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[Eye for an Eye]

Look to spend about a $100 on a good Panasonic player, I believe Pioneer has a few good ones too. Although you can find them at thrift stores where most of them have no clue what they are or the value of them. Just look them up on ebay and see what the going prices are for them to see if you're getting a good deal on it.

There's some really cool art work that go with the sleeves, and there are box sets with special booklets. You can spend a few bucks on most, but there's still some that go in the $40 range.

 

[sixteen-bit]

I don't have any, but some of the LaserDisc cover art is seriously beautiful. One of the perks of large-format media for sure. I feel the same way about vinyl LPs.

 

[NewFresh]

LD is worth it for the Anime alone.

 

[canoli2006]

I'm getting a small vibe that tells me a revival is coming just like vinyl. I too am interested in LD for the original SW trilogy itself.

 

[andymcc]

i've had an interest in collecting 80s anime on Laser Disc because the cover art is so amazing and large.

my favorite LD set I own is the End of Evangelion box set. i can't find really great photos. here's the gatefold side to episode 26'.

The box set also had Death and Rebirth in addition to EoE.

this set included a HG Evangelion kit, a plushie for one of the Eva production series unit, telephone cards, the storyboards and script for EoE... Lots of stuff.

 

[Snaku]

I've wanted to get into LD all my life. My elementary school probably spent their entire years budget to buy one back in the day and it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen, and I've wanted one ever since. I still don't own a player, but I do own a couple discs.

This thread might finally push me over the edge, I'm checking out players now.

 

[Jaeger]

Awesome information. I'm going to spend most of my morning hitting up my local Thrift and Goodwills. I will let everyone know what the spoils (if any) end up being.

Guyver
This thread might finally push me over the edge, I'm checking out players now.

HOLY SHIT. I need that.

 

[Snaku]

HOLY SHIT. I need that.

Yeah, I got the whole set about five years ago for $20, all still new. There was no way I could pass on that.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

I recommend from my LaserDisc collection:

- Star Wars OT
- Top Gun
- Indiana Jones Trilogy

with a good sound system, those are magic.

 

[Muskieratboi]

Us Aussies basically completely skipped Laserdisc. we went right from VHS to DVD in the early 2000s. woulda been nice to see some of them back then, though.

 

[Jaeger]

I keep leaning towards Pioneer models due to the good word of mouth/reviews I'm seeing. Hopefully I'll see one locally but if not I'm jumping on one online.

Yeah, I got the whole set about five years ago for $20, all still new. There was no way I could pass on that.

I would love to get Guyver, Tekkaman, Macross, and Akira on LD. I'm searching around and when I do find them online, they are pricey.

The slipcovers are phenomenal.

 

[Death Metalist]

The only Laserdiscs I have are ones that my dad passed on to me when I got older. Never really sought to buy more since they stopped making them and it's all DVD's from there for me then eventually blurays. However, I cannot deny how badass and beautiful they look.

The Spawn one is always my favorite of the bunch.

 

[andymcc]

I've wanted to get into LD all my life. My elementary school probably spent their entire years budget to buy one back in the day and it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen, and I've wanted one ever since. I still don't own a player, but I do own a couple discs.



This thread might finally push me over the edge, I'm checking out players now.

these discs would have been my whole life if i had them as a kid.

I would love to get Guyver, Tekkaman, Macross, and Akira on LD. I'm searching around and when I do find them online, they are pricey.

The slipcovers are phenomenal.

that DYRL? disc is so much more attractive than the BD set that I'm seriously considering it.

 

[JLynn]

One thing I loved about LD is it was the best way to see cool HK movies in their original aspect ratio and audio. Import them from Japan and they even come with extra scenes.

Question to LDGAF: What's the holy grail of LD movies? I keep hearing The Matrix and the SW OT 1995 set (Before the Special Editions).

 

[Wag]

It's perfect and crystal clear. Imagine MPEG-2 1080i on a 34 inch Sony Wega TRINITRON 1080i tube...

It's bliss.

There is even a DVHS deck with HDMI, the JVC HM-DH5U so you could use it on any newer HDTV. Good luck finding one at a reasonable price. Kind of pointless now that cable boxes with Firewire have been pretty much phased out as well...

 

[Borman]

I really need to pick up a decent player. Mine is shot.

