I have a basic understanding of what Laser Rot is generally speaking, however just how bad can it get? For some example, I wanted to buy The Fifth Element on LD because I can get it fairly cheap locally, but I hear that the disc is known to be a bad rotter. I mean is it really that distracting? I want to buy the movie more for its suppose good picture quality and to also re-watch it.

You need to check the mint markings before buying it.
If it's a Pioneer pressing, you do not have to worry about rot.

See here

mint markings are on the inside of the ring after the sticker.
also it is sometimes a bother if it's a newer film like 5th element, but if its cheap just get it, if it's bad then you
will know what it is and how to tell in the future to return stuff if the seller didn't know.

it can be very light snow or heavy snow and sometimes audio issues.
i now have a semi bad rotter and can post it one day.

Dante's Peak (1997) [43311]
DANTE'S ROT PEAK

While running the video threw the Yamada DVD recorder the rot sparkles are not as bad on the Sony CRT.

The Dolby AC-3 sounds fantastic.


Side 1


Side 1


Side 1


Side 1


Side 1


Side 1


Side 2

Rot can get so bad that the player can't play it so...pretty bad. Rot in general though is really, honestly, pretty rare. Its really just certain eras of discs from certain plants. At least %99 of all discs have no trace of it.

If you are talking about Fifth Element, The (1997) [82406] then supposedly its just a matter of getting the right pressing.

If you're a big fan of the movie you could just get the BR for $10 and not worry about it.

It seems to be brand new because its in its orignal packaging, but from I can gather from the cover, it doesn't look like a Pioneer pressing. Here is a picture of it - http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/shenton-park/cds-dvds/laser-discs-x6-greystoke-the-legend-of-tarzan/1009147149



Like I said above, the actual Laserdisc seems to be brand new and unopened. Also, if its any conciliation, from what I can gather I don't see a Pioneer trademark pressing on the cover. Here is the LD edition that I am looking at - http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/shenton-park/cds-dvds/laser-discs-x6-greystoke-the-legend-of-tarzan/1009147149

I don't think there is any way to tell them apart without opening them. The jackets are the same.

i've always assumed that if my discs are 20-30 years old...if doesnt have rot it won't...or if it has mild rot it won't get any worse... am i wrong???

people seem to make a big deal about "known-rotters" on this site... the subject has never bothered me because it's never that distracting...but can it get worse???

who knows, i have discs that have super light speckles and they are 30 years old already.
never got worse, so will they get worse in 2 years or 30 more years?
will i even have a working player in 30 years

Typically a disc is safe from rot if it's made it 5 years or more with no problems. However, sealed discs are a different story - if they were sealed well, they might have stayed rot free in their 'protected' environment, but once opened, start the rot process. I've had that happen to two Sony DADC pressed titles, Men In Black and Fifth Element - both original sealed copies, then I got them and they were beautiful when new - about 3 months later they were rotted so bad that several of my players couldn't sync and play them, and on the players that did play them the image was B/W and the digital sound so distorted it wasn't listenable - the AC-3 demodulator couldn't lock to the 2.8 MHz RF signal and the left analog channel was just static like that between FM radio stations. I did find a perfect Pioneer copy of Fifth Element and a DADC MIB that was opened years ago and has very, very mild speckling and looks fine on my better players - I don't think they'll rot.

My DADC pressed copies of Criterion's Carrie and the CAV Fantasia are still perfect and I doubt they'll rot now. But you never know - I've had some discs that I bought in the 80's and 90's that have suddenly rotted in the last year or so. Some so bad they are not watchable. They were always perfect so I was surprised that they rotted. I grew up in Albuquerque, NM and in the 80's and 90's didn't have any real problems with rot - I had a few discs go bad but didn't worry about older discs going bad. When I moved to Kansas City, MO in 1999, is when I started having discs rot and my 5-inch CDV's go bad. All my DiscoVision is fine though. So I wonder if it has to do with humidity? NM is super dry and this part of MO is very humid. Back in the 80's some Pioneer engineers said, off the record, that humidity played a part - it wasn't the sole cause, but contributed to it.

