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All the various names laserdiscs were called
https://forum.lddb.com/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=9758		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  retrolaservision [ 08 Apr 2021, 09:17 ]
Post subject:  All the various names laserdiscs were called
This came up to me, when I looked at my copy of Empire Strikes Back. It's the first Japanese version released 1984. Anyway it's fun looking at the cover, because laserdisc was clearly having an identity crisis when it was released. Because in the cover they have FOUR different names for the format.

On the top right it says Laservideodisc. Underneath that there is the format logo where it says Laservision. In the obi it calls the format Laserdisc. And in the back cover it calls the format Videodisc.

Anyway besides those four names, I know that they also called the format discovision and cd video. Do you know any other names they have called laserdiscs besides those. And do you also have discs in your collection where they clearly had no idea what to call the format.
Author:  takeshi666 [ 08 Apr 2021, 09:27 ]
Post subject:  Re: All the various names laserdiscs were called
Well coincidentally I've always called them by their literal translation in Finnish, but apparently a lot of period publications used the word "picture disc" - which is pretty confusing since "picture disc" usually refers to a type of printed record.

There was also a comic book I had from around 2001 or so where a character refers to "laserdiscs", but when I got my hands on the original English language version, he says "compact discs", so clearly, this issue becomes even more muddled once you start considering the various foreign translations for the format name!
Author:  ldfan [ 08 Apr 2021, 09:39 ]
Post subject:  Re: All the various names laserdiscs were called
Discovision is the official name of the format when it was first released by Philips / Magnavox back in the late 70’s to (I assume) capitalize on Disco being the “in thing” at the time.

Thank goodness someone decided the format needed a new name shortly after so LaserVision and LaserDisc eventually became the norm. We also had, for a short time, Philips rebranding it as CD Video but that was a bit confusing since we mostly think of the gold colored 5” CDV that can play a 5 min video clip and 20 min of digital audio as a CDV and not the bigger 8” and 12” discs.
Author:  takeshi666 [ 08 Apr 2021, 10:03 ]
Post subject:  Re: All the various names laserdiscs were called
CD Video predates VCD by a few years though so it might seem confusing now but there was no such confusion back then.
Author:  signofzeta [ 08 Apr 2021, 14:31 ]
Post subject:  Re: All the various names laserdiscs were called
Discovision was the MCA era.

Laservision is represents Pioneer taking over.

Laserdisc represents the Digital Sound era taking over.

That’s pretty much all you need to know. I don’t think Laservideodisc or Videodisc was ever an official term for the format but they are totally descriptive so they were used a lot, especially by labels.

I didn’t get into LD until 1992, the peak of the format, and by then Laserdisc was for sure the name of the format in English and kana.
Author:  admin [ 08 Apr 2021, 14:53 ]
Post subject:  Re: All the various names laserdiscs were called
signofzeta wrote:
Discovision was the MCA era.
Laservision is represents Pioneer taking over.
Laserdisc represents the Digital Sound era taking over.


Wish it was that easy...

As described on the Soundtracks Help section: https://www.lddb.com/help/sound/

Quote:
With the arrival of Philips/SONY Compact Disc, all the rage was around Digital Audio and LaserVision (previously DiscoVision, rebranded when Pioneer took things over) wanted to ride that wave too.

LaserVision + Compact Disc = LaserDisc. Simple.

But that would be too easy. Some Analog/Analog-CX releases are carrying the LaserDisc Logo when they have no Digital tracks and in Europe they went the opposite direction marketing-wise and called them CD Video. Instead of putting the Disc in Laser, they put the Video in CD! To make it even more confusing, some "CD Video" were actually of CD size (5"/12cm) and carrying both CD tracks and LD video. What a mess for consumers.


I have seen LD, CD Video, etc. logos mixed on the labels.
Some Analog-CX described as LaserDisc.
Some Digital Audio described as LaserVision.
At some point I stopped caring and was only looking for the "Digital Audio" and "AC3RF" logos!

Ex:
Image

Julien
Author:  rein-o [ 08 Apr 2021, 16:11 ]
Post subject:  Re: All the various names laserdiscs were called
This is all due to marketing.

People didn't want Videodisc, they wanted something better, had to use Laserdisc rather than Videodisc so it wouldn't confuse the poor quality of the CED Videodisc.

Isn't it funny one of the downfalls of LD was the fact that you couldn't get consumer LD recording cheap enough for home use
but DVD is all over and its super hard to buy a stand alone DVD-R, can you even buy one not on your computer anymore???
Author:  retrolaservision [ 08 Apr 2021, 17:12 ]
Post subject:  Re: All the various names laserdiscs were called
Another reason the name videodisc doesn't work was well due to VHD. That format also used the name videodisc.

Well the recording thing isn't really a problem due to the invention of DVR. Why use a physical format, when you can just record the show onto a box with a hard drive? Plus people who bought DVD players all basically had a VCR as well. (Though so did people who bought LD players)

I guess DVD won due to convenience and due to market being more ready for it in the late 90s. Who knows had LD been released in the 90s rather than in the 70s, it could have been way bigger. But that's just speculation.

I also learned that besides those 6 names I mentioned in my initial post. That LD was also called picture disc rarely. (though did companies use that name in the cover or did the media only use that?) Still makes the name changes even more insane.
Author:  signofzeta [ 08 Apr 2021, 19:03 ]
Post subject:  Re: All the various names laserdiscs were called
admin wrote:
signofzeta wrote:
Discovision was the MCA era.
Laservision is represents Pioneer taking over.
Laserdisc represents the Digital Sound era taking over.


Wish it was that easy...

As described on the Soundtracks Help section: https://www.lddb.com/help/sound/

Quote:
With the arrival of Philips/SONY Compact Disc, all the rage was around Digital Audio and LaserVision (previously DiscoVision, rebranded when Pioneer took things over) wanted to ride that wave too.

LaserVision + Compact Disc = LaserDisc. Simple.

But that would be too easy. Some Analog/Analog-CX releases are carrying the LaserDisc Logo when they have no Digital tracks and in Europe they went the opposite direction marketing-wise and called them CD Video. Instead of putting the Disc in Laser, they put the Video in CD! To make it even more confusing, some "CD Video" were actually of CD size (5"/12cm) and carrying both CD tracks and LD video. What a mess for consumers.


I have seen LD, CD Video, etc. logos mixed on the labels.
Some Analog-CX described as LaserDisc.
Some Digital Audio described as LaserVision.
At some point I stopped caring and was only looking for the "Digital Audio" and "AC3RF" logos!

Ex:
Image

Julien


Oh, for sure. I have Laservision discs with digital sound and Laserdiscs that are analog only. It was a very slow transition...but by, let’s say 1993, it was by and large Laserdiscs named as such with Digital Sound.
Author:  rein-o [ 08 Apr 2021, 22:03 ]
Post subject:  Re: All the various names laserdiscs were called
retrolaservision wrote:

Well the recording thing isn't really a problem due to the invention of DVR. Why use a physical format, when you can just record the show onto a box with a hard drive? Plus people who bought DVD players all basically had a VCR as well. (Though so did people who bought LD players)


It was back around 1991-94 when I would go to stores and people wouldn't adopt the format due to not having a recordable ablity.


DVD won due to costs, don't let anybody tell you otherwise.
Cheaper to make, cheaper to made players, cheaper packaging etc.
Only reason bluray is out is due to cheaper also, players are even cheaper than DVD players when they first came out
and films are only higher priced on secondary market.

They are still a buck a piece at thrift stores.
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