 

[Death Metalist]

One thing I loved about LD is it was the best way to see cool HK movies in their original aspect ratio and audio. Import them from Japan and they even come with extra scenes.

Question to LDGAF: What's the holy grail of LD movies? I keep hearing The Matrix and the SW OT 1995 set (Before the Special Editions).

T2: Special Edition and Robocop comes to mind.

 

[DJ Lushious]

I just started working for a K-12 public school system and my boss is tossing away some Laserdisc players. I still have my laserdiscs, but no player, so he said I could take them. 20 years ago I would have jumped on the opportunity, maybe even 15, but now I just keep the Laserdiscs around as mementos. I have zero interest in watching any of them now, what with Blu-Ray around. Still, laserdiscs were the Blu-ray equivalent back in the day!

 

[Jo Shishido's Cheeks]

I keep leaning towards Pioneer models due to the good word of mouth/reviews I'm seeing. Hopefully I'll see one locally but if not I'm jumping on one online.



I would love to get Guyver, Tekkaman, Macross, and Akira on LD. I'm searching around and when I do find them online, they are pricey.

The slipcovers are phenomenal.

Oh man that Macross Plus cover is amazing!

 

[Fox Mulder]

I don't have any, but some of the LaserDisc cover art is seriously beautiful. One of the perks of large-format media for sure. I feel the same way about vinyl LPs.

That's why I like it.

I grew up with a laserdisc player but it was stolen in the 90's. Had to go with shit VHS at that point.

I've picked up a few at goodwill or eBay even just for the artwork since I have blurays.

 

[Raistlin]

Anyone collect D-VHS?

I used to have a player. Was neat to have HD movies in video cassette format.

Really wasn't a bad format.



It's funny when you think about it. LaserDisc is actually stored analog like a traditional VHS tape, even though it is using an optical disc.

D-VHS is actually digital video, but stored on tape.

 

[Snaku]

T2: Special Edition and Robocop comes to mind.

I just won a new copy of the Criterion Robocop for $20 right before I saw this post. Score!

 

[entremet]

I've always had a soft spot for the format due to the huge cover arts and amazing box sets with tons of analog stuff.

Bluray and DVD just don't compare.

I could never afford one and by the time I got disposable income, the DVD craze began

I'm considering collecting, but I hear that they degrade due to their analog nature.

Love, love the format, though.

 

[Cronox]

Sold my dad's 1400+ laserdisc collection last year. Was disappointed with how little it was worth, and how long it took to find a buyer. Especially because of the number of Criterion films and having some more rare LDs like an asian imported Song of the South. They're certainly nice to look at, packaging-wise.

 

[Jaeger]

I went to about 6 Thrift Stores in town. No luck. Plenty of old TV's though. I am having MUCH better luck online, however. Specifically, Yahoo! Japan. I'll keep everyone posted on what I am able to find.

Also, that same person who has that Macross collection has the Macross 7 LDs too.

 

[StarCreator]

We have a broken Pioneer DVL-V888 here. Auto-reverse LD player as well as being able to play VCD and DVD, and we actually did invest in some karaoke discs because that was the thing to do back then before the Korean karaoke machines took over that market. Wish we had a way to fix it; we replaced a diode which seemed to bring it back to life, but the repair didn't hold.

 

[Rydeen]

Love laser discs, I just started collecting this year and already have two players and decently-sized collection, mostly 80's action movies and old standbys like the Indiana Jones and Star Wars movies. All of them have been found at thrift stores, pawn shops, PC repair shops and Half Price Books, don't think I've spent more than $10 on a movie, usually 3-5 dollars. One of the ones I was super-excited to find was Michael Mann's The Keep, which is still not on DVD or blu ray, and was on Netflix but I think has been taken down the last few months, so laser disc or an old VHS tape is the only way to watch it.

 

[Jaeger]

So from what I gather, I should go after a high-end model player and expect to pay good -money for it. Pioneer is the most recommended. Laser rot can happen, and I need to learn how to properly store and protect my disc.

I'm gonna really enjoy this. Sometimes I just know what i'm supposed to be into once I see it.

 

[Rydeen]

So from what I gather, I should go after a high-end model player and expect to pay good -money for it. Pioneer is the most recommended. Laser rot can happen, and I need to learn how to properly store and protect my disc.

