don't know if this is just my disc but there are two places where the sound is completely garbled with some kind of digital noise. It's not either of my players and the disc seems to be perfect so perhaps this is a mastering error? Anyway, this occurs:
-In the opening dialogue scene right after Thornhill has picked up a newspaper, and the second half of his line if obscured by mysterious garble.
-When Thornhill and Mother enter the Plaza Hotel.
Sound gets a 10/10 for presenting the mono mix faithfully. The real quality rating with these issues would bring it down to say a 7/10. Still it sounds really really good !

I really enjoyed this disc, and it has become my favorite copy, though it lacks in the high resolution of the DVD/Blu-ray transfer which came from an 8K scan of the original negative. I want to see the MGM widescreen release as it has a cleaner mono soundtrack (but the opening titles are in stereo), a different color timing and more open 1.66 framing.

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Posted: 18 Aug 2013, 04:29 

Special Chapter:

In this chapter historically significant Laserdiscs are listed. They may be available on other formats but they first appeared on Laserdisc with a signifying technology or mastering method.

Abyss, The: Special Edition (1989) (Uncut) [1988-85] First THX labeled LD. Some earlier test titles exist but this LD is the first one with THX Laserdisc seal.
Bringing Out the Dead (1999) [LV335643-WS] Last LD released in the US(25 days after Sleepy Hollow)
Cell, The (2000) (Uncut) [PILF-2868] Very last English audio LD ever. 109min uncut version exist in R2/NTSC Japanese DVD.
Citizen Kane: Special Edition #1 # (1941) [CC101] Criterion Spine#1 and the very first special edition in home video
Clear and Present Danger (1994) [LV 32463-2WS] Very first AC-3 track on any home video format.
Batman Forever (1995) [NJWSL-13666] First Ac-3 LD in home video
Elton John: In Concert at Edinburgh [74-001] LD exclusive. First Pop music Laserdisc.
Fellini's Casanova (1976) [15-004] Opening credits are letterboxed at 1.77:1, making it the very first widescreen home video title.
Jaws (1975) [12-001] Very first Discovision title.
Jurassic Park (1993) [43115] Very first DTS track on any home video format.
Manhattan (1979) [ML100469] The very first letterboxed Laserdisc(entire movie) CED version is the very first Letterboxed title in home video history.
Schlafes Bruder (1995) [0004] Only SQZ LD with DTS audio(Full feature).
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999) [PILF-2830] Very first Dolby Digital EX (AC-3 5.1 with matrixed rear center)soundtrack on any home video.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) [PILF-2187] First Squeeze/Anamorphic LD(according to catalog number)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) [PILF-2555] Only THX Squeeze LD. Last anamorphic title.
Tokyo Raiders (2000) [PILF-2870] Very Last LD pressed ever.

Chapter 1: Star Wars

Earlier CBS/FOX editions(CLV) are very close to theatrical cut. Early "A New Hope" pressings suffer shrinking aspect ratio. Aspect ratio gets wider as film progresses. Later Technidisc pressings are from a different master and free from this defect. they reportedly have less DVNR but has higher cross-talk levels.

Star Wars: A New Hope (FOX) (1977) [1130-85]
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) [1425-85]
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983) [1478-85]

Special Collection(CBS/FOX) Japanese releases are the first widescreen releases. They are in CAV format in correct aspect ratio and has no DNR or EE. Much preferred by purist.

Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) [SF148-1196]
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) [SF148-1242]
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983) [SF148-1343]

Definitive Collection Laserdiscs are also very close to theatrical cut. They are in CAV format, each film is on 3 disc/6sides. Video content is similar to CBS/FOX but some dialog differs from the Definitive set. This collection has extras that are not on DVD/BD. This cut exist on GOUT DVD editions in none-anamorphic(letterboxed) with Dolby Digital 2.0(192kbps) as an extra content. Same D1 master as definitive collection was used. These DVDs are also OOP now.

