Backing up Laser Disc's

[pbguy1211]

Is backing up a laser disc as easy as backing up VHS tapes? (Connecting the RCA's or a composite cable to a dvd recorder's inputs)
I want to guess yes from what I've read, but I figured I'd ask anyway.

Thanks.

[louthewiz]

I use the panasonic Dmr-E80 H and all I do is record to the hard drive or dvd ram edit cut and join and burn to dvd-r or take the dvd=ram to my cpu and edit and burn with custom menus,so yes it is the easiest way to convert laser disc to dvds...

[bokkasrealm]

Just put the laserdisc in your LD-RW drive and rip it with Laserdisc Decryptor. Dont be alarmed if it takes more than 2 days these things are huge! I had a hard enough time trying to find blanks for it! Then compress it with laserdisc shrink. Make an iso of it and reburn with laserdisc decryptor.

[DereX888]

Backing up LD to DVD is basically very same as transferring VHS to DVD.
However you'll achieve better (video quality wise) results using S-VHS (S-Video) connectors than standard RCA connectors.

[Kingnog]

Um....bokkasrealm....that was a pathetic attempt at being funny :P

[D.A.R.J.R.]

Just put the laserdisc in your LD-RW drive and rip it with Laserdisc Decryptor. Dont be alarmed if it takes more than 2 days these things are huge! I had a hard enough time trying to find blanks for it! Then compress it with laserdisc shrink. Make an iso of it and reburn with laserdisc decryptor.

I cant find a ld-rw drive anywhere, where did you get yours?

I wish there was a way the just digitally hook the laserdisc player to the computer with usb cable or something to get the files off. Arent they Mpg1 files?

[andkiich]

I actualy found that backing up my LD was easier than VHS because the source did not have the same problems as capturing from analog. No tape stretching, no tracking issues.

My LD backups look identical to the original.

I've done the original and special edition Star Wars trilogy, Assualt on Precinct 13, and Robin Hood:Men in Tights, as well as a bunch of anime that I imported from Japan, Oh! My Goddess, Bubblegum Crisis, AD Police OVA, Vampire Princess Miyu, just to name a few.

[pbguy1211]

LD-RW... hehe... that was pretty funny.

And I can assure you I'm definately not looking to transfer those Original Star Wars LD's to DVD... DEFINATELY not...

[indolikaa]

Backing up LaserDiscs? Been there, done that.

Did it both with DV.avi and ATI AIW. Piece of cake. DVDs look every bit as good as the LDs.

[Kingnog]

I dont know about an LD drive...but I've got an LG drive!

[BJ_M]

i have a laser disk recorder/writer for sale if anyone wants one ..

a Sony LVR3000AN -- be an easy way to back them up ...

[zilog_jones]

I wish there was a way the just digitally hook the laserdisc player to the computer with usb cable or something to get the files off. Arent they Mpg1 files?

Er, I'm pretty sure LaserDisc video is analogue, isn't it? Just because it's on a shiny optical disc doesn't necessarily mean it's digital!

[Kingnog]

Eh..how would it be analog? Magnetic disk? lol

Just asking..serious question, i really dont know...

[elkfir]

Eh..how would it be analog? Magnetic disk?

Laserdiscs are analog. Here's an old thread on that issue:

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=184625

[dphirschler]

you'll achieve better (video quality wise) results using S-VHS (S-Video) connectors than standard RCA connectors.

This is misleading. You may or may not get a better picture using the S-video connection. The video data is written composite on the disc. So either your capture card separates the signals, or the player. Some players might not do as good a job as your capture card. I'd try both and see which gives better results.


Darryl

[Perro Grande]

Honestly, I've had better results going from LD to the Canopus ADVC100 using composite video than SVideo. For whatever reason, I get a crosshatching effect when I use SVideo that just isn't there on the composite captures.

Laserdisc video is analog. Only the digital audio tracks on an LD are truly digital, to the best of my knowledge.

[zilog_jones]

Eh..how would it be analog? Magnetic disk? lol

I don't know why some people seem to think that magnetic storage is specifically analogue and optical stuff is for digital only. You can store anything on anything! Look at 1/2" magnetic tapes like in VHS - they could be analogue, like with VHS, or digital like with Digital Beta or D-VHS. Hard disks and floppy disks are all used for digital data, but they store it magnetically too!

LaserDiscs first came out in the late 70's, a time when digital audio recording was only just becoming a reasonable possibility - never mind digital video, which was still just a pipe dream!

The video in LDs are stored and played back much like a record (except a bit more sophisticated, of course!), just except the data surface is reflective, so it can be read easily with a laser, and direct contact with the surface of the disc is not needed and whanot.

A very good idea at the time, but of course the likes of VHS and Beta where recordable and a hell of a lot cheaper, so it didn't really do too well, especially in Europe. Outside of the karaoke business, I've NEVER seen any LD players here, never mind actual LD videos.

[Hardcoreruss]

Um....bokkasrealm....that was a pathetic attempt at being funny :P

Made me laugh

[DereX888]

Honestly, I've had better results going from LD to the Canopus ADVC100 using composite video than SVideo.

This is misleading. You may or may not get a better picture using the S-video connection

Well, as usual - the more people, the more different opinions

In my experience capturing with ATI A-I-W Radeon (7200-8500 models), at 720x480, directly to MPEG-2 VBR, progressive, feeding it from various LD players (except one that had only RCA out) I always had better quality results using S-VHS than using RCA.