How do your friends or family or girlfriends react to your love affair with laserdisc? are they weirded out by it, does it make them interested in it, or do they just not show interest?

with most people, they think I'm talking about DVD when I say laserdisc. even guys who spend all day playing computer games are dumbfounded by it.

I was actually inspired by a quote from Quentin Tarantino who compared collecting laserdisc to buying coke. Then I saw a video by James Rolfe (Angry Nintendo Nerd) and when he showed off his collection of Speilberg films, and explained how the nuisances of DVDs were nonexistant on LD, I knew that one day I would be a Laserdisc freak.

I've never gotten anyone interested in the format the way QT or the Nintendo Nerd has and I think that it seperates true fans of cinema from people who just "like" film. Most people just watch films to watch them for entertainment, and I think the people who really get into collecting film are the ones who want to see their favorite film in a beautiful package, in unadultered form, on a format that was king during the time the film came out.

If I could afford it, all of my movies would be 16mm/35mm/etc film prints. I think there's nothing cooler than having a movie on the original format it was filmed on, none of that time compression or pan and scan, or menu nonsense.

Wife loves it. She gets half the cash and goes out and buys more stuff, lol.

I could only imagine. LOL
At first fascination, after awhile, pity.

My dad gets it and even shows off my collection to friends. No one else does. My wife even refuses to watch any of them. My daughter gets a kick out of the nice Disney covers.

Most are skeptical at first....
If I invite a non-believer over that soon gives way to euphoria as the Live Music Concert magic takes over.....
Vintage music moments caught on LD is my prime reason for collecting.
Son has been raised with them and loves laserdisc more then I do !!!!
People are just amazed that there is a market for this obscure now format......
I just smile........

On the whole my girlfriend dislikes laserdiscs, mainly because they take up space.

I think that people that have the slightly interest of collecting anything understand it. Its the cheap boring people that doesnt own anything in their home that have any personal value or is downloading 100% of the movies they watch that doesnt understand it.

many of my friends are first impressed by the nice sleeves, then my 102" screen kinda ruins the experience, they arent aware that a dvd pretty much looks just as bad on 100"...

Family & Some friends have seen my collection and instantly thought they were Vinyl LP's ect....

People find the LD format facinating, a good number of people do not even know of the Laserdisc format in the UK.

Most people are only aware of VHS / DVD / HD DVD and Blu-ray.
Laserdisc's is a topic for good conversation.

Again as mentioned quite often, people just want to look at the cover art and are amazed by a format that they had little, or no idea existed but may have heard about in the early 1980's

Laserdisc is an experience and not just a format.

Great topic

my dad actually want a player, but I think thats becouse he know he can just watch any movie from my collection =)

Being only 24 years old, most of my friends in and around my age have no idea what I'm talking about when I mention Laserdiscs. Then I take out a sleeve and show them. Most think it's pretty cool, and when I want to show them a scene I pop in The Phantom Menace, turn on my demodulator, and play the Pod Race scene for them. Then they start to get why I like them. Haha

As far as my family, well, it's hard to judge. Having graduated from college a few years ago, and not yet found a steady job in my field, I still live at home. My mom is used to me being a collector, and goes along with it, and my brother, who is 20, gets a kick out of some of the discs. My girlfriend lives with me, and she doesn't so much dislike Laserdiscs as she is just upset that my stuff dominates most of the available space in our room, as well as in a few of the other rooms of the house. I think once I have my own place, she'll warm to them a bit more.

My best friend however is an avid film buff and has a lot of movies and introduced me to a lot of great movies, and he just doesn't seem to get my love for Laserdiscs. Even understanding the original PCM audio and theatrical sound mixes side of my argument, he just sees it as an investment in antiquated technology.

My last girlfriend didn't care for them save for a few titles like My Fair Lady, Les Miserables: Stage by Stage and the Disney titles that I have. She would groan during every side change and disc change

My friends are the same way. They are impressed with the video and sound quality and say that it compares favorably to DVD. They just don't like how big the discs are.

As far as family goes, my sisters like watching them when they come by. My brother has a small collection of his own. As does my mother as I bought her a player a few years back.

Afternoon philburque46, elahrairrah, johan184, hippiedalek,

philburque46 quote;
My girlfriend lives with me, and she doesn't so much dislike Laserdiscs as she is just upset that my stuff dominates most of the available space in our room, as well as in a few of the other rooms of the house. I think once I have my own place, she'll warm to them a bit more.