Star Wars Trilogy: Definitive Collection [0693-84]

Faces editions(CLV) include short interviews at the end that are also unique to these editions. Although mastered from the same D1 master as Definitive Collection, DNR and EE are more apparent on these discs.

Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) [8763-85]
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) [8764-85]
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983) [8765-85]

Special edition set is the 1997 cut which exist only on Laserdisc. 2004 DVD release and 2012 BD releases have newer/altered cuts. Extra content on this set is also unique. Also available on VHS.

Star Wars Trilogy: Special Edition (1997) [4102985]

Special editions were pressed twice in Japan. Second pressing is much newer(11/22/2000) than the US and Japanese version and as similar to picture to US and first Japan pressings. There is a short 11min "Episode II making of" feature which is exclusive to this release.

Star Wars Trilogy: Special Edition (1997) [PILF-2860]

Lucas also altered The Phantom Menace on DVD then BD then again on 3D theatrical release. Laserdisc release is the only theatrical cut along with VHS release. VCDs with this cut exist outside the US.

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999) [PILF-2830]

These below versions are PAL encoded. The first 2 are French Original Trilogy releases in THX/LBX and English audio(French imposed subtitles). The last one is the 1997 special edition in UK PAL version in English audio without subtitles. These versions represent SW Trilogy in highest resolution. PAL LD offers 625(576 visible) line vertical 440 line horizontal resolution opposed to NTSC LD's 525(480 visible) line vertical 425 line horizontal resolution. Lack of a reference quality Laserdisc player with PAL playback capability makes these releases less desirable.

Star Wars: Coffret Trilogie [168035]
Star Wars: La guerre des etoiles (1977) [113037]
Star Wars Trilogy: Special Edition (1997) [EE 1232]

Chapter 2: Godfather

1901-1980 set has all three movies merged together in one cut for TV broadcasting. It is open matte therefor in 1.33:1 aspect ratio.

Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980 (1992) (Uncut) [LV15147-7]

1901-1959 Epic set is similar to above set but only has the first two movies mixed together. Only available in Japan.

Godfather: The Epic 1901-1959 (1990) [PILF-1147]

Chapter 3: Disney


Beauty and the Beast (1991) [1325 CS] Original Disney aspect ratio of 1.66:1 and correct color timing.
Lady and the Tramp (1955) [14673 AS] Disney made two versions of the movie. 2.35:1 aspect ratio cut is more common and available on DVD/BD. 1.33:1 open matte version is LD exclusive.
Song of the South (1946) [PILF-1096] Disney decided it is politically incorrect and never released on home video on any format in the US.

Below titles are the theatrical cuts. Disney later released these titles on DVD and BD but they are the newer cuts made in early 2000s and slightly different. LD versions have the theatrical soundtrack whereas DVD/BD versions have the newer home video mix.


Aladdin (1992) [1662 CS]
Mulan (1998) [PILA-3026]
Nightmare Before Christmas, The: Special Edition (1993) [2774 CS]
Pocahontas: Special Edition (1995) [6875 CS]
Lion King, The: Deluxe Edition (1994) [4613 CS] Has extra content different than later releases. AC-3 audio track is the theatrical mix.
Toy Story: Deluxe Edition (1995) [8847 CS] Politically incorrect content in extras(Knickknack) later altered on DVD/BD.

Chapter 4: James Cameron and Super 35

Several of James Cameron films are available in "Director's Pan & Scan Edition". These versions have the matted portions removed of the Super 35 film therefore it is possible to see more information on the bottom and top while slightly less on sides. This List will also include other notable "Pan&Scan" editions from different directors.


Abyss, The: Special Edition (1989) (Uncut) [1988-80]
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) [LD68952-2]
Terminator 2: Judgment Day: Special Edition (1991) [82997-2]
True Lies (1994) [8640-80]
Titanic (1997) [LV 334813]

Other notable Super35 films on LD:


Top Gun: Special Collection (1986) [SF120-1480]

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 Post subject: Re: Laserdisc vs DVD
Posted: 08 Jul 2014, 03:51 

Ld and dvd are both 480i vertical resolution. Dvd has over 500 lines or horizontal resolution and Ld has 425 (theoretical) lines of horizontal resolution.

