Before an all out assault occurs let me clearly say, I like laserdisc. But lets get a little devils advocate thing going here. The video quality of laserdisc varied based on the construction of the player. So, even if an ld was a great pressing, if you had a weak player all was lost as far as maximum presentation. Thats just being real. What I'm trying to get at is the quality of blu ray can be astounding many times. What I don't hear talked about much is why (besides commentary or extended reasons) we would chose to view a laserdisc instead of a standard or blu ray disc. Is it the film-like quality?, Is it the techno-angle of playing around with different players? Are we trying to make ld better than it was? As a long time collector I have my reasons. Again, besides the commentary and extended stuff what else do you like and is it better than the current technology?

Maybe plain madness.
I'd pay $200+ to have any recent movie on LD.

When it was DVD vs LD, my sticking point was the fact that there wasn't enough of an upgrade in quality of DVD (and in some aspects, no upgrade in quality!) over LD to make me say I don't need LD anymore.

When it comes to Blu-ray, sure it's sharper than you could ever imagine, but when they throw up there in 60Hz or 120Hz, it looks like a video game rather than a movie. Sure, we don't HAVE to watch it like that (just set your player how you like) but for some reason, that's how the format is demoed everywhere you go. So that's obviously a selling point.

I'd rather it just look like a film.

I'm getting ont he Blu-ray wagon sure enough (how else am I going to get movies now that they are trying to kill off DVD), but after collecting this big ol' 12" discs for about 17 years now, I still don't find good enough reason to stop!

Everyone probably has their own reasons for collecting LD(s) but here is mine:

1. Collecting is a hobby. I enjoy the hunt ... it's fun to build a collection.
2. LD packaging was elaborate ... exuberant ... over the top.
3. I can buy today what was unaffordable back when LD(s) were in print.
4. I'm fascinated with obsolete technology. Also collect vinyl LP(s).
5. Every media format produces it's own "experience" IMHO.
6. It's interesting to own a movie on several different formats.
7. Well mastered LD(s) provide a "35mm theatrical sound". Less processed to my ears.
8. Many LD(s) appear to be copied directly from 35mm prints ... again less processed and more like "film".
9. Some LD(s) were never released on DVD or BR.
10. Depending on what issue you collect ... LD(s) can be quite reasonable.
11. It still amazes me how many movies were released on the format. Watch TCM channel on any given night and look up the
movie on LDDB and it's probably been issued before.

I feel like BD makes it look more like film if they do not use DNR or use a moderate amount. One big reason to stick with LD is because certain stuff, cuts, music, commentary are only on LD.

Well, like elahrairrah, I found DVD rather pointless, doubly so because it was often quite difficult & expensive to obtain in that format what I already had or could get on LD, & often there was actually a quality hit. With Blu-Ray, I have a couple (Wings of Honneamise & Paprika) & mean to buy more, but most of what's in my LD library either hasn't yet been or never will be released on that format.

Beyond that, LaserDisc is a fascinating technical achievement, which I think is worth keeping around for that reason alone. I'm terribly fond of the packaging of some of my discs. It does give me a thrill to obtain for a couple of bucks something that originally sold for Y7800. And, really, I just like it — sheer personal preference.

Most of the reasons I collect LDs has already been stated, but there's one I'm not too proud to admit.

I love collecting LaserDiscs because no one else has it around me and can't borrow my discs. I am so particular about caring for my stuff and I hate lending my favourite movies to friends because they just don't care about them. They come back with big finger prints all over them and even some scratches on occasions. If I'm now talking about a great film I watched the other night I can then say, 'sorry, it's a LaserDisc. Do you have a LaserDisc player?' and I don't feel like a totally selfish douche bag.

I like the fact that I don't have to worry about hdmi handshakes , copy protection , output resolutions , audio formats or any other firmwire related things

Let's be honnest... do you enjoy watching the commercial for a new Ipad before even getting a glimps of the movie itself?


Just plug in the composite or S-video socket and you are good to go!
To make things a bit high tech an rf demodulator or CC decoder was all that made the difference.
Any player could play a simple LD movie without Image freezing or whatever the issue these days...

Warning :
Not all features on this BR disc may be available with current firmwire on your player .
Please visit http://www.blablabla.com for your vieuwing experience


Oh, I do miss the analoge age !

Don't get me wrong I love BluRay and even HDDVD's and they sure look and sound splendid but did things get user friendly??

Main reason why I love laserdiscs:

they are something else...


They look cool on the shelf
They sound great
They are "rare" amongst the average movie lover (these days everyone is a movie "collector") with prices dropping again and again
The artwork
The boxsets

Love to hear from others....

There was a guy on YouTube who posted a series of video's about LaserDiscs (back in 2008) .... one of the reasons he gave for liking the format was exactly what you stated. Video below ... fast forward to about the 5 minute mark ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6tONRLJ ... re=related

The laserdisc format is not without some flaws such as:
high shipping cost
sleeve packaging easily damaged
laser rot
players risky to ship
high cost of certain titles
difficulty obtaining certain titles
storage space required
etc

Yet somehow it is still compelling.

I would say I probably get more enjoyment out of trying to locate certain titles on laserdisc than I do actually owning them. As they say the chase is more fun than the catch! You rarely get that feeling with DVDs because even the rare ones are relatively easy to locate thanks to the internet. There are a few CDs that I still strive for, but not many as most are re-issued quite often.

I can also remember the details of every single laserdisc I ever purchased. Whether it was sent to me in a jiffy bag with no other protection or arrived with a sheet of plywood either side of the disc (I'm not kidding!) - each one has a unique story to tell which makes them quite personal.