My reply,
Philburque46 I am sure that you will have a place for you and your girlfriend soon I hope, however being at home helps you both with saving your money for a deposit ect...Keep going as you will get there. . . . .Trust me when I write that I truly understand.

Good reading your experiences.

elahrairrah's quote;
My last girlfriend didn't care for them save for a few titles like My Fair Lady, Les Miserables: Stage by Stage and the Disney titles that I have. She would groan during every side change and disc change.

My reply;
I could never understand why people i.e. enthusiast's before DVD came along ''you never heard anyone complain about the side change''
I myself love listening to the side change, and to be honest before placing the second disc in the tray it's a good time for a snack at times. . . . It works for me guys.

johan184 quote;
my dad actually want a player, but I think thats becouse he know he can just watch any movie from my collection =)

My reply
Your Dad could purchase a good player at a reasonable price, I hope you both enjoy the format and that Dad also buys his own LD's as they are cheap enough.

hippiedalek quote;
On the whole my girlfriend dislikes laserdiscs, mainly because they take up space.

My reply;
Hippiedalek sorry to read about your girlfriend not liking because of the lack of space and hope it's not to much of a problem for you both.

firehorse_44 quote;
Most are skeptical at first....
If I invite a non-believer over that soon gives way to euphoria as the Live Music Concert magic takes over.....
Vintage music moments caught on LD is my prime reason for collecting.
Son has been raised with them and loves laserdisc more then I do !!!!
People are just amazed that there is a market for this obscure now format......
I just smile........

My reply;
A great read that I enjoyed and really that say's everything about the Laserdisc format in a nut shell doesn't it.......I JUST SMILE
I myself have some music live concerts of Pink Floyd and they are fantastic, I really would like to purchase more concert Laserdisc's, but have enough priorities ''goals'' to acheive before I can get round to this including 24+ LD titles reserved in Japan.
Fire horse great to read and keep enjoying along with your Son.


mlcsmith quote;
My dad gets it and even shows off my collection to friends. No one else does. My wife even refuses to watch any of them. My daughter gets a kick out of the nice Disney covers.

My reply;
I am glad your Dad gets it, but sorry about your wife not having the same enthusiasm and I am pleased your Daughter enjoys looking at the Disney covers.

I also enjoyed reading the rest of the posts on this topic.

Many thanks and keep enjoying guys, take good care of yourselves.

Sincere Regards

I don't begrudge anyone not being used to the side change or disc change. I mean, even before DVDs, most people watched their movies on VHS and with VERY FEW exceptions where a very long movie was on two tapes they never had to do the same for that format.

People could watch a whole movie on the VHS format you are correct.

It was understandable why people jumped onto the DVD format, as the obvious benefits were a major factor in it's success, and with far more than double the picture quality it was a no brainer.

Thank you sharing your thoughts, as it's good to read.

Kind Regards to you.

Usually no one understands the logic of sinking currency into an antiquated/defunct format (they do have a point to some extent which is why I limit myself to very specific titles and spend a LOT of time looking for the best deal) but some do enjoy admiring the jacket art...

hi,

love this topic in center. actually my dad bought the first player in 1994 when the disc was way too much for our pocket.

after my graduation from uni then into a good job, i substantially started collecting.

my wife, as then girlfriend, is quite neutral towards my hobby being a laserdisc collector. every so often, she even asks me if i have got a certain title on laserdisc instead of DVD, haha, what a success.

and my parents, for sure, always appreciate the shiny discs which fascinate me so much that they never worry about any substitute like alcohol or cigarettes should take place.

myself, right on the way to enjoy as much as i can until whenever:)

My sisters don't appreciate it at all. They think it's dumb and pointless. My dad is mildy supportive, but he's rather indifferent. Mom doesn't really care at all, as long as it doesn't take up all the space

my dad thinks it pointless, hes spent his whole life taping stuff off the tv and now of course he burns stuff off the tv haha hes so cheap when i tell him how much ive spent on LD he thinks im crazy. My sister thinks there kinda cool mainly cuz of the covers. I have one freind who also collects them but not as much as me, the rest all think its cool and appreciate the covers, except one freind whos a real jerk about it haha everything thats not digital sucks too him o well

My wife doesn't actually understand any of my hobbies but doesn't interfere with them either except some occasional nagging about money, our son is too young for this kind of stuff but I'll try my best to pass my interests to him when he gets older. My parents, well, they don't really care but as the first movie dad took mum to watch when they started dating was Clockwork Orange we share at least some interests and I have rather interesting movie-related discussions with him every now and then.

Nah, it's not much of a problem, I just get a lot of eye rolling.