Laserdisc player question?

Avidfan
Avidfan Posts: 12
edited March 2003 in Electronics
Sorry if this question is out of place here, but I dare not venture into the bastion of zealotry that is the Laserdisc newsgroup. : ) I've got an old Pioneer Elite CLD-31 Laserdisc player, and it has a digital optical out. Now, I know this output won't pass an AC-3 signal, but would there be any appriciable sound improvement gained by connecting this output instead of just using the regular stereo outs with a good set of Monster interconnects? In most cases I would go digital whenever possible, but in the case of an analog format like LD, isn't that just introducing another step in the chain by converting the analog signal to digital, and then back to analog at the receiver? I may have just answered my own question, but I defer to the experience of the group.
Post edited by Avidfan on

Comments

  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,032
    edited February 2003
    Sorry I missed this thead but I will attempt to make it simple and understandable.
    The optical out on your laserdisc player is for DTS playback and NON ac3 discs.It also can pass PCM,cd ,video cd etc.
    When wiring up a laserdisc player to a given digital system,you should have RF out to a modulator,optical out,analog out,and video of your choice.Laserdisc made changes over the years.It will depend just like DVD what will be used for audio.If you have your owners manual to the player,I suggest you sit with it for awhile and read all about it.
    I hope that helps you.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
  • Avidfan
    Avidfan Posts: 12
    edited February 2003
    Thanks for your reply. Unfortunatly, I do not have the manual for the player. I got it used off Ebay. It does not have an RF output for AC-3, it was built before Dolby Digital was developed. I don't actually have any DTS laserdiscs, and my receiver doesn't decode DTS anyway...so I guess I won't worry about that. I mainly use the LD player for the Star Wars trilogy, which sound fine in Pro-Logic.
    I use the S-video output, although there's some debate as to whether or not that's actually an improvement over composite when it comes to laserdisc.

    Jason
  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,032
    edited February 2003
    I would do a A B test between the 2 video feeds.It's not the cable that amkes the bigest difference,it's what processes the signal better.Most of the time, the TV can do a better job.The S video bypasses the TV's comb filter
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
  • Avidfan
    Avidfan Posts: 12
    edited February 2003
    Well, after doing an A/B comparison, I'd have to say that the difference between the two feeds is damn slight, if any. There may be a teeny-tiny bit more dot crawl with the composite feed, while the colors may by imperceptably muted with the s-video. Or it may be my imagination. It's certainly not the dramatic difference between composite and s-video on DVD. I'm thinking I'll stick with s-video just to keep in line with the rest of the system. Thanks for your advise though.

    Jason
  • jdavy
    jdavy Posts: 380
    edited March 2003
    Interesting comments on DTS. I did not think that DTS was on any laserdisc. I thought that AC-3 was all that there was and that you needed the RF modulator for that. Anyhow like you said you have this for Starwars and hopefully George will relase them with Indiana Jones in the near future. (next 5 years) WE should send some one to Malasia and get the boot leg copies. anyhow, do not really want to insite copyinfringment but it would be nice to see the opening cut of Star Wars with the low rumble from the star distroyer working our polk speakers.

    Ahh but to dream.
  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,032
    edited March 2003
    jdavy,
    anyhow, do not really want to insite copyinfringment but it would be nice to see the opening cut of Star Wars with the low rumble from the star distroyer working our polk speakers.

    I'm with yeah all they way here my man.
    DTS laserdisc's came near the end.I still have a laserdisc player.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
  • Avidfan
    Avidfan Posts: 12
    edited March 2003
    I've given some thought to picking up the trilogy on bootleg DVD, but you just never know what kind of quality you're gonna get. I've heard that some of them have Chinese or Korean subtitles over the image that you can't get rid of, or the sound is all funky... With the LDs I know I'm getting the best possible quality. Besides, I kind of like having Star Wars on a big 12" silver disc. It's kind of kitschy and retro, and most people have no idea what they're looking at when I show them. They're like "Dude, that's one big DVD!"
  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,032
    edited March 2003
    Funny......laserdisc will always have a warm place in my heart.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.