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| blam1 |
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Posted: 11 May 2012, 19:38
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I think I've finally decoded the Pioneer catalog numbers for Pioneer Europe. For example, The UK edition of Titanic is PLFED-34501
PL = Pioneer LaserDisc
Next character is program type:
F; Film
T; Televison
M; Music
S; Scenery
K; Karaoke
Next is Language:
A; ?? (Only seen on Rolling in the Sky titles)
E; English
F; French
G; German
I; Italian
M; Original Language w/ Subtitles (either fixed or TeleText) - French Release
N; Original Language w/ Subtitles (either fixed or TeleText) - Netherlands (French Karaoke seems to use N too)
S; Spanish
C; Classical (Music)
J; Jazz (Music)
P; Pop (Music)
W; ?? (Only seen on Windham Hill titles)
Next is Side count
A; 1
B; 2
C; 3
D; 4
S; Box Set
Next 4 are sequential numbers starting at;
0001 for Music
2001 for Scenery
3001 for Films & TV
4001 for Karaoke Netherlands
6001 for Karaoke French
Last digit is always;
1; 12" discs
4; 8" discs
Now, this is all based on digging through the database here on LDDB, and making some extrapolations. Does anyone have additions or corrections? |
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| cplusplus |
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Posted: 08 Aug 2021, 04:16
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It is not uncommon for motors to completely detach from a pickup after the M-Holder shatters. Using very high-gauge wire and a very small amount of solder, it is possible to jump the leads as seen in the attached image. I hope this helps someone  . |
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| staffanu |
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Posted: 01 Jan 2022, 20:57
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I know this is an old thread but I found it when trying to find a solution for the very same problem. My HLD-X9 has had a small piece missing in the same section for some time, but a few days ago another piece broke loose and loading/unloading didn't work anymore. I fixed it by printing a small plastic part to replace the end of the rail. Works fine so far. The tray is made from ABS so I printed using ABS too, so no glue required: dissolving the two surfaces with acetone makes a great bond.
broken.jpg
removed.jpg
replacement in place.jpg
sanded.jpg |
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| cplusplus |
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Posted: 04 May 2022, 01:49
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You will need a Pioneer GGV disc or an equivalent Sony/Yamaha/etc disc for the vertical bar pattern to ensure there is no crosstalk.
I made the image below:
115.jpg
Top left shows a clean frame 114.
Top center shows a clean frame 115.
Top right shows a clean frame 116.
Bottom left shows frame 115 with crosstalk from frame 114.
Bottom center shows frame 115 with crosstalk from frames 114 and 116.
Bottom right shows frame 115 with crosstalk from frame 116.
Without three successive frames (114, 115, 116) of the black bar moving from left to center to right, there is no clear way to see how much noise is being picked up from the adjacent tracks (crosstalk).
Crosstalk is generally misunderstood as just being some blatantly visible herringbone pattern at the end of a disc, but slight crosstalk is not clearly evident. It can even be difficult to see with the vertical bar pattern, which is why the display must be set to produce the noisiest picture possible. |
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| kamm |
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Posted: 21 Sep 2022, 16:30
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I was investigating that possibility too.
Very short answer: no. :(
Short answer: yes, but doesn't worth it. :eh:
Long answer: depends on the device what you can extract from it. :roll:
For example, the Sony SAU-500MN has 3 three main ICs. (And SAU-300MN too - but i don't have that one to confirm, but these two seem very very similar, if not the same).
Simplified: one for MUSE audio, one for MUSE processing, one for HD->NTSC format conversion (zoom/wide/full) and downscaling (1 NTSC line is produced using 5 neighboring lines from the MUSE signal).
From the MUSE signal processor IC (CXD2020) to the NTSC format conversion IC (CXD2021) the luminance and chrominance signals are transmitted via two 8-bit digital channels. This one chroma signal contains both B/R multiplexed. So you would need to build some custom signal processing to make it into a HD component signal. It is not impossible, but requires probably lots of effort and additional devices. Doesn't really worth it unless you enjoy hacking with it, it's much easier to get a MUSE decoder with HD component output. Also the "quality of decoding" is lower in M-N converters, because in order to save costs some image processing were omitted (e.g. anti-aliasing, and interpolation only in the same field to save VRAM, possibly losing some horizontal resolution too), which may be OK for the final NTSC output on an SD display, but maybe noticeable when using a HD signal with HD display. So even if you manage to convert the Y+C output of the CXD2020 into something useful, you'll possibly get a lower quality (due to the lack of some post processing/filtering) image than from a "real" MUSE decoder.
Possibly this is (partly) true for M-N converters made by other manufacturers too.
An easy thing to try is to get the SD component signal before the NTSC encoder IC (CXA1219). It's still SD but can be a bit better than NTSC. Maybe also doesn't worth hacking with it.
One thing that would be interesting to me: Is it possible to get the HD component signal out of a MUSE - NTSC Converter? I have one but of course I would like to get a HD signal (once I find a Hi-Vision LD for a decent price). If it is a two-step process - first decoding, then downsampling - it could be possible. |
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| krbahr |
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Posted: 13 Oct 2023, 22:48
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Yes, I have seen this once before. If you can find the piece in the player take a soldering iron or other hot iron, place the piece in position and on the back side smear across the crack melting the plastic but the inside or front side needs to stay smooth. I've had this work
Otherwise the US Models CLD-D503/703/704/79/99 trays will work but they are black in color. I have extra's I could sell you but the shipping may be too expensive. Otherwise the Japanese S9 and I believe the CLD-D99 have the same color tray as yours. You have to swap the front of your tray onto the replacement. Even the Pioneer $80 new tray does not come with the front face.
The X9 tray is Pioneer part number VXA2311
At least the one from the CLD-D704 will NOT work as the insert for the CDs will block the disc holder from moving up. And you can't remove the insert as some of the gear tooth are on there.
The 704 tray does work. I just take pliers and break out the 3 inch disc ring and then it works fine. |
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| admin |
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Posted: 07 Nov 2023, 04:31
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Thanks to drecksoft for adding a weird player I never saw before, a Philips DVL 988 clone of Pioneer DVL-K88.
Attachment: IMG_20231025_125438S.jpg
Google knows nothing of this player, quite rare!
Julien |
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| admin |
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Posted: 20 Feb 2024, 14:38
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Wouldn't it be better to move HD-MAC LDs to the LaserDisc category like MUSE? These are LaserDiscs, after all. You use the HD-MAC logo on the boxes as the logo.
True, tagging them as HDVS or MUSE must have hurt Europe's feelings ;-)
https://www.lddb.com/images/video/hdmac.png
Added HD MAC video standard... a new video standard on LD doesn't come very often!
https://www.lddb.com/search.php?adv_search=*&adv_reference=&video=13
BTS.jpg
https://vimeo.com/511141213
Julien |
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| rein-o |
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Posted: 03 Dec 2024, 17:44
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signofzeta wrote: “Grading on a curve”, do you know that expression?
If you climb only half way of Everest it’s much more impressive than climbing all the way to the top of your house.
I Don't know about that, I'm pretty impressed of anybody who wants to climb a house, you can break your neck or back pretty fast. |
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| edwin240170 |
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Posted: 31 Dec 2024, 12:22
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Yes I did see a player, it was a white player, looking like a Philips CDV-496 - although it was higher than this model.
I have been looking old archives on my drives as I recalled having a picture of it .. but couldnt find it till now, hope it will find it some day.
Looking at the discs, similar to MUSE, there were CLV and CAV discs. |
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| jeffelledge91 |
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Posted: 03 Jan 2025, 16:25
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I have read through this thread. I actually worked at the Terre Haute plant in the LD department from 1994 to 1999. Personally, I think it was the adhesive interacting with the aluminum. We knew of some rot problems, but they were rare while I worked there. I ran the aluminum coating machines called Takudas, the adhesive machines and also worked in the quality department. I noticed one question about the last 3 characters on the molds, A28 or B12 and so on, as one person mentioned and is correct on, those are the stamper numbers that went into the injection molding machines. The reflective machine were interesting! We used what was called a tree that had 12 tungsten wires between 2 2" copper rods that was about 4 feet tall. Each tungsten wire had a coil in the middle of it. We put a hook shaped piece of aluminum about 1/2" long in each coil. 72 (1 sided or half discs which were clear) went into the Takuda at a time on panels that would spin when rotated. The Takuda doors would closed and a cryopump would vacuum down the chamber, then electricity would flow through the wires and evaporate the aluminum on to the 72 discs. It would take about 15 minutes for the cycle to run. There were times when the cryopump would "dump" because humidity was too high in the clean room. Cycle times would increase up to 25 minutes at time for the same reason. I wonder if some of that moisture may have something to do with it also....
