View source for LaserDisc

{{Short description|Optical analog video disc format}}
{{Distinguish|Disk laser}}
{{About|the early optical disc format|other optical disc formats|Optical recording}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Original research|date=August 2014}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2018}}
}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox media
| logo = LaserDisc logo.svg{{!}}class=skin-invert
| image = LaserDisc.jpg
| caption = A LaserDisc held
| type = [[Optical disc]]
| encoding = [[NTSC]], [[PAL]], [[Multiple sub-Nyquist sampling encoding|MUSE]], [[HD-MAC|HD{{nbhyph}}MAC]], [[PALplus]]
| capacity = {{Unbulleted list
  | 60/64 minutes on CLV
  | 30/36 minutes on CAV
  | (NTSC/PAL, per side)
  }}
| read = 780&nbsp;nm [[laser diode]] (early players used [[Helium–neon laser|He{{nbndash}}Ne laser]])
| standard = LaserVision
| owner = {{hlist|[[MCA Inc.|MCA]]|[[Philips]]|[[Pioneer Corporation|Pioneer]]}}
| dimensions = {{Unbulleted list
  | Common: {{cvt|300|mm|1}}
  | Less common: {{cvt|200|mm}}, {{cvt|120|mm}}
  }}
| use = [[Home video]]
| extended to = {{hlist|[[Compact disc|CD]]|[[DVD]]|[[LV-ROM]]}}
| released = {{start date|1978|12|11}} (as [[DiscoVision]])<br>1980 (as LaserDisc)
| discontinued = September 21, 2001 ([[Tokyo Raiders|films]])<br>July 2009 (production)<ref name="PioneerUKPressRelease20090115" /><ref name="JCNNetwork20090114" />
}}
{{Optical disc authoring}}

'''LaserDisc''' ('''LD''') is a [[home video]] format and the first commercial [[optical disc]] storage medium. It was developed by [[Philips]], [[Pioneer Corporation|Pioneer]], and the movie studio [[MCA Inc.|MCA]]. The format was initially marketed in the United States in 1978 under the name [[DiscoVision]], a brand used by MCA. As Pioneer took a greater role in its development and promotion, the format was rebranded '''LaserVision'''. While the LaserDisc brand originally referred specifically to Pioneer's line of players, the term gradually came to be used generically to refer to the format as a whole, making it a [[genericized trademark]]. The discs typically have a diameter of {{convert|300|mm|4=1|sp=us}}, similar in size to the {{convert|12|in|4=0|adj=on}} [[phonograph record]]. Unlike most later optical disc formats, LaserDisc is not fully [[Digital data|digital]]; it stores an analog video signal.

Many titles featured [[Compact Disc Digital Audio|CD-quality]] digital audio, and LaserDisc was the first home video format to support [[surround sound]]. Its 425 to 440 horizontal lines of resolution was nearly double that of competing consumer videotape formats, [[VHS]] and [[Betamax]], and approaching the resolution later achieved by [[DVD|DVDs]]. Despite these advantages, the format failed to achieve widespread adoption in North America or Europe, primarily due to the high cost of players and their inability to record.

In contrast, LaserDisc was significantly more popular in Japan and in wealthier regions of Southeast Asia, including Singapore, and Malaysia, and it became the dominant rental video format in Hong Kong during the 1990s.<ref name="Followers" /> Its superior audiovisual quality made it a favorite among [[videophile]]s and film enthusiasts throughout its lifespan.<ref name="LaserDisc_videophiles" />

The technologies and concepts developed for LaserDisc laid the groundwork for subsequent optical media formats, including the compact disc (CD) and DVD. LaserDisc player production ended in July 2009 with Pioneer's exit from the market.

== History ==
The origins of [[optical recording]] date back to 1963, when [[David Paul Gregg]] and [[James Russell (inventor)|James Russell]] developed a transparent disc-based system, later patented in 1970.<ref name="Transparent recording disc" /><ref name="Video signal transducer" /><ref name="Disc-shaped member" /> [[MCA Inc.|MCA]] acquired the rights to this technology in 1968. Separately, by 1969, [[Philips]] had developed a [[videodisc]] using reflective technology, which offered advantages over the transparent method. MCA and Philips began collaborating in the early 1970s and publicly demonstrated the videodisc format in 1972. Internally, the technology was known by several names, including Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical Videodisc, and Video Long Play.

The format was commercially introduced as MCA DiscoVision on December 11, 1978, in a [[test market]] launch in [[Atlanta]], Georgia,<ref name="CED magic" /> two years after the debut of [[VHS]] and four years before the introduction of the [[Compact disc|CD]], which is based on laser disc technology. The first LaserDisc title released in North America was the MCA DiscoVision edition of ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'' on December 15, 1978.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mast |first1=Gerald |url=https://archive.org/details/shorthistoryofmo00mast_1 |title=A Short History of the Movies |last2=Kawin |first2=Bruce F. |publisher=[[Longman]] |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-321-10603-2 |location=Harlow, Essex |page=198}}</ref> Philips produced the players, while MCA manufactured the discs; however, the partnership ultimately proved unsuccessful and was dissolved after several years.

In 1980, [[Pioneer Corporation|Pioneer]] acquired a majority stake in the format and began marketing it as both {{vanchor|LaserVision}} (as the format name) and LaserDisc (as the brand). Some releases informally referred to it as {{vanchor|Laser Videodisc}}. Pioneer's LaserDisc players debuted in [[Japan]] in October 1981.<ref name="Pioneer End" />

By 1984, Philips and [[Sony]] had introduced [[LV-ROM]], a version of the format designed to store digital data, offering a capacity of 3.28&nbsp;GB,<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbh1XP4kCT4&t=954s |title=The Computer Chronicles - Japanese PCs (1984) |date=March 17, 2015 |medium=video |publisher=[[Computer Chronicles]] |time=15:54 |access-date=December 10, 2022}}</ref> foreshadowing the capabilities of later formats such as [[CD-ROM]] or [[DVD-ROM]].

Although LaserDisc never achieved mass-market success, the format gained modest popularity in select markets and developed a niche following. In Japan, market penetration reached approximately 10% of households by 1999.<ref name="Pioneer End" /><ref name="Flaherty" /> In the United States, about 2% of households (roughly two million) owned a player.<ref name="Indiana university" /> As of 2021, LaserDisc retains a small collector community in the United States and Japan.<ref>{{cite web |last=Van Hooker |first=Brian |date=2021 |title=The Film Geeks Who Still Watch Everything on LaserDisc |url=https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/film-geeks-who-still-watch-laserdisc |access-date=2024-06-01 |publisher=[[MEL Magazine]]}}</ref> In Europe, the format remained obscure, though it saw limited institutional use. Notably, the [[British Broadcasting Corporation]] (BBC) employed LaserDisc for the [[BBC Domesday Project]] in the mid-1980s, and from the early 1990s through the late 1990s, also used Sony's CRVdisc variant to broadcast [[History of BBC television idents|television idents]].<ref>{{YouTube|id=KQ-yIsrOUU8|time=14m12s}}</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/research/bbc-idents/global-ambition The Story of BBC Television Idents], History of the BBC, accessed July 18, 2019</ref>

LaserDisc was largely supplanted by the [[DVD]] format by the early 2000s. The last LaserDisc title released in North America was Paramount's ''[[Bringing Out the Dead]]'' on October 3, 2000.<ref>{{cite web |title=LaserDisc Museum |url=http://laserdiscplanet.com/museum2.html |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150428093625/http://laserdiscplanet.com/museum2.html |archive-date=April 28, 2015 |access-date=November 27, 2012 |publisher=LASERDISC PLANET}}</ref> In Japan, new titles continued to be released until September 21, 2001, with the final film being the Hong Kong action movie ''[[Tokyo Raiders]]'' from [[Orange Sky Golden Harvest|Golden Harvest]]. The last known LaserDisc release of any kind was ''Onta Station vol. 1018'', a karaoke title issued exclusively in Japan on March 21, 2007.<ref>{{cite web |title=Karaoke Club (archived) |url=http://teichiku.co.jp/karaokeken/kensaku.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140906112426/http://teichiku.co.jp/karaokeken/kensaku.html |archive-date=September 6, 2014 |access-date=September 6, 2014 |website=Teichiku}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=LaserDisc Database – Onta Station: vol.1018 [22DK-1018] on LD LaserDisc |url=https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/59972/22DK-1018/Onta-Station:-vol.1018|access-date=November 14, 2025 |website=LaserDisc Database}}</ref>

Pioneer ceased production of LaserDisc players in July 2009.<ref name="PioneerUKPressRelease20090115" /><ref name="JCNNetwork20090114" /><ref name="HomeMediaMagazine20090114" /> The company continued to offer maintenance services until September 30, 2020, when the remaining parts inventory was exhausted.<ref name="discontinuation-notice-jp">{{cite news |title=For users of laser disc players ～Notice of end of production～ (Archived) |url=https://jpn.pioneer/ja/support/oshirase_etc/ld_info/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117062330/https://jpn.pioneer/ja/support/oshirase_etc/ld_info/ |archive-date=November 17, 2020 |access-date=March 30, 2023 |newspaper=パイオニア株式会社コーポレートサイト}}</ref> A total of 16.8 million LaserDisc players were sold worldwide, including 9.5 million units sold by Pioneer.<ref name="PioneerUKPressRelease20090115" /><ref name="JCNNetwork20090114" /><ref name="HomeMediaMagazine20090114" />

==Design==
[[File:LaserdiscModulation.png|thumb|Illustration of how video and audio is transformed into a sequence of variable length pits along the track of a LaserDisc]]

A standard LaserDisc used for home video was {{convert|300|mm|4=1|sp=us}} in diameter, roughly the same size as a {{convert|12|in|4=0|adj=on}} [[phonograph record]]. Each disc consisted of two single-sided aluminum platters bonded together with plastic. At a basic level, LaserDiscs used a series of tiny pits and flat areas (called lands) etched into the disc surface. These core technologies would later be reused in CDs and DVDs. As a result, all three formats appear similar in physical design. However, LaserDisc differed significantly in how it stored information. 