Dvd has 240 lines of chroma resolution in alternative lines (4:2:0 sampling) that is 4 bit of Cb and Cr (chroma)on every other line where as 8 bit Y (Luma) on all lines.

Ld has 120 lines of chroma at best. Most older pressing (pre-superNTSC) have half of that and 2D comb filters can only retract limited Chroma from the composite signal. So early 1990s releases played through 3D comb filter gets 100+ lines.

Dvd is a digital medium. Its samples of discreet info. Imagine you want to draw a line in digital. In 1000 sampling you draw 1000 dots next to each other. In 100 sampling you draw the same line (same length) with 100 dots. If you draw your line high enough number of dots you might create one straight line without breaks.

Ld is an analog format. Its continuous time. You draw a line scratching your pen on the paper. The quality of the line depends on your pen and the paper. If its a good ball point pen and a fine paper, you will have a beautiful line. Ld can record 7mhz of continuous electrical information pet second for its video.


dvd has about 65db of signal to noise ratio. Ld is 54db on the best machine. Most average player is at around 48-50db.

dvd can be read quiet accurately and the same on most dvd players. If I tell you to draw a 1" line with 100 dots in equal spaces, you can imitate my line easily. If I ask you to draw a 1" line with a pen, your line will look like mine but if you examine closely each line is unique with different strokes. Thats why analog recording and reading differs each time and each equipment.

Dvd is compressed in mpeg-2. It has side effects like banding, pixelation on motion, mosquito noise. Ld is uncompressed and immune of these but separating luma and chroma has its own artifacts .

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Posted: 24 Oct 2015, 03:04 

In this review, I am comparing the US release Slipstream (1989) [ID6764VV] and the Japanese release Slipstream (1989) [SF047-1653]

It is a rather unknown film, so a few words on it first. For the good part, the films stars Mark Hamill(Luke Skywalker y'all), Bill Paxton, Ben Kingsley and F. Murray Abraham. Got interested? I know....but why didn't you hear about this film before? Well.., now the bad part, it is a bad film! It's a cheesy sci-fi from late the 80s but we love that, don't we?

Let's talk some technical stuff. The US version is listed P&S whereas the JPN version is LBX for a 1.78:1 frame. I have a reason to believe they are both framed and masked differently from the original 35mm print. The US version has a little more information on top and bottom but still cropped from sides. I gave up watching the Japanese version after 10 minutes, more on that later. Per imdb, the intended ratio is 1.75:1 so the JPN version is the correct one for the purist but the US version is so well framed, it is my choice.

Now let's evaluate the video. Neither version can be considered good. They are different masters for sure. The Japanese version is orange tinted and the US version is blue tinted. The JPN version has heavy chroma noise. Orange is made up of secondaries which is even weaker on the NTSC signal on LD than other colors. This might be a good reason the JPN version is chroma noisy. Teal/blue is among primaries, although well saturated colors isn't LD's main strength, it suffers far less on primaries. The US version is reasonably well in noise levels for both chroma and luma. You can even see some film grain and texture. This is not a superNTSC master so most colors are dull as usual. To sum it all, if you want the original aspect ratio and orange tint, you will have to put up with heavy chroma noise. If you ask my opinion, I prefer the clean US version, in fact, the blue tint isn't as pronounced as the orange tint on the JPN version. For the record, the JPN disc has Japanese subtitles within partially in picture.

The audio is good, not magnificent but good. The score is well Star Wars'ic, the composer must have been carried away with Mark Hamill's presence. Remember, this film was made only 5 years after the Jedi and Hamill is still fit. It is a Dolby Surround encoded sountrack and rear surrounds are active the entire film. A lot of ambient and orchestral scores filling the room. I think the soundtrack of this film is very enthusiastic and well above average. Both JPN and USA discs have the same soundtrack for the record. They are both consistent with each other.