The adhesive process was basically melted glue applied with rollers on the reflective side and then a flip arm would align side A and B and press them together. This was followed by a trimmer that spun the disc and shaved off the out edge to make it all even. From there it went to a room where we ran them through checking machines. Then to the label station where a person picked them up from the post labeling and slid them into sleeves. then a group of people would jacket them and run them through a shrink wrap oven and skid them. I remember we lost the disney contract because we had mixed discs where we glued some disney move to terminator.... LOL That was a bad day for all of us! Columbia and Sony were our main contracts for obvious reasons. We did finally achieve THX certification. That was awful. I was in AV (quality) at the time and had to watch that damn movie "Willow" like 500 times until we had perfect samples to send in for certification. That was awful! lol Anyway, I thought this might be of interest to people. |
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| laserfanhld-gb |
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Posted: 03 Jan 2025, 18:40
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Did anyone else try that? I also have some scratched disc. Unfortunately a lot more than a single scratch. So will be a lot of work but maybe worth it.
What did you use to polish it besides Novus? The wrong cloth could cause more scratches while polishing.
I bought a Novus 1,2,3 kit a few years ago after reading the thread by rein-o and used it on some really badly scratched discs that I had inherited, as you say quite a lot of work required but a very good result considering the state these LDs were in. You really need to use the Novus Mate Cloths for polishing though for best results and the problem is that anywhere in Europe they basically cost you an arm & a leg to purchase unlike in the USA where they are manufactured and much more realistically priced. |
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| signofzeta |
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Posted: 03 Jan 2025, 19:59
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I would assume there is a similar competing product. Novus isn’t exactly 3M in their expertise and there are a lot of people out there making paper towels.
The other thing you have to keep in mind is that for something to scratch something it has to be harder than the thing being scratched. Old %100 cotton T shirts are way softer than LDs and will never scratch them. |
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| enater |
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Posted: 21 Jan 2025, 07:35
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I have no idea where this is going but...
Welcome to the forum enater! :mrgreen:
Where it’s going? It’s going to the estate sale with all the other Star Wars crap.
I just can't believe you have so much hate against someone you don't even know. "Star Wars crap"... ironic when your forum title is "Jedi Knight." Last time I checked, that is Star Wars and seems deep in the forum's ranks.
I won't take any more abuse or hate from you. If you want to continue hating, do so in your own space. Maybe create a "hate enater" post if you want, so anyone that wants to comment on me does so. But don't keep harassing me with your comments in my own post where I only asked a question.
Finally, if you want me to die with my estate of crap, there are a few more years to go for me. This is the last time I will take part of my time to answer you. This needs to STOP NOW. |
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| admin |
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Posted: 21 Jan 2025, 07:40
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| admin |
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Posted: 23 Jan 2025, 16:53
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I think a good example of how the rot status can be pretty unreliable is this.
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999) [PILF-2830]
Was rated "high probability" because we had 13 reports and the cut line was 10...
That's not very good. I changed the threshold as follows:
If the number of LDs in collection for a given title is less than 100 (or even 0) => thresholds are by number of reports:
Up to 2 => Very low probability
Up to 5 => Low probability
Up to 10 => Possible candidate
Up to 20 => High probability
Above => Avoid this release
If the number in collection is significant (100 or more) => thresholds are by % of reports/collections:
1% or less => Very low probability
1% to 2% => Low probability
2% to 3% => Possible candidate
3% to 5% => High probability
Above 5% => Avoid this release
Not sure the thresholds are the best, but I had to choose something to start with.
Julien |
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| laserking |
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Posted: 02 Feb 2025, 01:45
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Hi everyone,
I realize that this may be grasping at straws, but at the risk of sounding like an idiot, I'm going to ask this question. You see, I've always been told that the only stupid question is the one you don't ask. One thing is certain, if you choose not to ask the question, you'll never know the answer. So here goes. I recently noticed the thread by jeffelledge91 about working at the Sony DADC plant in Terre Haute, Indiana during the mid to late 90's. This caused me to consider asking this question. Is there anyone here by some strange twist of fate who might have worked at the PRINCO manufacturing plant in Taiwan during the 1990's? They made discs primarily for the Taiwan and Hong Kong markets. I realize that this is probably like looking for a needle in a haystack, but on the outside chance that there is someone here who might have worked there during laserdisc production, I would love to know about it and pick their brain! It's unlikely, but stranger things have happened.