LaserDiscs stored [[analog video]] using a [[Composite video|composite signal]] format, offering picture quality comparable to the {{convert|1|in|mm|adj=on}} [[Type C videotape]] format, with approximately 425 to 440 horizontal lines of resolution. A carrier [[Frequency modulation|frequency was modulated]] by the video signal, and this signal was physically represented by the pattern of pits and lands on the disc. During playback, a laser read these patterns, enabling the player's circuitry to reconstruct the original analog signal. 

Audio was originally recorded as analog [[Stereophonic sound|stereo]] using frequency modulation. Later discs introduced [[digital audio]] using [[pulse-code modulation]] (PCM), and by the 1990s, some titles supported digital [[surround sound]] formats such as [[Dolby Digital]] and [[DTS, Inc.#DTS Digital Surround|DTS]]. These digital tracks were typically output through optical ([[TOSLINK]]) or coaxial ([[S/PDIF]]) connections to an external [[digital-to-analog converter]]. Digital PCM audio was encoded by directly summing its baseband signal with the FM-modulated video and analog audio carriers. This combined signal was then clipped, creating a square wave whose transitions are recorded as the pattern of pits and lands on the disc. The frequency of these transitions represented the high-frequency video information. Meanwhile, the lower-frequency digital and analog audio signals caused variations in the signal's duty cycle, which can be visualized as relative changes in pit length.<ref name="How is LaserDisc analog?" />  

Because digital compression techniques were not yet available or practical in the late 1970s, three different playback formats were developed based on the disc's rotation speed: 

[[File:Laserdisc CAV.jpg|thumb|Constant Angular Velocity LaserDisc showing the NTSC field setup and individual scanlines. Each rotation has two such regions.]]
; CAV: [[Constant angular velocity]] (CAV), also known as ''Standard Play'', offered several advanced playback features, including freeze-frame, variable slow motion, and reverse playback. CAV discs were played at a constant rotational speed, 1,800&nbsp;rpm for NTSC or Hi-Vision and 1,500&nbsp;rpm for PAL, with one video frame read per revolution. This allowed for 54,000 individual frames to be stored on a single side, equating to 30&nbsp;minutes of video for NTSC and Hi-Vision, or 36&nbsp;minutes for PAL. A key advantage of CAV was reduced visibility of [[crosstalk]] between adjacent tracks, as any interference would occur at the same point in adjacent frames. Although less common than constant linear velocity (CLV) discs, CAV was often used for special edition releases to showcase bonus features and effects. Notably, each frame on a CAV disc could be referenced by number, a feature valued by film scholars and enthusiasts for studying continuity, staging, and production details.
[[File:Comparison disk storage.svg|thumb|Comparison of several forms of disc storage showing tracks (not to scale); green denotes start and red denotes end. Some CD-R(W) and DVD-R(W)/DVD+R(W) recorders operate in ZCLV, CAA or CAV modes.]]
; CLV: [[Constant linear velocity]] (CLV), also known as Extended Play, did not support the advanced playback features of CAV discs, except when used with high-end LaserDisc players equipped with a [[framebuffer|digital frame store]], which could simulate functions like freeze-frame and variable-speed playback. CLV discs gradually slowed their rotational speed during playback to increase storage capacity, ranging from 1,800 to 600 rpm for NTSC, and 2,470 to 935 rpm for Hi-Vision.<ref name="LaserDisc" /> This allowed up to 60 minutes of video per side for NTSC and Hi-Vision formats (64 minutes for PAL), or up to two hours per disc. For films under two hours, the entire feature could fit on a single disc, which reduced production costs and removed the need to change discs mid-movie, especially convenient for users with dual-sided players. Most LaserDisc titles were released in CLV format, though some used a mix, with one side in CLV and the other in CAV. This allowed selected scenes, such as the climax or bonus features, to be presented in CAV, enabling frame-accurate navigation and highlighting special effects.
; CAA: [[constant linear velocity#Constant Angular Acceleration|Constant angular acceleration]] (CAA) was introduced in the early 1980s to address crosstalk distortion and tracking issues found in CLV discs. Unlike CLV, which slows the disc gradually, CAA changes the rotation speed in controlled steps, improving playback while remaining compatible with existing players. Most disc manufacturers switched to CAA, though the term rarely appeared on consumer packaging. When digital audio was added to LaserDisc in 1985, it created bandwidth issues with CAA, reducing playback time to 55 minutes per side. As a result, some movies included only analog audio to fit the entire film on one disc. By 1987, Pioneer improved the CAA format to support a full 60 minutes of video with digital audio. Pioneer also extended CAA disc playback to 65 minutes per side for a few titles and developed a 70-minute format, though this longer version was never used commercially.

=== Audio ===
Sound could be stored in either analog or digital format and in a variety of [[surround sound]] formats; [[NTSC]] discs could carry a stereo analog audio track, plus a stereo [[Compact Disc|CD-quality]] [[audio data compression|uncompressed]] [[Pulse-code modulation|PCM]] [[digital audio]] track, which were ([[Eight-to-Fourteen Modulation|EFM]], [[Cross-interleaved Reed-Solomon coding|CIRC]], 16-bit and 44.1&nbsp;kHz [[sample rate]]).<ref name="dam" /> [[PAL]] discs could carry one pair of audio tracks, either analog or digital and the digital tracks on a PAL disc were 16-bit, 44.1&nbsp;kHz as on a CD; in the UK, the term "LaserVision" is used to refer to discs with analog sound, while "LaserDisc" is used for those with digital audio. The digital sound signal in both formats is [[Eight-to-Fourteen Modulation|EFM]]-encoded, as in [[CD]].<ref name="dam" />

[[Dolby Digital]] (also called AC-3) and [[Digital Theater Systems|DTS]], which are now common on DVD releases, first became available on LaserDisc, and ''[[Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace]]'' (1999) which was released on LaserDisc in Japan, was among the first home video releases ever to include 6.1 channel Dolby Digital EX Surround (along with a few other late-life releases from 1999 to 2001).<ref name="mindspring" /> Unlike DVDs, which carry Dolby Digital audio in digital form, LaserDiscs stored Dolby Digital in a [[frequency modulated]] form within a track normally used for analog audio. Extracting Dolby Digital from a LaserDisc required a player equipped with a special "AC-3 RF" output and an external [[demodulator]] in addition to an AC-3 [[Codec|decoder]]. The demodulator was necessary to convert the 2.88&nbsp;[[Megahertz|MHz]] modulated AC-3 information on the disc into a 384&nbsp;[[kbit/s]] signal that the decoder could handle.

In the mid to late 1990s, many higher-end AV receivers included the demodulator circuit specifically for the LaserDisc player's RF-modulated Dolby Digital AC-3 signal. By the late 1990s, with LaserDisc players and disc sales declining due to DVD's growing popularity, the AV receiver manufacturers removed the demodulator circuit. Although DVD players were capable of playing Dolby Digital tracks, the signals out of DVD players were not in a modulated form and were not compatible with the inputs designed for LaserDisc AC-3. Outboard demodulators were available for a period that converted the AC-3 signal to the standard Dolby Digital signal that was compatible with the standard Dolby Digital/PCM inputs on capable AV receivers. Another type marketed by Onkyo<ref>{{ cite web| title= Instructions for Onkyo ED901 decoder.|url= http://dl.owneriq.net/6/6e22327f-1a71-4992-810e-f9cacb996391.pdf }}</ref> and Marantz<ref>{{cite web |title=Marantz DP870 |url=https://audio-database.com/MARANTZ/etc/dp870-e.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706181554/https://audio-database.com/MARANTZ/etc/dp870-e.html |archive-date=July 6, 2017 }}</ref> converted the RF AC-3 signal to 6-channel analog audio.

The two FM audio channels occupied the disc spectrum at 2.3 and 2.8&nbsp;MHz on NTSC formatted discs and each channel had a 100&nbsp;kHz FM deviation. The FM audio carrier frequencies were chosen to minimize their visibility in the video image, so that even with a poorly mastered disc, audio carrier beats in the video would be at least ‑35&nbsp;dB down, and thus, invisible. Due to the frequencies chosen, the 2.8&nbsp;MHz audio carrier (Right Channel) and the lower edge of the chroma signal were very close together, and if filters were not carefully set during mastering, there could be interference between the two. In addition, high audio levels combined with high chroma levels could cause mutual interference, leading to beats becoming visible in highly saturated areas of the image. To help deal with this, Pioneer decided to implement the CX Noise Reduction System on the analog tracks. By reducing the dynamic range and peak levels of the audio signals stored on the disc, filtering requirements were relaxed and visible beats greatly reduced or eliminated. The CX system gives a total NR effect of 20&nbsp;dB, but in the interest of better compatibility for non-decoded playback, Pioneer reduced this to only 14&nbsp;dB of noise reduction (the RCA CED system used the "original" 20&nbsp;dB CX system). This also relaxed calibration tolerances in players and helped reduce audible pumping if the CX decoder was not calibrated correctly.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

At least where the digital audio tracks were concerned, the sound quality was unsurpassed at the time compared to consumer videotape. However, the quality of the analog soundtracks could vary greatly depending upon the disc and, sometimes, the player. Many early and lower-end LaserDisc players had poor analog audio components, and in turn, many early discs had poorly mastered analog audio tracks, making digital soundtracks in any form more desirable to serious enthusiasts. Early DiscoVision and LaserDisc titles lacked the digital audio option, but many of those movies received digital sound in later re-issues by Universal, and the quality of analog audio tracks generally improved greatly as time went on. Many discs that had originally carried old analog stereo tracks received new [[Dolby Stereo]] and [[Dolby Surround]] tracks instead often in addition to digital tracks, which helped boost sound quality. Later analog discs also applied [[CX (audio)|CX noise reduction]], which improved the signal-to-noise ratio of the audio.