I'm gonna really enjoy this. Sometimes I just know what i'm supposed to be into once I see it.

By the mid-80's Pioneer was almost exclusively the only laser disc manufacturer of both players and discs, so they're pretty much the only game in town for working players because they owned the tech.

 

[Snaku]

I went to about 6 Thrift Stores in town. No luck. Plenty of old TV's though. I am having MUCH better luck online, however. Specifically, Yahoo! Japan. I'll keep everyone posted on what I am able to find.

Also, that same person who has that Macross collection has the Macross 7 LDs too.

Funny, I did the same thing today. Found a Pioneer karaoke LD player, but no LDs. Then I got a tip on a record store called Fat Kat about an hours drive away that carries several thousand LDs, and they regularly get more stock in. Too late to make the trip today, but I'm excited to check it out later this week.

 

[Gameboy415]

I was reading through this thread this morning and lamenting the fact that I saw but didn't buy some cool Laserdisc sets at my local Goodwill over the last few years.

I stop by today and, lo and behold, they have several Laserdiscs in the display case! Talk about good timing!
They had a lot of Disney stuff (including a Fantasia box set), Back to the Future 1 & 2, Terminator 2 (seemed to be the regular WS version), Top Gun, ET, and a few more I might be forgetting.

I picked up these:

I still need to track down an actual LD player, but I figured 2 of my all-time favorite movies would be a good place to start my collection.
Also, I didn't realize it until I got home but JP is still sealed!! :O

 

[Shouta]

I have so many anime LDs still. CAV LDs are the shit. So good.

 

[Snaku]

I was reading through this thread this morning and lamenting the fact that I saw but didn't buy some cool Laserdisc sets at my local Goodwill over the last few years.

I stop by today and, lo and behold, they have several Laserdiscs in the display case! Talk about good timing!
They had a lot of Disney stuff (including a Fantasia box set), Back to the Future 1 & 2, Terminator 2 (seemed to be the regular WS version), Top Gun, ET, and a few more I might be forgetting.

I picked up these:

I still need to track down an actual LD player, but I figured 2 of my all-time favorite movies would be a good place to start my collection.
Also, I didn't realize it until I got home but JP is still sealed!! :O

Dang, that's some luck you've got there. I tried three Goodwills and they had absolutely nothing.

 

[ckohler]

Here's my Akira Criterion Collection LaserDisc:



I still have my Pioneer LaserDisc player. too. The only other disc I still have is the first Tenchi Muyo OAV.

 

[Retrocore9]

I was a huge laserdisc collector back in the day. I've recently got back into it since there's so many extended or alternative versions of movies that are laserdisc only and have remained that way.

- What are the best units out there? I'm really only concerned with playback, but recording functions is a bonus.

Pick up a Pioneer Elite on ebay that plays dual sides. Your going to pay abit but the picture will look great and be at least comparable to DVDs your used too.

- What is the price I should be looking to spend on a player?

For a cheap player, under $100. For an elite $250-$300 or more depending on the model.

- Same for the actual disc. I'm sure it depends on what it is, but any ballpark figures are more than appreciated.

Discs range from $5 to $100 depending on rarity. There are some very late release laserdiscs that command high prices. Just like in video game collecting, late release rare titles are expensive. Or some of the more rare criterion releases will be high priced. Other then that, most titles will be in the very affordable range.

 

[Manmademan]

Anyone collect D-VHS?

I used to have a player. Was neat to have HD movies in video cassette format.

good lord, I'd forgotten all about this atrocity.

 

[Spaced Harrier]

I don't think I'd ever heard of laserdisc in before about 2007.

 

[gar3]

There is even a DVHS deck with HDMI, the JVC HM-DH5U so you could use it on any newer HDTV. Good luck finding one at a reasonable price. Kind of pointless now that cable boxes with Firewire have been pretty much phased out as well...

I have a HM-DT100U currently hooked up and a DH5U in its box in a closet. JVC cleaned out a warehouse about six years ago and sold the stock to B&H who blew 'em out. All models were JVC refurbished. Spent $230 for the 5U and $250 for the 100U back in 2009. HDMI is 1.0 I believe.

 

[Dug]

Everything is better on LaserDisc!

 

[GustyGardens]

I never had a Laser Disc growing up, but we did have a CED player. I'm trying to track down a few of those discs for my collection.

