What was your first digital home movie?

[DaOld Man]

Mine was First Blood. About 1981-82 (I think).
I rented a laser disc player and the movie on a disc that was about as big as the old 33 RPM records. (Is anyone in here old enough to remember those?)
The picture quality was outstanding, compared to the TV antenna that we had then (this was before cable, at least in our town.)
 Actually, First Blood (Very first Rambo) was the first movie I rented of all formats.
Next I was renting Beta tapes, then VHS. The tapes were not as good quality as the laser discs, but they were a lot cheaper to rent. (Players too.)

[Hoopz]

Escape from Alcatraz rented from Video Concepts on Video Disc.   Then Goldfinger.  Had the original Lord of the Rings on Video Disc. 

[mr.Curmudgeon]

First inadvertent experience was Cat People on Laser Disc (I was 12 and my sitter played it in another room. I peaked a few times)
When I was adult enough to make my own pruchases, I made sure it was Bladerunner on DVD. But as it turned out the transfer SUCKED, so it looked just as bad as a scratchy VHS.

 

[SavannahLion]

I'm not entirely sure. Part of my collection was taken when my ex left me. If memory serves me right, it was probably TRON on DVD.

[ChadTower]

(Is anyone in here old enough to remember those?)

Some of us still have them.

[ahofle]

Aren't laserdiscs actually analog?

[DaOld Man]

Hmm I dont really know, I thought they were digital, like CD's??

[ahofle]

I know the video part is analog (encoded in the disc as space between 'pits').  Sometimes the audio is analog and I guess sometimes it's digital:
http://www.access-one.com/rjn/laser/legacy/ld96.html

[DaOld Man]

Thanks for that info. I distinctly remember them advertising at that time,  the laser discs as digital, I never heard any difference until now. I think I only rented that one movie anyway, because like I said the tape was a lot cheaper.
Maybe I should change the title of this thread to:
"What was your first rented home movie?"

[ahofle]

Hehe sorry, didn't mean to ruin your thread.

I think my first movie at home was one of the Pink Panther movies (Return of the Pink Panther maybe?).  Of course it was my parent's choice, but damn those movies are hilarious.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=FKfXSh_CC5c
 

[boykster]

first laserdisc I ever saw was a flyover demo of some sort on my neighbors new laserdisc player.  First rented/watched movie at home was Raiders of the Lost Ark on VHS....

When I was adult enough to make my own pruchases, I made sure it was Bladerunner on DVD. But as it turned out the transfer SUCKED, so it looked just as bad as a scratchy VHS.

 

Yep, I have a copy of that sucktacular version of that movie.  Not only was the transfer bad, but they pillarboxed it too (black bars on top, bottom, left and right) for some reason.  I think they were compensating for overscan, but they way overcompensated.

The new "Final Cut" transfer is pretty amazing.  They cleaned up all versions of the film (US original, International Original, directors cut, and new "final" cut, as well as the workprint that's only been shown in a few theaters) and it looks outstanding.  Theres also a BD and HD-DVD version that I've not seen.

[Glaine]

(Is anyone in here old enough to remember those?)

Some of us still have them.

Yeah, they still make a lot of new releases on em and they are making a cult comeback. I've gotten about 30, just starting to buy em. Lucky for me, there is a great vinyl shop right behind my work that has techno, house, trance, hardcore, all kinds. And Half Price Books is on my way home if I want to go get some 80's rock or old 78's.

Now if only I had an iVinyl
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/v/n33ACfZ45ys&rel=1[/youtube]

[ChadTower]

Yeah, they still make a lot of new releases on em and they are making a cult comeback. I've gotten about 30, just starting to buy em. Lucky for me, there is a great vinyl shop right behind my work that has techno, house, trance, hardcore, all kinds. And Half Price Books is on my way home if I want to go get some 80's rock or old 78's.

We're talking about laserdiscs, not vinyl albums.

[Glaine]

I know but his line was:

I rented a laser disc player and the movie on a disc that was about as big as the old 33 RPM records. (Is anyone in here old enough to remember those?)

I guess you mean it was supposed to be something like:

I rented a laser disc player (Is anyone in here old enough to remember those?)

And what I can relate with is (and what I thought you were saying that some people have):

old 33 RPM records. (Is anyone in here old enough to remember those?)

Nevermind, Chad. The moments over for me, you've shoved a coat hanger in the catacombs of another post.

[ChadTower]

Nevermind, Chad. The moments over for me, you've shoved a coat hanger in the catacombs of another post.

Glad you enjoyed it.  We'll be here all week.

[boykster]

Anyone remember the CED VideoDiscs?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitance_Electronic_Disc



We had one of these players when I was a kid...talk about interesting technology. 

[ChadTower]

I saw them after they were off the market... picked up a player and a few discs years ago at a flea market.  Didn't have it long but it was fun to play with.  Back then, before DVDs, that was one of the best ways to watch Star Wars at home.

[Glaine]

Dang, that looks sharp. I wish more things used a protected disk system like that, only thing I can think of that uses that now is the PSP. Would reduce the risk of scratching, but it'd cost more I guess.

[SavannahLion]

Dang, that looks sharp. I wish more things used a protected disk system like that, only thing I can think of that uses that now is the PSP. Would reduce the risk of scratching, but it'd cost more I guess.

I recall some really early CD drives requiring a protective caddy of sorts. I don't know if they still have it, but my HS school library had a huge collection of them racked from floor to ceiling in a special room (away from students). There must've been thousands of those cartridges and probably ten times that in wasted funds. Nice to know those Measure S funds went to good use. 

[ChadTower]

I had totally forgotten about those ugly grey/light brown trays.   

[boykster]

Yep, I had an early SCSI external CD burner (2x!!!) that required caddies.  We also had a DVD-RAM burner that needed caddies for some reason.

the reason the CED discs needed a caddy was that they were VERY succeptible to dust/lint.  The worked very much like a vinyl record, with a stylus on the player and a pitted groove on the disc, but the groove was very narrow.  The casing included a self cleaning mechanism whenever the disc was inserted/ejected from the player.  Other than having to "flip" the movies, the quality was great on the movies.  Way better than VHS at the time.  Not sure what happened to our player and disc collection.  When the technology was obviously being abandoned, we went around and bought up a TON of movies from local stores and rental places.  Yep, the used to rent the CED discs in my hometown...

[boykster]

The new "Final Cut" transfer is pretty amazing.  They cleaned up all versions of the film (US original, International Original, directors cut, and new "final" cut, as well as the workprint that's only been shown in a few theaters) and it looks outstanding.  Theres also a BD and HD-DVD version that I've not seen.

Ah jeeez... that's FINALLY out?! 

Yep...FINALLY.  It was released on DVD mid december I think after a VERY short and not advertised release at a few theaters.  I went and saw it at the Cinerama in Seattle

www.cinerama.com