DTS audio, when available on a disc, replaced the digital audio tracks; hearing DTS-encoded audio required only an [[S/PDIF]] compliant digital connection to a DTS decoder.

On a DTS disc, digital PCM audio was not available, so if a DTS decoder was also not available, the only option was to fall back to the analog Dolby Surround or stereo audio tracks. In some cases, the analog audio tracks were further made unavailable through replacement with supplementary audio such as isolated scores or audio commentary. This effectively reduced playback of a DTS disc on a non-DTS equipped system to mono audio, or in a handful of cases, no film soundtrack at all.<ref name="blam1" />

Only one 5.1 surround sound option existed on a given LaserDisc (either Dolby Digital or DTS). As such, if surround sound was desired, the disc must be matched to the capabilities of the playback equipment (LaserDisc player and receiver/decoder) by the purchaser. A fully capable LaserDisc playback system included a newer LaserDisc player that was capable of playing digital tracks; had a digital optical output for digital PCM and DTS encoded  audio; was aware of AC-3 audio tracks; and had an AC-3 coaxial output, an external or internal AC-3 RF demodulator and AC-3 decoder, and a DTS decoder. Many 1990s A/V receivers combined the AC-3 decoder and DTS decoder logic, but an integrated AC-3 demodulator was rare both in LaserDisc players and in later A/V receivers.<ref name="PrecisionLaserDisc" />

[[PAL]] LaserDiscs have a slightly longer playing time than [[NTSC]] discs, but have fewer audio options. PAL discs only have two audio tracks, consisting of either two analog-only tracks on older PAL LaserDiscs, or two digital-only tracks on newer discs. In comparison, later NTSC LaserDiscs are capable of carrying four tracks (two analog and two digital). On certain releases, one of the analog tracks is used to carry a modulated [[Dolby AC-3|AC-3]] signal for [[5.1 channel]] audio (for decoding and playback by newer LaserDisc players with an "AC-3 RF" output). Older NTSC LaserDiscs made before 1984 (such as the original DiscoVision discs) only have two analog audio tracks.

==LaserDisc players==
{{Main|LaserDisc player}}

[[File:Magnavox Laserdisc player.jpg|thumb|A top-loading, [[Magnavox]]-brand LaserDisc player with the lid open]]
[[File:Pioneer CLD-1030 Laserdisc Player.jpg|thumb|A front-loading, Pioneer CLD-1030 CD/CDV/LD player]]

The earliest players employed gas [[helium–neon laser]] tubes to read discs and had a red-orange light with a wavelength of 632.8&nbsp;[[Nanometer|nm]], while later solid-state players used [[infrared]] [[semiconductor]] [[laser diode]]s with a wavelength of 780&nbsp;nm.

In March 1984, Pioneer introduced the first consumer player with a solid-state laser, the LD-700. It was also the first LaserDisc player to load from the front and not the top. One year earlier, Hitachi introduced an expensive industrial player with a laser diode, but the player had poor picture quality (due to an inadequate dropout compensator), and was made only in limited quantities. After Pioneer released the LD-700, gas lasers were no longer used in consumer players, despite their advantages, although Philips continued to use gas lasers in their industrial units until 1985.

Most LaserDisc players required the user to manually turn the disc over to play the other side. A number of players (all diode laser based) were made that were capable of playing both sides of the disc automatically, using a mechanism to physically flip a single laser pickup.

Pioneer produced some multi-disc models which held more than 50 LaserDiscs. For a short time in 1984, one company offered a "LaserStack" unit that added multi-disc capability to existing players: the Pioneer LD-600, LD-1100, or the Sylvania/Magnavox clones. It required the user to physically remove the player lid for installation, where it then attached to the top of the player. LaserStack held up to 10&nbsp;discs and could automatically load or remove them from the player or change sides in around 15 seconds.

The first mass-produced industrial LaserDisc player was the MCA DiscoVision PR-7820, later rebranded the [[Pioneer PR7820]]. In North America, this unit was used in many [[General Motors]] dealerships as a source of training videos and presentation of GM's new line of cars and trucks in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Most players made after the mid-1980s were capable of also playing [[Compact Disc]]s. These players included a {{convert|4.7|in|cm|0|abbr=on}} indentation in the loading tray, where the CD was placed for playback. At least two Pioneer models (the CLD-M301 and the CLD-M90) also operated as a CD changer, with several 4.7&nbsp;in indentations around the circumference of the main tray.

The Pioneer DVL-9, introduced in 1996, was both Pioneer's first consumer DVD player and the first combination DVD/LD player.

The first [[high-definition video]] player was the Pioneer HLD-X0. A later model, the HLD-X9, featured a superior [[comb filter]], and laser diodes on both sides of the disc.

=== Notable players ===
* [[Pioneer PR7820]], first industrial LaserDisc player, capable of being controlled by an external computer.
* Pioneer CLD-900, first combination player capable of reading [[Compact Disc]]s. Released in 1985.
* [[Pioneer CLD-1010]], first player capable of playing {{convert|5|in|mm|adj=on}} [[CD-Video]] discs. Released in 1987.
* [[Pioneer LaserActive]] players: The Pioneer CLD-A100 and NEC PCE-LD1 provided the ability to play Sega Genesis (Mega Drive) and TurboGrafx16 (PC Engine) video games when used in conjunction with additional components.
* [[Pioneer DVL]] series, capable of playing both LaserDiscs and DVDs

== Branding ==
[[File:LD-mark.svg|thumb|upright=0.5|class=skin-invert|LaserVision / LaserDisc certification mark]]

During its development, [[Music Corporation of America|MCA]] (which co-owned the technology), referred to it as the ''Optical Videodisc System'', "Reflective Optical Videodisc" or "Laser Optical Videodisc", depending on the document. They changed the name once in 1969 to ''[[DiscoVision|Disco-Vision]]'' and then again in 1978 to ''DiscoVision'' (without the hyphen), which became the official spelling. Technical documents and brochures produced by MCA Disco-Vision during the early and mid-'70s also used the term "Disco-Vision Records" to refer to the pressed discs. MCA owned the rights to the largest catalog of films in the world during this time, and they manufactured and distributed the DiscoVision releases of those films under the "MCA DiscoVision" software and manufacturing label; consumer sale of those titles began on December 11, 1978, with the aforementioned ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]''.

Philips' preferred name for the format was "VLP", after the Dutch words Video Langspeel-Plaat ("Video long-play disc"), which in English-speaking countries stood for Video Long-Play. The first consumer player, the Magnavox VH-8000 even had the VLP logo on the player. For a while in the early and mid-1970s, Philips also discussed a compatible audio-only format they called "ALP", but that was soon dropped as the Compact Disc system became a non-compatible project in the Philips corporation. Until early 1980, the format had no "official" name. The LaserVision Association, made up of MCA, Universal-Pioneer, [[IBM]], and Philips/Magnavox, was formed to standardize the technical specifications of the format (which had been causing problems for the consumer market) and finally named the system officially as "LaserVision".

After its introduction in Japan in 1981, the format was introduced in Europe in 1983 with the LaserVision name, although Philips used "VLP" in model designations, such as VLP-600. Following lackluster sales there (around 12–15,000 units Europe-wide),<ref name='newscientist_cdvideo8703' /> Philips tried relaunching the entire format as "CD-Video" in 1987, with the name appearing not just on the [[CD Video#cdv5|new hybrid 12&nbsp;cm discs]], but also on [[CD Video#largediscs|standard 20 and 30&nbsp;cm LaserDiscs]] with digital audio.<ref name='newscientist_cdvideo8703' /> While this name and logo appeared on players and labels for years, the "official" name of the format remained LaserVision. In the early 1990s, the format's name was changed again to LaserDisc.

=== Pioneer ===
[[File:LASERDISC TURTLE (fair use).jpg|thumb|The LaserDisc Turtle]]

[[Pioneer (company)|Pioneer Electronics]] also entered the optical disc market in 1977 as a 50/50 joint venture with MCA called Universal-Pioneer and manufacturing MCA-designed industrial players under the MCA DiscoVision name (the PR-7800 and PR-7820). For the 1980 launch of the first Universal-Pioneer player, the VP-1000 was noted as a "laser disc player", although the "LaserDisc" logo was displayed clearly on the device. In 1981, "LaserDisc" was used exclusively for the medium itself, although the official name was "LaserVision" (as seen at the beginning of many LaserDisc releases, just before the start of the film). Pioneer reminded numerous video magazines and stores in 1984 that LaserDisc was a trademarked word, standing only for LaserVision products manufactured for sale by Pioneer Video or Pioneer Electronics. A 1984 [[Ray Charles]] ad for the LD-700 player bore the term "Pioneer LaserDisc brand videodisc player". From 1981 until the early 1990s, all properly licensed discs carried the LaserVision name and logo, even Pioneer Artists titles.

