https://bitcrush.io/laserwiki/index.php/Panasonic_LX-900

I don't see that info listed anywhere. The date on my player is October 1995. Is 1995 the last revision of this laserdisc player or did they have a 1996 model? The point to this question is because the 1992 and 1993 versions of this player are said to have dynamic color issues when it comes to blacks and grays. I'm also just intrigued to know how many times they released the same model with corrections or things altered in it to fix issues.

You can see the service bulletins here: https://manuals.lddb.com/LD_Players/Panasonic/Panasonic%20LX900U%20Service%20Bulletins.pdf

There is one from 1996 with substantial changes to the sub board.

Is the Video quality the same as the 1995 revision or is it a little different?

I do not know.

Don't know how much improvement the video quality can get. I've seen people compare the LX-900 to the CLD-97. That they are very similar in quality. Only problem with the LX-900 is the weird defect that cuts off a little on the right side of screen. Don't know why this Panasonic Players does that but the other models do not. Is it something to do with costs to make it cheaper to be produced or is it something that allows it to have a better overall picture quality compared to the other Panasonic Players? I don't understand this defect.

The board they are referencing contains the video section, so maybe they fixed that?


The picture type is different, so that is (in my opinion) an apples to oranges comparison.

Decided to reach out to my friend again who happens to own both a Panasonic LX-900 and a Quasar LD-700 (same machine).

He confirmed that his LX-900 also has the issue with right side image being cut off and has no issue with the AGC (not sure of manufacturing date as he has it boxed up). For his LD-700, the right side is not cut off and it also has no AGC issues (the reason he purchased this model in the first place). It was also manufactured in April 1993.

So this begged the question; why did Matsushita (parent company of Panasonic, Quasar, & Technics) do everything right from the start on the LD-700 but did nothing with the LX-900 (especially with all the revisions). He’s been trying to find the answer to that question forever and still has no idea.

In addition, Culture Dog also confirmed everything my friend stated about the LD-700 on one of his videos….



I guess at this point, if you want to have the perfect LX-900 you’re going to have to get an LD-700 (if you can find one and at a price you feel is worth it).

I would be curious to know if the "fixed" units have sub board VEP93136B. If that is not visible, another indicator is a 22uF cap at C23304 instead of 10uF.

Hey Cplusplus,

Have you found any revision history for the LD-700? Maybe there could be some clues that can be gleaned from it that might explain the picture being cut off issue on the LX-900.

I have not. Service bulletins are quite hard to come by. I'm surprised at the amount uploaded here for the LX-900.

I do have the LX-900 and LA-3500 SM. C23304 (C304) is indeed 10uF in the LX-900U SM. On the LA-3500, C304 is numbered C849 and is 22uF as stated in the 1996 LX-900 bulletin.

C304/C849 are in the "Luminance Output Level" path, fed by pin 8 "Fade Control" of video processor AN2661NK (both the LX-900 and LA-3500). The datasheet mentions fading as "black fading-effect", and it is controlled by the level of voltage on pin 7. Pin 7 is not connected on the LA-3500. On the LX-900, pin 7 is connected to the "System Control" IC and is labeled "Y Down".

https://www.ebay.com/itm/115358296333?

A CLD-97 that has mild issues with the chapter select just sold more than my like new Panasonic LX-900 revision 1995 which came with a remote control and the original box as well as the manual. Which is better? Who knows because from what I read online some people try to get the CLD-97 to look as sharp in the picture as an LX-900. Now if Pioneer is the king of laserdisc players why would someone or some people prefer a sharper look to the picture? Is a sharper picture generally considered better? Also if a CLD-97 is brand new or in great shape will they generally already have a sharp picture? Does it mean that some of them are not aligned properly or are Pioneer players typically considered less sharp out the box? I'm not bashing on Pioneer or anything so don't get me wrong. A laserdisc player is a laserdisc player at the end of the day and yes the Elites and LX-900 are considered higher end players because you get an extra little bit of better quality.

That CLD-97 with no sides, broken off panel door and playback issues is not worth $400 shipped.


Personal preference. I have six players in my current rotation, and I only consider two sharp. I prefer a lower-noise, "softer" analog-looking picture.


They do not have a sharp picture.


It depends on the model. Later Pioneer models tend to have a sharper picture than earlier models.

My CLD-97 wasn’t complete when I purchased it a couple of years ago (missing side panels and decorative footers) but it was literally scratch free on the front panel and the door was intact. Also, its playback performance was excellent mechanically (it might need an adjustment for the picture but I couldn’t tell).

I later reached out to Kurtis and he sold me the parts I needed to complete the look of this baby and I couldn’t be happier with it. Total cost was about $500. The only thing left to work on it is to cut up some new rubber for the underside of the footers and do an AC3 mod to it. Probably won’t be done for another five years at the rate I’m going with my new son keeping me busy .