Neither jacket is interesting. They are both single disc with CLV encode. The JPN disc comes with obi. The US disc has the theatrical poster on the front.

Notes: This film appeared to have been shot in Capadoccia in Turkey. It is a several millennia old natural valley with some of the oldest human settlements traces such as an underground city with many caves. It is said that the local people today speaks Aramaic natively (which Jesus spoke two millennia ago)

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Posted: 31 Mar 2016, 11:08 

Just curious what everyone thinks is the most smoothly drawn 4:3 anime on LD.

I haven't watched much on LD, but Ninja Scroll CAV had the best animated video quality I've seen on LD so far when the action scenes were drawn on every frame.

Any thoughts?

For high quality animation, a few come to mind (usually short and CAV):


CLAMP
X2 (Double X): Image Clip in X (1993) [SRLW 1577] (the trailer)
Clamp in Wonderland (1994) [BEAL-931]

Everything else I could think of was either 1.66:1 or 1.85:1


Studio Ghibli (and all the movies!)
On Your Mark (1995) [PCLP-00652]
Mamoru Oshii
Ghost in the Shell: Premium Box (1995) [BEAL-921]
Patlabor: The Movie (1989) [BELL-1310]
Patlabor 2: The Movie (1993) [BELL-1311]
Katsuhiro Outomo
Akira: Special Collection (1988) [PILA-1086]
Memories (1995) [BEAL-926]
Misc
Jin-Roh (1998) [BELL-1541]
Perfect Blue: Special Collection Box (1997) [PILA-9002]

Julien

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Posted: 31 Mar 2016, 14:49 

Variable Geo is pretty smooth and well-drawn, especially in the fight sequences. Just that most people are uncomfortable watching it because of all the fan service :lol: :oops:

Then there's Giant Robo . This is one of my favorite anime of all time. Very nicely animated, great story and engaging characters.

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Posted: 31 Mar 2016, 19:57 

For a real trip, you could try "Gestalt". It was computer-animated (in a manner which imitates cel work) at 30 fps. Not quite what you're looking for, I'm sure!

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Posted: 31 Mar 2016, 20:12 

Given that anime is usually based on economy of frames, "smooth" is as hard to define as it is to find. Most anime is shot on 3s, meaning 8fps, not exactly An American Tail. Even when the budget is high, "smoothness" is used sparingly. They might spend %50 on 3 minutes of awesome and starve the rest of the film. This unevenness is one of my favorite things about anime.

However, I can say we'd be looking at either a theatrical release or a late 80s money pit OVA. As much as I like Ghibli I don't think they're nerdy enough to achieve maximum smoothness. Even Porco Rosso, which is pretty smooth, is shot on 2s much of the time.

Here are a few things I can think of, you'll have to figure out if there is a 4:3 LD of it.

Royal Space Force (there is a "TV size" LD I have, 4:3, that shows much more detail than the LBX issues)

Crusher Joe (the movie, not the OVAs)

Daicon Opening Film (still nearly $100, very scratchy, but probably the absolute highest quality anime ever that was done completely in the hand drawn and optical sense)

I'm not an expert on Cobra, but there is something Cobra that is extremely HQ.

Robot Carnval (an anthology, some shorts are cheap, some amazing, more variety in style than any anime anthology I can think of).

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Posted: 17 Sep 2017, 15:12 

Variable Geo is pretty smooth and well-drawn, especially in the fight sequences. Just that most people are uncomfortable watching it because of all the fan service :lol: :oops:

heaven knows, enjoying one's fanservice in peace has got to be one of the very few outstanding reasons to be an Antisocial Nerd...

