Long Live Laserdisc(R.I.P)

[dweezil2]

Due to a bout of immence poverty, I'm having to sell of all my worldly possessions. Not sure if these Items are of interest to anyone, but someone must remember Laserdisc?

Dweezil.

Link: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Pioneer-CLD-S310S-Laserdisc-Player-PAL_W0QQitemZ180173263352QQihZ008QQcategoryZ3317QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem" target="_blank">http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Pioneer-CLD-S310S-Laserdisc-Player-PAL_W0QQitemZ180173263352QQihZ008QQcategoryZ3317QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[worldshown]

Do I remeber Laserdisc?

About 15 years ago my friend Wayne told me he had just bought The Exorcist on imported Laserdisc (Exorcist still being banned in the UK at the time). As I'd never seen it, I asked if I could come over at on Saturday and watch it. Sure he says.

So, come Saturday and several/many cans of lager later, Wayne fires up the Laserdisc. Over an hour of thoroughly engrossing supernatural goodness occurs when suddenly, in the middle of the exorcism scene the machine cuts out, the screen goes black and the room is cast into darkness.

'Fuck! What just happened?' I panicked.

Wayne was still pissing himself with laughter as he got up to put on the second disc of the film. I didn't know Laserdiscs only held 60 minutes of film.

[Steve Green]

Yeah, I still have mine stored away.

I shudder to think I spent about 150 quid on Toy Story Special Edition. I must have been mental.

It's great that VHS has finally fucked off and DVD is now the base level of picture quality.

Shame we've got all this bollocks over HD-DVD/Blu-Ray though.

[dweezil2]

Tis a spooky tale you tell there Worldshow. It just goes to prove you should NEVER dable in the occult!
It's true! About 60 minutes per side, that's why many "epic" films could be spread over 4 discs!
Having said that, I'm sure The Star Wars movies I'm selling are over 2 hours long and Star Wars and The Empire Strike Back are double sided, so there must be exceptions.
In CAV format the disc space was even more limited. Oh those hazy days!

[dweezil2]

I know what you mean Mcwild! I payed an obscene amount of money for, the then, unrated directors cut of Robocop. We think £14.99 is a lot for a DVD RRP, when Laserdiscs came in at a bare minimum of £20. Pre-internet, importing Disc was even more pricey.

[Steve Green]

The nice thing about LD was the packaging really - I guess it's the old vinyl vs CD thing.

A friend of mine bought the Seven boxed set, and it was lovely to look at - you really felt like some care had gone into it.

That said, the first DVD I bought was a revelation, proper anamorphic, colours were much less washed out. Lovely.

I had been worried that it was going to look worse because of the encoding, but generally speaking they've been pretty good.

The first Highlander DVD was mince though. THX my arse.

(that's not a request BTW)

[dweezil2]

You're very right Sir! As much as I love DVD and CD's, I do miss those 12inch Sleeves-always showed of the artwork better!
And those Criterion Discs always had such care lavished on them.
Still, you can't stop progress.