|
It is currently 26 Apr 2024, 08:57
|
View unsolved topics | View unanswered posts
| Author |
Message |
Jump to forum Jump to topic |
| disclord |
|
Posted: 18 Dec 2012, 20:36
|
|
|
As most of us on the LDDB know, the stock Panasonic LX-900, while a superb player, has one serious defect - a video output amplifier that dynamically changes the APL (Average Picture Level) of dark areas of the image, raising them up into gray by anywhere from 7.5% to even as high as 20%. A few of the 900's do not have that problem at all, typically the later units made in 1994/95. The Runco LJR-I Super LaserDisc Player and The THX certified version, the Runco LJR-II Super LaserDisc Player, have a special board developed by MSB that fixes the problem and also ensures correct chroma levels, differential chroma phase and gain and units were all hand calibrated to ensure a correct 1-volt video output level.
What I'd like to do is have owners of LX-900's post the serial number of their player as well as its manufacture date - and also list, if they can tell, if their player has the APL problem and how severe it is on their unit. Also, any Runco owners please list their serial numbers and manufacture date - and if they've ever compared the player to the stock 900 and their impressions of differences, if any, in overall picture quality.
Me and another person may - we are still trying to decide if it's feasible - offer an upgrade for stock 900's with the APL problem that, like the MSB mod for Runco, would fix the error and basically make the player a pseudo-THX Certified unit, since our mod would exactly duplicate the circuit board that MSB used. Also, list what you'd be willing to pay for such an upgrade to your player or what you think it would be worth.
Having a listing of manufacture dates as well as knowing if the unit is affected by the APL problem would help us get a handle on how many units were defective and when Panasonic fixed the problem. It would also help us to know if there are enough players and willing owners to offer the modification.
Just list the info in this topic thread.
Your help would be greatly appreciated. |
|
 |
Jump to forum Jump to topic |
| ffrolvaag |
|
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. |
|
|
|
Page 1 of 1 [ Search found 2 matches ]
|
Thanks list