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Posted: 27 Sep 2017, 01:54 

Fantasia: Special Edition (1940) [1236 CS]

This is the 50th Anniversary Box Set. A friend who knows I collect LDs gave me a bunch of Disney LDs that he ran across. In the group were two of this box set, which I started watching with my daughter.

The Box Set - Compared to every other Disney (or non-Disney) box set, the box is an oddly large shape that is ~25% larger on one side than a normal LD. The label is on the long side, so due to the extra length it makes it difficult to store with the label facing out. The long side is just too long to put into the correct orientation along side of other normal sized laserdiscs. Besides 3 discs, the box includes a commemorative program, and a matted lithograph of Mickey as the sorcerer's apprentice. The box quality is very good, but the plastic insert that holds the discs is a little too easy to crush or bend when putting discs away after use.

Picture Quality - Of the 500+ laserdiscs I own, this is probably one of the better movies for scaling to 1080P (using VPS3800). The PQ is top notch, and is a real treat to watch and had an old school film grain texture that did not detract from the movie and felt right. I personally enjoyed the PQ through all of the animated scenes. The only time I noticed scaling artifacts was during rapid movement of smaller objects. However, the visuals were just as good and is probably one of the better laserdiscs I have seen PQ-wise. I am certain that being CAV animation helped with scaling. Regardless, very enjoyable.

Discs - In order to make the chapters work, they split the movie into chapters at the end of a given music piece so as to have a natural stopping point. A total of 5 sides of discs were used for the main move and a 6th side (CLV) contains supplementary content. The choice in chapter splits created an interesting oddity in the set. Side 2 of 6 was dedicated to the sorcerer's apprentice scene for a grand total of 10:31 of run time. Very confusing the first time you come to the end of the disc, and say to yourself, "didn't I just put that in there?" I had check that I didn't somehow start midway through a disc as I expected run time to be closer to 30 minutes.

Finally, sound quality. The movie discs have a digital and analog tracks. There is a significant difference between the two tracks. The analog track is in mono and sounded muddy compared to the digital track. The digital track is in stereo (or limited surround) which is used to great effect for sound staging. During many of the early scenes of the movie, the left to right movement in sound stage was well placed and added an extra dimension to the movie I don't think would be there in mono. The digital track also had a considerably wider dynamic range compared to the analog track. If playing back the movie, I would recommend the digital track along with properly set up stereo system to fully take advantage of sound staging. From a historical perspective, I was able to find that the original movie was largely released in Mono, but if you want an interesting read about the history of surround sound, google FANTASOUND.

All in all, I would recommend this disc set to someone who enjoyed the original Fantasia. No frills with the audio compared to many more current movies. However, I think for its time, the audio showed well, and is a byproduct of its original release date of 1940 and subsequent audio renditions.
I would say the biggest negative I can say for the disc set is the stupidly oversized box. It just doesn't fit well into my storage, and imagine woudn't for most collectors. If they had just put the label on the short side instead of the long side of the box, I may have found it more acceptable. Clearly the creators didn't think much about how people would store it, or how it compared to other box set offerings.

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Posted: 12 Oct 2017, 08:28 

Great topic here !

Simple solution is had by adjusting the angle of your shot which can mitigate the glare somewhat.

The real solution is using a tripod and camera with variable aperture settings to reduce the need (or eliminate the need) for a flash.
Check photo sites, these can help with the details in setting up ideal situations to shoot objects.

Good luck with your photos !

Cheers !

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Posted: 12 Oct 2017, 14:57 

Like above.
I sometimes have to take stuff into different rooms to get more or less glare.
This is an experiment and its not like we can control the sun or light bulbs giving off the glare and say HEY LIGHT STOP THAT.

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Posted: 12 Oct 2017, 21:33 

Going outdoors can help a LOT but then this is an AV forum... :)

I’ll do some of this and update later with some results with both SLR and iPhone SE.

Like above.
I sometimes have to take stuff into different rooms to get more or less glare.
This is an experiment and its not like we can control the sun or light bulbs giving off the glare and say HEY LIGHT STOP THAT.