On single-sided LaserDiscs mastered by Pioneer, playing the wrong side would cause a still screen to appear with a happy, upside-down turtle that has a LaserDisc for a belly (nicknamed the "LaserDisc Turtle"). The words "Program material is recorded on the other side of this disc" are below the turtle.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvqzBQIVMwc The LaserDisc Turtle (real)], YouTube</ref>

=== MCA ===
During the early years, MCA also manufactured discs for other companies including [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]], [[Disney]] and [[Warner Bros.]] Some of them added their own names to the disc jacket to signify that the movie was not owned by MCA. After DiscoVision Associates shut down in early 1982, Universal Studio's videodisc software label (called ''MCA Videodisc'' until 1984), began reissuing many DiscoVision titles. Unfortunately, quite a few, such as ''[[Saga of a Star World|Battlestar Galactica]]'' and ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'', were time-compressed versions of their CAV or CLV DiscoVision originals. The time-compressed CLV re-issue of ''Jaws'' no longer had the original soundtrack, having had incidental background music replaced for the videodisc version due to high licensing costs (the original music would not be available until the [[THX]] LaserDisc box set was released in 1995). One Universal/Columbia co-production issued by MCA Disco Vision in both CAV and CLV versions, ''[[The Electric Horseman]]'', is still not available in any other home video format with its original score intact; even the most recent DVD release has had substantial music replacement of both instrumental score and Willie Nelson's songs. An MCA release of Universal's ''[[Howard the Duck (film)|Howard the Duck]]'' shows only the start credits shown in widescreen before changing to 4:3 for the rest of the film. For many years, this was the only disc-based release of the film, until widescreen DVD formats were released with extras. Also, the 1989 and 1996 LaserDisc releases of ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]'' are the only formats to include the cut scene of [[Harrison Ford]], in the role of the school principal, telling off Elliott for letting the frogs free in the biology class.

== Comparison with other formats ==
{{For|a [[List of common resolutions|comparison of consumer video resolutions]]|List of common resolutions#Television and media}}

=== VHS ===
LaserDisc had several advantages over [[VHS]]. It featured a far sharper picture with a horizontal [[Image resolution|resolution]] of 425&nbsp;[[television lines]] (TVL) for NTSC and 440&nbsp;TVL for PAL discs, while VHS featured only 240&nbsp;TVL<ref name="Video interchange" /> with NTSC. [[Super VHS]], released in 1987, reduced the quality gap, having horizontal luma resolution comparable to LaserDisc. But horizontal chroma resolution of Super VHS remained as low as that of standard VHS, about 40&nbsp;TVL, while LaserDisc offered about 70&nbsp;TVL of chroma resolution.<ref>[https://cool.culturalheritage.org/jaic/articles/jaic40-03-003_4.html A case study in the examination, documentation and preservation of a video-based installation by Paul Messier], Journal of the American Institute for Conservation</ref>

LaserDisc could handle analog and digital audio where VHS was mostly analog only (VHS could have PCM audio in professional applications but it was uncommon), and the NTSC discs could store multiple audio tracks. This allowed for extras such as director's commentary tracks and other features to be added onto a film, creating "Special Edition" releases that would not have been possible with VHS. Disc access was random and chapter-based, like the DVD format, meaning that one could jump to any point on a given disc very quickly. By comparison, VHS would require tedious rewinding and fast-forwarding to get to specific points.

''Initially'', LaserDiscs were cheaper than videocassettes to manufacture, because they lacked the moving parts and plastic outer shell which were necessary for VHS tapes to work, and the duplication process was much simpler. A VHS cassette had at least 14 parts (including the actual tape) while LaserDisc had one part with five or six layers. A disc could be stamped out in a matter of seconds, whereas duplicating videotape required a complex bulk tape duplication mechanism and was a time-consuming process. By the end of the 1980s, average disc-pressing prices were over $5.00 per two-sided disc, due to the large amount of plastic material and the costly glass-mastering process needed to make the metal stamper mechanisms. Due to the larger volume of demand, videocassettes quickly became much cheaper to duplicate, costing as little as $1.00 by the beginning of the 1990s.

LaserDiscs potentially had a much longer lifespan than videocassettes. Because the discs were read optically instead of magnetically, no physical contact needed to be made between the player and the disc, except for the player's clamp that holds the disc at its center as it is spun and read. As a result, playback would not wear the information-bearing part of the discs, and properly manufactured LaserDiscs could theoretically last beyond a lifetime. By contrast, a VHS tape held all of its picture and sound information on the tape in a magnetic coating which was in contact with the spinning heads on the head drum, causing progressive wear with each use (though later in VHS's lifespan, engineering improvements allowed tapes to be made and played back without contact). The tape was also thin and delicate, and it was easy for a player mechanism, especially on a low quality or malfunctioning model, to mishandle the tape and damage it by creasing it, frilling (stretching) its edges, or even breaking it.

=== DVD ===
By the advent of [[DVD]], LaserDisc had declined considerably in popularity, so the two formats never directly competed with each other.
[[File:LDDVDComparison-mod.png|thumb|right|A Laserdisc (left) is much bigger than a DVD (right)]]
LaserDisc was a [[composite video]] format: the luminance (black and white) and chrominance (color) information were transmitted in one signal, separated by the receiver. While good [[comb filter]]s could separate the signals adequately, the two signals could not be ''completely'' separated. On [[DVD-Video]], images are stored in the [[YCbCr]] format, with the chroma information being entirely discrete, which results in far higher fidelity, particularly at strong color borders or regions of high detail (especially if there is moderate movement in the picture) and low-contrast details such as skin tones, where comb filters almost inevitably smudge some detail.

In contrast to the entirely digital DVD, LaserDiscs used only analog video. As the LaserDisc format was not digitally encoded and did not make use of compression techniques, it was immune to video [[macroblocking]] (most visible as blockiness during high motion sequences) or [[color banding|contrast banding]] (subtle visible lines in gradient areas, such as out-of-focus backgrounds, skies, or light casts from spotlights) which could be caused by the [[MPEG-2]] encoding process as video is prepared for DVD. Early DVD releases held the potential to surpass their LaserDisc counterparts, but often managed only to match them for image quality, and in some cases, the LaserDisc version was preferred. Proprietary human-assisted encoders manually operated by specialists could vastly reduce the incidence of artifacts, depending on playing time and image complexity. By the end of LaserDisc's run, DVDs were living up to their potential as a superior format.

DVDs use compressed audio formats such as [[Dolby Digital]] and [[Digital Theater System|DTS]] for multichannel sound. Most LaserDiscs were encoded with stereo (often Dolby Surround) CD&nbsp;quality audio 16bit/44.1&nbsp;kHz tracks as well as analog audio tracks.<ref name="AllforMP3" />

DTS-encoded LaserDiscs have DTS soundtracks of 1,235&nbsp;kbit/s instead of the reduced bitrate of 768&nbsp;kbit/s commonly employed on DVDs with optional DTS audio.

=== Advantages ===
LaserDisc players could provide a greater degree of control over the playback process. Unlike many DVD players, the transport mechanism always obeyed commands from the user: pause, fast-forward, and fast-reverse commands were always accepted (barring malfunctions). There were no "User Prohibited Options" where content protection code instructed the player to refuse commands to skip a specific part (such as fast forwarding through [[copyright]] warnings). (Some DVD players, particularly higher-end units, do have the ability to ignore the blocking code and play the video without restrictions, but this feature is not common in the usual consumer market.)

With CAV LaserDiscs, the user could jump directly to any individual frame of a video simply by entering the frame number on the remote keypad, a feature not common among DVD players. Some DVD players have a cache feature, which stores a certain amount of the video in RAM, which allows the player to index a DVD as quickly as an LD, even down to the frame in some players.

Damaged spots on a LaserDisc could be played through or skipped over, while a DVD will often become unplayable past the damage. Some newer DVD players feature a repair+skip algorithm, which alleviates this problem by continuing to play the disc, filling in unreadable areas of the picture with blank space or a frozen frame of the last readable image and sound. The success of this feature depends upon the amount of damage. LaserDisc players, when working in full analog, recover from such errors faster than DVD players.

Similar to the [[Compact disc|CD]] versus [[LP record|LP]] sound quality debates common in the [[audiophile]] community, some videophiles argue that LaserDisc maintains a "smoother", more "film-like", natural image while DVD still looks slightly more artificial. Early DVD demo discs often had compression or encoding problems, lending additional support to such claims at the time. The video [[signal-to-noise ratio]] and bandwidth of LaserDisc are substantially less than those of DVDs, making DVDs appear sharper and clearer to most viewers.

Another advantage, at least to some consumers, was the fact that any sort of [[Copy protection#Anti-piracy|anti-piracy]] technology was purely optional. It was claimed that [[TiVo Corporation|Macrovision]]'s [[Copyguard]] [[Copy protection|protection]] could not be applied to LaserDisc, due to the format's design. The [[vertical blanking interval]], where the Macrovision signal would be implemented, was used for timecode and frame coding as well as player control codes on LaserDisc players. Due to its relatively small market share, there was never a push to redesign the format despite the obvious potential for piracy. The industry simply decided to engineer it into the [[DVD]] specification.

