Simon Collis
Member
I have started to dream of lost things
Posts: 536
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Post by Simon Collis on Aug 20, 2013 17:05:42 GMT
I'm guessing at the turn of the 1980s consumers had the choice of either by a tape format they could record with & hire more tapes for, at a cost of lower picture quality; or else get a laserdisc player that could play high quality discs, but they were harder to source, & couldn't record on. IIRC later Laserdisc players & discs had a digital soundtrack, that enabled surround sound, or commentry tracks or different languages. Some players with this could play CD's as well. Don't forget that there were competing formats for a while in disc players too - CED and TED are the acronyms that spring to mind. There's a fascinating history of it all on Total Rewind (warning: if you're remotely interested in this sort of thing, reading this site quickly becomes a time hole)
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Post by Hugh Pearson on Aug 20, 2013 19:59:08 GMT
Fun thread - I first saw Terror of the Zygons, on a laser disc, while visiting the UK years ago & what do you know, it's coming to DVD this September. In looking at the list of laser disc releases, it does seem that the TV movie was issued on laser disc - but only in Hong Kong - www.timelash.com/tardis/display.asp?678I wonder what that one would go for on eBay?
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Post by Marty Schultz on Aug 21, 2013 1:25:40 GMT
Laser Disc was far bigger in Asia. Many karaoke players used laser discs.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2013 10:17:14 GMT
Some players, like the one I had in '98 could play DVDs too. A Pioneer DVL-909. Alan, if you still have it, does the Pioneer still work?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2013 10:18:40 GMT
I wonder which story this one is? I so nearly said The TV Movie and then realised how stupid it would have been to say that! Alan, I nearly thought this too!
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Post by Alan Hayes on Aug 21, 2013 10:39:57 GMT
Hi Justin,
No, as I said in my first post, I now no longer have any way of playing the discs. The Pioneer gave up the ghost about 2005. Really should get another player one day. I have a Kenny Everett Laservision disc that is wonderful, and which will probably never get a DVD release.
Best,
Alan
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2013 11:22:39 GMT
Hi Justin, No, as I said in my first post, I now no longer have any way of playing the discs. The Pioneer gave up the ghost about 2005. Really should get another player one day. I have a Kenny Everett Laservision disc that is wonderful, and which will probably never get a DVD release. Best, Alan Sorry Alan, should've re-read the posts.
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Post by Richard Bignell on Aug 21, 2013 11:35:16 GMT
Laser Disc was far bigger in Asia. Many karaoke players used laser discs. Not only karaoke. A laser disc player was at the heart of Cinematronics famous 1983 arcade game, 'Dragon's Lair'. Twas a wonderous thing back then!
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Post by Richard Marple on Aug 21, 2013 11:47:40 GMT
In some far eastern countries there were 8" discs often compilations of music videos, along with CD Videos, which had 1 visual track & 5-6 normal audio only tracks.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2013 16:29:02 GMT
Laserdisc was also part of the technology that drove the BBC's Domesday Project, which I contributed to as a 10 year old! www.bbc.co.uk/history/domesday
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Post by Marty Schultz on Aug 22, 2013 2:53:13 GMT
Laser Disc was far bigger in Asia. Many karaoke players used laser discs. Not only karaoke. A laser disc player was at the heart of Cinematronics famous 1983 arcade game, 'Dragon's Lair'. Twas a wonderous thing back then! I am actually a big retro-game collector. :-) There were quite a few laser disc games from memory. There was Space Ace - Dragons Lair 2 . I remember playing Mad Dog McCree? as a kid and being amazed. Dragons Lair though was just jaw-dropping. The cartoon quality graphics blew everything else out of the water.
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Post by Richard Marple on Aug 22, 2013 11:50:57 GMT
I certainly remember seeing Mad Dog McCree in arcades, & being impressed by the live action in it.
There was a similar game with 1920s-30s gangsters.
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