I’m not sure if this is a joke or not but yes, you can control the light. You’re a #$&@-ing man aren’t you? Are you going to let some brainless piece of glass push you around? You control the angle, the brightness, the distance, the number of lights, the curtains, the location, the time of day you shoot, etc...in ANY house, any place pretty much.

If human kind can do anything well it’s control light. That and complain about the need for more equipment. :)

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Posted: 12 Oct 2017, 22:24 

Oops, that was a typo.
Can't LOL

But it was sort of a joke, how can we be in the day and age that we are in and not figure out how to take a good picture.
All you need is to spend 20 minutes and you can pretty much figure it out, or maybe not :crazy:

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Posted: 18 Oct 2017, 11:18 

ruinatokyo wrote:
What are the reference numbers for the Japan Special Collection ones?


Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) [SF148-1196]
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) [SF148-1242]
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983) [SF148-1343]

Julien

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Posted: 23 Oct 2017, 16:39 

are the separate channels only playable on an LD-G machine? I know nothing about the LD-G stuff

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Posted: 24 Oct 2017, 03:43 

xtempo wrote:
are the separate channels only playable on an LD-G machine? I know nothing about the LD-G stuff


Good discussion about LD-G here: LD-G laserdiscs, worth getting a player/de-coder???

Julien

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Posted: 27 Oct 2017, 09:47 

This problem sounds to me like the centering of the side B plate is out of adjustment, it happens a lot with the dvl players, there is a little black screw at the end of the laser track towards the front of the player, next to the screw is a white plastic cam you adjust when the screw is loosened, be careful as its a minute adjustment. I remember some threads on this problem, try searching "side b centering" or similar.

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Posted: 02 Nov 2017, 08:29 

Easy!

When logged in: http://www.lddb.com/query_advanced.php

Check:

[X] In my Collection
(X) Without Cover picture(s)

=> http://www.lddb.com/search.php?adv_search=*&adv_reference=&cover=no&in_collection=yes

Julien

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 Post subject: Re: CLD-R7G Arrived!
Posted: 26 Nov 2017, 03:58 

I normally stay away from these conversations anymore but I thought I'd give my opinion. The only player I have not seen in the list is the DVL-H9 but I've seen the DVL-91 which is supposed to be same unit. My opinions are best on performance once I finished all adjustments for best picture performance.

If you want a player with less noise then the list about is pretty good. Comments are that if you turn off the DNR that defaults ON in the X0 it pretty much looks the same as the S2 but the X0 has the red laser that can help avoid crosstalk. Then the X0 noise levels are low enough the DNR actually makes it look really nice keeping an analog look. I've connected an S2 to my Pioneer Elite Plasma and turned on the DNR in the plasma and got close to the same look. This is really leaving out the older players like the CLD-3070 thru CLD-D702 and the LD-S1. I believe the 3070-702 would come after the 97/95 (remember the 95 was short lived as the S-Video or Y/C has a chroma verses luminance lag and the 97 corrected this). Now I've only seen one S1 and it is also low noise so it is around the 97/95/3070-702.

If you want a player with a more dynamic picture then the X9 is the best especially if you put it in HR mode but good both ways and the list needs to be completely changed with the 95/97/S2/X0 being low on the list. The DVL-91 and R7G do also crank up the sharpness with the S-Video output, the 91 composite is not cranked up, cannot remember about the R7G composite output. As I've always said if you have a quality monitor with a good power supply and the black level set properly the white smear on the S9/79/99/703/704 is not that bad but a little is there. This really tests your monitor and setup. I have never seen the issue like I've seen posted in pictures unless I turn up the brightness level on my plasma or analog test monitor. So, yes these units do have some smear but how sensitive are you to it and how does your system show it will help you decide if you want one of these. The 97/95/3070-702 have smear to a lesser degree. Sometime turn up the brightness when playing the X9 and look at the credits on a dark scene and see if you notice anything where the smear used to be.