LaserDisc's support for multiple audio tracks allowed for vast supplemental materials to be included on-disc and made it the first available format for "Special Edition" releases; the 1984 [[Criterion Collection]] edition of ''[[Citizen Kane]]'' is generally credited as being the first "Special Edition" release to home video (''[[King Kong (1933 film)|King Kong]]'' being the first release to have an [[audio commentary]] track included),<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sQ0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA46|title=Quality is the Trademark of Criterion Collection DVDs|last=Neopolitan|first=Matt|date=May 17, 2003|magazine=Billboard|page=46|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2005/08/24/if-dvd-killed-the-film-star-criterion-honors-the-ghost/|title=If DVD killed the film star, Criterion honors the ghost|date=August 24, 2005|website=The Denver Post|language=en-US|access-date=November 11, 2019}}</ref> and for setting the standard by which future "Special Edition" discs were measured. The disc provided interviews, commentary tracks, documentaries, still photographs, and other features for historians and collectors.

=== Disadvantages ===
Despite the advantages over competing technology at the time (namely VHS and [[Betamax]]), the discs were heavy—weighing about {{convert|250|g|oz}} each—and cumbersome, were more prone than a VHS tape to damage if mishandled, and manufacturers did not market LaserDisc units with recording capabilities to consumers. Also, because of their size, greater mechanical effort was required to spin the discs at the proper speed, resulting in much more noise generated than other media.

The space-consuming analog video signal of a LaserDisc limited playback duration to 30/36&nbsp;minutes (CAV NTSC/PAL) or 60/64&nbsp;minutes (CLV NTSC/PAL) per side, because of the hardware manufacturer's refusal to reduce line count and bandwidth for increased playtime, (as was done in VHS; VHS tapes had a 3&nbsp;MHz video bandwidth, while LaserDisc preserves the full 6&nbsp;MHz bandwidth and resolution used in [[NTSC]] broadcasts). After one side finished playing, a disc had to be flipped over to continue watching a movie, and some titles filled two or more discs, depending on the film's runtime and whether or not special features are included. Many players, especially units built after the mid-1980s, could "flip" discs automatically (by rotating the optical pickup to the other side of the disc), but this was accompanied by a pause in the movie during the side change.

In the event the movie was longer than what could be stored on two sides of a single disc, manually swapping to a second disc was required at some point during the film (one exception to this rule was the Pioneer LD-W1, which featured the ability to load two discs and to play each side of one disc and then to switch to playing each side of the other disc). In addition, perfect still frames and random access to individual still frames was limited only to the more expensive CAV discs, which only had a playing time of approximately 30 minutes per side. In later years, Pioneer and other manufacturers overcame this limitation by incorporating a digital memory buffer, which "grabbed" a single field or frame from a CLV disc.

The analog information encoded onto LaserDiscs also did not include any form of built-in checksum or error correction. Because of this, slight dust and scratches on the disc surface could result in read errors which caused various video quality problems: glitches, streaks, bursts of static, or momentary picture interruptions. In contrast, the digital MPEG-2 format information used on DVDs has built-in error correction which ensures that the signal from a damaged disc will remain identical to that from a perfect disc right up until the damage to the disc surface prevents the laser from being able to identify usable data.

In addition, LaserDisc videos sometimes exhibited a problem known as "crosstalk". The issue could arise when the laser optical pickup assembly within the player was out of alignment or because the disc was damaged or excessively warped. But it could also occur even with a properly functioning player and a factory-new disc, depending on electrical and mechanical alignment problems. In these instances, the issue arose due to the fact that CLV discs required subtle changes in rotating speed at various points during playback. During a change in speed, the optical pickup inside the player might read video information from a track adjacent to the intended one, causing data from the two tracks to "cross"; the extra video information picked up from that second track shows up as distortion in the picture which looks reminiscent of swirling "[[barber pole]]s" or rolling lines of static.

Assuming the player's optical pickup was in proper working order, crosstalk distortion normally did not occur during playback of CAV-format LaserDiscs, as the rotational speed never varied. If the player calibration was out of order, or if the CAV disc was faulty or damaged, other problems affecting tracking accuracy could occur. One such problem was "laser lock", where the player read the same two fields for a given frame over and over, causing the picture to look frozen as if the movie were paused.

Another significant issue unique to LaserDisc involved the inconsistency of playback quality between different makers and models of player. On the majority of televisions, a given DVD player will produce a picture that is visually indistinguishable from other units; differences in image quality between players only becomes easily apparent on larger televisions, and substantial leaps in image quality are generally only obtained with expensive, high-end players that allow for post-processing of the MPEG-2 stream during playback.

In contrast, LaserDisc playback quality was highly dependent on hardware quality, and major variances in picture quality appeared between different makers and models of LaserDisc players, even when tested on low- to mid-range televisions. The obvious benefits of using high-quality equipment helped keep demand for some players high, while also keeping pricing for those units comparably high: in the 1990s, notable players sold for anywhere from US$200 to well over $1,000, while older and less desirable players could be purchased in working condition for as little as $25.

==== Laser rot ====
{{Main|Disc rot#Laser rot}}

Many early LaserDiscs were not manufactured properly. The adhesive that was used contained impurities which were able to penetrate the lacquer seal layer and chemically attack the metalized reflective aluminum layer, altering its reflective characteristics. This, in turn, deteriorated the recorded signal. This was a problem that was termed "laser rot" among LaserDisc enthusiasts (also called "color flash" internally by LaserDisc pressing plants). Some forms of laser rot could appear as black spots that looked like mold or burned plastic which caused the disc to skip and the video to exhibit excessive speckling noise. But, for the most part, rotted discs could actually appear perfectly fine to the naked eye.

Later optical standards have also been known to suffer [[Disc rot|similar problems]], including a notorious [[Compact disc bronzing|batch of defective CDs manufactured by Philips-DuPont Optical]] at their Blackburn, Lancashire facility in England during the late 1980s/early 1990s.

== Impact and decline ==
LaserDisc did not have high market penetration in North America due to the high cost of the players and discs (which were far more expensive than VHS players and tapes), and due to marketplace confusion<ref>{{cite book |last=Taylor |first=Jim |date=2006 |title=DVD Demystified |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ikxuL2aX9cAC&q=confusion+laserdisc+ced |publisher=[[McGraw Hill]] |isbn=9780071423984}}</ref> with the technologically inferior [[Capacitance Electronic Disc|CED]], which also went by the name [[Videodisc]]. While the format was not widely adopted by North American consumers, it was received well among [[videophile]]s due to the superior audio and video quality compared to [[VHS]] and [[Betamax]] tapes, thus finding a place in nearly one million American homes by the end of 1990.<ref name="Dick" /> The format was more popular in Japan than in North America because prices were kept low to ensure adoption, resulting in minimal price differences between VHS tapes and the higher quality LaserDiscs, which helped ensure that it quickly became the dominant consumer video format in Japan. [[Anime]] collectors in every country in which the LaserDisc format was released (which included both North America and Japan) also quickly became familiar with this format, and sought the higher video and sound quality of LaserDisc and the availability of numerous titles not available on VHS. (They were also encouraged by Pioneer's in-house production of anime which made titles specifically with the format in mind.) LaserDiscs were also popular alternatives to videocassettes among movie enthusiasts in the more affluent regions of South East Asia, such as Singapore,{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}} due to their high integration with the Japanese export market and the disc-based media's superior longevity compared to videocassette, especially in the humid conditions endemic to that area of the world.

The format also became quite popular in Hong Kong during the 1990s before the introduction of [[Video CD|VCDs]] and DVD. While people rarely bought the discs (because each LaserDisc was priced around US$100), high rental activity helped the video rental business in the city grow larger than it had ever been previously. Due to integration with the Japanese export market, NTSC LaserDiscs were used in the Hong Kong market, in contrast to the PAL standard used for broadcast (this anomaly also exists for DVD). This created a market for multi-system TVs and multi-system VCRs which could display or play both PAL and NTSC materials in addition to SECAM materials (which were never popular in Hong Kong). Some LaserDisc players could convert NTSC signals to PAL during playback so that TVs used in Hong Kong could display the LaserDisc materials.

Despite the relative popularity, manufacturers refused to market recordable LaserDisc devices on the consumer market, even though the competing [[Video cassette recorder|VCR]] devices could record onto cassette. This had a negative impact on sales worldwide. The inconvenient disc size, the high cost of both the players and the media and the inability to record onto the discs combined to take a serious toll on sales, and contributed to the format's poor adoption figures.

Although the LaserDisc format was supplanted by DVD by the late 1990s, many LaserDisc titles are still highly coveted<ref>{{cite book| title= DVD Demystified | url= https://archive.org/details/dvddemystified00tayl_581 | url-access= limited |pages=[https://archive.org/details/dvddemystified00tayl_581/page/n122 3]–64| first1=Jim | last1=Taylor |first2=Mark R. |last2=Johnson |first3=Charles G. |last3=Crawford |date=2001 |publisher= McGraw Hill Professional | isbn=9780071423984}}</ref> by movie enthusiasts (for example, Disney's ''[[Song of the South]]'' which is unavailable in the US in any format, but was issued in Japan on LaserDisc.) This is largely because there are many films that are still only available on LaserDisc and many other LaserDisc releases contain supplementary material not available on subsequent DVD versions of those films. Until the end of 2001, many titles were released on VHS, LaserDisc, and DVD in Japan.

== Further developments and applications ==

=== Computer control ===
In the early 1980s, Philips produced a LaserDisc player model adapted for a computer interface, dubbed "professional." In 1985, Jasmine Multimedia created LaserDisc jukeboxes featuring music videos from [[Michael Jackson]], [[Duran Duran]], and [[Cyndi Lauper]]. When connected to a PC this combination could be used to display images or information for educational or archival purposes, for example, thousands of scanned medieval manuscripts. This device could be considered a very early equivalent of a CD-ROM.

In the mid-1980s [[Lucasfilm]] pioneered the [[EditDroid]] [[non-linear editing system]] for film and television based on computer-controlled LaserDisc players. Instead of printing [[dailies]] out on film, processed negatives from the day's shoot would be sent to a mastering plant to be assembled from their 10-minute camera elements into 20-minute film segments. These were then mastered onto single-sided blank LaserDiscs, just as a DVD would be burnt at home today, allowing for much easier selection and preparation of an [[Edit Decision List|edit decision list]] (EDL). In the days before [[video assist]] was available in cinematography, this was the only other way a film crew could see their work. The EDL went to the negative cutter who then cut the camera negative accordingly and assembled the finished film. Only 24 EditDroid systems were ever built, even though the ideas and technology are still in use today. Later EditDroid experiments borrowed from hard-drive technology of having multiple discs on the same spindle and added numerous playback heads and numerous electronics to the basic jukebox design so that any point on each of the discs would be accessible within seconds. This eliminated the need for racks and racks of industrial LaserDisc players since EditDroid discs were only single-sided.

In 1986, a [[SCSI]]-equipped LaserDisc player attached to a [[BBC Master]] computer was used for the [[BBC Domesday Project]]. The player was referred as an LV-ROM ([[LaserVision Read Only Memory]]) as the discs contained the driving software as well as the video frames. The discs used the CAV format, and encoded data as a binary signal represented by the analog audio recording. These discs could contain in each CAV frame video/audio or video/binary data, but not both. "Data" frames would appear blank when played as video. It was typical for each disc to start with the disc catalog (a few blank frames) then the video introduction before the rest of the data. Because the format (based on the [[Advanced Disk Filing System|ADFS]] hard disc format) used a starting sector for each file, the data layout effectively skipped over any video frames. If all 54,000&nbsp;frames are used for data storage an LV-ROM disc can contain 324&nbsp;MB of data per side.<ref name="bbcdomesday" /> The Domesday Project systems also included a genlock, allowing video frames, clips and audio to be mixed with graphics originated from the BBC Master; this was used to great effect for displaying high-resolution photographs and maps, which could then be zoomed into.

During the 1980s in the United States, [[Digital Equipment Corporation]] developed the standalone PC control IVIS (Interactive VideoDisc Information System) for training and education. One of the most influential programs developed at DEC was Decision Point, a management gaming simulation, which won the Nebraska Video Disc Award for Best of Show in 1985.

Apple's [[HyperCard]] scripting language provided Macintosh computer users with a means to design databases of slides, animation, video and sounds from LaserDiscs and then to create interfaces for users to play specific content from the disc through software called LaserStacks.<ref name="laserstacks" /> User-created "stacks" were shared and were especially popular in education where teacher-generated stacks were used to access discs ranging from art collections to basic biological processes. Commercially available stacks were also popular with the Voyager company being possibly the most successful distributor.<ref name="Martin" />

[[Commodore International]]'s 1992 multimedia presentation system for the [[Amiga]], AmigaVision, included device drivers for controlling a number of LaserDisc players through a serial port. Coupled with the Amiga's ability to use a [[Genlock]], this allowed for the LaserDisc video to be overlaid with computer graphics and integrated into presentations and multimedia displays, years before such practice was commonplace.

Pioneer also made computer-controlled units such as the LD-V2000. It had a back-panel [[RS-232]] serial connection through a five-pin [[DIN connector]], and no front-panel controls except ''Open/Close''. (The disc would be played automatically upon insertion.)

Under contract from the [[U.S. Military|U.S. military]], [[Matrox]] produced a combination computer/LaserDisc player for instructional purposes. The computer was a [[Intel 80286|286]], the LaserDisc player only capable of reading the analog audio tracks. Together they weighed {{convert|43|lb|kg|abbr=on}} and sturdy handles were provided in case two people were required to lift the unit. The computer controlled the player via a 25-pin serial port at the back of the player and a ribbon cable connected to a proprietary port on the motherboard. Many of these were sold as surplus by the military during the 1990s, often without the controller software. Nevertheless, it is possible to control the unit by removing the ribbon cable and connecting a serial cable directly from the computer's serial port to the port on the LaserDisc player.

=== Video games ===
{{Main|LaserDisc video game}}

The format's instant-access capability made it possible for a new breed of LaserDisc-based [[video arcade game]]s. Several companies saw potential in using LaserDiscs for video games in the 1980s and 1990s, beginning in 1983 with Sega's ''[[Astron Belt]]''. [[Cinematronics]] and [[American Laser Games]] produced elaborate arcade games that used the random-access features to create interactive movies such as ''[[Dragon's Lair]]'' and ''[[Space Ace]]''. Similarly, the [[Pioneer Laseractive]] and [[Halcyon (console)|Halcyon]] were introduced as [[home video game consoles]] that used LaserDisc media for their software.

=== Hi-Vision LD ===
{{Infobox media
| title = Hi-Vision LD
| logo = 
| image = 
| caption = 
| type = [[Optical disc]]
| encoding = [[Multiple sub-Nyquist sampling encoding|MUSE]]
| capacity = 60 minutes per side on CLV discs
| read = 670&nbsp;nm wavelength semiconductor laser
| write = 
| standard = 
| owner = 
| use = 
| extended to = 
| released = 1994<ref>{{cite web |title=MUSE HI-DEF LaserDisc Players |url=http://www.laserdiscarchive.co.uk/laserdisc_archive/muse_high_def_ld/Muse_high_def_ld.htm |website=LaserDisc UK Web Site |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160430061324/http://www.laserdiscarchive.co.uk/laserdisc_archive/muse_high_def_ld/Muse_high_def_ld.htm |archive-date=30 April 2016 |url-status=dead|access-date=13 January 2025}}</ref>
| discontinued = 
}}
In 1991, several manufacturers announced specifications for what would become known as '''Hi-Vision LD''', representing a span of almost 15&nbsp;years until the feats of this HD analog optical disc system would finally be duplicated digitally by [[Comparison of high definition optical disc formats|HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc]]. Encoded using [[NHK]]'s [[Multiple sub-Nyquist sampling encoding|MUSE]] "[[Hi-Vision]]" analog HDTV system, MUSE discs would operate like standard LaserDiscs but would contain high-definition 1,125-line (1,035&nbsp;visible lines; [[Sony HDVS]]) video with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The MUSE players were also capable of playing standard NTSC format discs and are superior in performance to non-MUSE players even with these NTSC discs. The MUSE-capable players had several noteworthy advantages over standard LaserDisc players, including a red laser with a much narrower wavelength than the lasers found in standard players. The red laser was capable of reading through disc defects such as scratches and even mild disc rot that would cause most other players to stop, stutter or drop-out. Crosstalk was not an issue with MUSE discs, and the narrow wavelength of the laser allowed for the virtual elimination of crosstalk with normal discs.

To view MUSE-encoded discs, it was necessary to have a MUSE decoder in addition to a compatible player. There are televisions with MUSE decoding built-in and set-top tuners with decoders that can provide the proper MUSE input. Equipment prices were high, especially for early HDTVs which generally eclipsed US$10,000, and even in Japan the market for MUSE was tiny. Players and discs were never officially sold in North America, although several distributors imported MUSE discs along with other import titles. ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'', ''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]'', ''[[A League of Their Own]]'', ''[[Bugsy]]'', ''[[Close Encounters of the Third Kind]]'', ''[[Dracula (1992 film)|Bram Stoker's Dracula]]'' and ''[[Chaplin (film)|Chaplin]]'' were among the theatrical releases available on MUSE LDs. Several documentaries, including one about [[Formula One]] at Japan's [[Suzuka Circuit]] were also released.

LaserDisc players and LaserDiscs that worked with the competing European [[HD-MAC]] HDTV standard were also made.<ref>{{cite web |first1=J.B. |last1=Tejerina |first2=F. |last2=Visintin |url=https://tech.ebu.ch/docs/techreview/trev_254-tejerina.pdf |title=The HDTV demonstrations at Expo 92 |work=EBU Technical Review |date=Winter 1992}}</ref>

=== Picture discs ===
Picture discs have artistic etching on one side of the disc to make the disc more visually attractive than the standard shiny silver surface. This etching might look like a movie character, logo, or other promotional material. Sometimes that side of the LD would be made with colored plastic, rather than the clear material used for the data side. Picture disc LDs only had video material on one side as the "picture" side could not contain any data. Picture discs are rare in North America.

=== LD-G ===
[[Pioneer (company)|Pioneer Electronics]]—one of the format's largest supporters/investors—was also deeply involved in the [[karaoke]] business in Japan, and used LaserDiscs as the storage medium for music and additional content such as graphics. This format was generally called LD-G. While several other karaoke labels manufactured LaserDiscs, there was nothing like the breadth of competition in that industry that exists now, as almost all manufacturers have transitioned to [[CD+G]] discs.

=== Anamorphic LaserDiscs ===
With the release of [[16:9]] televisions in the early 1990s, Pioneer and Toshiba decided that it was time to take advantage of this aspect ratio. Squeeze LDs were enhanced 16:9-ratio widescreen LaserDiscs. During the video transfer stage, the movie was stored in an anamorphic "squeezed" format. The widescreen movie image was stretched to fill the entire video frame with less or none of the video resolution wasted to create [[Letterboxing (filming)|letterbox]] bars. The advantage was a 33% greater vertical resolution compared to letterboxed widescreen LaserDisc. This same procedure was used for anamorphic DVDs, but unlike all DVD players, very few LD players had the ability to unsqueeze the image for [[4:3]] sets, If the discs were played on a standard 4:3 television the image would be distorted. Some 4:3 sets (such as the Sony WEGA series) could be set to unsqueeze the image. Since very few people outside of Japan owned 16:9 displays, the marketability of these special discs was very limited.

