The Best LaserDisc Player Ever Made is on eBay

[Sehnzeleid]

$2,000 though...

[Taxi]

Hmm. From a seller with 0 feedback.

I'd be wary, even if I didn't think that $2K for an outdated format's player was ludicrous.

[Sehnzeleid]

Originally Posted by Taxi

...even if I didn't think that $2K for an outdated format's player was ludicrous.

Actually this one still fetches (usually) around $5K.

The Pioneer X0: The Death Star of Laserdisc Players

[rixrex]

Originally Posted by Taxi

Hmm. From a seller with 0 feedback.

I'd be wary, even if I didn't think that $2K for an outdated format's player was ludicrous.

As an LD collector with a big collection, I would not purchase it from a zero feedback seller located in another country. Even if they were in the US, I would not buy it unless I could go to the seller and test it regardless of the relatively low price, and also because I would not want it to go through shipping.

One reason it's a big ticket item is because it's got the red laser that will play through discs with defects, like separation of some poorly made discs that causes other lasers to not read the encoding.

Unlike most standard DVD players, the laser on the LD player can make a visible difference in the video image, so LD enthusiasts like to get the player that gives the best quality if they can. I personally prefer the Panasonic models.

Regarding outdated formats, I wish I'd bought all the Sony beta VCRs that were available at yard sales 15 and 20 yrs ago, as they bring in nice money now.

If you were an LD collector, clearly many here aren't, you'd not really be interested in swapping out your LD collection for DVDs, for why sell your nice LD for a couple dollars, only to have to go and buy the DVD equivalent for much higher?

HD-DVD is a different matter, but standard DVD is not a significant improvement over LD visually, and in some ways is less desirable. LD audio is often a better quality of audio over standard DVD.

Other reasons some of us like to collect LDs is the heft and jacket size and designs, merely an aesthetic consideration. Another is because LDs were a "niche" product where the tendency in LD production was toward quality and not quantity of product.

There are LD collectors who have thousands of discs in their collection, and for them to be able to get the "best LD player ever made" is desirable. Personally, I think the money is better spent on a upper-level DVDO unit and a high-end Panasonic or Pioneer player, like an LX1000u or a CLD-D704.

If you look at the link of The Pioneer X0: The Death Star of Laserdisc Players:

http://www.x0project.com/articles.php?i=00001

you'll see an overly saturated picture used for main comparison, but the truest comparison are the smaller photos above, where the difference is much less significant. I would contend that my LD player's video image, after my DVDO unit was finished with it, would compare very nicely to the X0's image, and a DVDO image from LD captured onto DVD would be superb.

[rixrex]

Just double-checked that item to see if it sold and it has been pulled from listing, and the seller, photomccal, is NRU, no longer a registered user. Obviously a deal too good to be true!

[Wirehed]

There's still a market for LD?
Wow.

I have about 1000 LDs in my closet my wife is begging me to do something with. I don't want to just toss them in the trash, but I would consider selling them, I just didn't think there was any market left at all.

[rixrex]

Originally Posted by Seamonkey

There's still a market for LD?
Wow.

I have about 1000 LDs in my closet my wife is begging me to do something with. I don't want to just toss them in the trash, but I would consider selling them, I just didn't think there was any market left at all.

You have a collection and no LD player?

The market is low-prices for LDs except certain collectibles and ones not on DVD. I have a collection of actually about 5,000 and there's no way I'm going to sell them cheap at $1 or $2 each just to have to buy a replacement DVD for 5 to 10 times that price. With the right equipment, they can look as good as DVDs, in some ways better, and almost always sound better.

Don't just throw them away, however, you need to check and see what is what if you decide to sell. If you have to get rid of them in large lots, then you will get very little for them in total,and shipping then becomes more of a consideration. There are some places that will buy the whole 1,000 from you for a flat price but it's going to be very little of what they are worth.

I suggest a look at the great laserdisc database, LDDB.com , and see what you can do about opening a "storefront" and listing them for sale amongst the collectors that visit that site. Ebay is an alternative, but prices are pretty low amd fees are high. If you get a list together, I'd like to see it.

[Wirehed]

Oh, I still have players, three actually -they just aren't hooked up to my system any longer.

[rixrex]

Originally Posted by Seamonkey

Oh, I still have players, three actually -they just aren't hooked up to my system any longer.

So what players do you have, and what's your home TV system?

What kind of LDs did you tend to collect?

[billnye97]

Originally Posted by rixrex

If you were an LD collector, clearly many here aren't, you'd not really be interested in swapping out your LD collection for DVDs, for why sell your nice LD for a couple dollars, only to have to go and buy the DVD equivalent for much higher?

HD-DVD is a different matter, but standard DVD is not a significant improvement over LD visually, and in some ways is less desirable. LD audio is often a better quality of audio over standard DVD.

Other reasons some of us like to collect LDs is the heft and jacket size and designs, merely an aesthetic consideration. Another is because LDs were a "niche" product where the tendency in LD production was toward quality and not quantity of product.

There are LD collectors who have thousands of discs in their collection, and for them to be able to get the "best LD player ever made" is desirable. Personally, I think the money is better spent on a upper-level DVDO unit and a high-end Panasonic or Pioneer player, like an LX1000u or a CLD-D704.

Fast forward about 8 years and insert HD-Dvd instead of LD. And Ruined before you reply I quote Triumph the Comic Insult Dog, "I kid, I kid

[rixrex]

Right, I get it, but if I ever got HD-DVD, then I'd consider a swap out of certain films, maybe. There'd still be the jacket and artwork to consider. Besides I'm technically adept about maintaining the "obsolete formats".

But first, I'd get the DVDO that upconverts to 720p, 1080i or 1080p, and see what that does to my LDs before any swapout. I think the Ultra model I have upconversion to 480p is outstanding, and the scaling for anamorphic effect on widescreen LDs is superb, so I'm curious about the next level up models.

I'd expect the Anchor Bay (DVDO) guys to come up with more of the fabulous digital enhancements they're known for, and see how that compares to the HD-DVD. The other great thing about the DVDO is that it will upconvert any lesser signal regardless of source, like cable and vhs too, and hopefully that will be good enough for me as long as I'm around. There's only so much time left and you can't watch everything.