So it really comes down to your preference and setup for you to determine what you like best. I do my repairs with the units connected directly to the monitor, no processing in between. Yes, I'm a person that prefers lower noise levels built into the design, not processed by DNR.

All these units are good units, this is really just a contest of preferences and how you use the player. I'm fine with rein-o promoting the R7G even though the 97 is my favorite as that is what he likes and if you have the same preferences as rein-o then you'll agree with him.

The key is to find the player you like and enjoy it.

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 Post subject: Re: CLD-R7G Arrived!
Posted: 26 Nov 2017, 19:30 

My list and ranking are solely on the composite output. There really isn’t a LD player with a decent Svideo output except maybe h9 and r7g. Both thei mitsu chip in x9/s9 and nec in x0 has more issues than benefit. If you are serious about your video quality, you should avoid svideo on all players except h9 and r7g.

X9 solely as a ntsc player is far from perfect. It can play muse discs which is a valid point to choose it over 97. X9 has less luma noise and crosstalk than 97. 97 has significantly less chroma noise where Ld medium has the most problem. Assume 97 has no dnr as its junk. X9 has the best dnr on any LD player. On up to moderate settings I didn’t see any annoying artifacts. X0 showed blocking artifacts on even the lowest settings. I stopped using dnr on it but it generally does not need any dnr as it is already the cleanest picture without any. Its so clean that it beats the x9 on highest dnr setting. S2 is indeed close but still the picture looks a little different. Probably due to lower bit depth dac at the video output.

%95 of what you read online about LD players is either outdated or written by people who have no idea what they are talking about. Most of them have not even seen these equipment from distance but they talk anyway. There is also a whole bunch who has extremely biased opinions because they sank way too much money in their expensive player and they can’t get out of the Ld nostalgia. There is really a handful who you can trust. Up until I bought my X9 and X0, all comments were that they vastly superior to anything including DVD. I am pretty I was the first one to come out and say they are only slightly better than commonly available S2/97 and others. I even went further and ranked the 97 ahead of the X9. My most upsetting comment is perhaps no matter how much money and time you sink into LD, a $50 DVD player will beat it senseless :)

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 Post subject: Re: CLD-R7G Arrived!
Posted: 27 Nov 2017, 01:11 

I agree with Kurtis, Substance and others who have posted great points.

Right now we are dealing with the super tail end of the death of Laserdisc and we have to consider what the best players are but also what are the best "working" players.

Someone who has a working S201 will beat any broken X0 player period.

We have to figure out that we are no longer in a day of CRT domination and in a day of no more parts.
When considering to buy a player for 1500 dollars, yen or even euro you must understand that the lifespan of that player is going to be very limited at best.

And my comments above were about using S-Video on a CRT and both being top of the line TV and player.
Now if I had to use composite I would take a 95 over an R7G as the R7G would be just like a super fast flipping version of a lower model player using yellow video composite.

For my setup now I have older players that I personally am happy with, are the top of the line, for back in the day they were top or top 4 but now they are not.

Anybody that is willing to spend the crazy money on players or discs I want to thank you as you may one day buy some of my discs when I cycle through them :D

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Posted: 30 Nov 2017, 03:46 

Few things, you need to check the side a-b switch that could be the cause of your issues getting it to go to side b automatically.

Also clean the eye with a lens cloth or qtip with distilled water. Also when using the grease only do the round silver rail not the white track. Check the underside of the white side b track for cracking or dirt.

Could be side b centering but that is usually for skipping so not totally sure on that.

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Posted: 30 Nov 2017, 16:40 

R7G has a different ring on the spindle and won't slip.
Made out of a white material rather than the black ring.

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Posted: 30 Nov 2017, 18:04 

rein-o wrote:
R7G has a different ring on the spindle and won't slip.
Made out of a white material rather than the black ring.


Ah, wasnt sure on that, I know the earlier dvl styles had the 704 type ring, so they changed it on the R7G.
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