There were no anamorphic LaserDisc titles available in the US except for promotional purposes. Upon purchase of a Toshiba 16:9 television viewers had the option of selecting a number of Warner Bros. 16:9 films. Titles include ''[[Unforgiven]]'', ''[[Grumpy Old Men (film)|Grumpy Old Men]]'', ''[[The Fugitive (1993 film)|The Fugitive]]'', and ''[[Free Willy]]''. The Japanese lineup of titles was different. A series of releases under the banner "Squeeze LD" from Pioneer of mostly [[Carolco]] titles included ''[[Basic Instinct]]'', ''[[Stargate (film)|Stargate]]'', ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'', ''[[Showgirls]]'', ''[[Cutthroat Island]]'', and ''[[Cliffhanger (1993 film)|Cliffhanger]]''. ''Terminator 2'' was released twice in Squeeze LD, the second release being THX certified and a notable improvement over the first.

=== Recordable formats ===
Several recordable variants of the LaserDisc format were developed for professional and industrial applications, but none were marketed to consumers. Their limited availability contributed to the common perception that LaserDisc lacked recording capability.

{{Visible anchor|Recordable Laser Videodisc|RLV|text=The '''Recordable Laser Videodisc''' ('''RLV''')}}, introduced by the [[Optical Disc Corporation]] in 1984, was a [[Write once read many|write-once, read-many]] format that was fully compatible with standard LaserDisc players. Compared to conventional LaserDiscs, RLVs were distinguished by a red/purple tint of the dye used in the reflective layer that is burned by the laser.

{{Visible anchor|Component Recordable Video disc|CRVdisc|text=The '''Component Recordable Video disc''' ('''CRVdisc''')}}, developed by [[Sony]], was another write-once, read-many format intended for professional use. Housed in a protective [[Caddy (hardware)|caddy]], the disc resembled an oversized [[floppy disk]]. The CRVdisc was used by the [[BBC]] for many years to playout [[idents]].<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ-yIsrOUU8 |title=RECORDABLE 'Laserdisc' - Sony CRVdisc |date=December 22, 2019 |last=Taylor |first=Matthew |author-link=Techmoan |type=Video |language=en-GB |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/KQ-yIsrOUU8 |archive-date=2021-12-13}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

{{Visible anchor|LaserRecorder|text=The '''LaserRecorder'''}}, introduced by [[Pioneer Corporation|Pioneer]] in fall 1991, was a [[Rewritable media|rewritable]] LaserDisc system designed for professional video production. It used CAV mode and protective caddies, with discs, which could hold 32 minutes of video per side, were rated for up to one million record/erase cycles. The dual-laser design enabled real-time, frame-accurate non-linear editing by allowing one laser to read while the other searched. The system's rapid access made it useful for editing workflows, including its integration into [[EditDroid]], an early digital film editing system. The recorder sold for around {{US$|39950|1992}}, with blank discs priced at approximately {{US$|1295|1992}}.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hunt |first=Dennis |date=1992-01-10 |title=An Affordable Laser Recorder? Not Yet |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-01-10-ca-1614-story.html |access-date=2025-05-27 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pioneer VDR-V1000 |url=http://www.laserdiscarchive.co.uk/laserdisc_archive/pioneer/pioneer_vdr-v1000/pioneer_vdr-v1000.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127002330/http://www.laserdiscarchive.co.uk/laserdisc_archive/pioneer/pioneer_vdr-v1000/pioneer_vdr-v1000.htm |archive-date=November 27, 2022 |access-date=April 23, 2017 |publisher=LaserDisc Archive}}</ref>

<gallery widths="200px" heights="160px">
File:Recordable Laser Videodisc.png|A Recordable Laser Videodisc with a [[DVD]]-R for size comparison
File:CRVDisc.jpg|A CRVdisc with a [[VHS]] tape for size comparison
File:LaserRecorder.jpg|A Pioneer LaserRecorder that can be connected to a computer or a video source
</gallery>

== LaserDisc sizes ==

===30 cm (Full-size)===

The most common size of LaserDisc was {{convert|30|cm|in|1|abbr=on}}, approximately the size of {{convert|12|in|cm|1|abbr=on}} [[Gramophone record|LP vinyl records]]. These discs allowed for 30/36&nbsp;minutes per side (CAV NTSC/PAL) or 60/64&nbsp;minutes per side (CLV NTSC/PAL). The vast majority of programming for the LaserDisc format was produced on these discs.

===20 cm ("EP"-size) ===
[[File:20cmkaraokelaserdisc.jpg|thumb|A 20&nbsp;cm Japanese NTSC LaserDisc for karaoke]]

A number of {{convert|20|cm|in|1|abbr=on}} LaserDiscs were also published. These smaller "[[Extended Play|EP]]"-sized LDs allowed for 20&nbsp;minutes per side (CLV). They are much rarer than the full-size LDs, especially in North America, and roughly approximate the size of 45rpm ({{convert|7|in|cm|1|abbr=on}}) vinyl singles. These discs were often used for music video compilations (e.g. [[Bon Jovi]]'s "Breakout", [[Bananarama]]'s "Video Singles" or [[T'Pau (band)|T'Pau's]] "View from a Bridge"),{{citation needed|date=January 2009}} as well as Japanese [[karaoke]] machines.

===12 cm (CD Video and Video Single Disc)===
{{Main|CD Video|Video Single Disc}}

There were also {{convert|12|cm|in|1|abbr=on}} ([[Compact disc|CD]] size) "[[Single (music)|single]]"-style discs produced that were playable on LaserDisc players. These were referred to as [[CD Video]] (CD-V) discs, and [[Video Single Disc]]s (VSD).

CD-V was a hybrid format launched in the late 1980s, and carried up to five minutes of analog LaserDisc-type video content with a digital soundtrack (usually a music video), plus up to 20&nbsp;minutes of digital [[Compact Disc Digital Audio|audio CD]] tracks. The original 1989 release of David Bowie's retrospective ''[[Sound + Vision (box set)|Sound + Vision]]'' CD box set prominently featured a CD-V video of "[[Ashes to Ashes (David Bowie song)|Ashes to Ashes]]", and standalone promo CD-Vs featured the video, plus three audio tracks: "[[John, I'm Only Dancing]]", "[[Changes (David Bowie song)|Changes]]", and "[[The Supermen]]".

Despite the similar name, CD Video is entirely incompatible with the later all-digital [[Video CD]] (VCD) format, and can only be played back on LaserDisc players with CD-V capability or one of the players dedicated to the smaller discs.<ref name='techmoan' /><ref group='Footnotes' name='vcd'>By contrast, VCD is generally supported by [[Video CD|VCD]], [[DVD]], [[CD-i]], and [[HD DVD|HD-DVD]] players, [[Blu-ray]] players with [[MPEG-1]] support, and computers, along with later-model LaserDisc players that can also play DVDs, such as the DVL-9xx series from Pioneer.</ref> CD-Vs were somewhat popular for a brief time worldwide{{citation needed|date=May 2021}} but soon faded from view.

In Europe, Philips also used the "CD Video" name as part of a short-lived attempt in the late 1980s to relaunch and rebrand the entire LaserDisc system.<ref name='techmoan' /><ref name='newscientist_cdvideo8703' /> Some 20 and 30&nbsp;cm discs were also branded "CD Video", but unlike the 12&nbsp;cm discs, these were essentially just standard LaserDiscs with digital soundtracks and no audio-only CD content.<ref name='techmoan' />

The [[Video Single Disc|VSD format]] was announced in 1990, and was essentially the same as the {{convert|12|cm|in|1|abbr=on}} CD-V, but without the audio CD tracks, and intended to sell at a lower price.<ref name='tu_vsd' /> VSDs were popular only in Japan and other parts of Asia and were never fully introduced to the rest of the world.

