LASERDISC VS DVD: BATTLE OF THE DISCS
SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE TWO MEDIA FORMATS
The DVD is not exactly the natural successor to the laserdisc: the DVD came about almost twenty years after the laserdisc was invented and the CD bridged the technology between the two. Yet both were offered as an optical disc video / audio format, and each one had their own advantages and disadvantages over the other.
So whether you have fond memories of your large laserdisc player or still have that DVD player valiantly hanging on to your entertainment shelf despite the new tech, we invite you to go through this compare and contrast of laserdiscs and DVDs and experience another wonderful trip down memory lane.
WHAT IS A LASERDISC?
A LaserDisc (LD) is an optical disc storage medium, initially produced by MCA in 1978. A laserdisc is read with a laser. Its diameter typically spans 12 inches (30 cm). It became popular during the 1980s, particularly when Pioneer LaserDisc players came about.
Uniquely, unlike most optical-disc standards, a laserdisc is not fully digital; instead, it requires the use of analog video signals.
WHAT IS A DVD?
A DVD (which stands for Digital Versatile Disc or a Digital Video Disc) is a digital optical disc capable of storing up to 4.7 GB of data, more than six times what a CD can hold. Its data is read with a laser. The DVD was first released in 1996, in Japan, and quickly became the standard for commercial use.
SIMILARITIES
Laserdiscs and DVDs actually have quite a few similarities despite being born a couple decades apart. After all, DVD (and VideoCD and CD) technology was based off of laserdisc technology. They work similarly: the surface of both discs is covered with tiny holes that are read by a laser. This sequence is turned into picture and sound by their players.
And both do require a player to function. These disc players provide viewers with similarly handy features: to go to the exact scene they want to see, to pause a frame, and to take advantage of slow motion.
Both are also capable of holding data on both sides of the disc, rather than just one. They both store movies at a better quality than a VHS as well. Playing video of a higher quality than a videotape helped ensure these discs made their way into consumer homes.
DIFFERENCES
However, there are quite a few differences between the two as well. The first ones that come to mind are typically the differences that put DVDs ahead of the game compared to laserdiscs. First, DVDs are much smaller in size and weight. DVDs are usually about 4.7 inches in diameter while LDs measure about 12 inches and weigh in at roughly half a pound each.
DVDs can also handle a larger amount of video and audio data on one side. Since they can store more data, you don’t have to flip the disc over when watching a movie that’s a couple hours long. As a whole, LaserDisc players are also noisier than DVD players and they tend to have a greater discrepancy in picture. Plus, different LaserDisc players display the picture from the laserdisc differently, meaning picture quality can vary greatly.
Yet some of their differences highlight the pros of laserdiscs. Laserdiscs have a more easily controlled playback process. DVD players tend to have prohibited options when it comes to skipping through sections like copyright warnings; LDs will fast-forward, rewind, and pause on command without such prohibitions.
SUMMARY
If we compared laserdiscs and DVDs within the same context of time and place, DVDs would most likely come out on top. Yet laserdiscs were invented almost two decades prior and were like the Blu-ray of the VHS era: they offered higher-quality video and audio compared to the VHS and Betamax and were especially popular in Japan. So both laserdiscs and DVDs deserve a place on history’s shelf. In fact, they’re still awesome today! If you still own one or both of these formats and love it, we applaud you.
Thanks for reading! If you’re now thinking of digging out your old laserdiscs, but don’t have anything to watch them on, you can check out our huge selection of refurbished laserdisc players here. Or if you don’t want your DVDs going to waste, we also have a wide collection of DVD players on sale here. You can also follow click the links below. Have a great day!
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