It's 2019, time to buy a LaserDisc player?

[SFtheGreat]

Hello.

After aquiring several decks for various tape types the time has come to get a LaserDisc player to enjoy the original Star Wars in better-than-VHS quality.

So, do you know of a PAL player that has similar features to CLD-99?

Or the lamest question of all time, which player is "the best".

PArticularly I'm looking for LPCM, AC-3 and DTS playback with digital output. Internal mechanisms that yield S-Video output. And obviously the playback of both sides without the need to flip it. Not to mention comb filter, because I don't know if my AV receiver has proper one.

[JPMedia]

Hi SFtheGreat,

When choosing a LaserDisc player, one should be wary of units with an S-Video output. LaserDiscs contain analog composite video. Any unit with S-Video out implements a Y/C comb filter which will introduce visual imperfections.

[SFtheGreat]

Interesting.

Isn't there a decent unit wired with good processing electronics that will have good quality comb filter?

Ot should I use yellor cinch all the way?

And I learned that there were no PAL reelases with AC-3, so tis feature and therefore the demodulator are irrelevant.

[lingyi]

The holy grails of LD players are the Pioneer HLD-X0 and HLD-X9.They were only available in Japan, so NTSC and are MUSE Hi-Vision (Japan's early venture into HD) capable. Techmoan reviews the HLD-X9 and MUSE discs here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkQEobE2RUkIn particular, watch Part 2 where he compares the LD, Hi-Vision and Blu-Ray versions of Back to the Future

[SFtheGreat]

I've seen that. But I need neither muse, not ntsc.

[latreche34]

With PAL your choices are pretty much limited, LD was successful in the US and Japan and both are NTSC territories, I hope that you found what you've been looking for.

[SFtheGreat]

Not yet, I haven't even seen suggestions of worthy models to check out.

[lingyi]

This page links to all(?) the available LD players and some reviews: https://www.laserdiscarchive.co.uk/l...chive_page.htm

Note that most of the LD players are clones of Pioneer and Sony models. Audio brands like Carver and McIntosh may have had enhanced audio capabilities.

As latreche34 stated, the majority of players are NTSC only as LD didn't sell well in Europe.

[lingyi]

Not a Star Wars fan, but AFAIK, the best LD releases were all NTSC, either U.S. or Japanese. Unless you have other PAL LDs that weren't released in the U.S. or Japan, seems like a lot of trouble and cost just to play the PAL version of the movies, especially because of the speedup necessary for PAL releases.

You may already know all this, but here's a page with reviews of the various Star Wars LD releases http://www.redvdit.net/best-ways-ori...-wars-trilogy/.

[SFtheGreat]

I'd rather have speedup, than pulldown. I have the same on VHS, so I won't know the differance. I was also considering getting Star Trek on LDs.