Ill probably be hated for saying this, but If you are wanting the best image collect Blu-ray - the Fifth Element is jaw droppingly beautiful on BD, as is the sound. LaserDisc with its 425 lines and 120+ lines of color was once the best, but it simply isn't anymore. But, without LaserDisc we would never have had DVD or BD and there is lots of unique stuff on LaserDisc - so it's fun to collect too. But not for overall quality - DVD and BD easily out do it. LaserDisc isn't for the casual collector who just wants the best quality available. I love the LaserDisc format, have many, many players and over 2000 discs, and I would never part with any of them. In fact, i've willed my collection of discs and players to another forum member so if I die they'll go to someone who loves the format as much as I do. Getting into LaserDisc isn't for everybody. It's an analog format with lots of little idiosyncrasies that you have to learn about and most players are not very good at all. But, oh, is it wonderful! And mostly invented by Universal Studios too.

disclord, I'm vividly aware of that. I don't buy Laserdisc for the best picture quality, that's just a unrealistic silly expectation given its old technology. DVD and Blu-Ray absolutely blow it away and I have many DVDs and Blu-Rays. I've just always been curious about the uniqueness of the Laserdisc format since I first learnt about it 7 or 8 years ago. Its only in the last 6 or 7 mouths that I seriously started looking for a LD player and after a lot of research, contacting people, receiving a broken player initially etc, I finally lucked out with a CLD-D925 which I have hooked up to my 32" HD TV. I have tested the PAL Laser Vision versions of American Werewolf in London and Atlantic City which I think look pretty good all considering for such old transfers on my HD TV.

but anyway, the point is, I already own my absolute favorite movies on DVD and Blu-Ray, I only like to buy the Laserdisc version if its a movie I like but aren't committed or motivated enough to buy it on DVD or Blu. The Fifth Element for example I have seen, I like it ok but aren't crazy about buying it on DVD/Blu-Ray. I just want it (as well as other discs) because I want to see how the quality stacks up for Laserdisc standards due to my curiosity with the format itself.

I just hope that Laser Rot isn't a major problem with it when and if I decided to buy it..

You are the right kind of person for LaserDisc! Many do not seem to be. Anyway, one thing you might do when considering the Fifth Element is ask the seller to either send you a picture of the disc itself or tell you if the disc has a barcode pattern in the inner mirror portion of the disc around the label - if it does, it's Sony and I'd avoid it. If it does not, it's Pioneer and very likely just fine. Also, if you buy it from a dealer, it's probably fine and the vast majority of dealers will refund or replace defective discs.

Thank you very much, means a lot coming from you. Anyway, I have done as you have suggested and have contacted the seller to either send me a picture of the actual disc itself or at least tell me whether or not he disc has a barcode pattern in the inner mirror portion of the disc around the label. If she does not check the disc with either of those 2 options (since it seems to be a packaged up brand new disc), I will probably not buy it.

If a seller even mentioned. (It has a minor sparkles of laser rot) that's going to turn a customer right off.

Point is how many sellers are that honest not that it matters if they refuse to refund you, fine they get negative feedback and will only need so many strikes before being suspended.

I have only one that has minor laser rot I bought (last year 2012) The Jewel of the Nile at the end of side A it gets a bit noisy on the picture not as bad as the start of side A with a few now and then sparkles but, if he had mentioned it had minor laser rot chances are, I won't have bought Romancing The Stone and The Jewel Of The Nile double bill Laserdiscs for cheap price.

Then again when I checked that TITANIC was listed as High probability I took a gamble as I never noticed any laser rot when I owned the same pressing 13 years ago. Titanic (1997) [LV334812-WS]

Its like those scratch cards. You win some you lose some. Only your not spending $1.00 dollar or £1.00 pound your spending £$ 20 or 30 on some Laserdiscs or odd insane $400.00.

i don't offer returns on discs, but i don't sell that many.
BUT i always play them before i list them for sale.
i had gattaca and didn't know that it was a rotter, side one had super light specks almost like dantes peak that you posted.
but i listed it as light speckles and the buyer was fine and happy.

^ I have same film on Superbit DVD.

me too, my mom wanted the other one, but i told her to get superbit dvd.
no returns on discs from reino?! i'm not buying from his shop!

i thank everybody in the world

UPDATE!

disclord & everyone! the seller has sent me a couple of pictures of the actual The Fifth Element disc itself. Here are the close-up pictures of the Laserdisc.

#1 - http://s8.postimage.org/xcu54eowj/DSC09206.jpg

#2 - http://s14.postimage.org/ohzjxf433/DSC09207.jpg

I'm not completely sure as I don't see 'Sony' written any where on the disc, but I do tend to see numbers on the left hand side of the 2nd picture.

can anyone tell me if this is a pioneer pressing or a defected Sony pressing?

If you want good picture quality go with the latest BD:

LD:


Original DVD:


Superbit DVD:


BD: