Laserdisc & LaserActive

[m0nk3y]

Evening all,

Having strange worrying urges to get a NTSC-J Pioneer LaserActive with the Megadrive set. However, I know nothing really about Laserdisc. I know there's 2 different formats and also this MUSE thingy? I assume the players have region coding? If so, how hard is it to multi-region.

Basically, as LD players go, how good is the LA? Damn good stuff, or pretty crap? Also, if it applies, can I make the LA a multiregion LD player?

[Lyris]

LaserDisc players have no region coding at all. However, a Japanese LaserDisc player might not be able to play back PAL LaserDiscs (not really a huge loss - just about anything really good was put out in NTSC only).

MUSE was LD's version of Japan's Hi-Vision TV system, different to the HDTV you hear about now (it was actually 1125 lines, higher than the 1080 we're being sold now) - I doubt you'd be able to find a TV outside of Japan that can support anything MUSE-related though.

As for the two different formats, I assume you mean CLV and CAV. It's different ways of mastering the discs - all LD players can play both.

CLV (Contant Linear Velocity) movies can hold about 64 minutes per side (you have to flip the discs over during a film) but functions such as Freeze-Frame aren't available, except on some high-end players that get around the format limitation.

CAV (Constant Angular Velocity) supposedly can give slightly better image quality, but from the small amount of LD movies I have I haven't noticed anything. I think it's largely a myth. This format only holds about 30-35 minutes per side but allows frame-accuracy freeze-framing and slow motion functions. I think a lot of animated titles were put out in CAV editions for this reason.

I can't tell you much about the LaserActive specifically though, sorry but if I remember correctly it ran off expansion modules.

[anephric]

CAV (Constant Angular Velocity) supposedly can give slightly better image quality, but from the small amount of LD movies I have I haven't noticed anything. I think it's largely a myth. This format only holds about 30-35 minutes per side but allows frame-accuracy freeze-framing and slow motion functions. I think a lot of animated titles were put out in CAV editions for this reason.

You actually get more PQ "noise" on CAV discs, because of the info packed into those tiny little tracks near the centre of the disc... I never saw the point of CAV (much like James Cameron, who hated it), particularly if you had a later-model digital LD player... you still got all the freezeframe, trick-play options on CLV discs...

I wouldn't mind a Laseractive: I'd love to play Cobra Commmand properly again...

[mid]

Even the "later model" players (I've got the Pioneer CLD-925, which is probably the best PAL-capable player) only give half the resolution in pause mode for CLV discs of their CAV cousins, because they only hold a field in memory and not the whole frame.

For just watching the film, you're right that you're better off with CLV, as the higher noise level towards the end of the disc is barely (if at all) noticeable. But I do like my CAV Who Framed Roger Rabbit, which was the last release before they censored the film (people went through in frame-advance mode and spotted all the rude gags the animators placed). For whatever reason, my Criterion CAV SE7EN looks better than the CLV release, too.

[anephric]

The industry solution for higher noise levels on CAV discs was to lay down pure black for the offending portions of the disc (thus reducing playback time still further).

Ever have a CAV disc that did this?

[Lyris]

I never noticed that out of the 5 or so LDs I have. 2 are CAV, Criterion's SE7EN set as well as the LBX version of Aladdin (which has quite a lot of picture noise on pink and red colours).

[anephric]

Own the Aliens CAV set? You want graininess and colour noise a-go-go?

You got it, baby. Ripley's hair is nearly green in some scenes, ffs. And I paid ?90 for the privilege...

CAV was a waste of time: I used to dread Criterion announcing sets as CAV-only. I didn't have a double-sided player for a start (Pioneer CLD-1750) so I had to get up every 25-30 mins to swap sides, let alone a disc change.

Oh, the laughs that used to pour like evil swarms of bees from the mouths of facetious friends when we watched the Star Wars Definitive discs...

"What's happened, the picture's gone black!"
"It's a side break."
"A what?"
"It can't fit all the film on one side."
"So, how much DOES it hold?"
"Meeeewwww.... 30 mins..."
"And you paid ?250 for it!!! TWAT!"

[mid]

Which is why you spend a relatively pitiful sum of money on the CLV THX versions to accompany it, obviously.

[Lyris]

Oh, the laughs that used to pour like evil swarms of bees from the mouths of facetious friends when we watched the Star Wars Definitive discs...

Didn't these same people watch movies on video tape, though?

[anephric]

Oh yes. But they didn't have to "change sides" or pay ?30-40 a film (minimum).

The LD that you were always "supposed" to bring out to your LD-bashing "chums" (but it doesn't record!) was the boxset of The Abyss (which was pretty stunning back in tha day).

They couldn't argue about the Dolby Digital coming off the Definitive Star Wars discs, tho: I used to crank that up sooo loud through my ancient (though HUGELY SEXUALLY POWERFUL) Technics amp and speakers. It was magnificent and pisses all over the DD5.1 on the new SW dvds (which is pants, imo).

[mid]

It was magnificent and pisses all over the DD5.1 on the new SW dvds (which is pants, imo).

At least the 5.1 mixes on the DVDs are far, far better than the ludicrous ones on the Special Ed. laserdisc set. PCM 2.0 with Dolby processing off the Definitive or THX releases is by far the best of all, I agree.