== Footnotes ==
{{Reflist|group=Footnotes}}

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="Followers">{{cite web|title=Followers of LaserDisc Interest|url=http://ww.itimes.com/lifestyle/laserdisc/followers|publisher=itimes|access-date=July 28, 2014}}</ref>
<ref name="Transparent recording disc">{{US patent |3,430,966}} Transparent recording disc, 1969.</ref>
<ref name="Video signal transducer">{{US patent |3,530,258}} Video signal transducer, 1970.</ref>
<ref name="Disc-shaped member">{{US patent|4,893,297}} Disc-shaped member, 1990.</ref>
<ref name="CED magic">{{cite journal | publisher = CED magic | title =1979: The VideoDisc Is Here! | url = http://www.cedmagic.com/history/discovision-marketed.html | journal = History of Media Technology | access-date = April 8, 2011}}</ref>
<ref name="PioneerUKPressRelease20090115">{{cite press release | publisher = Pioneer | title = Pioneer Announces End of LaserDisc Player Products | url = http://www.pioneer.co.uk/uk/content/press/news/endoflaserdiscplayer.html | date = January 15, 2009 | place = UK | access-date = April 25, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090227065202/http://pioneer.co.uk/uk/content/press/news/endoflaserdiscplayer.html | archive-date = February 27, 2009 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
<ref name="JCNNetwork20090114">{{cite web|title=Pioneer Announces End of Laser Disc Player Products|url=http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=20902|publisher=Japan Corp|date=January 14, 2009|access-date=April 25, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725144527/http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=20902|archive-date=July 25, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="HomeMediaMagazine20090114">{{cite web | publisher = Home media | title = Laser Disc Officially Dead | url = http://www.homemediamagazine.com/news/laserdisc-officially-dead-14333 | date = January 14, 2009 | access-date = April 25, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120217103455/http://www.homemediamagazine.com/news/laserdisc-officially-dead-14333 | archive-date = February 17, 2012}}</ref>
<ref name="Indiana university">{{cite web|title=New and emerging video technologies: A status report |date=October 29, 1998 |url=http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/~brancoli/videostatus.html |publisher=Indiana university |access-date=October 5, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015071453/http://dlib.indiana.edu/~brancoli/videostatus.html |archive-date=October 15, 2007}}</ref>
<ref name="Flaherty">{{cite news|title=Bittersweet Times for Collectors of Laser Disk Movies | date =April 29, 1999|url= https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE5DD123DF93AA15757C0A96F958260 |access-date = October 5, 2007 |work= The New York Times|first=Julie|last=Flaherty}}</ref>
<ref name="Pioneer End">{{cite press release | publisher = Pioneer | title=レーザーディスクプレーヤー生産終了のお知らせ | trans-title= Laser disk player production end| place = [[Japan|JP]] | url= http://pioneer.jp/press/2009/0114-1.html |date=January 14, 2009|access-date=March 9, 2009 |language=Japanese}}</ref>
<ref name="How is LaserDisc analog?">{{cite web|title=LD vs. DVD: A Fundamental Difference |url=http://www.access-one.com/rjn/laser/legacy/ld96.html |date=July 3, 1999 |access-date=December 13, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513083110/http://www.access-one.com/rjn/laser/legacy/ld96.html |archive-date=May 13, 2008}}</ref>
<ref name="LaserDisc">{{cite web|url=http://www.blamld.com/DiscoVision/VP-1000_12-80.htm|title=LaserDisc: A vision comes to life|date=October 28, 1999|access-date= February 10, 2011|publisher=Blam Entertainment Group}}</ref>
<ref name="dam">{{cite journal |url= http://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=11765 | title = Digital audio modulation in the PAL and NTSC video disc formats | journal = J. Audio Eng. Soc. | volume = 32 | page = 883 | year = 1984| access-date= February 24, 2008}}</ref>
<ref name="mindspring">{{cite web| title= Laserdisc Forever Review of Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace| date= May 9, 2000| url= http://www.mindspring.com/~laserdisc-forever/phantommenace.htm| access-date= October 5, 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110605165330/http://www.mindspring.com/~laserdisc-forever/phantommenace.htm| archive-date= June 5, 2011| url-status= dead}}</ref>
<ref name="blam1">{{cite web|title=DTS Digital Surround LaserDisc|date=January 24, 2005|url=http://www.blam1.com/LaserDisc/dts.htm|access-date=July 20, 2007}}</ref>
<ref name="PrecisionLaserDisc">{{cite web|title=LaserDisc FAQ|publisher=PrecisionLaserdisc.com|url= http://www.precisionlaserdisc.com/newfaq.html|access-date=July 20, 2007}}</ref>
<ref name="Video interchange">{{cite web | url = http://www.videointerchange.com/video-history.htm | title = Video interchange | work = Video history}}</ref>
<ref name="AllforMP3">{{cite web|title=(2.7) How does DVD compare to laser disc?|publisher=AllforMP3.com|url=http://www.allformp3.com/dvd-faqs/27.htm |access-date=July 20, 2007}}</ref>
<ref name="Dick">{{cite web|last=Dick|first=Jeff|title=Laserdisc Redux|url=http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=5d0a0509-2bd6-4e66-ae7c-32351c2e5996%40sessionmgr113&vid=2&hid=123|access-date=October 9, 2012}}</ref>
<ref name="bbcdomesday">{{cite journal | type = proceedings | journal = The BBC Domesday Project, A Nation-wide CIS for $4448 | title = Auto carto | url = http://mapcontext.com/autocarto/proceedings/auto-carto-8/pdf/the-bbc-domesday-project-a-nation-wide-cis-for-$4448.pdf | publisher = Map context | issue = 8 | access-date = July 18, 2010 | archive-date = March 15, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160315033449/http://mapcontext.com/autocarto/proceedings/auto-carto-8/pdf/the-bbc-domesday-project-a-nation-wide-cis-for-$4448.pdf | url-status = dead}}</ref>
<ref name="laserstacks">{{cite web|title=LaserStacks|url=http://www.credoreference.com/entry/hargravecomms/laserstacks|work=Hargrave's Communications Dictionary|publisher=Wiley|access-date=October 9, 2012}}</ref>
<ref name="Martin">{{cite web|first = Jeff | last = Martin |title=Voyager Company CD-ROMs: Production History and Preservation Challenges of Commercial Interactive Media|publisher=Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI) Resource Guide|url= http://resourceguide.eai.org/preservation/computer/pdf-docs/voyager_casestudy.pdf| access-date=July 20, 2007}}</ref>
<ref name="LaserDisc_videophiles">{{cite web|title=I Think I Must Admit that Laserdisc Is Dead|date=January 15, 2009|url=http://www.mediageek.net/2009/01/i-think-i-must-admit-that-laserdisc-is-dead/|publisher=mediageek|access-date=December 2, 2014}}</ref>
<ref name="newscientist_cdvideo8703">{{cite magazine |date=March 19, 1987 |issue=1552 |first=Barry |last=Fox |page=28 |title=Compact disc video hits the streets... |magazine=[[New Scientist]] |quote=Philips also sees CD Video as a way of relaunching the technically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful Laservision [whose name] will be dropped and the new name and logo used [for] 12, 20 and 30 centimentre [discs] [..] The old LaserVision videodiscs had analogue sound but new CDV discs will have digital sound [..] this makes all new discs incompatible with old [analogue-only] players in Europe. [..] Philips estimates [between] 12,000 and 15,000 old-format Laservision players in Europe [and] is estimating the cost of a trade-in deal}}</ref>
<ref name="techmoan">{{cite AV media|accessdate=May 8, 2021|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u2j1Q8uCgQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/6u2j1Q8uCgQ| archive-date=December 12, 2021 |url-status=live|title=CD Video (Not Video CD) – when Videodiscs went gold|date=February 1, 2018|author="[[Techmoan]]" (Matthew "Mat" Taylor)| quote=''[10:44]'' Philips also released smaller players [..] which could only play the [12 cm CD-size] disc<br />''[08:27]'' in Europe [Philips' LaserDisc sales were pitiful but] with Laserdisc now capable of [digital audio] why not just start all over again [and rebrand as] CD Video [and] piggyback on the success of compact disc<br />''[11:44]'' [30 cm "CD Video" discs] are just Laserdiscs coloured gold and with [digital soundtrack]<br />''[15:12]'' [12 cm disc is] essence of the format [..] [Larger discs were really just] Laserdiscs or LaserVision discs.}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
<ref name="tu_vsd">{{cite magazine |title=More on Laserdiscs |volume=6 |issue=5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cZfZ65Q53msC&dq=%22video+single+disc%22&pg=PA3 |magazine=Video Week via Telecommunications Update |date=August 13, 1990|publisher = TV & Film Service, USIA, USIS|isbn = 9780316937610|quote=A new laserdisc format- video single disc (VSD)- is due in Japan. [It] is the size of a standard CD, but carries five minutes of video and audio [..] It differs from the failed CD-Video in the amount of audio (the latter had 20 minutes of audio and five minutes of video) and in price (in Japan it will cost half as much as CDV}}</ref>
</references>

== Further reading ==
* Isailovic, Jordan. ''Videodisc and Optical Memory Systems''. Vol. 1, Boston, MA: Prentice Hall, 1984. {{ISBN|978-0-13-942053-5}}.
* Lenk, John D. ''Complete Guide to Laser/VideoDisc Player Troubleshooting and Repair''. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1985. {{ISBN|0-13-160813-4}}.

==External links==
{{Commons category|LaserDisc}}
* [http://www.lddb.com/ LaserDisc Database]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20030719060037/http://home.online.no/~espen-b/ld/ LaserDisc Technical Page]
* [http://www.blamld.com/ BLAM Entertainment Group]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20160323160726/http://www.laserdiscplanet.com/ LaserDisc Planet]}} (archived)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080410062008/http://www.laserdiscarchive.co.uk/ LaserDisc Archive] (archived)
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/video-discs/zms8gwx 1980 video] on ''[[Tomorrow's World]]''

* [https://www.totalrewind.org/disc/disc_opt.htmm Optical disc formats] at Total Rewind
* [https://forum.lddb.com/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=8026 ''Laser Disc Review'' #2-5] at LaserDisc Database
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140116201135/http://www.ebay.co.uk/gds/Laserdisc-Players-and-Laserdiscs-Formats-and-Features-/10000000001285055/g.html LaserDisc Player Formats and Features] on [[eBay]] (archived)
* [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/3182902_Digital_Audio_Modulation_in_the_PAL_and_NTSC_Laservision_Video_Disc_Coding_Formats Digital Audio Modulation in the PAL and NTSC Laservision Video Disc Coding Formats] essay

{{Video storage formats}}
{{Optical storage media}}

[[Category:LaserDisc| ]]
[[Category:Audiovisual introductions in 1978]]
[[Category:Optical discs]]
[[Category:Discontinued media formats]]
[[Category:Film and video technology]]
[[Category:Home video]]
[[Category:Philips products]]
[[Category:Pioneer Corporation products]]
[[Category:Products introduced in 1978]]
[[Category:Products and services discontinued in 2001]]
[[Category:Video game distribution]]
[[Category:Video storage]]
[[Category:Composite video formats]]
[[el:Μέσο αποθήκευσης δεδομένων#Laserdisc]]