A few years ago, I acquired a copy of a Taiwanese release of Terminator 2: Judgment Day: Special Edition (1991) [PTC-001S] . At the time, it was not listed here on LDDb, but I added it. To my amazement, when I obtained the disc, I found out that the seller actually lived in the same city I do, Lexington, Kentucky! :o I contacted him, and arranged to pick it up from him in person, to avoid shipping it. He told me that when he was very young (in the early 90's), his family had lived in Taiwan for a period of time. He saw the disc in a shop there and bought it, because he was a huge fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger in general, and of that film in particular. He didn't even own a player, and never bought any other laserdiscs. This was the only one he ever owned. When I met him to pick it up, I took along a bag filled with the Hong Kong releases I own of Schwarzenegger films, such as Terminator 1 & 2, Predator, Total Recall, and Last Action Hero. I think he enjoyed seeing them. What are the odds of that, finding someone with a rare disc like that, right in your own hometown? Truly remarkable! So anyway, on the very slight chance there might be someone here who worked at PRINCO in Taiwan, I'd love to ask some questions. Specifically, I'd like to know about the mint markings used there. I want to know if there were any discs pressed there without mint markings, as I have many of them which I suspect could have come from PRINCO. Also, I'd like to know if they knew about any other laserdisc manufacturing plants that might have existed somewhere in Taiwan, or elsewhere in that general part of the world. I own a small number of Taiwanese discs with very cryptic mint markings on them, which DO NOT appear to have come from PRINCO. I have no clue where they may have originated, but I would love to find out! I apologize that I don't speak Chinese, but I would like to locate someone who hopefully does who may have worked at PRINCO or somewhere else in Taiwanese laserdisc manufacturing during the 90's. Thanks for any help anyone out there might be able to provide!
Best Regards,
David (laserking) |
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| admin |
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Posted: 10 Feb 2025, 06:56
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That's an interesting idea.
I tried to fix the In Collection + In Wishlist but it does what it's supposed to do: list titles in both Collection OR Wishlist, which is not very useful.
It's using the title or reference search field which is probably not what you have in mind. I suppose we should rather match exact releases together.
I'll add a specific link on both front-ends -- same result but the ability to delete from the collection's or the wishlist's side:
Both in Collection and Wishlist
Both in Wishlist and Collection
Julien |
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| admin |
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Posted: 10 Feb 2025, 13:22
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Both in Collection and Wishlist
Both in Wishlist and Collection
Code added in dev but because the code base is converted to PHP 8.2, it will be updated only when the whole server is migrated in the near future.
Too time-consuming to port the code back to the legacy/current PHP 5.6 code.
Julien |
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| chrisw6atv |
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Posted: 14 Mar 2025, 09:24
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Hi, 99percent-
Welcome to the LDDB Forum!
Thank you for posting the notes about the Pioneer reference discs. I had speculated whether non-reference discs could be used for at least reasonable if not perfect adjustments and alignment. I appreciate that you confirmed this.
I have not yet done any alignment work on any of my players (at least, not since my VP-1000 in the early-to-mid-1980s), so I read the procedures in the service manual for the CLD-D704. Beside the crosstalk adjustments and signals that have been mentioned in other topics here, I see only a few other frames mentioned that are needed, and one of those is the "staircase" gray-scale video test pattern that is also available on the A Video Standard and Video Essentials discs as you mentioned.
I have a few Standard Play/CAV 8-inch music discs, but if a karaoke disc will potentially be better (for the crosstalk adjustments most likely, perhaps using changing on-screen lyrics as a substitute for the black bars on the reference disc frames), I will look for any of those that are in CAV format, when I eventually do some alignment work. |
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| krbahr |
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Posted: 15 Mar 2025, 03:00
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In many older players the 8" disc is required as the 12" disc covers the adjustment pots. It is true that if you find a CAV disc with three frames next to each other that have drastically different video patterns toward the inner portion of the disc you can perform much of the alignment. This is what frames 114/115/116 provide on the Pioneer test disc.
The other specialty of the Pioneer disc is that not all discs are pressed the same, though within the specification tolerances, and Pioneer guarantees their disc are pressed with the proper depths to ensure the player can operate on all discs pressed within the LD specification. Disc's like "A Video Standard" were also pressed with high quality control, biggest issue is that it is a 12" disc and while you can get to the adjustments on the newer players it covers the adjustments for older models. |
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| kanisama |
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Posted: 13 Apr 2025, 19:30
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| Each entry has buttons for adding to Wishlist or to Collection, and there is a button on the Wishlist page to move it from there to Collection, but it would be nice if the entry page had a button like that. If I make an order from someone else's store, I can view that order and quickly open the page for each item, but there's no quick way to add all of those to my collection. I have to go look up each one in my (embarrassingly long) wishlist and click the button there. Same for if I order a box of discs from someone on another site and want to add a bunch that I already still have open in tabs to my collection. Maybe the "Condition: Any, Price: Any" text could have a small button next to it that does the same thing as the one in the Wishlist. :) |
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| chrisw6atv |
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Posted: 28 Apr 2025, 00:25
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We "just" need to create a raw format iso with the LD data. Ah yes, the dreaded "just". Just hand that Toyota to me, OK? :)
Since the variable-length pits in the track do not correspond to digital data in any way (8-bit, 32-bit, or whatever, all data bits are of identical length within any optical disc format), we would need to create some kind of conversion algorithm such that a "digital 17" equates to an instruction to burn a pit 17 micrometers long (or 0.17 uM, or whatever is appropriate) as opposed to burning "digital 17" itself into the disc, which is 00010001 in 8-bit digital.
