I was playing A Video Standard, same one the person doing the mod is using.

Still-frame or play mode? The greater stability of the trace (reduced AM noise level) is very noticeable, & I just want to eliminate sources of variation other than the player itself.

This is a still frame, this is a CAV LD so it is actually reading the disc, not memory like a CLV recorded disc.

Again, the same disc the CLD-99 mod person used and these test patterns are still frames only, that is why the LD is a CAV recorded disc.

This is why people with serious home theaters want the LD-S2 or the HLD-X0. The newer machines cannot touch the low noise. The CLD-97 is the closest dual sided machine to the LD-S2.

Could you do a similar video with the player free-running? I'm interested to see how much of the noise is generated in the player, & how much is recorded on the disc. I'm sure neither the test-pattern generator nor the mastering lathe were totally noise-free, so there will be some variation in the recording frame-to-frame. (I have a Tektronix 1410 sync & pattern generator myself, which is undoubtedly very similar to what was used in making LD-101.)

With a CAV disc the player is free running continually reading and displaying the same frame. So this is actually the best case. It is not a saved picture from the digital memory as with CLV recorded LDs. All the noise you are seeing is from the LD-S2 or CLD-99, the pattern should be solid on the oscilloscope since the same frame is being continually read. This shows you how much noise using the same test disc with the same pattern the two machines have. Both the CLD-99 mod video and mine are using the same source. If you watched a video using both players on an analog TV (this would be worst case to see the difference) you would see all kinds of noise dancing on the plain backgrounds with the 99 and it would be a lot smoother with the S2. It is exactly the difference you see in the videos.

Let me rephrase that. If the test-pattern generator & mastering lathe aren't perfect, which we know they aren't, there will be a little bit of variation from frame to frame. My assumption is that he was playing back the disc (ie, play mode, not still-frame), which influences the amount of noise that appears in the signal. To get a fair comparison, I'd like to see what it looks like on the S2 with the same pattern in normal play mode.

I understand the request you are making. The disc (A Video Standard) which he mentions as his source, only has this test pattern on a single frame. Chapter 5 has you step frame to frame to get different test patterns. There is no running test pattern on this disc. The comparison is completely fair, they are using the LD the same way. Only difference is his my oscilloscope verses his analyzer. I have a working CLD-D704 I can make the same test with which has the same picture as a CLD-99. Don't have a working 99 at this time.

I know it my be hard to believe but the differences you are seeing is the noise in the CLD-99. The LD-S2 has separate power supplies for analog and digital and both are far superior to the single little combo supply in the CLD-99. If you have a CLD-99 with DNR OFF (or even ON) and an LD-S2 side by side and then switch the cable between the two you will easily be able to see the differences visually looking at a TV.

The real serious home theater people want to use HLD-X0's only. From my looking at the diagrams and schematic it does look like one possible step better than the S2 but I have not actually seen one in operation.

Ah — I guess it's my fault for not getting my copy down from the shelf to check. My Pioneer 8" reference disc has 30 seconds of multi-burst, & I guess I just assumed the same about AVS. That is quite a striking difference, then. (I'll be interested to see how the HLD-1000 performs when it gets to you — still waiting on my correspondent in Japan.)

I can get my 8" LD and put it in the S2 for you to see. Will see if I have time tonight.

Here is chapter 2 from the Pioneer test disc 8" version on the LD-S2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJZvgx1z9yI

Nice. Thank you.

TLK

The Modder has uploaded more tests for those interested:

DC Coupling

Resolution from VE

Overshoot / ringing

Wait, what exactly do you mean by the chroma not being properly adjusted? Is there some sort of control for chroma inside of the player?

There are adjustments for chroma levels, this needs to be adjusted properly

Is there anyway to tell if your player's internal chroma levels are maladjusted (besides using one of those oscilloscope-type devices)?

You need a LD with the properly recorded signal pattern like A Video Standard or Video Essentials and an oscilloscope.

I have only done the DVD region free mod on both my Pioneer DVL-909 players.

A fun little fact

I recapped some PS board from the European cld-2950 as a precaution.
The fun part with these
They fit the US models like:
Cld-d703-704
Cld-99
Hf9G Japanese model
And many other same based players
No more step down converters for me living in Europe

Have a cld-59 elite running on a cld-d515 PS.

In general...
If model players look alike... US-Europe wise... the PS board fits

My CLD-D750 has a voltage selector so only a simple plug adapter is required.