I buy mainly music on laserdisc so unfortunately cannot say they are cheaper than DVDs to acquire. That rule just doesn't seem to apply to music laserdiscs, however the range of content available that is otherwise unavailable on other formats is still so staggering I feel that more than compensates for higher costs. You hear of people selling all their worldly belongings to relocate to another country. I would find that very difficult to do if it came to my laserdisc collection!

maybe because its unique in this day and age with BDs almost being the norm for movies
and everything has been mentioned before so there is probably not much to add.

Well, those are the main reasons I've kept my LD player and discs -- for the films not available on DVD or BD, for extras and commentaries, or for original versions of movies that have been altered for their DVD and BD counterparts.

Other than those main reasons I do feel a nostalgia for LDs that I don't feel for VHS or DVD. It's probably because Laserdisc was the first high end home video format I owned, and there was a specialness about it because it catered to collectors and film buffs. I enjoyed shopping for LDs in the '90s, too. Only certain shops carried them, while DVDs are available in supermarkets. I know it sounds elitist, but how special can the format seem when you can pick it up with your butter and eggs?

I also liked the packaging (the boxsets, gatefolds, etc.) and cover art to most LDs. There seemed to be more care put into them than for DVDs and Blu-rays (which have some of the laziest and dullest cover art). The early cardboard packaging for DVDs seemed flimsy, too. It's the same feeling I get towards LPs, and their cover art and packaging, compared with CDs.

Great replies! As for myself, when your holding a laserdisc, you really feel like you have a movie in your hand. It's a complete feeling, especially with the added weight of two discs. A gatefold ld is a beautiful thing (in some cases). Of all the would be monitors I've used I still find laserdisc to be best presented on a later model CRT widscreen tv.

The 34 inch Sony or Panasonic widescreen CRTs from 2004 on a real good player using the TVs comb filter through a composite connection is stellar. Some discs you thought were crap on your LCD really improve on CRT. I mean lets face it, laserdisc was "built" with CRT in mind. Laserdisc on LCD, Plasma or even DLP(terrible for LD) need very different adjustments from dvd or blu ray. Also consider a CRT Mitsubishi 52 inch projection for some nice quality big screen action.

Understand exactly what you are saying. LD was a format that seemed to be created for film buffs ... the movie or "art" was everything ... real film fans were willing to pay more.

Never experienced that myself ... when LD(s) were being sold ... I was in a highly mobile career (not staying in one place very long) and didn't have the time or space to devote to the hobby. I did enjoy renting LaserDiscs back then though. Just couldn't imagine hauling LD(s) around with me at that period in my life. Now is my make up time.

I think what draws me to laserdisc most is the sheer technical curiosity that anything like it could exist in the 70s. It really is a technological wonder. Of course since then the optical disc format has become purely digital and been refined several times, but laserdisc was the original.

As others have stated I also love the packaging, simply beautiful.

Cover art and barf bags, how many DVDs come packing a barf bag and a 45 record.

From the looks of things, most of us are expressing the same reasons. I love Blu when it's done right. The sad reality is, the days of people buying whatever is on the racks is over. A LOT of titles are never going to be released. That is just reality. I'm also not a huge fan of many of the new releases that hit the theaters and in turn blu-ray. Sorry but I do not ever need to own Horrible Bosses. The statement made about the quality of the player being the deciding factor is the same no matter which format you are using. Blu is no different.

The laserdisc benefits, besides just titles, are many. Presentation is number one for me. Owning the laserdisc of a film or box set of films just feels more real to me. I get a lot more satisfaction from owning a library of laserdiscs than I do having a collection on my hard drive. DVD's and now Blu-ray just feel more disposable to me. Maybe it's my age but I don't see too many people being as fanatical about blu releases than I did with laserdiscs when they were new. The second is cost. I can go to most used record stores and find laserdiscs for $1-$5 each. Again, my satisfaction is the important factor for me. I can spend $30 and walk out with a stack of lasers that will take me weeks to get through or 1-2 blu-ray releases I can watch that night and most likely never want to see again. Yes, the rarer titles cost more but 9 times out of 10 they cost more because they were never released on DVD or Blu.

Thanks to all for the reasoning and candor.
I must add that the available title selection is still another valid reason to acquire these out dated platters.
Being a Kaiju fan since I was a kid, it was a dream come true finding so many monster films on this format.
Numerous LaserDisc titles offered for Gamera,Godzilla,and the Harryhausen genre was just overwhelming.
Gravitating to Japanese LaserDiscs just helped fan the fire for this jones.
I have watched so many movies with Japanese Dialogue that I am beginning to understand the language just by association !!!
As far as reading the Calligraphy, forget it....
Subtitles don't bother me though, they being a deal breaker for some due mainly to distraction.

Now acknowledging the drawbacks inherent to collecting this format, despite these obvious physical realities, we still collect and endure.
I don't mind explaining to friends and family that I don't need a Blockbuster video card.
The concept for the RedBox rental outlet and netflix are wonderful, but I will pass for now......

Frankly ,although their are many exceptions, movies in the last ten years have just gone down hill.
Maybe I am closed minded, have no problem accepting that, but the golden age of motion picture is past in my opinion.
And LaserDisc has captured the essential prime of motion picture history from the 20's through the turn of the new century.
How many titles were lost in the grey area of marketability and never to be released on DVD,HD-DVD or even the Blu-Ray format.
Kind of makes me feel like an archivist, preserving the past like Irish monks all through the dark ages!
A bit dramatic but how else can I justify sitting on over 3500 + titles.
And still collecting more as time goes on.
Thank the Sky Gods I sell on the LDDB to make room for more !!!

So why should we even like laserdiscs ?
Perhaps logically we should not.....
Thankfully we are not Vulcans....

Once again grateful to all for this thread....

I think it's fair to say that when it comes to collecting logic is very seldom a deciding factor.