 

[RadioHeadAche]

The packaging is amazing. I bought this Berserk one just to frame it. It includes an insert with a lovely image on one side, and concept sketches on the other.

 

[javac]

I posted these in The End of Evangelion thread, but I guess it would make sense to post it here too. I own a few Laser Discs including the whole of Evangelion, Patlabor, Gunbuster and The End of Eva. The End of Eva LD is a nice set, comes with a bunch of collectable cards, a full storyboard book, some art books, a plush and a figure all wrapped up in a beautiful exterior. You really can't beat Laser Disc packaging.

More pics of the full set here.

 

[Snaku]

The packaging is amazing. I bought this Berserk one just to frame it. It includes an insert with a lovely image on one side, and concept sketches on the other.

Holy shit I didn't know I needed Berserk on LD, but now I do. Every jacket is a masterpiece.

 

[manzoman96]

This thread really makes me want to collect laserdiscs. However, I've never seen a disc or a player before. No one in my family ever owned the format.

I've been researching home releases of Disney movies as of late too. So many special features that never left laserdisc.

 

[jond76]

I once had a Pioneer Elite LD player. Man, I thought I was ahead of the pack, until DVD came out and made me feel like a fool. LD were damn expensive, but the packaging was godly.

Seven
Natural Born Killers
Jaws
Halloween

All amazing sets. I'm sure I'm missing some.

 

[Trago]

Oooooh a LD thread? Wait till I get off of mobile. My collection is BOSS!

 

[kess]

I picked up these:

There's a special edition of Jurassic Park that is a ridiculous three discs, six sides. I guess they figured if you had the lucre to buy these things you could at least afford a automatic flip over player.

 

[bengraven]

My son's best friend's mom is one of those storage wars types. She found a fucking LaserActive rack with a built in Genesis player the other day. Apparently they are going to sell it on eBay. I was like "are you...are you sure...?"

 

[Jaeger]

Oooooh a LD thread? Wait till I get off of mobile. My collection is BOSS!

I cant wait!

The packaging is amazing. I bought this Berserk one just to frame it. It includes an insert with a lovely image on one side, and concept sketches on the other.

That is gorgeous.

I was a huge laserdisc collector back in the day. I've recently got back into it since there's so many extended or alternative versions of movies that are laserdisc only and have remained that way.

- What are the best units out there? I'm really only concerned with playback, but recording functions is a bonus.

Pick up a Pioneer Elite on ebay that plays dual sides. Your going to pay abit but the picture will look great and be at least comparable to DVDs your used too.

- What is the price I should be looking to spend on a player?

For a cheap player, under $100. For an elite $250-$300 or more depending on the model.

- Same for the actual disc. I'm sure it depends on what it is, but any ballpark figures are more than appreciated.

Discs range from $5 to $100 depending on rarity. There are some very late release laserdiscs that command high prices. Just like in video game collecting, late release rare titles are expensive. Or some of the more rare criterion releases will be high priced. Other then that, most titles will be in the very affordable range.

Thank you very much for that info. I see a couple of Elite models, but i'm not quite ready to pay that kind of price. I'm looking to still get lucky and snag a high end model for cheap.

Here's my Akira Criterion Collection LaserDisc:



I still have my Pioneer LaserDisc player. too. The only other disc I still have is the first Tenchi Muyo OAV.

:O Awesome awesome awesome. One of my favorite films. Now it's on my list.

I have so many anime LDs still. CAV LDs are the shit. So good.

CAV? Explain Shouta!

I was reading through this thread this morning and lamenting the fact that I saw but didn't buy some cool Laserdisc sets at my local Goodwill over the last few years.

I stop by today and, lo and behold, they have several Laserdiscs in the display case! Talk about good timing!
They had a lot of Disney stuff (including a Fantasia box set), Back to the Future 1 & 2, Terminator 2 (seemed to be the regular WS version), Top Gun, ET, and a few more I might be forgetting.

I picked up these:

I still need to track down an actual LD player, but I figured 2 of my all-time favorite movies would be a good place to start my collection.
Also, I didn't realize it until I got home but JP is still sealed!! :O

Very nice pickup! I went to my local Goodwill and got nothing.

 

[Snaku]

Oooooh a LD thread? Wait till I get off of mobile. My collection is BOSS!

Oooo I can't wait to see them.