Also, the burner drive would have to work at 10X-12X the normal CD data speed at a minimum. How do we know this? CDs play at "1X", which is 200 RPM at their outermost point. CD Video discs play at 1800 RPM at the same point if I remember right, and 2700 RPM at the beginning of the five-minute analog content area. So, we need to burn at least as fast as the discs are read. CD-ROM drives went up to 52X if I remember right, but I forgot how fast burners are/were. An 8X DVD burner may be plenty fast, strictly considering burning-hardware speed.
Fun stuff for keeping otherwise-idle brains sharp. |
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| chrisw6atv |
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Posted: 30 Apr 2025, 07:08
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It would be cool if some rich guy, with nothing better to do, just burned through a ton of cash to make us a CDV burner firmware and PC-side app. But it's a lot more likely that it will be some hobbyists coming up with a solution. Maybe not very soon, but by hobbyists. I love some "nothing better to do" projects (easier than ever now that I am retired, haha). That was why I posted all of those broken-down, analyzed steps and ideas above for this fun-but-fantasy project.
A catch here, though (non-technical, for once), is that if we -did- succeed, and ended up with a pile of customized, working hardware/software for the mastering and a physically-hacked CD-R/DVD-R drive (I suspect specialized firmware would not be enough, so let's say it will be an Arduino- or Pi-controlled but otherwise dumbed-down drive), and we --make discs that will play in any CDV-era player--, well, now what do we do? How many people really do want a pile of 500 standard-def music-video discs? (Yes, --I-- do, but does anyone else?)
Back around 2000-2002, when I was recording high-definition music performances from "The Tonight Show" here in the USA on my HiPix or similar hardware, I had the idea to make "high-definition CD-Video-equivalent discs". (This was years before Youtube existed, let alone that it had thousands of HD music videos available to download, and also when individual discs for content were still the preferred/most-common method to collect and choose entertainment at home.) I figured that a 650MB CD-R would hold several minutes of MPEG-2 video/audio, just enough for music videos as on CD Video discs. I already had my computer that could play HD MPEG-2 content onto my big hi-def screen, I just needed to make the discs. But, well, I never did. Other random projects happened instead, and they still are. I may one day still make some HD music-video discs, too.
So, this specific "nothing better to do" project would be fun to achieve, but massively too much work for the end result, it seems to me, now that I really analyzed a bunch of the potential process. But if someone else does jump in and try it, I will be happy to help. |
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| laserdong |
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Posted: 30 Apr 2025, 09:48
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I'm no engineer , but it seems obvious to me that a CD burner is all you need, hardware-wise, to make a CD V/ CD R-V. As for what makes me, a layman, so sure: it's in the name of the format, CD -burner, CD Video. Whether a hacked control board with a new firmware would be enough, or if the control board would need to be replaced with something more advanced (like chrisw6atv suggested), the main ingredients are writable media (available) and a drive with a write laser (available). These are things that are obvious to me. If it's obvious to you that a Victor-style, super clean room, vacuum plant with incredibly expensive equipment is required - that's fine. I, respectfully, disagree.
Saying that a CDR is inherently a digital format really doesn't mean much to me. Vinyl and tape are originally analog media, yet you can write digital data to both. Hell, you can print out digital data on a piece of paper.
It would be cool if some rich guy, with nothing better to do, just burned through a ton of cash to make us a CDV burner firmware and PC-side app. But it's a lot more likely that it will be some hobbyists coming up with a solution. Maybe not very soon, but by hobbyists. I love some "nothing better to do" projects (easier than ever now that I am retired, haha). That was why I posted all of those broken-down, analyzed steps and ideas above for this fun-but-fantasy project. I meant that first part as a joke/pipedream :D .
The problem is, there is less need for this and so naturally less competent people will invest their time in to this. |
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Thanks list