The Return of the King: The LDS-2 Video Disc Player

Lefisc

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Hi Bob and the gang!

I don’t know the practical definition of “obsolete” anymore.
If you have a library of 8 track tapes and a machine to play them on are the obsolete?
Of course if you have the machine and not apes it might as well be.

My Laser Disc machine, my Pioneer Elite LDS-2 was returned to me today, finally repaired. I did miss it.

On a couple of sites I have been told to get rid of the machine, it’s obsolete. Some people who are on these sites believe in only having the newest, which they consider the best. That’s not always good. They were the ones telling em to get rid of all things vinyl when CDs came out, now many of them wish they had kept their records. I did. (well, I kept a lot of them.)

Some “audiophiles” have the need to keep getting new things, and that is OK if you can afford it./Of course, some sites are sponsored and they encourage to always get new things, whether you want them or really need them.

The picture quality of DVDs are certainly better than that on Laser, without a doubt. And they pictures have gotten better over the years. And I have replaced every movie I could with a DVD or Blue Ray.

There are three reasons why I still keep my laser.

Whenever we go from one technology to the next there are things we leave behind. There are just some records NEVER released on CD. There are many movies and related items released on Laser that have never been released on laser. Not a lot but some. For example, the Godfather Saga (not the trilogy) a 11 hour combination edited in chronological order; The full Betty Boop cartoons, Commentaries by Arthur C Clark on 2001, commentaries on first James Bond movies, and many musical performances by famous musicians.

I think it surprises people to learn how much better Laser sound was compared to DVDs in many cases. Now Laser sound is mostly 2 channel sound, with CD quality. DVD were multichannel and had the sub-woofer sound, but it was a thinner sound, less detailed and dynamic than laser. Of course, blue meets or exceeds Laser sound.

And the final reason is that I have a laser machine, the same one I have had since 1990. The LDS-2 has played thousands of hours and gave me great enjoyment, it’s not like I am buying an new one. And why throw out those few dozen discs?

Sadly, I my player broke about four years ago and my dealer said he could fix it. He gave it to a repair place who lost it (and never told me). They kept saying that I would get it back soon. Well, the called last week when they finally found it and repaired it. The broken piece costs $8, but I had to wait four years. So I hooked it up to my Krell 707 and basically listened to Windom Hill, Linda Ronstadt, Leonard Bernstein and several others. I enjoyed it a lot, although the picture quality was not as good as the sound.
 
Hey nothing wrong with that Barry. When I cleaned out my mothers house after she passed, I found one of those old white space helmet looking 8 track players in the attic.and 5 or 6 8 tracks. I took it home and listened to it for awhile. But you can only hear the jazz singer soundtrack and Hellen reddy so many times before you get bored of it. If I had more 8 tracks I might a kept it.
So I gave it to a friend who collects that type of stuff.
But a laser disc which was so cool when they came out is something I would also keep. Especially if I had an assortment of things to play on it.
Best of luck with it!
 
Hi Barry,

I love your post. ...Some people (members from another audio site where I'm a member myself) still watch movies on VHS tapes. And I have equal respect for them as I have for people with 4K content (mostly Sony stuff right now).

I used to be fully integrated VCR movie watching wise (top VCR machines = $3,000+) and top VHS tapes (up to $80/pop).

Laser Disc; I missed the boat because at that time I was up all the mountains of British Columbia and reforesting the forests.

And by the way, 'The Return of the King' - EE is my favorite of the LOTR trilogy. ...Extended Edition of course.

P.S. My very first hi-fi stereo sound system had an integrated 8-track player in it.
...My first ever 8-track tape: The Beatles - Revolver

* Guess which year it was, and how long I kept that hi-fi system? ...I could easily write a book about it, but I won't.
 
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