I thought it was a bit odd that a guy hanging out on a laserdisc forum would tell a guy who is interested in trying the format, to sell his movies and move on...

Perhaps he thinks I am too young to know what laserdiscs are, or that I grew up on DVDs and BDs. The reality is that I grew up on VHS, as I was a bit too young to get in on LD, and the cost/availability of LD was very prohibitive for me.

I assure all of you that I really do take HT seriously. As I do the idea of trying laserdisc. To provide a bit of personal info here, I am going through a bit of a rough patch in my life right now, so money is a lot tighter than what I am used to. That is why I am looking to get a cheap player to see if I like the laserdisc format. If I enjoy it, I am sure there will eventually be a higher end Pioneer player in my future. For the moment, though, I have little disposable income.

For the record, here is a list of my HT gear. At the moment, almost all of it is sitting in a storage unit however, as I am currently staying with a friend.

Projector: Epson Powerlite Home Cinema 705HD and a 98" DIY high contrast grey screen
Video sources: Sony PS3 for BD/DVD and a Magnavox MVR 630 VCR for VHS
Audio sources: Cambridge Audio Azur 340C for CD and Onkyo TA-R440 for Cassette
Pre-amp/Processor: Yamaha RX-V667
External Amplifiers: Dual Emotiva XPA-1 Mono-Blocks to power my mains and an Emotiva XPA-5 to power the center and four surround speakers.
Speakers: Bowers & Wilkins 684 (Mains) and Bowers & Wilkins HTM62 (Center) and Alesis Monitor one MKII (Side surrounds) and Zenith LHS-C245T (Back surrounds)
Subwoofers: Dual Emotiva Ultra 12s

As soon as I can get everything back in order, I will get it out of storage and set back up again. I miss it horribly...especially the audio side of it. I love listening to music on my setup. Though, I do eventually want to replace/upgrade my B&Ws.

how tight is tight?

I really need to get a player here (after player cost/shipping/fees/etc) for less than $75.00, I could probably squeeze out $100.00 tops at the moment. "The cheaper-the better" for me right now. I would give up "unnecessary" features (auto flip, etc) if need be. If getting something worthwhile is not possible at that price point, then I will just keep reading and learning, until my money situation improves. It will...eventually...

At that price point the CDV-488 would probably be a good choice then, if you think AC-3 is unnecessary. If you want AC-3 then go for the CLD-D406. (From what I hear, the CDV-488 would probably beat the CLD-D406 in PQ)

Though keep in mind, if you want LD to look good (or at least stand up to DVD) on a screen that big, you'll need something in the CLD-D703+ category. But for just trying LaserDisc out, those players should be all right.

You could try looking around at thrift shops & so forth for a late-model low-end Pioneer player. There are folks who swear by the performance of the CLD-S104, which is completely analog, without any digital video processing. You may well be able to get one for $20 or so.

Once again, make sure you check craigslist. Check for Laser Discs, Laserdiscs, laserdisc, lazerdisc and any other way you can think of to spell it. You might get a decent deal.

For a long term player I'd recommend you get a Pioneer as they are fairly reliable and parts are easy to replace. When I was looking for my first player I just grabbed whatever was cheapest because like you I was looking test the waters and see what the world of laserdisc was like whilst on a budget.

I'm in the UK where players tend to be quite expensive, but I've seen plenty of great players in the US go for under $70 so you should easily be able to find a decent player that'll give you an idea about whether you want to spend more on the format when you've got more to spend.

Unless you've got massive piles of cash saved up there will always be a better player out there...but I tend to think of that as all part of the fun : )

2nd-ing craigslist. That's where I've gotten a number of good, working players for around $40 or so.

Save for the Runco LJR II that I got off of there. That one cost me a bit more.

I have the rx467 which is a few notches down in the same line and it works great for LDs so your 667 should be fine. Be warned, upgrade syndrome comes on quick with this hobby, especially considering how there is an immediate and significant difference when upgrading players.

As others have mentioned there is a lot of tweaking and tinkering before getting a "good" picture, but thats half the fun. I was shocked at how bad the video quality was when I initially connected my first player. Now im often impressed with how good some titles look.

I just sold a CLD-D406 a month ago for $80 and that one is dual sided, AC-3 RF and optical digital. Perfect for what you want. I also replaced the cheaper gray plastic pickup movement holder can can break in transit with the better black plastic one that is not as brittle. All I have left is 704/97/99/S2.

Here's some tips for LaserDiscs:
1: If a movie is available in Criterion, chances are (most of the time) that this is the best copy of the movie available on LD.
2: Avoid earlier releases by companies like MCA Discovision and Magnetic Video Corporation and later releases from Sony DADC.
These pressings have a very high defect rate of about 70% and are not recommended if you are watching a movie purely becuase you want to see it. However if you are a collector of the discs, such as myself, go ahead.
3: Look out for later released defective titles such as Shine and Carrie as you may be sold the defective copy.
4: Always buy from people who specialise or have had experience in Laserdiscs. If you buy from one time sellers, chances are you may be sold a defective disc.
5: I must stress this point. Brand new is not always the best. If you are buying a title where other copies have been Laserot affected (e.g. Eraser, Heavy Metal), do not buy brand new. Brand new doesn't mean it isn't Laserrot affected. I have a brand new disc laserrot affected. However if the title has not had any reported sightings of LDrot on LDDB, it's worth a shot.
6: Always store your collection in Poly sleeves to prevent rubbing and ring wear. Bags Unlimited sells the best protective sleeves. 12-3/4" x 12-3/4" 3mil Poly with 1-1/2" Flap (Prod. code SLP3F) are for regular disc and 14" x 14-1/4" 2mil Poly Box Album Sleeves with Flap (Prod. code SBLP2) are box sets. Also replace internal elephant condoms with real poly lined paper sleeves for supiroir protection.
7: Never store discs horozontally. This is why many earlier Discovision disc suffer ring wear. This was not outlined early in the format. When you store discs horozontally, the next time you take a disc out, you rub the surface of the bottom disc with the top discs pressure causing ringwear.
8: When purchasing Japanese discs, look if the disc comes with the obi, a paper strip that give details about the disc. Japanese discs are worth a bit more when they have the obi.
9: Watch out for PAL discs. Just like DVD's region codes, PAL discs will not play on NTSC only players and vice versa. However there are a few good PAL/NTSC players out there, mostly sold in the UK (e.g. CLD-D925 is one of the best)
10: Laser rot should not deter you from the format. If you collect titles past 1987, chances are you should only have 1 or 2% of your collection affected unless you have loads of DADC discs. Some of the best plants for discs are 3M, Technidisc and WEA.